Ron GalloUSA
Fuzzy freaky postpunk
There’s a fine, fine line between optimism and crushing nihilism, and it’s a border that courses through the new album by Ron Gallo, ‘FOREGROUND MUSIC’. It moves from fuzz to lounge jazz to freaky pop to post-punk and back again to rollicking, truly FUN rock music, all the while taking aim at any and everything. It is a very American album in this sense, one that reflects the sort of person who begs for collective action and gets laughed at by cynics on the left and fear mongers on the right.
Despite the chaos, the broken spirits, and defeated dreams that dance around the merry go round that is ‘FOREGROUND MUSIC’, Gallo can’t help but infuse the album with a joyful charm, one that comes from a deep and sincere place of love for people and protecting the things we hold sacred.
Gallo’s career has been building towards this moment since he first became *wink-wink* popular with the release of ‘Heavy Meta’. He moved to Nashville, played shows, signed with a label, hit Coachella, Bonnaroo, Gov Ball, ACL, and more, and toured around the world or played shows with Spoon, Parquet Courts, Wilco, and more.
Max Hell, a gritty rock band from Amsterdam’s indie scene, appeared on stage with old and new friends in late 2021 and is known live for its energetic performances. Hell alternates “pop with punk powder” with sudden “screams from the underbelly.”