Leaving While You Stay by Greg Hoy and the Boys

San Francisco’s Greg Hoy and The Boys deploys a troop of rockin’ riffs in the new song “Leaving While You Stay”. Hoy’s tropes for examining human nature’s tendencies to ignore, or what he calls ‘check out’ from life’s current problems are set to a massively rock & roll soul-bending sound. This band is on a collision course with reality and rock and their brand of rock is going to take over. A shot of adrenaline – this trio rocks.

At the start, it’s the multi layered rock guitar that grabs the listener. And, when I say grab, I mean, kidnap. It’s a swift kick in the ass and you’re off and running with this caffeinated song. Every day you tell your story, fight for love or fight for glory, whadya say? whadya say?, Hoy sings, changing rhythms and pitches. When he sings whadya say, whadya say, the guitar hits higher notes along with him, creating this exuberant sound. It’s as if his voice is clinging to the guitar like a mountain climber to a rock’s edge. The drums are savage – splitting the atom like Lenny Kravitz’ “Are You Gonna Go My Way”.

Although they are just a trio, Hoy’s band demolishes the wall of sound and kicks forth an electrifying performance. This song sets the stage for something bigger and never lets go of its grip on the listener. The powerful rhythm section is one of the best I’ve heard in some time – and this is after a long summer of listening to just about everything I can get my hands on. I think fans of Green Day, Them Crooked Vultures, Screaming Trees, Dead Kennedys and Germs will get a kick out of “Leaving While You Stay”. Even if you aren’t a huge punk fan, I also think fans of Brian Setzer, Reverend Horton Heat and Marshal Crenshaw should take a stab at this tune.

Each and every one of those nights that Hoy hosted Arlene’s Grocery Punk Rock Heavy Metal Karaoke in New York City, comes into play in this song, as does his career as a record label executive. Hoy’s label is called 30 Peak and he’s been heading it since 2007. It’s a commanding performance, but remember, this is a band, and the bassist Mark Nicholson and drummer Dennis Galway rise to the top. Compared to the band’s earlier 2020 release, the six-song EP Quaranine Broke ‘N, Hoy’s writing style continues to be a bit askew. That off-beat lyrical style and in-your-face word assault is not quite the grimy punk delivery of yesteryear, but it’s an aggressive amalgamation of rock n roll and Hoy’s signature snarl. With over 30 albums to his name (as well as various other band names), if this is your first foray into the world of Hoy, then be sure to also fall down the rabbit hole and check out the thumpy “Lips Like Heaven” and the reverb heavy cover of Billy Joel’s “Big Shot”. In both cases, as in just about all of his songs, Hoy is genuinely fearless. You can’t go wrong down Hoy’s prolific path.

Mindy McCall