Hello to all of my indie rock kindred spirits! It’s Andy Gesner and the staff from HIP Video Promo, here with another terrific, imaginative performance clip from a sensational young band. Here at HIP, we do love the straight-ahead rock and indiepop – but our favorite acts are the ones that can’t be categorized, and who disregard conventions completely. Few bands have the elasticity (or, for that matter, the instrumental chops) to spring between genres with grace. But the Rx Bandits are no ordinary band. Their infectious blend of progressive rock, jazz, reggae, ska is utterly singular, and their synthesis of these elements is invariably deft and novel.

Their musical talent is evident: the Rx Bandits have crazy skills, and they’re not ashamed of it. The Southern California quintet is renowned for their electrifying stage-show, and for the fascinating instrumental departures they take during their set. They’ve toured diligently playing all over the world. From playing the Main Stage back in 2003 on the Warped Tour to Main Stage at Bonnaroo in 2007 they have evolved and stunned fans with their maturing sound coming from contemporary pop-punk / ska into what is now their dazzling virtuosity and willingness to take chances. But on record, they’re strictly disciplined: their musicianship is placed at the service of the songs. Cuts may bounce from indie rock to jazz to ska and back again, but each element supports Matthew Embree’s storytelling and the band’s courageous songwriting.

…And The Battle Begun, their fourth album and first on their own independent label Mash Down Babylon (MDB Records/Sargent House) is also their most adventurous and creative effort yet. Their integration of brass and woodwinds (Rx Bandits have alwaysstood out to the punk audiences with their audacious use of saxophone and trombone) with furious indie rock is utterly non-obvious: instead of blaring away on big choruses, the horns provide subtle coloration and shading, and move the songs in unexpected directions. Multi-instrumentalist Steve Choi weaves piano lines and synth textures through the gentler parts of the songs, and squalls away on electric rhythm guitar during the fierce moments. The title track from the album showcases the band at its best: Embree and his group can purr like The Shins, soar like At The Drive-In, rock out like The Mars Volta and jazz it up like vintage Police and all within four minutes! Embree’s lyrics are, as always, thoughtful and soul-searching – his political conscience has always driven him, and as he’s gotten a bit older, his ability to articulate his discontents and longings has only sharpened.

A band of polymaths needs a clip that reflects its many dimensions. Directed by Adam Thomson and produced by Refused TV, the clip for “…And The Battle Begun" provides a visual metaphor for the Rx Bandits’ multi-faceted talents. It shows the band at work, and in their element: playing in a large room whose walls are made up of projections, causing a physcadelic visual that is organic and engaging. The effect is one of enclosure, but it’s never claustrophobic. On the contrary, it reinforces the group’s rigor and status as a collective – each member diligently responding to their mates’ creative forays, contained and energized by the music they’re creating together.

We are very excited to be working once again with Cathy Pellow and all of the good folks at Sargent House to bring you this incredible video. You can catch Rx Bandits with Gym Class Heroes on their sold out national tour along with P.O.S. and K-OS through the end of winter and well into spring, so if you’d like to catch up with them for a video interview, drop us a line here at HIP and we'll be sure to hook you up. This band is affable and willing to please, so don't hesitate to reach out to us if they get you excited! If you need more info, call Andy Gesner at 732-613-1779 or e-mail us at HIPVideo@aol.com. You can also visit www.RxBandits.com, www.myspace.com/rxbandits to find out more about Rx Bandits.

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