It seems only appropriate that Savage Republic’s video for the lead single “Stingray” from its new album Meteora (it’s first since 2014’s Aegean) looks like it was filmed on VHS on the seashore. The almost entirely instrumental track showcases the more playful yet edgy side of the band and an example of how it threaded together surf rock with menacing post-punk and non-Western rhythm schemes. It sounds fairly straightforward until it sinks in that it’s probably not in 4/4 time. As an introduction to the band’s respectable body of work it’s a pretty accessible and energetic short slice of the band’s eclectic aesthetic. Other tracks on the album including “Nothing at All” linked below demonstrate how Savage Republic has always been deft at injecting pointed post-punk with almost tribal rhythms and raw industrial beats. The new album also has tastes of the band’s nuanced yet direct political lyrics. From its 1982 debut album Tragic Figures (the song “Real Men” appeared in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs) through the albums the group has released since it got back together in 2002, Savage Republic has been explicitly anti-authoritarian and on Meteora making no bones about being anti-fascist. All while having some creative fun with making darkly cathartic soundscapes alongside its more international musical roots in crafting arresting songs that make it seem exciting to be on the right side of history without getting didactic about it all. Watch the videos for “Stingray” and “Nothing At All” on YouTube and connect with this influential cult post-punk band at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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