Fidlar is an acronym (Fuck it dog, life’s a risk) for this Carpe Diem-esque mantra, and although it might a whole lot less philosophical than the “seize the day” ideology a 23BC Latin poet introduced the literary world to, this is how skaters from LA rationalise flying off ramps and speeding down half-pipes, smashing their genitals on metal railings in an intoxicated stupor.
If you’ve got a six-pack of beer, a bag of weed and a few days to throw away to an inebriated haze, this is the band for you. If you’re part of the holier-than-thou xXxstraight edgexXx movement, perhaps not.
Getting fucked up on the 101 / Shooting narcotics and having fun / 40 beers later and a line of speed / Eight-ball of blow and a half-a-pound of weed…
This is the first verse you’ll hear in their opening track, Cheap Beer, from Fidlar’s debut self-titled studio album released early last year. I certainly wouldn’t suggest emulating the activities these lyrics suggest the four LA-based dudes get up to, but their music is something pretty cool to bang your head to if you’re having a downer of a day and want to get the blood flowing away from your cranium.
Welcome to the lair of Fidlar, here you’ll listen to the love child of Black Flag and Motörhead, a grimy combination of The Stooges and Mudhoney. Once again, you’ll feel the urge to rebel against your conservative parents and the authorities with the abhorrently grotesque sounds of this filthy, yet somehow compelling, punk band.
If you manage to stick it out, eventually the power chords, roaring vocals and overpowering sleaziness all blend into one gigantic inaudible noise to give birth to what is the welcomed return of a mirrored image of the 1980s West Coast punk rock scene.
The crux of why Fidlar’s debut album is so important isn’t because it’s riddled with intoxicant-fueled lyrics or even the surf and skate culture it represents, but because it is part of the re-emergence of an iconic era of music that brings with it a notion of rebellion you can’t help but feel drawn to.
Appearing on Triple J’s Like a Version segment in early 2013, Fidlar anchored themselves into the local mindset with an explosive cover of Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand”. Having only recently concluded their US tour, be sure to make some time to check out these guys’ tracks in time for their next. I give my personal recommendations to: Cheap Beer, No Waves and Cocaine for an exhilarating high off of the music alone.
