Early Street Villains – Charleston ’98 (2025)
Early Street Villains came together in the late 1990s in Virginia Beach, VA, and have been part of the music scene there ever since. Suddenly, their Bandcamp and SoundCloud pages have singles on them. ESV released ‘Save Me’ in September and now, their most recent, ‘Charleston ‘98’ in October.
Hearing the latter in the context of the former is probably the best way to get a complete picture of the band. ESV has developed a sound that embraces the aspects of ‘90s punk with solid elements of classic rock. Over the years, songwriter and guitarist Graham Garrenton, drummer Jason Degutis, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kenny Radford, and bassist Brian Fannin have cultivated a sound that feels at once aggressive and laid-back, self-assured and vulnerable.
‘Save Me’ captures the punk spirit of their sound, opening slowly, but going into a driving beat with hallmark distorted guitars. While it’s tempting to draw comparisons to punk bands of that era, ‘Save Me’ has an optimism and vulnerability that stands in contrast to the snarky cynicism of bands like Green Day. Radford’s vocal approach makes the song feel instantly relatable.
If ‘Save Me’ captures the gritty aspect of their sound, ‘Charleston ‘98’ pulls in influences that give the song a distinctly southern rock flavor. The connection to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd feels more immediate as the acoustic guitar (which is beautifully recorded here) drives the verses into distorted electric guitars carrying the chorus. Garrenton’s guitar work lays out the song’s emotional landscape, with fat, clean fills on the verses and a crunchy and melodic solo break in the middle. Fannin and Degutis hold down the rhythm section with a tight pulse and subtle interactions that keep the rhythmic feel of the acoustic guitar in the sections where distortion reigns. Once again, Radford’s singing is laidback and relatable, like an older and much cooler stepbrother sitting down to tell you a few stories.
One can be forgiven for assuming that the distance between southern rock and punk can’t be bridged. The styles are very different, but the overall tone of the band stays true, closing the distance a great deal. Even so, one hopes to hear the band synthesize these styles as they continue to forge ahead.
Find out more about Early Street Villains on their official website, Instagram, Bandcamp, SoundCloud and YouTube.
