New Releases Reviews

 Album review: Los Fastidios – ‘LOVESTEADY’

By Will Sewell
Los Fastidios main

A classic Los Fastidios album full of great Ska Punk songs to fill you with jOi!

Hard-working Italian punks Los Fastidios released ‘Lovesteady’ in early April. It’s their 13th album and it’s one of the best! You will not come across a band that tours around Europe as much as these guys. Los Fastidios can be seen in many small music venues throughout the year and are now regulars at Rebellion Festival. You’ll be able to see them again this year on the Acoustic Stage and on the Empress Ballroom Stage, and there’s a good chance of bumping into them enjoying other bands at the festival, and meeting up with their fans. They are a good, fun Oi! punk band that make the room come alive, with the crowd always joining in with their music.

The album was recorded directly by the band, a further demonstration of the “do it yourself style” that has always distinguished Los Fastidios, and then mixed in the Distilleria studios in Bassano (Vicenza – Italy).

Los Fastidios band
Los Fastidios

Los Fastidios are:

Enrico: vocals – Elisa Dixan: vocals – Filippo “Bibol“: guitars, vocals, trumpet, percussion – Emidio “Midio“: bass guitar, vocals – Mattia: drums, accordion

1 – Into

A ‘Top Of The Pops’ style intro to their 13th album, in which the Rudies are asked if they’re ready for Los Fastidios..!

2 – You’re So Young

This starting track for the album ‘You’re So Young’ is about staying true to your beliefs, something that has stuck with punk/ska bands from way back in the late 70’s – don’t be influenced by what you see going on. The band say it is “a tribute to the new generations of rebels. Young Rude Boys & Rude Girls of today, who do not let themselves be influenced by the fashions of the moment, but proudly boast those values, that attitude and style that will never know limits of age, gender, nor geographical and racial differences.”

3 – Three Minute Hero

This is a fantastic cover tribute of The Selector’s hit song, a brilliant ska track which I’m sure you’ll remember. It’s one of Los Fastidios’ favourite bands, led by the Rude Girl Pauline Black, an icon, a symbol of the world ska scene.

4 – Heart Of A Woman

A familiar reggae punk sound for this song, all about supporting gender diversity, Rude Boy with a Rude Girl soul, Rude Girl with a Rude Boy soul. The band want us to remember; “one of the icons, symbol of the world ska scene, Brigitte Bond, immortalized in the historic photo while dancing with Prince Buster, was a transsexual woman. The legendary band The Beat were inspired by that image in designing their symbol, the iconic silhouette of the Rude Girl. This is Ska for us !!!”

5 – True Rebel

This will definitely be a song that will have the crowd singing along at their gigs, and one you’ll find yourself singing when you’re getting on with your day, it’s a catchy song. According to Los Fastidios; “A song that you will never stop singing from the steps, to the street, to the pub, maybe with a pint in hand. This song also wants to be a tribute by the band to the namesake and beloved street shop in the Altona district of Hamburg.”

6 – Skabillyboogie

This is one that everyone will be dancing to, a great upbeat ska song that has plenty of beat you’ll struggle not to move to.

7 – A Rebel, Not A Fool

This song has a great guitar solo about halfway through and is a reminder of the true values and unity of being a Punk; do not be changed by those that try to make us think badly of others. Stay united, after all a punk’s a rebel, not a fool! The band elaborate; “A song that wants to honour the sounds and stylistic elements of the punk rock and street punk tradition, to remind us of the unity and rebellion values we fell in love with so long ago thanks to this music, but also to reflect together on certain individualistic, elitist or even xenophobic behaviours that we unfortunately see happening even in punk contexts.”

8 – Why Don’t You Eat Your Cat?

This 2Tone sounding song asks the question “Why is a pig a snack and a dog is a pet?” Another number which will be a great sing-along. Los Fastidios explain; “The animalist, anti-speciesist song, which as per tradition cannot be missing from a Los Fastidios album. This time, however, the topic is treated with a lot of irony and with a very light and fun sound.”

9 – Sometimes Good Girls Don’t Wear White

A fast-moving street song about a Rude Girl dancing in the street regardless of what other people may think! This one has plenty of guitar riffs throughout.

10 – Non Cambiare Mai

Meaning ‘Never Change’, a track done in the classic Los Fastidios Italian Punk/Oi! way. “We can’t live without the musical underground, its subcultures, style and our values” insist the band. “A song to remember that nothing and no one will ever be able to stop the passion and enthusiasm for what we have been doing with our hearts for more than thirty years. We will never change!!!!”

11 – Music For Peace

A reggae song to say NO to all wars. A song for peace and mutual respect. “Always and in any case on the side of the people, true victims of a world system based on supremacy, injustice, bombs, hatred and discrimination” the band reiterate. “With our reggae sound, that we will never be pawns moved by power, in the name of power. Make music, not war – Music for Peace.”

12 – Une Chanson Pour Toi

Sung in French, this folky number is “A tune with patchanka sounds, dedicated to the strength of music, that music that often manages to help us overcome even the greatest difficulties. The inspiration for writing the piece came from thinking of a dear French friend, a woman who finds in music a medicine to be able to face health problems, with a smile. Music is the fight, the solidarity, to change the world and do together what we love.”

13 – Warriors

All about the hatred spreading on the internet and social networks full of hatred and insults from anonymously from their homes. “This is where our ironic dedication for all the keyboard warriors comes from, to have a good laugh and to remind them that often so much hate means love.”

14 – Lovesteady

The album finishes with the title track of the album. “I don’t know where I’d be without you” was posted on their social page by a fan dedicated to his wife and from that, this dub song was written. The band dedicate it to “the love we feel for all our audience who always follows us with great passion and enthusiasm. Sisters and brothers from every corner of the world, who we have always felt as the sixth member of the band: without you we would be nothing, we don’t know where we’d be without you…. thank you for existing, we love You, we are one Crew, one Family !!!” A great and moving way to finish a brilliant album.

Special guests on the album are: Daikiv (The Autocratics / Rude Bones – Japan) on keyboards // Giotanni Annandi (Ashpipe – Italy) on violin // Franco Di Muoio on trombone. Marco Nardi on saxophone and Daniele Paci on trumpet (The Urgonauts – Italy) // The Urgonauts and Lennon Kelly on backing vocals and Federico “Cesa Massive” Cesaretti (The Urgonauts – Italy) as Intro announcer.

‘Lovesteady’ is out NOW on Kob Records (I), in collaboration with Fire and Flames Music (D) and Potencial Hardcore (E). A North America edition is released by Jump Up Records (US). Get your copy on black vinyl and digipack cd, also available on all digital stores and platforms.

Catch Los Fastidios on tour in 2025:

  1. INTRO
  2. YOU’RE SO YOUNG
  3. THREE MINUTE HERO
  4. HEART OF WOMAN
  5. TRUE REBEL
  6. SKABILLYBOOGIE
  7. A REBEL, NOT A FOOL
  8. WHY DON’T YOU EAT YOUR CAT?
  9. SOMETIMES GOOD GIRLS DON’T WEAR WHITE
  10. NON CAMBIARE MAI
  11. MUSIC FOR PEACE
  12. UNE CHANSON POUR TOI
  13. WARRIORS
  14. LOVESTEADY
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