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IMAGES: To download, click above. Photos by Allison Copeland.

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LINKS: The Rich Hands Facebook Bandcamp Fountain Records

The Rich Hands

Fountain Records

The Rich Hands “Out Of My Head” LP Out May 6, 2014 on Fountain Records and Burger Records (Tape).

Out of My Head, the new album from San Antonio rock ‘n’ rollers The Rich Hands breaks out of the gate with a punchy, pumped-up and fuzzed-out riff that immediately gets the party in full gear. Taking cues from classic rock, garage punk, and even a little surf pop–always amped to the max and and extra crunchy­–the tight rhythms, infectious hooks and supercharged anthems belted out throughout the dozen loud and proud tracks of Out of My Head, out May 6 via Fountain Records, with a cassette release by Burger Records, marks a huge stomp forward for the young trio.

Growing up listening to ’60s and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll and surrounded by a serious scene in their hometown, singer and guitarist Cody Mauser, bassist Matt Gonzalex and drummer Nick Ivarra all found common ground in the camaraderie of good old rock and roll. Jamming together over those formidable years of high school, Ivarra describes the groups desire to, “bring back that raw, simple feeling of having a good time without the melodrama.” Developing that sound by feeding off each other’s addictive energy, The Rich Hands succeed in every aspect of that early creed, and Out of My Head is the unequivocal expression of pure joy.

The last few years have been a whirlwind for the band, recording and releasing a slew of singles leading up to last year’s Dreamers LP and touring across the country on four separate tours just in 2013 alone. Throughout it all, Mauser is a constant song-writing machine, with hardly a break between albums. The songs that make up Out of my Head are his best yet; fast, fun and second to none. The band’s first single off their new album, “Teenager,” ranks as one of the most quintessential tracks The Rich Hands have ever committed to tape. Ivarra calls it a “catchy, corny, bratty summery anthem. It just popped out at us, when you play a song once and it’s just done, it clicks.” This assertion could just as easily describe the album in whole; it just clicks.

There’s a lot of new, eclectic elements at play on the new LP as well, recorded in a cold Detroit week at High Bias Studios, and produced by Chris Koltay (Atlas Sound, Xiu Xiu, Tyvek). The band took full advantage of their new hi-fi surroundings, belting out the album on a variety of amps and axes they never previously could get their hands on. The result was a “huge change of pace,” according to Ivarra. “We got crazy tones and a better sound. I don’t think we’ll ever go back.” Out of My Head also features the group’s first foray into double tracking, Nashville tuning, and even organs and synths, lending just a hint of Southern bravado on tracks like the wholly surprising Dylan-inspired “No Harm Blues.” Buoyed by the quality of the new record, and backed by two supportive labels, The Rich Hands have a wide-open road ahead, and they’re determined to enjoy every last step they take.