State Radio

State Radio serves up rock n' roll realism that weaves together stories of the downtrodden and the oppressed, but never loses its sense of hope. The album is raw and gritty, rolling with thunderous drumming and delectably grimy guitars. "The best thing about this record is just the raw energy and the basic facts," Stokes says. "We recorded it to tape with these old amps from the 70s and these big drum sounds in a warehouse." This is rock; unrefined, hard and volcanic. "There's not much reggae or ska on this record, which is new for us," Stokes says. On "Roadway Broken," interlocking bass and guitar riffs chop away, as the drums tumble and smash behind Stokes' howl. The chunky up-tempo grooves of "Sugarbeet Wine" seem all that more energized, when paired with its slow-burning airy interludes and sternward-arcing slide guitar. Recorded in the Boston area, Rabbit Inn Rebellion is close to home, lacing together their personal histories and convictions. With these songs, State radio crafts a narrative of where the world is going, and where it has been. If these songs sound like road trip music, it's because much of it was written on the road...or to be more precise, on the rail. Between projects, Stokes decided to hop on the trains, the same way modern gutter punks and age-old hobos have traversed the country. Stokes and his brother rode from coast to coast stopping off in cities and towns, picking up stories. "My brother Willy and I were jumping freight trains across the country and stopped in this town in Arizona," he says. "I ended up getting back on the train with a dog, and he ended up getting back on the trains with a girl, Adelaide. We made it out to Sacramento, where we got arrested. But, the whole story is based on this crazy love that Willy and Adelaide had for each other and then their ultimate break-up." On "Desert Queen," Stokes divulges his own love affair with his new four-legged sidekick, Lefty, who tagged along for their adventures. Rumor has it, Lefty has rocker roots too; he's descended from the ...