When Manchester label Box Bedroom Rebels asked Norwegian Swedish postpunkrockers Cut City to do a release with the label, they had no idea the band was on a long term hiatus with no intention to return to playing music together. Then, the pandemic happened. The band decided to play their final album one last time and do a live stream of it. Surprised by the ecstatic response of fans all over the world on their living room broadcast, Cut City found renewed energy to reset and restart their band.
The result: a third full length (upcoming at Garagerock Records) and an 8-song EP at Box Bedroom Rebels that has just been released on Box Bedroom Rebels called Rage At The Badlands. I am tempted to call Rage At The Badlands a full length though. Despite its brevity (slightly over 16 minutes), all 8 songs are fully formed and all hit hard. If you, like me, have a strained relationship with the postpunk label, I am happy to say Rage At The Badlands is more punkrock than postpunk, with crazy catchy choruses, awesome drumming, and cool new wave-ish guitar work. Slamma II and Speed Freaks – listen below, are just two of the many standouts on the EP. Make sure to also check out closer Have You Seen Him?
Perhaps the postpunk label associated with the band is why I overlooked Cut City previously. The new stuff make me want to take a deep dive in the band’s discography. But for now, I think I will put Rage At The Badlands on repeat. It’s out now on a 33rpm 7″ through Box Bedroom Rebels. I am definitely going to buy it.
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