Emerging from the Midwest hardcore scene in 1980, Indianapolis’ Zero Boys always seemed to have a little more rock and roll in them than that genre’s brethren. They played with speed, energy and precision and had socially conscious lyrics which lead to the appeal of that crowd, but they also had a real solid rock and roll foundation.
43 years later they are still kicking up a fuss with something to say. The current Zero Boys features original members Paul Mahern (vocals) and Mark Cutsinger (drums) alongside longtime members Dave Lawson (guitar) and Scott Kellogg (bass), who have both been on board since 2012.
This 7” vinyl single from I-94 Recordings marks their first physical release of new material in nearly 10 years. The anthemic ode to social unrest, “Don’t Shoot, Can’t Breathe” was released previously in digital format in 2018 (along with a captivating video), but sees its physical release for the first time here.
This being #9 in I-94 Recordings series of singles that feature a cover of a Detroit artist, The Zero Boys offer up a freshly recorded version of Alice Cooper’s “Long Way to Go”, cementing the “A” side’s point that no, we aren’t there yet.
The cover art, by Shelby Kelley, further pushes the theme of how universal throughout time these injustices are. It references the riots of ‘67, some 56 years ago. How far have we come? How much further do we have to go?
Side A: Don’t Shoot, Can’t Breathe
Side B: Long Way to Go (The Alice Cooper Group)
Many vinyl colored options available. and 3 sleeve variants (one for black, one for wax mage toxic ooze and one for the rest of the colors).