Black Adidas – “Strawberry Kisses”

FROM THE INBOX:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Black Adidas’ “Strawberry Kisses” Is Latest Single Before Planned New Album Next Year
Rocket Scientist by Day, Lifelong Punk-Rocker Courtney Ranshaw’s Latest Marks His Love Affair with Music
LOS ANGELES, August xx, 2021 – Black Adidas, the nom de punk for Courtney Ranshaw, haven’t just been hibernating during the lockdown, releasing a pair of singles, including the latest, “Strawberry Kisses,” an unabashed valentine to the music he loves and continues to pursue, available on all streaming services Sept. 17. Produced by former Mighty Lemon Drops guitarist Dave Newton [the Little Ones, the Blood Arm and Aberdeen], “Strawberry Kisses” (like “My Favourite Song” before it) showcases Ranshaw’s patented raw, soulful, low-register vocals, which evoke the likes of shouters like Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten, Black Flag’s Henry Rollins, the Descendents’ Milo and Iggy Pop.
The singles offer a preview of the follow-up to Black Adidas’ self-titled 2018 debut, which produced such anthems as “Free Shit,” “Old Fashioned Rock and Roll” and “Play What We Know.”
A true believer in punk’s DIY ethos, Courtney studied physics at Humboldt State University graduating to become an aerospace engineer, the same job he’s held for the past 20 years. That’s right, Black Adidas’ Ranshaw is a rocket scientist who also happens to be a punk rocker, with a degree in physics and a proficiency in math and science which goes well beyond Dee Dee Ramone’s “1-2-3-4” battle cry.
Ranshaw does everything himself, from overseeing the design of the artwork for the album covers to getting them streamed. By personally making radio calls, he’s managed to secure airplay on weekend specialty shows at such influential stations as KROQ/Los Angeles (Kat Corbit’s Locals Only), KXSF/San Francisco (Carolyn Keddy), KEXP (Brian Foss’ Sonic Reducer) and SiriusXM’s Underground Garage (where it was showcased by Dollyrots lead singer Kelly Ogden).
“I’ve been in bands for most of my life, and it’s just something I have to do,” says Ranshaw. “I can’t imagine ever not playing and making music.”

I think music has been one of the most important things during the pandemic era. Even as live music is starting to happen again, it’s important to remember why it matters. There are records you love, and there are bands that define you. I got into punk rock about 20-ish years ago. That’s why I like the music Black Adidas puts out. I can see the same love and affection for music that I have.

Also, I don’t usually copy/paste entire press releases. It tends to make the post look a bit unwieldy. But this one was really interesting. Because, goddamn, it’s nice to see someone putting so much effort into music when they also put a lot of effort into academics. Fucking rocket science. Who knew?

Black Adidas
Bandcamp

From the Inbox (10/30/20) // Black Adidas – “My Favourite Song”

FROM THE INBOX:

Tune your radio to the left of the dial, and discover your new favourite song.
LA based indie punk artist Black Adidas returns to release his latest powerful, raw, and cheeky single “My Favourite Song”. Produced by The Mighty Lemondrops’ Dave Newton, “My Favourite Song” features crunching riffs, eclectic arrangement, and the sort of infectious melody that will inject a musical ardor into any listener. “My Favourite Song” once again explores Black Adidas’ creative range, with the sort of intricate production and unique instrumentation that sets him apart from most punk these days. In a troubling year to say the least, Black Adidas delivers a bit of escapism. Make sure to add this release to your daily rotation as it will brighten any bad day.

I’m a huge fan of the musical direction that Black Adidas has been going in with the last couple singles. The synth made the previous single, “Be Cool,” really stand out to me. It’s inclusion here is a huge part of why I like “My Favourite Song” so much too.

Punk music is still subculture, but barely. Everyone has an idea of what “punk” sounds like. It’s refreshing to see an artist playing around with the genre. It’s still a guitar riff type song, but having the sound of a Roland Juno 60 adds a great layer to the song. It would have worked as a purely guitar song, but I think it works much better like this.

Black Adidas
Bandcamp

REVIEW: Black Adidas – “Black Adidas”

The mid-90s were a turning point in punk rock. The genre, having finally hit the mainstream again, had a couple paths to go down. One path was super slick and radio friendly. Another was to get your hair and jacket spiked up. The last path was to try and get the music back to the garage roots. I think that last path was the most compelling. You can slap as much pop sheen on it as you want, but the most interesting rock ‘n roll is based on deconstruction. It’s heart and soul. Black Adidas plays a bit outside the yard in some places, but still feels like one of those bands.

Black Adidas is the current project of Courtney Ranshaw, formerly of The Lower Echelon. He’s got a specific aesthetic on his full length. He gets to the fucking point without a bunch of needless preening and posing. The record starts with a song called “Free Shit,” and it just fucking goes from there. “Old Fashioned Rock ‘N Roll” is what Chuck Berry’s “Rock And Roll Music” would sound like if it had a healthy layer of garage fuzz laid on top of it. “Cocaine Eyes” has some A+ crooning that feels like a throwback to the Velvet Underground. I think “Play What We Know” is the most interesting song on the record though. Remember how I said Black Adidas plays outside the yard? This is the song I’m talking about. The verses are New Orleans jazz that fucking runs headfirst into a punk rock chorus. It’s a great combination.

End of the day, punk rock has been marketed and codified to death. People think of a specific thing when you say it. I feel like this record plays like a love letter to the genre, but the pre-code version. When the vocals were haphazard, when the distortion was strong, and when lo-fi and garage influence wasn’t just a lazy marketing gimmick to make major label bands seem dangerous. Whatever that means.

Black Adidas
Bandcamp
Buy It