Greg Antista And The Lonely Streets are a relatively new rock group, having formed in 2018, but made up of experienced and talented musicians you likely already know. And their new album, Under The Neon Heat, features the addition of Frank Agnew on guitar, piano, organ and vocals. You are probably familiar with his work with Adolescents (he was the original guitarist for that band), as well as with Legal Weapon and 45 Grave. He replaces lead guitarist Jessica Kaczmarek, who played on the band’s first album, 2019’s Shake, Stomp And Stumble. In addition to Frank Agnew, the group is made up of Greg Antista on vocals and guitar; Warren Renfrow (of Cadillac Tramps) on bass, accordion and vocals; and Jorge E. Disguster (of Mink Daggers and The Hangmen) on drums and vocals. As you might guess, the music these guys create has a certain punk element, but also some good pop vibes. Under The Neon Heat features mostly original material, written by Greg Antista.
The album opens with an energetic rock tune, “Down On Commonwealth,” which was released as its first single. It is about growing up in the southern California punk scene, with lines like “With slim prospects and pawned guitars/No one there could tell us we were wrong.” The lyrics might look back, but the sound is fresh, active and alive. This song has a serious side, particularly in the lines “Police never were our friends/Took Kelly Thomas to his end/Apologies won’t bring him back again/Nothing new under the sun/Nothing new in Fullerton,” referring to police harassment and the killing of a homeless man by police in Fullerton in 2011. Police violence is obviously still a serious problem in this country. The energy only increases for “Feel Alright,” a totally enjoyable rock tune that features some excellent stuff on keys. While mentioning the past again (like in the line “Yesterday is just a photograph slowly fading away”), the focus is on the present. “I look a mess, but you know I’m fine/I feel alright, I feel alright tonight.” This is a song that feels like summer. It has that great, carefree, positive sense about it, that sense that things are, in fact, all right. It is one of my favorite tracks.
Though I’ve lived in Los Angeles for more than two decades (and speak some Spanish), I still haven’t made the drive down Route 5 into Mexico. Well, “Tijuana Jail” is about such a trip, down to Tijuana, a trip that doesn’t end quite as well as they’d hoped, with the vacation being extended by forces beyond their control. “No help should be expected/Two weeks in the Tijuana jail.” I can’t help but wonder if this song was inspired by some real experience by one or more of the band members. That’s followed by “Rosalita,” another fun song that includes some troubles, “Broken nose and splintered spine,” and yet is still a totally positive tune. If you need something to help pick you up after whatever craziness has befallen you, then this is the album for you. “Through all the wreckage and debris/Through all the animosity/We dance this choreography that goes nowhere.”
The opening lines of “One More Mistake” stand out for me: “Talk to me, I’m sick of talking to myself/All that bad advice, I’ve heard it all before.” Ah, does he mean he received the bad advice from himself? That’s great. And the next line provides the album with its title, “Shuffling down the street, under the neon heat.” And though this song is about making mistakes, and the line “I tried to trust but that was just one more mistake” is depressing, you get the feeling they’re going to make it all right. The track ends with just the vocals and a bit on the hi-hat, and then the following track, “Together Tonight,” opens with the first couple of words sung a cappella before the song kicks in, a nice transition. This one drives forward with a bright force, a song about playing music, and for those who love music and love being at live shows. “For our anthem we will rise/For each other, we stand side by side.” That’s followed by “Lonesome Casualty,” which has one of my favorite titles of the album. Check out these lines: “I want all you held back/You want all I took.” Simple, but seriously effective and provocative lines. The group changes gears a bit with “Unfinished Business,” which begins with acoustic guitar, though reminding us of “Together Tonight” with its use of the line, “Side by side we stand, until the bitter end.” After a minute or so, the song kicks in. “When they come for you, I hope I am brave too.”
“Broken Glass” looks back rather fondly, and the line “Tried our best at suburban anarchy” is so bloody good. We know just exactly what he’s talking about there, as that line probably causes a lot of us to look back at our own youth (and I hope fondly as well). “Lost but so alive” is a great description too. This is another of the disc’s highlights. That’s followed by “Halfway To Whole.” We’ve all been damaged along the way. I don’t think there is any way to avoid it, short of just never leaving the house. But this song, which has a good deal of attitude, is about a sort of healing, with them singing “Halfway to whole again, and feeling like it might/Fill up what’s missing and get you back to right/Hope in your one hand, wishes in the other.” This song features some really good stuff on guitar, and the song’s title line is one you’ll likely be singing before the end of the track. The album then concludes with its one cover, “Warren Does Warren (Carmelita),” which is sort of a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita,” but with some different lyrics written and sung by Warren Renfrow. It is a delightful, humorous song that includes accordion and takes place in Highland Park, even mentioning York Blvd. (where I spent some of my best nights, seeing The Peak Show). That alone tickles me, but there are plenty of other details that might make you smile, as “the Pioneer Chicken stand” becomes “the vegan taco stand.” The original, by the way, took place in Echo Park, so that location didn’t move all that much distance. Is it safe to assume this song relates some true anecdotes in the life of the group’s bass player? Either way, it’s a fun song to wrap up the album.
CD Track List
- Down On Commonwealth
- Feel Alright
- Tijuana Jail
- Rosalita
- One More Mistake
- Together Tonight
- Lonesome Casualty
- Unfinished Business
- Broken Glass
- Halfway To Whole
- Warren Does Warren (Carmelita)
Under The Neon Heat was released on July 16, 2021 on Primal Beat Records.
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