Steve e. Nix and The Famous Lizards

Motorcade [EP] (2022)

Edu Baro

News from Seattle -although it could well be NY in the 70s. In any case the guys from The Briefs are embarking on a new adventure, i.e. Steve e Nix and THE FAMOUS LIZARDS. If after one or two quite successful projects you decide to put your proper name in front of the band, it's because you're determined to stay -or you’ll die trying. Steve e Nix is on his way. However, on a display of modesty or of let’s-see-what-happens, he’s taking the spotlight away from himself for now, capitalizing the band. Whatever it is, they're bringing a brand new record with four stylish rock and roll punk songs and asking you to join in.

(Get in the) Motorcade fires the starting gun and the driving guitars are off! and all the machinery starts rolling, driving around town, windows down and singing their heads off, full of excitement because the weekend is coming and they've got a new band and they want to share this feeling with us. At the wheels we have Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, ehem, I mean, Steve e Nix and the Famous Lizards, providing melodies -and guitars, too, and they’re hanging out in the Lower East Side instead and they’re tagging along with Manitoba & co. Hallways sets the sad tone of the album. A superb constructed mid-tempo sleazy and tough rock and roll swinging back to the Dead Boys and forth to D Generation. It makes time slow down, which fits perfectly to tackle the problem of addictions and the subsequent rehab, which the song does. Side B opener Nite Life hits the peak of this debut EP. Here the band has really got down to business. Full on guitars covering everything. A really heavy number but one where bass and drums will get you dancing and after four minutes twenty of spinning you should be also sweating like a pig late at night, giving the song its proper title, what’s more, nightlife is their comfort zone. But it doesn’t matter because you will lose all notion of time, only the lyrics pass you by like a collection of photographs without making much sense, but that’s alright because pictures don’t need any thread just that you look at them. Lots of guitar layers and the vibrato that gives it just that right touch of production, but one that's appreciated. They still remind me of Buzzcocks, I can't help it. After that, Avenue child allows you to take a breath and leave with a swagger. And that’s rock and roll and it tastes good.

Steve e Nix and The Famous Lizards know what they’re about, everyone that releases an EP instead of a long play does. I will say, it’s an album of punk and rock and roll in adulthood. What might be an oxymoron but not really. More like, whatever it is they picked, they do it well.