Album review: The Oxys – “Generation Irrelevant”

Dead Beat Records – 23 July 2023

The Oxys are here to remind the world that rock is far from dead.

The headlines keep screaming ROCK IS DEAD, but apparently nobody informed The Oxys. The Austin quintet just dropped their second record, Generation Irrelevant. This comes only eight months after last year's excellent debut A Date With The Oxys. 

The Oxys are a newer band, formed in the unlikely year of 2020, but they're made up of grizzled scene veterans. The easy musical reference point is Dead Boys and New York Dolls. This makes perfect sense, as guitarist and songwriter Jason Kottwitz played in a later version of Dead Boys. He and The Oxys' rhythm section also cut their teeth in the solo bands of founding Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome and original Doll Sylvain Sylvain. 

It's not hard to imagine some of these songs being sung by Stiv Bators or David Johansen. That's not to take anything away from vocalist Phil Davis, who can shift effortlessly from glam rock to punk sneer. Opener “Ticking Time Bomb” has all the elements that make The Oxys compelling. There's great lead guitar work, a catchy chorus and the perfect amount of tension. Like the writer truly is close to snapping. It's something many can relate to after the last few difficult years. 

First single “Mr. Horrible” was inspired by a mistold story by Sylvain Sylvain about a confrontation between Queen frontman Freddy Mercury and Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious. The title track questions the substance of the generation that can't remember the world before social media. The best songs on Generation Irrelevant tend to be the darkest. “Isolation” paints a bleak picture from a personal and societal level. 

“I Feel Nuthin” feels most like a lost Dead Boys song, and that's a very good thing. It's punk and roll at its very finest. There are definitely some lighter moments to offset the darkness. Songs like “Deathrock Valley Girl” and “Vulgar Favors” make sure that things don't get too heavy. Closer “Screaming in Silence” is the longest song on Generation Irrelevant, and is as serious as a heart attack. It also might be the best song on the record. 

At ten tracks in less than half an hour, there's no room to screw around on Generation Irrelevant. It really is all killer no filler. If anything, rock seems to be thriving in the underground. (Check out The Drowns, Poison Boys, Ravagers, or Slaughter Boys.) The lack of major commercial success means most bands are doing it for the right reasons. It may never again dominate pop culture, but it's still there for those who seek it. 

For vinyl fiends: This is available on black wax in an unknown quantity. There are also two variants limited to 100 each. There's the half pink/half opaque pink, and the clear with pink, white and black splatter. The hot pink cover might even make it possible for you to turn a Barbie fan onto some killer punk and roll!