Green Day Moonlights As Foxboro Hot Tubs

Because I’m a sucker for ba-da-da’s and woo-hoo-hoo’s, I would’ve dug the Foxboro Hot Tubs even if the word from Buzznet wasn’t that the band in question is actually pop-punk legends Green Day masquerading as neo-garage hipsters, complete with blaring organ lines and hopped up backing vocals. It wouldn’t be the first time the East Bay boys played musical tricksters: in 2003, they released the new wave-ish EP Money Money 2020 under the name the Network on Billie Joe Armstrong’s Adeline Records label and never confirmed, nor denied, their authorship.

As reported in Music Blend, Green Day is gearing up to record a follow up to American Idiot, their massively successful last record, in January 2008. Are the Foxboro Hot Tubs simply Green Day emptying their brains of extraneous ideas before hitting the studio to record the real stuff? Or are Billie Joe and company priming their fan base for a sharp turn from pop-punk into flower punk? Whatever they’re doing, if indeed they’re doing it (and from the sound of it, they’re definitely doing it), the 6 song EP Stop, Drop, & Roll is full of melodic sunshine, recalling the Kinks, the Zombies, and the Go-Go’s at their most raucous. No political statements here, just chunky chords and bouncy beats guaranteed to make even the most stalwart of pogo popsters get down and do the frug. “Mother Mary” is a dead ringer for early 80’s garage revival band the Fuzztones while “Ruby Room” name checks the coolest bar in Oakland and drops subtle clues about the true identity of the Oaksterdam based bunch.

If you tune in religiously to Little Steven’s Underground Garage and you hate radio friendly fakers like Jet and the Strokes, head over to their website and download Stop Drop & Roll in its entirety. It’s 100% free and sure to brighten your day, unlike another recently released Internet-only sort of 100% free record I could mention but won’t. Conversely, if you aren’t allowed to download music onto your mom’s computer, check the Hot Tubs out at their myspace page. Regardless of whether or not the Foxboro Hot Tubs are Green Day preparing for their next move or just Green Day fooling around during winter break, Stop Drop & Roll is a first class summer record primed to melt away your jingle bell blues, making it worth more than pretty much all the other crap you’ll find under the tree this year. So thanks, guys, whoever – nudge-nudge-wink-wink - you are.