Beach Slang - “Dirty Cigarettes”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6 

Pairs Well With…Low Cut Connie, Japandroids, Mannequin Pussy, Goo Goo Dolls

Beach Slang belts out raw and honest lyrics without taking themselves too seriously. Fronted by Philadelphia’s James Alex, the group has been playing musical chairs with its lineup since 2013 - rotating through 14 different members. Their album titles (i.e. The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us or Everything Matters But No One Is Listening) have the same tongue-in-cheek language (and length) as mid-2000’s Fall Out Boy singles. Crafted perfectly for a sweaty basement show, Beach Slang’s choruses confront universal themes like alienation, the suburban doldrums, and feeling misunderstood. During the choruses, you’re unsure if Alex is singing his rallying cries to the 18 year olds in the pit or the bearded boomers in the back of the venue. By the end, it doesn’t matter because everyone is singing along to the same lyrics and really, the same catharsis. (Drew Doggett)