Desperate Living Released Shame EP Via Reptilian Records

SHAME, the new EP by Desperate Living, is out now on Reptilian Records.

Noise rock grime and punk rock exuberance unite on Desperate Living’s new EP; the band’s bursts of vitriol and swagger could wow a basement full of AmRep nihilists and a theater full of The Bronx fans on the same night. From Philly, Desperate Living features ex-members of The Minor Times, Ladder Devils, Legendary Divorce, and more.

Noise rock grime and punk rock exuberance unite on Desperate Living’s new EP, SHAME. Wild-eyed vocals and sludgy tones bring to mind the likes of Unsane or Uniform, but a driving beat assures that this is a party, not a funeral. Desperate Living’s intensity is more hip-shaking and fist-pumping than it is wrist-slitting; the band’s bursts of vitriol and swagger could enrapture a theater full of The Bronx fans and a basement full of AmRep nihilists on the same night.

From Philadelphia, PA, Desperate Living consists of four lifelong friends and veterans of such outfits as The Minor Times, Ladder Devils, and Legendary Divorce. Traces of those stellar bands’ sounds haunt the mix, but in Desperate Living, vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin, guitarist Timothy Leo, bassist Scott Signorino, and drummer Jonathan Van Dine have chosen to burn the complexity of past projects and go for a stripped-down, runaway-steamroller approach.

Vocalist/guitarist Brian Medlin says the EP’s six pummeling songs are connected, with the lyrics exploring “the relationship between shame and truth.” Recorded by Mark Watter at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, SHAME is the band’s first release for Reptilian Records. It follows two EPs, New Concrete (2019) and City Sadness (2020), both released on Brutal Panda Records. The cover art was created by Jake Vanderlinde.

With a name lifted from a John Waters film, Desperate Living are here to do what they please. “I like that film because it feels like there are absolutely no rules,” states guitarist Timothy Leo. “Anything can happen.”

Reptilian, celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year, boasts a catalog full of noise rock and punk gems, from artists including Dwarves, Easy Action, Pg. 99., KEN mode, Chat Pile, and more.