Skinny ties, plastic sunglasses, matching bleach-blond dye jobs, bad haircuts and a record collection centred on The Adverts, Buzzcocks, The Undertones and The Weirdos.
Yes folks The Briefs are back with a brand new album! Platinum Rats is the band’s fifth LP and the first since 2005’s Steal Yer Heart. That’s not to say they’ve not been busy – Singer guitarist Steve E. Nix and bassist Steve Kicks have released three albums in the last decade by their other band The Cute Lepers. Where The Cute Lepers records feature some added power-pop drive, The Briefs are closer in spirit to pure ’77 punk – loud, raucous and fierce, yet cohesive, hooky and hilarious.
The band formed in 2000 and originally consisted of Daniel J. Travanti (guitar/vocals), Steve E. Nix (guitar/vocals), Lance Romance (bass/vocals) and Chris Brief (drums/vocals). They released their first full-length album, Hit After Hit, in 2000 on Dirtnap Records. The band was courted by and reportedly signed with major label Interscope Records, following their 2002 release of Off the Charts, but that deal later fell through.
The Briefs re-surfaced on California’s BYO Records with the release of 2004’s Sex Objects and the reissue of their Dirtnap-era LPs. In 2004, the Briefs went on a European tour without Lance Romance, who stayed behind to get his GED. In his place went bassist Steve Kicks of Vancouver, British Columbia’s band, New Town Animals. Lance rejoined the line-up for the 2004 release party of Sex Objects, but retired from the band in 2005. Kicks since become permanent addition and was a full member for the follow-up, 2005’s Steal Yer Heart.
