JJ and the Real Jerks – Mess You Up LP

For those late to the party, L.A.’s JJ and the Real Jerks have been kicking around since 2009, bashing out a handful of singles, e.p.’s, and a full-length platter for labels like Dead Beat and Pat Todd’s Rankoutsider Records. Now, these Sons of The Dolls are back in business with their strongest batch of sleazy barroom rock ‘n’ roll yet.

Steeped in boozy swagger and Stonesy git-down, the eight songs on “Mess You Up” do exactly that. Joe “JJ” Jennings and company mix their Johnny Thunders with SoCal punk’n’roll from the glory days of The Humpers and The Dragons and add a spritz of Buzzcocks’ melodic attack. They come blazing out of the gate with dual-guitar overdrive and thrashing rhythm on “Built to Blast”, segue into hooky-as-hell barstool anthems like “Ten Cent Beer Night” and “Lost Souls Pub”, then celebrate the miracle of life with uplifting ditties like “Dead in the Water”, “Deprecation Blues” and “Sinking Feeling”. Make no mistake: this is one fun, raging garage-punk platter that’ll spend some serious time on your turntable.

‘”Cali punks hoist high the flag of ’77 in a fitting tribute to four fuggin’ decades of rock ‘n’ roll decadence that will never be forgotten.”
– Fred Mills, Blurt Magazine