Artists You Should Know: Los Angeles Rockers Julez and the Rollerz Make Their Meteoric Debut "Is This Where The Party Is?" EP

Los Angeles garage-rock outfit Julez and the Rollerz have made their raucous debut with the release of the Is This Where The Party Is? EP. Led by the indomitable Jules Batterman (lead vocals, guitar), the five-piece currently consists of Rachel David (bass, vocals), Shea Carothers (synth, vocals), Hannah Hughes (guitar, vocals), and Emi Borjas (drums). Together they create the kind of rock that is both deliriously rousing and sonically ballistic, feeding their sardonic self-deprecation and lackadaisical gripes through a crush of guitar grinding.

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Across the five-track EP Julez and the Rollerz blitz through the inertia of anxiety and disappointment that has settled over this post-pandemic period. Armed as they are with their infectiously frenetic zeal and guided by Batterman’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting. On its opening track “Sorry I’m Just A Waste of Time,” they funnel a jocular self-loathing through a drum-pummeling anthem that grasps earnestly for emotional autonomy, as well as freedom from social obligations.

Then there’s jangly “Be Something New,” a song that laments with delicate sarcasm the mindless routines and delusions that distract — or discourage — us from becoming the person we want to be. In between the blistering electric riffs and sluggishly dreamy breakdowns of “Wildest Fantasy,” Batterman swerves erratically from existential and sensual frustrations to loneliness.

Part of what makes Julez and the Rollerz so damn fun to listen to is their balancing act between their rip-roaring energy and Batterman’s side-winding vocals. One can only imagine the kind of heady madness that defines their live shows, fueled by such insatiable guitar-dueling that roars from songs like “Confess.” Or the jaunty rollicker “Think About It” that descends into the depths of Batterman’s agitated introspections.

“Most of my songs tend to be more personal, but at the same time playful, fun, upbeat, and rock n roll,” Batterman explained. “I wanted this collection of songs to be relatable, and slightly facetious, in a way where listeners can joke about the silliness of life, feelings, and existence sometimes. Of course, many songwriters create work that reflects their mental state or that is relatable, but this is my version and what I’m experiencing.”