The New Recruits
by Mike Huberty
March 2003
Madison Punkers the New Recruits featuring Shinky
We are The New Recruits! the opening track of their debut CD “Fun Times” brazenly declares, and all it takes is the first listen to get you hooked on one of Madison’s foremost purveyors of gritty, no-frills rock n’ roll. Founded in late 1999 by members of regional bands, Heavy Ballz and the Flip-Offs, the Coolhand Band, Digibot and Tormentula, The New Recruits are kicking out the jams in the style of old-school rockers like the Ramones, Dead Kennedys, and Johnny Thunders. Their songs are often funny (“Oprah Christ” and “If You’re From Illinois, You Better Fucking Drive Like It” are good examples of the band’s acerbic sense of humor) while never letting up on their straight-ahead, in-your-face attitude.
“We’re going for ‘raise your glass’ rock n’roll,” bassist Fats, proclaims, “It used to be outlaw music and now it’s about getting signed and living the ‘rock star’ lifestyle. If we’re fighting a battle, it’s the return of rock n’ roll that’s dirty, titillating, fast-car-and-making-out-in-the-park music.”
Along with singer, Shinky, drummer Bart , and guitarist Chip, the Recruits deliver a healthy dose of screw-ya-if-ya-don’t-like-us attitude that made them popular at Madison’s dearly departed O’Cayz Corral. In fact, their song, “504” (based on the address of the club), written before the fire that
destroyed the venue, became almost a pseudo-anthem for those who grieved the significant loss to Madison’s rock scene. Lately, they’ve delivered the goods at clubs like Ken’s, The Corral Room, and The Great Dane (one of their new favorites.)
Even though they’re “not set on conquering the world” according to Fats, they have a limited edition disc coming out in the next coupla months and plan to release a new full album by the end of the year. “We’re not radio-ready,” he says matter-of-factly, “we want to spread the word and have a good time.”
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