Continuing our countdown to the event, we are featuring bands that are performing at our Johnny Rad Festival in San Diego, CA July 28th-30th. This week we bring you The Half Rats, who were also featured in our Summer 2011 Video (Watch HERE).

We’ve featured The Half Rats on Wednesdays on Wax before, but in case you missed it, here they are again. Our friend TJ Brock, who also plays in CoCoComa and Ryan Pitts, who also plays in The Boy Toys, have been playing amazing garage rock in the Chicago area for years now. We have also used The Half Rats in two of our videos, Summer 2011 and Fall 2010, and we wouldn’t think twice to use them again. Come out to San Diego for our 2011 Johnny Rad Fest and catch them!

“The Girl”

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“B.M.W. Nuns”

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This Wednesday we bring you a couple 45′s from our friends in Lafayette, Indiana. The Half Rats and The Boy Toys.

First up is The Half Rats who recently lent us their song “Lost in Reality” for the soundtrack of our new Summer 11 video. We were first introduced to The Half Rats by our friend Tyrone Taylor, Clean Cuts DJ and Lafayette native. The Half rats came to town last year for the Johnny Rad Fest and put on an amazing show. Keep your fingers crossed and look out for them to show up again this year for some more Rock N’ Roll good times. Here is “Glass Eyes” from their 7″ featuring the Jivettes.

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Next up is a band formed by Half Rats guitarist Ryan Puetz. The Boy Toys play classic power pop that is always great to listen to and see live with friends. Here is “Black and Blue and Grey” from their 7″ titled Girls Like You.

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For the third year now Johnny Rad Fest has come and gone and left us with bruised bodies and ringing eardrums. Our good friend Tyrone Taylor “Clean Cuts DJ” has been working hard for the past three years to bring San Diego some great underground bands. The three day festival was full of some amazing performances from The Spits, Nobunny, Tokyo Electron, the Zeros, The Half Rats, The Kabbs, The Wax Idols, The Boy Toys and many other great bands. Inside are photos from some of the shows.

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