Stream 'Erase', out now - ffm.to/erase329
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On their debut LP, “Erase,” Rocky Valentines frontman Charles Martin sings that he feels like “a one-man band.” He’s not specifically singing about the lack of bandmates on “Scream and Shout,” but the album credits aren’t exactly littered with other names either.
With an assist on bass throughout from Steve Dail (Project 86, Crash Rickshaw), and a recording credit for his father, Jason Martin (Starflyer 59), the younger Martin does the bulk of the work himself across the LP’s eight tracks.
Building on 2022’s four-song, self-titled EP, “Erase” exhibits a host of influences - most of which stopped being relevant before the 20-year-old Charles was born - bundled up in arrangements that never feel cluttered.
“Erase” is a record that harkens back to some of rock’s best moments, though its most important influence might be Charles himself. Mixing Grant Hart’s earworm melodies with Tony Iommi’s heavier-than-hell guitar riffs, Martin combines it all with a measured restraint, allowing his vocals to shine without a lot of studio trickery.
Lyrically, “Erase” evokes a young man in the throes of his salad days but is self-aware enough to be bookended by tracks about growing older - album-opener “Sing the Song” - before closing with the title track’s funeral setting. All of it melds together to reveal a young artist mastering his craft while maturing into adulthood.
Mixed by Bob Hoag (The Ataris, Fine China) and mastered by Jason Livermore (Descendents, All, NOFX), “Erase” features artwork by Jake Quintanar and will have its physical release on March 15 by Velvet Blue Music (vinyl, cassette, CD) and streaming release from Tooth and Nail.
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We saw flowers sitting at your grave
You really hit us with nothing left to say
Friends and family that you thought you’d never see
But what do you know, everyone agrees
We’re so sorry for your loss today, because we know you want it to erase
When I came home, dad told us the news
I thought it was crazy, we were so confused
People coming in and out of your life
Never a warning, just hits like a knife
#TheRockyValentines #Erase