Service “Drag Me” 2022. Let’s Pretend Records. Very limited edition (300 copies). My most anticipated debut album ever – I’ve been waiting for an album from Service since 2017 when we saw one of their first shows in Indianapolis.

Service, based out of Indianapolis, are “post-punk then punk again” and boast an incredible lineup: Russell Simins (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) on drums mainly, plus guitar and synths, Jilly Weiss Simins (We Are Hex) on powerhouse vocals, Mitch Geisinger (Shpazz) on guitar, John Zeps (Transgression) on bass, and Sharlene Birdsong (Thee Tsunamis) on synths and guitar.

The music is tense, dark and momentously guitar-rock noisy with just enough pop sensibility to make most of the tracks head-banging and/or ass-shaking. Though it’s been almost three years since we’ve seen them play live, I am pretty sure that many of the songs they performed in Milwaukee in 2019 are on Drag Me.

Drag Me was originally slated for release back around 2018 or 2019 with the announcement of the lead single “Hey” (one of my top picks on the LP). Then in May of 2021 there was another tease of the record coming in the Fall of 2021. But I’m guessing life plus a pandemic and vinyl supply chain issue delayed it til now. Besides “Hey,” I also really love punk howler “Who Are You Anyway?,” the gothically creepy “Two Gurus in Drag” and the crazed organ of “June and Johnny.” Drag Me officially releases on May 7th with their record release show at Square Cat Vinyl in Indianapolis, a great little record store that we’ve been to numerous times for Romanus Fest.