RODEO BOYS JUNIOR NEW LP

Rodeo Boys JUNIOR (2025) Color Vinyl LP Record NEW

Rodeo Boys’ new album Junior captures the quiet rebellion of a queer, blue-collar heart.

Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Tiff Hannay (they/them), guitarist Caleb Shook (he/him), bassist Taylor “Doty” (he/him), and drummer Christian Urabazzo (he/him), the Lansing, MI-based band blends a dirt-under-the-nails grit with campy, sardonic humor in a way that only a group of small-town misfits could pull off. Across its twelve tracks, Junior reimagines queer masculinity with rugged softness, resulting in an album that’s both deeply introspective and defiantly outspoken.

Produced by Tom May of The Menzingers and mixed by Marc Jacob Hudson (Against Me, Saves The Day, Sunny Day Real Estate), Junior is a collision of fiery punk rage, salt-of-the-earth passion, and melodic emo. The record chisels through tales of grief, poverty, heartbreak, messy friendships, and the exploration of gender identity with a sound that’s both abrasive and anthemic. Rodeo Boys have honed their electrifying live presence on tour alongside bands like Cloud Nothings, Screaming Females, Microwave, The Menzingers, Smoking Popes, and Catbite, further cementing their place in the underground punk and indie scenes.

But Junior isn’t just about identity—it’s about survival. Marked by loss and upheaval, Tiff’s upbringing forced them to claw their way through spaces that weren’t built for them––whether in music or the trades. A radically left arborist in Michigan, Tiff’s hands are just as familiar with hunting, fishing, and raising chickens as they are with playing guitar. Their work as an arborist began with Tiff as the only non-male member on a massive crew, exposing them to workplace misogyny that sharpened some of Junior’s most iconic, quick-witted clapbacks––”give the boy some credit, he’s working on himself!”

These experiences––not to mention a “gnarly case of ADHD,” their words––shape the record’s relentless energy, and so do their politics. Every track on Junior is equally informed by the band and Tiff’s anti-capitalist views, and an unwavering belief in building and maintaining community on the ground level.

Half of the tracks are no-nonsense anthems of revenge, like "Sam's Song," which captures the emotional weight of witnessing a friend endure predatory abuse––and even references journal entries with permission from the survivor––and "Cowgirl in the Dark," which reflects Tiff’s admiration for the often misunderstood Pam Anderson. Elsewhere, the fired-up onslaught of “Speedway” and “Pump Six” pay homage to The Clash’s “Straight To Hell,” throwing shade at former friends that threw away their potential.

The other half of the record explores desperate yearning and queer identity, like first single "All American Man," which draws inspiration from Laura Gilpin’s poem Two-Headed Calf to explore the distortion of identity and expectation; and “Peonies,” which tackles the complexity of queer desire. Junior also delves into Tiff's personal story as a queer masc in a world that often elevates a more common femme queer experience, highlighting the tension of being a "square peg in a round hole," even within supposedly safe spaces.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Mannequin Pussy, The Beths, and Destroy Boys, the album captures the same, unfiltered ferocity but from a unique queer masc perspective. Simultaneously nodding to inspirations like Pixies, Breeders, and Hole, Junior is as cathartic as it is unrelenting. Whether confronting betrayal or the disillusionment that comes with hopeless romanticism, Rodeo Boys bring their experience of hardship and triumph into every song. Junior is a rallying cry for anyone struggling with the complexities of life in a world that doesn’t always understand them.

Tracklist:

1. It Is Happening Again

2. Sam's Song

3. Let Down

4. Speedway

5. Lonesome Again

6. Pump Six

7. Peonies

8. Crystal Pt. 1

9. All American Man

10. Venus Fly Trap

11. Blue

12. Crystal Pt. 2

13. Cowgirl In The Dark

14. Bite The Bullet

Release date: April 25, 2025

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About NINEVOLT RECORDS

ARE MY NEW RECORDS ALWAYS SEALED?

Yes, usually. New records are mostly sealed. However, exceptions include those that I had to take images of and those that were shipped without shrink. In the case of a NEW opened record, the actual record and the empty cover will be placed inside a soft 3mm record sleeve when shipped. And that's how you should store your vinyl anyway. And it's better for shipping because it basically prevents seem splits. Also, to preserve the integrity of the packaging, I will include the original hype sticker and any others on the new outer sleeve 99% of the time. (A few can be impossible to remove without tearing. In those rare cases, I'll still include it, just with the shrink stuck on the back inside the pocket.)

Some labels ship their records without shrink but inside an outer open sleeve for protection. So please don't think it isn't new because of that. It's just how some of the indie labels ship their records, which again is actually much better than shrink. SEALED is overrated.

IMPORTANT NOTE HERE:

I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SEAM SPLITS.

I will gladly open your sealed record upon your request and carefully place the actual record in a soft 3mm sleeve and ship both the empty cover and the record inside together but separate. Ta da: no seam splits!

QUALITY CONCERNS...

Please note that NOT all NEW and SEALED records come from the pressing plant totally flawless. While it's extremely rare, some newly pressed vinyl can be damaged; scratched, warped, cracked, mislabeled, dirty, dusty, etc. PLEASE do not assume I sent you a bad record intentionally. Just shoot me a message and we can replace it if I have one in stock. And if I tell you an open record is unplayed, then it is, regardless of any damage that occurred before the label shipped it to me. BUT IF YOU HAVE DAMGE OR SCRATCHES after buying an unplayed record, PLEASE contact me immediately and we will find a solution to your satisfaction. Just realize that not all records come out of the factory always perfect.

SHIPPING...

I am dealing with cancer, and NINEVOLT is just me. Therefore, I have put a little longer shipping times on my records to counter those days when it's hard to even get out of bed. The timeframe doesn't mean I will always take a few extra days to ship your record, but instead, it gives me a bit of a reprieve if I get weak on occasion and find it hard to get out of bed one day. So I TOTALLY APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING and SUPPORT.

IT'S JUST ME.

I do this on my own and selling records (especially new ones) isn't as profitable as you might think. So why do I do it? Because like you, I love music. I live for it. I write songs and play guitar so this is natural stuff to me. It's my vibe and a love affair and my life. I love turning people on to new bands, new songs, new sounds. And I hope I have bands and artists you might not see everywhere. Although she's amazing, I won't be selling Taylor Swift records as it's just too competitive to make a even a dollar.

PRICING... Arrrggghhh.

I know some records are expensive. Well, most of them are. But the profit margins on new ones are silly bad. So, to keep my water warm and my microwave working, I've got to turn a profit. Right? And not being some behemoth monster record store or a big box retailer like Target, I don't get those deep discounts or markdowns on my wholesale costs. And darn it, everything is just expensive. So bear with me. I'll do the best I can.

I KNOW IT TOTALLY BLOWS WHEN YOUR RECORD ARRIVES DAMAGED...

Again, I can't be responsible for seam splits... BUT you have the option to have me carefully and delicately open any sealed record and re-packaged with the cover and record shipped in a soft 3mm sleeve together but separate. (Used records are open so they obviously ship that way.) And you'll have any hype sticker and any others on the shrink included.

JUST SAY SO IN A MESSAGE WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER

Also, if you are ordering an expensive record (around $75 or more), I'll ALWAYS put extra cardboard flats inside the package to keep the shipping box firm and the record protected. And in the case of box sets or a multiple records order that has some weight to it, I will ALWAYS enforce the corners of the outside with cardboard strips for further protection. My packaging is superb.

IS IT COLORED VINYL...

If I know the record is a color variant, it will always say COLOR in the listing. The image will almost always feature the color and be listed in in the description.

If it's BLACK, there usually no mention of the word COLOR. Maybe I'll change that practice and just put BLACK in the listing.

ALSO NOTE THAT some labels make so many variant colors for the same title. And believe it or not, if I order multiple colors of the same title, sometimes they aren't even marked giving me no idea which variants I received. So at times I have to split the seal.

PLEASE shoot me a message with any questions. OR any specifics in shipping your records.

And thanks for the support!

Bonn

Chief Bottle Washer

NINEVOLT RECORDS

Drop needles; not bombs.