Ruby James - Call It Rock & Roll (2026)

Most rock n’ roll today, whether original or not, sounds basically vintage because it’s been done to death. But there are a few artists who manage to take old ingredients & hope for a lunar eclipse where the spell rises again from that corpse & is vibrant. Los Angeles’ Ruby James isn’t doing anything new, but she takes equal parts of Billy Idol, Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde & Suzi Quattro, then unleashes the potent Call It Rock & Roll . Yeah, baby.

7 tantalizing morsels of attitude, mixed with Valvoline, dipped in honey, starting with “Voodoo Queen” & sliding into the slippery echo of “Gasoline.” Produced by Kyle Crusham & recorded in Austin, TX. What makes these songs a tad more interesting is the creative arrangements, the rousing lyrical poetics & Ruby’s suggestive vocalizing. Even more evident on the wonderful “Novocaine.” The musical arrangements are not old school while the music is – makes for interesting bedfellows. Ruby adds skillful intonation in this track, maintains a good range & phrasing. She isn’t just singing the song; she is creating a drama from it that few artists understand. The effects are not overused & applied appropriately.

osie Flores’ guitar graces the cast on a cover of LaVern Baker’s “Bumble Bee,” & it’s another bang-up full-throttle rocker. Lots of sweeping old school rock n’ roll trickery here from the plodding beat & gnarly guitars with gleaming female rock voices shin-digging throughout. The final track is the heavy-duty funk “Boogiedown Town” that’s leaden like Kelsy’s burgers & a beer – but what a delightful jukebox tune this is. They are all.