EP Review: Raging Nathans / The Reaganomics – Midwest Duress

Dayton, OH’s The Raging Nathans and Joliet, IL’s The Reaganomics both come from rust belt towns that are famous for prisons, both are out to prove there’s more to the midwest than incarceration and industrial decline on their split single “Midwest Duress” that is now via Rad Girlfriend Records and Red Scare Industries. “Midwest Duress” contains three new songs from each band that are packed onto one seven inch single, the split EP is also available as a compact download that won’t bother the memory in your phone too much as the whole package runs for an all too brief twelve minutes.

So let’s start off with The Raging Nathans side of “Midwest Duress” that follows up on their 2020 full length “Oppositional Defiance“. ‘Can’t Relate‘ and ‘Worry About Yourself‘ are both both prime examples of the kind of raw infectious punk rock we have come to expect from the Ohio outfit, if you add the 40 second blast of ‘Fuck You‘ into the mix you have a perfect side to kick off “Midwest Duress“. The Reaganomics occupy the flip side of the split that builds on their 2019 album “The Aging Punk” and the woes of getting older remain a theme on the veteran outfits latest release. The Reaganomics sound is the perfect balance of punk rock and pop punk, taking the attitude and swagger from the former and the infectious hooks of the latter. ‘OK Day‘ and ‘Song In A‘ sum up what is the best we can hope for as we get older and realising that the future just isn’t worth worrying about, the final track  is ‘Tear Off Your Face‘ that ends the split in fine frustrated style.

This is my final review for 2020 and if I’m honest I doubt I’ve heard anything that has made me happier than this split, had it been released earlier it would have been a cinch for our 2020 Top 20. The “Midwest Duress” split delivers six brand new tracks from two of the most reliable and trustworthy bands out there via two labels that have built a reputation for putting out some of the best independent punk releases. Hopefully next year we can get out and see and hear live music again, but for now this split is a reminder than you can’t keep a good scene down. Stay safe, wear a mask, get vaccinated and hopefully we’ll see you down the front again next year.

“Midwest Duress” can be streamed and purchased via Rad Girlfriend Records here and is available on vinyl via Red Scare Industries here