The Rich Boys

“Toxic Wind” by the Rich Boys, from $ (self-released):

These ain’t the same Rich Boys who drank and howled us under the table all last year and left us with a debut album, $, that smelled of absolutely no money but plenty of cashed-in cred. Earlier this year, the group verged on breakup, with frontman Mitch Rich promising to carry on despite having no clear idea who would fill his ex-bandmates’ ratty kicks. As luck would have it, though, Rich recently re-recruited original guitarist Mike Wild and hired drummer Rob Garrow (formerly with the Little Lost & Innocents), guitarist Matt Klein (Hopeless Destroyers) and bassist Jeff Stivers. Rich describes the new band as “fuckin’ awesome” and that the sound is “simpler, more Ramonesy” than before. We’ll see if they can hang with prowling-again hoods Cretin 66 and the Haunted Creepys at the Boys’ first show since the shuffle.