EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: “RIVALS” IS A CELEBRATORY HEAD-BANGER FROM BROOKLYN’S DAMN JACKALS

The last three years or so have looked a little different for just about everyone––highs, lows, limbo-esque in-betweens, and a whole lot of what the hell am I doing? moments. And while some have fared better than others, most can say they’ve grown a little in one way or another––if not because of the global pandemic, then simply by virtue of the passage of time. Beau Croxton, frontman of Brooklyn-based garage glam band Damn Jackals, has definitely made some changes. Today he’s celebrating them with Glasse Factory enthusiasts.

Rivals, a 3-track EP from Damn Jackals, debuts tomorrow, July 15th. Fans may already be familiar with the EP’s first two tracks, “Lovely Nuthin’” (2021) and “Swoon” (2022), but a third addition “New Broke City” makes Rivals complete. Available below is an exclusive look at the music video for “New Broke City”––get ahead of the curve and give it a watch.

Damn Jackals released “Lovely Nuthin’” about a year ago, but to new listeners it’s a killer find. The 60s style beach doo-wop guitar goes a long way to add an uplifting edge to a set of lyrics that deal with some pretty heavy stuff. “Nuthin’” doesn’t so much refer to a carefree lack of responsibilities, but rather to the hard-fought results of Croxton’s own sobriety journey. Scuzzy garage rock sensibilities pay homage to these deeper lyric undertones about addiction and recovery, but come the last note of “Lovely Nuthin’” and Damn Jackals end on a triumphant note––darker times now behind them.

“By the end of the song, the lyrics suggest love as a way to guide you through these dark waters so it wraps up nicely with a solution,” says Croxton. “The song also parallels these addiction themes with social media dependency which is something far less dire but has many things in common. I wrote about this wild character in the narrative who is a very carefree, vain, and sort of a party animal. So I guess the music fits the subject’s mental “soundtrack” perfectly—serving as somewhat of a theme song,” Croxton told American Songwriter.

“Swoon,” out earlier this year,  comes next on Rivals to satisfy any garage-rock appetite. Drifting away from the sandy shores of Rockaway Beach, “Swoon” pays homage to the fast-paced, gritty aesthetics of life in New York City. But Damn Jackals leave the nihilism inherent to classic punk behind, opting instead for an “I love you” attitude towards the progressive change-makers they observe in the metropolis they call home. 

The second track on Rivals is a total celebration of the band’s sound and musical prowess. “It’s a really fun vehicle for our guitarists to let loose in a live setting, especially our lead guitarist Max Motchan, who definitely went buck wild on his guitar solo on the recording,” Croxton told Hollywood Life. “We had our first crowd surfer during his solo for this song at our last gig. It was heaps of fun!” Indeed, “Swoon” is a spirit-lifting buzz, sure to leave you amped up and optimistic when it’s over.

Harder, faster, and fuzzier is Damn Jackals’ newest release “New Broke City.” This track deals its hand in the punk fundamentals and is begging for a mosh-pit. Taking inspiration from their Brooklyn audiences, Damn Jackals puts a cherry on top of Rivals with a hardcore, head-banging hit that paints an impressionistic image of NYC nightlife against a technicolored, apocalyptic backdrop. “New Broke City” is composed at the cross section of industrial rock and garage glam––a new title sequence for the Brooklyn underground scene. 

Glasse Factory is excited to host this exclusive premiere for Damn Jackals’ newest EP––available to stream here today, and on all platforms July 15th. Rivals was mixed by Paul Ritchie at New Future and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Alan Douches at West West Side Music. If you’re based in New York, don’t miss Damn Jackals’ performance at The Sultan Room on July 16th––buy your tickets here.

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