The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs may be on hiatus (thank you SO much, pandemic), but that hasn’t stopped leader Frank Meyer from making music. Outside of reissuing the Cheetahs’ most recent album One More Drink and releasing an album with his blues-soaked side project Highway 61, the L.A. rocker started another band with a different set of pals. Drawing from the ranks of Warrior Soul and the City Kids for a tribute track to Eddie Van Helen, Meyer and friends created Trading Aces, knocking out enough songs for a debut LP in record time. Rock ‘n’ Roll Homicide blasts out raging butt rock nuggets (ew) like “Social Disease,” “F.A.B.”, “Napalm Bombs,” and “Ain’t It a Bitch” with almost casual ease, battle-hardened skill, and a truckload of enthusiasm. Funny thing, though – despite a different lineup of musicians, a more lighthearted attitude, and an avowed influence not usually associated with his other bands, the Aces end up sounding, well, a lot like the Cheetahs. The punk influence gets sublimated, but not dismissed, and the Detroit-fueled action rock riffage isn’t too far away from the Cheetahs’ less speedy works – it’s just got more guitar solos. That doesn’t mean these are half-assed castoffs, though – far from it. Regardless of the name Meyer trades (heh) under, you can bet it’ll be crafted with the care of a high level graphic designer and performed with the brio of a horny Viking, and that suits Rock ‘n’ Roll Homicide to a T.
