Ramones, Ramones, Ramones: That’s how Bad Sports often sound. And man, is it grrreat! I mean, I loved the Ramones. I flirted with Dee Dee, watched Joey pace back and forth between the green room door and the sink because he was so nervous before they opened for Iggy Pop once, in Baltimore. Another time, outside Ocean Beach, Maryland, where I was being held hostage by my family one summer (just kidding – partly), a bunch of kids drove up from D.C. and we caught this random Ramones show at a little beach bar that got so hot, sweat was dripping off the ceiling by the end of the night: One of the best of my life!

If Bad Sports want to pound out 14 songs that often sound like and/or are influenced by the Ramones when they were full of piss and vinegar, I’m along for the ride. And there’s MORE: “Teenage Girls” even has the Ramones’ penchant for throwing in mid-tempo, innocently sweet, Poppier numbers. There’s even some Ramones-loved-the-Beatles-and-Garage-Rock feeling in the songs; and, occasionally, that major-to-minor guitar chord thing. Love! Yeah: beats are varied, handclaps are thrown in, and sophomoric lyrics are allowed full rein (“You Look Funny to Me”). Okay, the Ramones didn’t do that last thing so much, but hey, Bad Sports have to be themselves, don’t they? At times, these guys sound kind of like the Nerves, and there are moments when they could stand head to head with the Marked Men.

I don’t think I need to say any more. Kings of the Weekend came out last August, and I found out about it after that, and have been meaning to tell you about it, ever since. And if all this has got you unbearably excited, here’s a link to Bad Sports in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=89_uOkAqYd4