The Arrogant Sons of Bitches was a six-piece ska band from Long Island, New York fronted by Bomb the Music Industry! lead singer/guitarist Jeff Rosenstock. They broke up in 2006 shortly after releasing
Three Cheers for Disappointment, but left us with an incredible album that showcases Rosenstock's inhuman songwriting abilities and their truly unique style.
Anyone who's a fan of Bomb the Music Industry! or any of Mr. Rosenstock's other projects should find this invitingly familiar, but also distinctly different from his later work. Its lyrics are angry and often self depreciating, and most songs make use of power chord driven choruses and an overall upbeat tempo. catchy verses, powerful choruses and memorable melodies are scattered throughout the thirteen filler-less tracks.
However, There is one thing in particular that sets this apart from everything he's done since: the brass section. Unlike what you might expect from a ska album, the horns don't just mindlessly follow the guitar and vocal melodies, playing uninspired and predictable riffs, but instead bounce in and out of the vocal melodies and always seem to be having fun. and fun is really the key to this album as a whole. Every song just has a frantic, "don't give a fuck" feel that makes it sound like it was made by twenty-something drunks who spontaneously decided to get together in a garage and started f
ucking around with power chords, and on an old eight track recorded a full length album over the course of the next week.
I'm sure that in reality a lot of work went into it, but the end product creates that illusion of indifference, and that's something pretty special.
