True, to its title, Royal Bangs’ “My Car Is Haunted” has the feel of old, unreliable traveling too fast on the highway. There’s cowbell and more cowbell, keyboards fit for Miami Vice, and guitar solos primed for a Rocky fight scene, all backed by a chopped, sputtering bass riff. It’s disco rock, to be sure, but without the sub-genre’s usual sheen, it’s spontaneous and fun, coming off like LCD Soundsystem and TV on the Radio on a cheep beer, bad booze, and Eighties movie bender.

MP3: Royal Bangs – My Car Is Haunted

Let it Beep, Royal Bangs’ second album for Audio Eagle Records, will be available on September 15th. They’ll be in Cleveland on October 24th for a show with the Akron, all-star band of drummers, Drummer, at the Beachland Ballroom.

Royal Bangs
Audio Eagle Records

photo by Lizzie Rice