Chubby & The Gang Announce Speed Kills Re-issue & Share "All Along The Uxbridge Road" Music Video (Partisan Records)
Last year, a London-based Hardcore/Power Pop band called Chubby & The Gang quietly released a mysterious 7-inch single called "All Along The Uxbridge Road." It was first released on Static Shock Records Overseas and, later, saw a secondary re-issue on Goner Records here in The States. Somehow, we got a copy of the UK pressing, we believe, after initially reading about said 7-inch across the pages of P*ssed Jeans frontman Matt Korvette's own D.I.Y. 7/12-inch review site, YellowGreenRed. Not long after, Chubby & The Gang unleashed their proper full-length debut, Speed Kills, boasting production work from F*CKED UP's own Jonah Falco with mastering provided by Will Kilingsworth. It remains one of the strongest, fun-to-listen-to albums spewing with infectious Street Punk/Hardcore swagger and sing-along Power Pop-laden hooks; however, quite unfortunately, Speed Kills was released on Static Shock just prior to when COVID-19/Coronavirus first rocked our world.
It appears as though, at one point or another, Chubby & The Gang's line-up features/has featured "Chubby" Charlie Manning-Walker, Ethan Stahl, Joe McMahon, Tom "Razor" Hardwick, Luke Austin, and Maegan Brooks. The Gang's members have previously played with Arms Race, The Chisel, Crown Court, Desire, Gutter Knife, Salt Wound, Shrapnel, Vile Spirit, and Violent Reaction. We've personally spoken with both to both Chubby Charles & Razor on a number of occasions, via Chubby & The Gang's band Instagram page and via email, and they were both very accommodating and pleasant to interact with from our perspective. Just yesterday it was announced Chubby & The Gang will be joing the roster at US-based Partisan Records for a proper re-issue of Speed Kills. Chubby & The Gang are definitely amongst good company, as Partisan have previously released accliamed albums and EP's from Bombino, Deer Tick, Craig Finn (The Hold Steady,) Flock of Dimes, John Grant, IDLES, and Pottery.
"Speed Kills is the debut full-length from London's loudest breakout band, Chubby & The Gang. Beginning as a humble pipe dream of West London electrician Charlie Manning, who spent years finding his way through the London Punk & Hardcore scene, the album is the manifestation of a musical mind marinating in Hard Punk, Pub Rock, Blues, and Doo-wop," explains an on-site Partisan Records press release. They, also, add that Speed Kills has been re-mastered at West London's Metropolis Studios and features a previously unreleased thirteenth track, "Union Dues." Amidst our current COVID-19 Pandemic, then-unreleased "Union Dues" was quietly featured acoross a sprawling 30-track Copenhagen, Denmark-based comp. fittingly titled K-Town Hardcore Fest 2020: COVID19 Staythef***home Edition (Benefit for Ungdomshuset.) Along with the announcement of Speed Kills' upcoming re-release, Partisan Records shared a music video for Chubby & The Gang's stand-out, "All Along The Uxbridge Road."
It was entirely animated by Lluis Fuzzhound and is something akin to a knife-wielding bank robbery-laden Street Punk/Pub Rock version of Looney Tunes. Additionally, yesterday saw the wide release of Speed Kills' aforementioned Bonus Track, "Union Dues," now streaming on Bandcamp. Partisan Records' website lists a multitude of pre-order packages and bundles for Speed Kills including a Special Edition on black vinyl with a Limited Edition Color-in Sleeve with crayons, yellow vinyl with a cartoon sticker sheet, and a limited edition punk cassette tape, as well as a "CHUBBY AND THE GANG RULE, OK!" T-shirt, Deluxe: Speed Kills Bundle with T-shirt, Color-in Sleeve & Pink Cassette, and a Speed Kills Album + T-shirt Bundle. Chubby & The Gang's Speed Kills re-issue is now available digitally with physical editions to be released on 11/19-20 on Partisan Records.
