Columbia band Latenights ended with a whimper after several strong releases that showed tons of promise. That band has since split up, with bass player CJ Rhodes now playing with Martin and the Positronics and drummer Nate Puza playing in Small Sanctions. After a short move to the west coast Latenights frontman Justin Hallas is back with a fresh new release and band name.
Now located in Greenville, SC Hallas has started Rabid Bandits. With hopes of starting a full band, he recorded the first song “Milanas” on his own, armed with a Macbook, an iPhone, a Telecaster, and an SG, the results are quite amazing. This song vibes soft and smooth, a welcome new sound to Hallas who was more known for screaming guitar solos and melodically humming feedback in past projects. Hallas has a gift for melody and structure, one that he’s shown off in the Columbia scene since his early teens with bands like Hello Tomorrow and the aforementioned Latenights.
