RED RACER

Above a dark, seedy DC dive bar, RED RACER has built its own brand of pop-addicted Rock and Roll. The DC quartet’s newly released EP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, finally lets loose the songs born from this obsession with catchy music. Living Hell, a U2-meets-Oasis romp that climaxes with a blistering guitar solo, contrasts starkly with a song like The Biz, with its boppy, light verses and driving, dirty refrain. But the theme remains: Whether it’s Fernando’s britpop guitar tricks, Brad Roberson’s 80’s Top 40 Beat Library, or Steve Ridzon’s genre-hopping bass pulses, every piece of the puzzle builds to the “Big Pop Chorus,” delivered by frontman Tom Townshend.