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Satirize Your Scene: LA's Adult Books Call It How They See It on 'Running from the Blows'

The LA DIY favorites share their new album, out March 4.

Photo by Jeff Fribourg, courtesy of Adult Books

It's pretty fitting for an LA band named after a song by X to write song like "Silverlake Goths." Despite being one of the most iconically "LA" punk bands, X never feared to mock the city for its vapid fashion values. It seems that Adult Books, the Lincoln Heights outfit of Nick Winfrey, Daniel Quintanilla, and M. M. Sina, have taken a similar approach on their debut full-length album Running from the Blows with wry numbers like "Nihilism for Beginners" and "Suburban Girlfriend."

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"I actually felt inspired by late 70s-early 80s British punk bands," says Winfrey. "They made a lot of very specific references to their scene and the places that were important to them. 'Part Time Punks' by Television Personalities is a good example. I kind of wanted to document the LA scene in a similar way. I was hanging out with these sort of pseudo-goths for awhile. It was fun but it all felt a little disingenuous, like it was more about the fashion than the music."

"I think maybe our post-punk feel is a result of the music we listen to versus the scene we play in," explains Winfrey in regards to the album's sound. But regardless of how they fit into their surroundings, Winfrey insists they're only poking fun.

"I think humor is also sort of a way for me to deal with things make me uncomfortable," says the Smiths-loving kid from Orange County. Maybe that explains the witty lyrics of album standout "Nihilism for Beginners." "But I do find the current LA music scene really inspiring," he continues. Adult Books are a part of Lollipop Records, East LA's resident outpost for up-and-coming indie rock acts like Corners, Billy Changer, and Joel Jerome, all of whom came together on this record.

"We started recording the record over a year ago, mostly with Billy Changer from Corners," Winfrey explains. "We also did some stuff with Joel Jerome. I play in Billy Changer too so I feel like we connect really well musically."

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LA has a rich punk history, and Adult Books certainly channel that energy, but not without the discerning eye for excess and stereotype that made it so important in the first place. Running from the Blows is full of ironic humor that puts a warm twist on its familiar post-punk sounds. It's out March 4 via Lolipop Records / Burger Records, but we've got it streaming below in full.

Adult Books are currently on tour. Catch them at one of these dates:

02/26 – San Antonio, TX – Limelight
02/27 – Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
02/29 – Tampa, FL – New World Brewery
03/01 – Miami, FL – Kill Your Idol
03/02 – Lake Worth, FL – Propaganda
03/03 – Savannah, GA – Dollhouse
03/04 – Brooklyn, NY – Shea Stadium (Record Release)
03/05 – NYC, NY – Cake Shop
03/07 – Boston, MA – O’Briens Pub
03/09 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s 20 lanes*
03/10 – Chicago, IL- Empty Bottle
03/11 – Indianapolis, IN – State Street Pub
03/12 – Ft Wayne, IN – Brass Rail
03/13 – Kansas City, MO – TBA
03/14 – Tulsa, OK – Sound Pony*
03/15 – Austin, TX – SXSW Hotel Vegas
03/16 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03/17 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03/18 – Austin, TX – SXSW Spider House
03/19 – Austin, TX – SXSW
03/20 – San Antonio, TX- Burger Hangover Fest
03/21 – Denton, TX- Rubber Gloves ^
03/22 – Denver, CO – High Dive ^
03/23 – Salt Lake City, UT- Diabolical Records ^
03/24 – Seattle, WA – Lucky Liquor %
03/25 – Boise, ID – Tree Fort Music Fest
03/26 – Portland, OR – TBA % $
03/28 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar %
03/29 – Santa Cruz, CA – Blue Lagoon %#

* = w/ Mope Grooves
^ = w/ The Rich Hands
% = w/ Cool Ghouls
$ = w/ Psychomagic
# = w/ Babewatch

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