Band of Bees/The Redwalls

The Redwalls fake the British Invasion.

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More About

• Buzzcocks
• Pete Shelley
• The Redwalls
• Punk Rock
• Music Festivals

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The Buzzcocks' sly Pete Shelley was "surfing on a wave of nostalgia for an age yet to come," but for most backward-looking bands of recent decades, the '60s will do just fine. And '60s necrophilia is practically a tradition compared to the current '80s vogue, which explains why it's getting so damned good. Band of Bees doesn't want for authenticity, being from the rockfest enclave Isle of Wight and having recorded its latest album, Free the Bees, at Abbey Road. But it's the record's funky milkshake of styles, circa '66, and party atmosphere that make it tug your ears like the smirk-free music Ween never made. The Redwalls, on the other hand, are from Chicago, recreating '60s Brit-rock with vocals that loosen all previous applications of "Lennon-esque." Their gimmickless take on the Small Faces and mid-period Beatles absolutely nails their soulful pop and early psychedelia into the Norwegian wood. Until someone does the Buzzcocks with this much passion, we'll just have to vex our kids with the real thing.