Release Radar: Royal Scene "Twenty Summers"

With their latest EP, the Michigan band takes us on a ride through the best parts of Midwestern crunch pop.

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Photo courtesy of Phonophore Records

Good Morning!

Today we’re listening to Royal Scene’s Twenty Summers EP

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I’m not going to lie; Royal Scene had an unfair advantage here. I'd listen to any band that cites The Replacements, Cheap Trick, and Superdrag as influences.

Royal Scene is Scott Owens (vocals guitar), Blair Darling (bass), Randy Farkin (drums), Tim Marzorati (vocals/guitar), and Marc Nischan (vocals/guitar). The five grew up together in East Lansing and the local scene, eventually playing in two separate bands, 19 Wheels and The dts. They signed, made some records, and saw a lot of the country through the windshield of a van before returning home.

Deciding to regroup, they initially formed a Replacements cover band (The Bastards of Young), quickly earning a solid reputation as a band that could play. The focus then shifted to trying their hand at writing original material. Signed to Phonophore Records, the group released two EPs. Twenty Summers is the third and follows 2020’s Dose.

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The high-octane Can’t Get Started kicks things off and will immediately have you going through your mental Rolodex of Cheap Trick songs to think of which one it reminds you of the most. The band keeps the momentum rolling with some power pop goodness. Romeo’s Blue is fully loaded with chords and will have you oohing and ahhing for days.

Hanging On takes a page from The Replacements finishing school and would be at home on a Don’t Tell a Soul-era record. To my ear, this track also evokes the poppier side of Bob Mould’s solo work. With its urgent riffs and plaintive vocals, Powerless taps into a sugary sweet vein of Westerberg's solo work and is this writer’s favorite on the EP. The bridge staked out a place in my head and rattled around for a few days—the best kind of earworm.

After tapping influences from Minnesota, Illinois, and Tennessee, the band throws listeners a curveball with a cover they’d never see coming. I won't spoil it for you, except to say they looked across the Atlantic for this one. I was pleasantly surprised, and I think you will be too.

I’ve previously discussed records that could only have been made in the Midwest. I’m too old to use the term “vibes” to describe a particular sound, but you know it when you hear it. You’ll hear it here. Twenty Summers is an incredibly Michigan record. It’s also an incredibly good dose of infectious power pop.

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Bottom Line: Look, if you’re going to cite Mssrs. Westerberg, Zander, and Davis as influences; you need to be able to back that up. Getting my attention was easy. With their latest EP, Mssrs. Owens & Co. kept it all the way through and left me wanting more.

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Listen:

Royal Scene | Twenty Summers, 2024

Click the record to listen on Bandcamp

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this record! Rants, raves, and hot takes are all welcome.

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Thanks for being here,

Kevin—

P.S. East Coast friends! On Repeat favorites, Dot Dash have a couple of upcoming shows, and you should be there! Dot Dash is a band that’s very good at what they do, and what they do is deliver commercial-grade jangle pop.

• Aug. 4 (this Sunday!), they’ll be opening for late-70s power pop legends The Rubinoos at Hank Dietle’s Tavern in Rockville, MD. Gig info is here.

• On Sept. 24, they’re opening for Marky Ramone (!) at the legendary Black Cat in D.C. Gig info is here.

Check ‘em out!