Riverboat Gamblers

If The Riverboat Gamblers had had the good sense to die young, they’d be famous by now. Hailing from Austin by way of Denton, the Texas Power Punk 5 piece are almost an institution. Their fiery garage punk has spanned nearly two decades and has spread the world over. People from countries worldwide, aliens from universe-wide, spirit entities from dimensions unknown, would all come to whatever dirty dive club The Gamblers were playing to watch the band collectively impale themselves on the sharpened stake of Rock and Roll. Raucous and unpredictable live shows have become the stuff of legend as injury and blood took center stage, sometimes overshadowing the absolute brilliance of the songs themselves. With iron clad bubble gum pop, emotionally and philosophically informed by trucker speed and free clinic waiting rooms, Riverboat Gamblers have the rare ability to combine a Cheap Trick-ian love of hooks, gang vocals that would make a good skinhead weep, and a pathos and self-lacerating with that, if one was able to look beyond the band literally kicking the holes in a venue ceiling, was on par with any more congratulated “smart” band.

But God is fickle.  The Gamblers didn’t die as advertised. Everybody wanted them to be the Johnny Thunders Party Bus or whatever cliche narrative was most desired deep in the fair-weather fan’s heart. But the Gamblers, a bunch of Misfit toys formed in the Denton house show scene, recognize no master or silly pit boss. When they were expected to stay fast, they slowed down, got real odd and sad. Now they’re expected to mature and they’re saying, “actually, no thanks.” 

The new stuff is as raw and speed driven as right when they were expected to expire in the first place.

Strung Out

Dead Rebellion, Strung Out’s 10th album and the next step in their 35-year evolution, marks a deliberate shift—a heavier, more melodic turn that redefines the band without losing their roots. Written during the pandemic but conceived long before it, the record closes one chapter and opens another.

“We got to that point where we’d start repeating ourselves,” says vocalist Jason Cruz. “This one’s more mid-tempo, more melodic—still heavy, just not worried about speed.”

Produced by Shawn McGee at Artistry Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Dead Rebellion sees Strung Out—Cruz, Rob Ramos, Chris Aiken, Derik Envy, and Daniel Blume—balance aggression with melody and depth. Tracks like “Future Ghosts,” “Cages,” and “Empire Down” tackle modern chaos, technology, and division while questioning what rebellion means in a fractured world.

“The key to this record is technology and divisiveness,” Cruz explains. “What happened to bringing people together? We’re all just trying to find common ground.”

Strung Out has never claimed to be political, but Dead Rebellion captures the tension of the times. “We’re just five guys proving you can come together and make something beautiful if you put your bullshit aside.”

35 years in, Strung Out continues to evolve—still raw, still real, still fighting to connect.