Remember when Kings of Leon were good? Sure you do. Before their "Sex on Fire" days, the greasy Nashville rockers had this unkempt, and rowdy allure. Thankfully, Detroit's Handgrenades are here to pass the torch with their latest single, "Vampires and Freaks."
"Vampires and Freaks" marks the first release from Handgrenades since 2016's Tunnels, which Pop Matters called "one of the strongest underground indie rock releases" that year. Tunnels proved that the band — Andrew Pawleski, Nick Chevillet, Jesse Shepherd-Bates, and Joby Kaslowski — had perfected the disciplined frenzy formula indie rock requires to stay accessible. "Vampires and Freaks" is undoubtedly an extension of this.
Produced by Zach Shipps, the delightfully DIY video was directed by the band's own Shepherd-Bates and is reminiscent of the music video trends of the mid-2000s — with montage-style footage of hide-and-seek hijinks with masked weirdos, an abandoned house, and a parking lot battle. Rock and roll revelry? Almost. Mostly what Hangrenades have done with "Vampires and Freaks" is remind us that indie rock doesn't have to be totally brooding to be taken seriously. In fact, it can be devilishly fun.
"Vampires and Freaks" can be found on all streaming services. Watch the video below.
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