From distortion to devotion, Lewnatic preaches raw guitar gospel in Baptized in Rock & Roll

In Baptized in Rock & Roll (Class of 1999), Lewnatic anointed his outsider ethos in a lo-fi grunge-pop confession ripped from the amp-split seams of his EP, Overture. As an artist unafraid to wear his reverence for rock n roll on his sleeve, Lewnatic let his riffs do the talking in the standout single. There’s a touch of Arctic Monkeys’ indie swagger in the strings, a scuzzy nod to Weezer in the garage-laced licks, and a proud refusal to sand down any of the raw edges. It’s a string-written love letter to amplification and distortion, the twin altar candles for a faith that’s been flickering since the ‘50s. Through tape-warped atmospherics, riff-loaded refrains, and a lo-fi crackle that feels more lived-in than produced, the San Francisco-hailing artist cements his place in the new class of underground alt provocateurs. Lewnatic is the solo project of Patrick Lew Hayashi, whose cultural roots and lifelong punk-grunge obsession fuel the transgressive experimentalism across his expansive catalogue. After years fronting the Patrick Lew Band and cultivating digital subcultures through YouTube livestreams, Discord beat swaps, and street-level QR code promo drops, he’s hardwired his own genre-eroding universe. In Overture, the attitude comes pre-distorted. And in Baptized […]

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