Local punk band Self Checkout Renaissance released a new album titled “Neoliberalism and the Damage Done” that has taken the Baton rouge punk scene by storm.
“The album title is a reference to the Neil Young song ‘The Needle and the Damage Done.’ We thought it was a catchy title,” Self Checkout Renaissance said.
This is its highly anticipated second album, and it has truly come into its own sound and developed the satire-soaked aggression that has made the band a staple of the Baton Rouge scene.
As the group has constantly been touring and playing live shows, it has had the chance to refine the style and music and find what works.
“The bass parts were heavily inspired by ‘This Year’s Model’ by Elvis Costello, and the guitar parts were modeled off of our shared fandom of Fugazi and Black Eyes,” the band said. “This release has a lot more going for it. Besides adding the synth, it’s a big step in our songwriting. We developed a lot as musicians while working on this one.”
Self Checkout Renaissance performing at MidCity Ballroom
Adding the synth to the performance has created an extra layer that changes up the normal punk formula in an attempt to make Self Checkout Renaissance’s music more compelling.
The band worked on the songs for over a year as it toured and played live. This album marks the first album with the current lineup of the band. The new lineup makes this album unique and shows the new direction that Self Checkout Renaissance is taking with its music.
An important element of Self Checkout Renaissance is the energy of its live performances. There is always moshing, movement and energy that reinforces the power of punk.
“We recorded the album at Studio Duio, a studio run by Brian Domingue and Connor Guiberteau from Heavy Mantle,” the band said. “The whole album was recorded live except for the vocals in order to approximate the energy of our live performances.”
Self Checkout Renaissance’s often uses tongue-in-cheek humor and references that draw on political commentary. This can be seen in many song titles on the album such as “Mail Manipulator,” “A WASP’s (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) Guide to Ideology,” or “Kyle vs all of Christendom.”
These song titles are satirical, but also feature a political message that the band does not shy away from as it makes its mark on the Baton Rouge punk scene.
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