Milwaukee Artist of the Week – 2/14/14 – Direct Hit!
Are you a Milwaukee musician/band? You can submit your music to be the Milwaukee Artist of the Week by emailing links to info@BreakingAndEntering.net. We’ll check out every submission we get!
There are very few times when a band name is as accurate as it’s sound, but this week’s Milwaukee Artist of the Week are spot on. Direct Hit! is a pop punk band that sounds exactly like their name would suggest. One listen and you’ll hear a trio (occasionally helped by friends) that are relentless. There’s really not a more accurate way to describe them. The group is a straight up, no frills, pop punk outfit the way it was meant to be. It’s loud, fast, and in your face. That’s punk rock. That’s Direct Hit!
If I had to compare the band to somebody, it’s not an easy call. Take the aggression and heartfelt vocals of Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys, and the speed of bands like Rancid and Rise Against, and you might have something that sounds like Direct Hit!. It would also be important to throw in some gang vocals, a few of the catchiest melodies and hooks that I’ve heard in a long time, and extra instruments at just the right moments of all of their tracks. I even heard a dreaded synthesizer at the end of one song, dare I say it. Then you really have something that sounds like Direct Hit!. This is textbook punk rock, if there is such a thing.
As their 2011 “Domesplitter” album demonstrates, along with several more recently, this band takes no prisoners. They also are constantly writing new music. At the present, the band currently has nine releases available on Bandcamp, if you include split releases and other one off tracks. Most importantly of those one-offs is “Caroler”, released in December as a fundraiser after the band’s gear and van were stolen in Detroit. The group also endured a fire in their practice space, in recent months as well. Do yourself a favor, and buy a Direct Hit! album. You won’t be disappointed. Stream “Domesplitter” below:
For more Direct Hit!, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Bandcamp.
