WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: A Good Rogering “Face Value”

Fans of eclectic rock, rejoice! Austin’s favorite heavy rockers A Good Rogering return with “Face Value”, the debut video from their upcoming album, Systematic Paralysis. Premiering today exclusively on Top Shelf Music, the video features a long-overdue message, paired with a less-than-delicate dystopian aesthetic. The video was created by graphic artist and videographer Eric Alan Livingston, creator of their over-the-top animated parody “This Is Death Metal”. Never afraid to question pop culture, nor to disrupt the status quo, AGR layers an intricately intelligent message over palpation-inducing visuals in “Face Value”. Shocking, yes. But, also quite agreeable. And, tbh, this is kind of a message we really need to hear right now.

What do we take at ‘face value’ that should, instead, be an exercise in critical thought? Watch it and debate…

Is it blatantly terrifying? Yup. Should these themes be more openly discussed? Absolutely. Do we appreciate AGR for pointing it all out? More than you know.

Subject matter aside, the solidity of their newest composition cannot be overlooked. Heavy rock sensibilities are in your face from the percussion-heavy opener. We’re headbanging before the music really even gets started. From angry, roiling rock riffs to masterful lead vocals, Skunk Manhattan steers the show in unison with a band who have clearly mastered their craft. (There are some who call him…) Tim Driscoll brings mastery on guitar and backing vocals, with luthier Sammiard Alvarado on bass, John Takanikos on keys and veritable wizard of the drumming world, Rom Gov, rounding out the lineup. We should expect nothing less than musical excellence from AGR on their newest release; the video is just the icing on the cake.

Since I’ve previously described both as “a high-speed car crash of disparate musical influences” and also “the most excellent genre-defying work of art I’ve had the pleasure of seeing live on stage”, I can’t pretend for a second that I’m not a huge fan of A Good Rogering (*cough*… you know what I mean. The BAND, man… the BAND!). Without sugar-coating it, they’re phenoms of the rock genre, with an unforgettable stage presence and a delightful flair for the unexpected (*dusts the sugar from my keyboard*). You literally can’t go wrong seeing this band live. Will they ‘snail’ themselves along the rail? Maybe… (yes). Will a poor, unsuspecting child’s stuffed toy penguin find itself in compromising circumstances? Probably. Frontman Skunk Manhattan describes himself as “driven by the baser instincts of caveman predecessors”. It just so happens that he’s channeling these influences, while also playing out a delicate piano prelude in homage to Chopin or getting downright funky with “Mr. Peanut” — a literal funk anthem about a Persian cat. Why they’re not playing on large international stages is completely beyond me. Move over, Metallica…

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