As we wrote in our Artist of the Week category during SXSW, Los Angeles-based punk rockers FIDLAR are a new band on the rise. Though many outside the City of Angels have yet to familiarize themselves with the quartet, these fellas kick some serious ass, trust me. Finally, after ranting and touting these dudes finally released an EP, Don’t Try (aptly titled) that more than supports the much-deserved hype.

On their 4 song, nearly nine-minute proper debut EP (the longest song clocks at a whopping three minutes even), FIDLAR gives new meaning to the phrase “atomic punks,” which something I’m sure Diamond Dave (David Lee Roth for those of you who don’t know) wasn’t singing about his song of the same title in 1977. In these eight minutes, the band smashes through songs with the ease and swagger of confident veterans. In fact, these songs never feel like they’re that short because there’s so much going on musically in such a short period of time by the time you realize what hit you, it’s time to move onto the next exciting track.

“Don’t Try” is the first track and starts with a splash of surf-punk. It’s a lo-fi gem with a driving guitar solo and the lyrics are simple (example: “I need a new body/I need a new soul/I feel like I need to get drunk”) but that doesn’t take away that this is what garage punk is all about. The song is all about instrumentation, energy and making you feel something, that’s the point of music, right?

“No Ass” is a cross between the Buzzcocks and Pixies. It’s a melodic interpretation of punk (never thought you’d hear those words together I bet), though if you weren’t listening closely, you’d miss it. Another garage-y song with splashes of late ‘70s British punk influences here.

As the longest tune, “Black Out Stout” has a lot going on. This one is a blend between underground ‘80s New York City punk and newer SoCal bands like Waaves. There’s a lot going on here musically. It still retains the lo-fi magic that defines FIDLAR’s sound, but the songs changes gears musically so much in three minutes that you don’t what’s going to happen next. The melody remains similar, yet the band knows how to mix it up enough in order show their musical prowess.

Finally, “Got No Money” is a song that most kids in the band’s age demographic can relate to. A bit Sonic Youth-y at the beginning, the song kicks into gear within the first 15 seconds and has a Black Lips feel to it. The lyrics are funny (“I got no money for school/I got no money for weed”) and reflect a certain Spicoli-esqueness that accurately reflects the band’s slacker persona.