With all due respect to Jethro Tull, there’s no such thing as being too old to rock ‘n’ roll.
Just ask Rob Moss. As one of the original participants in the legendary D.C. underground music scene of the early ’80s, he honed his sonic craft through stints in Assault and Battery, Artificial Peace, and the mighty Government Issue before leaving band life behind as other pursuits took hold. After 35+ years (and at an age when most musicians consider the retirement he initially embraced while still a young man), Moss resurfaced in 2020 as the leader of a new project, Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin, and has remained creatively active ever since.Moss chose an interesting time in history for his unexpected comeback. While the early ’80s had Reagan to rally against, the 2020s have … well, take your pick. With today’s world providing so much for a once-and-future punk like Moss to comment on, it’s no surprise that his first solo single, “And The Lies Go Round,” packs a punch in its messaging. Featuring Moss on vocals and all instruments, the track delivers pointed (and sadly, timelessly universal) sociopolitical commentary that sums up 2026 with urgency and indignation. Musically, the engaging piece falls somewhere between Flip Your Wig-era Hüsker Dü and Halfway To Sanity-era Ramones, offering a chorus that sticks in one’s brain for days.
So, what’s got Moss so fired up? Well, the lyrics available on the song’s Bandcamp page say it better and more directly than any review ever could.
Had Moss stayed off the musical map after Government Issue’s ’83 summer tour, as he had initially intended, his place in punk history would already have been solidified. His reactivated creative spark in recent years has been a welcome reminder that the real thing never fully fades away.
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