Review / 200 Words Or Less
The Bobby Lees
Bellevue

Ipecac (2022) Kevin Fitzpatrick

The Bobby Lees – Bellevue cover artwork
The Bobby Lees – Bellevue — Ipecac, 2022

Every once in a long while a band comes along that’s a true pleasure to discover. A sonic kick in the ass for these weary old bones. The Bobby Lees are just such a band.

The release of the Hollywood Junkyard e.p. earlier this year pricked up a lot of ears and served up a mean prelude to the new album Bellevue. Like a DNA splicing of Stiv Bators and Exene Cervenka, vocalist Sam Quartin growls, groans and grooves her way through Bellevue’s 13 savage numbers with nary a sleeper in the deck.

Those of you that remember the garage-rock resurgence of the late 90s with bands like Murder City Devils and Zen Guerrilla will find this album like a welcome visit from an old friend with songs like "In Low" and "Ma Likes To Drink" kicking those garage doors right off the tracks - summoning (we can only hope) a new rock resurgence to fill the deep, dark, soulless void of modern music.

The Bobby Lees – Bellevue cover artwork
The Bobby Lees – Bellevue — Ipecac, 2022

Related news

The Bobby Lees cover PJ Harvey

Posted in Bands on April 23, 2026

Epitaph and The Bobby Lees

Posted in Labels on October 8, 2025

The Bobby Lees tour plans

Posted in Tours on January 30, 2023

Recently-posted album reviews

Social Distortion

Born to Kill
Epitaph (2026)

Rating: 🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🚬 / 10 (8 Tipped Martini Glasses and a Cigarette) Remember that movie Fantastic Voyage, where a miniaturized submarine gets inserted into a person's bloodstream on a mission to clear a blood clot in the brain? Well, consider yourself in luck: I’m infiltrating your brain with my own fantastic journey with Social Distortion, which goes all the way back … Read more

Big Circle

Big Circle
Independent (2026)

There are plenty of supergroups that exist largely because of the names on the marquee. Big Circle feels different. While Glenn Mercer (The Feelies), Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE), Dave Weckerman (The Feelies), and Dan Francia (Speed the Plough) all bring decades of musical history to the table, this debut EP isn't interested in nostalgia or individual spotlights. Instead, it succeeds … Read more

Nocturnal Prose

Western Interests
Total Agency (2026)

I’ve been reading Cory Doctorow’s latest book “The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI” a scathing review of the current state of artificial intelligence wherein he seeks to pop the AI bubble. In the book’s central metaphor Doctorow identifies the centaur as someone whose work is improved upon by technology vs the reverse centaurs who are competing with and/or … Read more