Fake Names Share Explosive New Single “Can’t Take It”

Consisting of a lineup of post-punk greats, Fake Names have shared their latest single, Can’t Take It, ahead of the release of their second studio album, Expendables, that is due out on the 3rd March via Epitaph Records. Leaning on pop-rock sensibilities with just the right amount of grit, slick melodic riffs are joined by an impassioned vocal delivery with poignant lyrics. A scathing commentary condemning ignorance, vocalist Dennis Lyxzén expresses his frustrations through cathartic first line, “I’ve got a fucking headache I’m about to explode!“

Fake Names is comprised of members Brian Baker (Minor Threat / Bad Religion / Dag Nasty), Michael Hampton (S.O.A. / Embrace), Dennis Lyxzén (Refused / INVSN / The [International] Noise Conspiracy), Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys / Soulside) and Brendan Canty (Fugazi / Rites of Spring). Formed in 2016, Baker describes the band as a “mutual admiration society,” saying that once the five members got in the same room together, it felt as if they had already been in the band together for years. “There’s this intangible energy, a clairvoyance that comes from our shared experience,” he explains. On Expendables, the result pairs their unparalleled pedigree with a pop sensibility that’s slightly unexpected and wholly satisfying.

Aided by producer Adam “Atom” Greenspan, the upcoming album has a surprisingly cleaner sound for the hardcore punk veterans. According to Baker, “The pop influences are a little more out front on this one and the production really helps it shine. It sounds more direct, more urgent.” It’s the latest exchange in a musical conversation that spans four decades, but instead of rehashing the past, Expendables is a reinvention that sees the band dialing back the distortion and leaning into the melodies.