When you think about their recent packed-house gigs around the city — high-octane performances at Johnny Brenda’s in December, and at Ortlieb’s this past Friday — it’s hard to believe Wax Jaw has only been on the Philly music scene for a year.
The band is poised for an exciting 2024, though; their debut EP Between the Teeth was an XPN Local favorite last year, and the live chemistry that’s helped them cultivate a fan base around town is about to go out on display for audiences outside the city when Wax Jaw kicks off its first North American tour later this month. With it comes a new single, “Attitude,” which the Born Losers-presented Ortlieb’s gig was a release party for.
Comprised of vocalist Shane Morgan, drummer Ian DiBruno, bassist Greg Blanc, and guitarists Sean Vannata and George Fenton, Wax Jaw’s music is a punchy amalgam of classic punk and new wave with an undercurrent of surf / skate energy. “Attitude” riffs and roars, and blasts those who can’t accept the independent-minded and ambitious: “I don’t give a single damn about what you say, I’m gonna do things my way, my way,” sings Morgan.
When the song dropped Friday, the band wrote on Instagram that “this is our last song from the ‘Between the Teeth’ sessions and we’re so excited to share it with you all. It’s one of our wildest live songs & turned into a recording that we’re all super proud of.”
Take a listen below, and check out the band’s tour flyer; the dates kick off March 30th in Brooklyn and swing through Bethlehem on April 5th when Wax Jaw plays the DIY space The Funhouse.