My first impression of The Skulx was based on that Foxy Shazam was going on hiatus and one of the members needed a creative outlet for some music he had created on the side. What I got was a massive Ohio-stuffed R’N’R meat sandwich, breaded by the West Coast and East Coast, respectively.
Alex Nauth (lead vocalist / trumpet), leads a gang of Dogs (Cadaver Dogs, to be exact — Mathew Franklin plays guitar and sings, while Lex Vegas sits pretty on the skins) into the studio for a 9-song record in which everyone from Ohio gets a chance to make their impact felt. Members of Foxy Shazam, Look Afraid, Honeyspiders, and Good English appear on the album, as well as the stylings of the make-up of Larry and His Flask, Slash and the Conspirators, and Bad Rabbits. Each song is basically a single for a separate supergroup.
The Skulx’s eponymous record is divided into two parts, the same side A and B as its physical release. Side A includes the first two pre-release singles, “Do What You Do” and “Sucking’ on Stars,” as well as “Different Breed,” all of which epitomize what The Skulx is all about: rolling riffs, heavy bass, catchy melodies, and a howling trumpet full of hooks that’ll snag your brain for years to come.
The Skulx – “Do What You Do” lyric video
The Skulx “Suckin on Stars”
The Skulx also have some ambitious undertaking, as evident in songs like “Ole Jukebox Move,” which sounds like a B-side to a expositional transition in Aristocats (thank Nauth’s sexy, smooth-as-silk trumpet for the appeal on that one), and “Patch That Hole,” a folky modern-day Johnny Cash ditty, which may as well be a Larry and His Flask song, given that only the singer, Mat Franklin, isn’t a current member.
The shining spot on the record, however, is “Cool Cool Breeze.” The structure is easily the most solid of any other song, even including a wicked guitar solo to bridge a swooning trumpet and a chorus meant to be sung by hundreds at a time. Eric Nally beautifully accompanies Franklin’s honest, emotional delivery of the downtrodden-but-not-overcome lyrics, and as the song wanes into the distance and we’re yearning for more, Franklin yells, “Alright boys, one more time!” and we’re treated to the electrifying riff once more.
I wouldn’t consider The Skulx’s debut to be anything earth-shattering or even a cohesive album overall, but what it showcases is their ability to write kick-ass songs, be as artistically inviting as musicians possibly can, and simply rock your face off. Each of these songs translates to the live stage, and theirs is simply second to none.
Witness their live show with The Darkness and Raven Eye at Bogarts on April 26th [TIX]! 
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Biography:
A decade of camaraderie, a century of shared musical influence, a lifetime of commitment to their craft; with The Skulx what’s old is new again, and it’s better than fucking ever. Reuniting some of the finest raw musical talent Ohio has to offer, The Skulx comprises former band mates Alex Nauth, of Foxy Shazam, with Mathew Franklin and Lex Vegas of Cadaver Dogs, and a bevy of colleagues including members of Slash & The Conspirators, Bad Rabbits, Larry & His Flask, to create a dynamic collection of inspired anthems written and recorded in an unstoppable fit of creative energy in the earliest months of 2015 and due for release later this year on Mind Over Matter Records. Joined by touring members Christian Roerig and Josh Pilot, The Skulx hit eleven states on their first tour and played four shows in three days at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City, all within their first six weeks of live action, establishing them as a domineering force in the American modern rock scene. Having already caught the attention of a number of respected industry outlets with only a tasty pair of singles released so far, their future looks limitless with the pending arrival of their full-length debut. Soaring, searing, soulful, surreal – The Skulx is. You ain’t.
The Skulx Press / Mgmt contact : Mike@BehindTheCurtainsMedia.com
