Slamdinistas

**Slamdinistas** are a Los Angeles-based rock outfit blending raw energy with seasoned musicianship, formed through a serendipitous studio collaboration. Fronted by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gabriel Johns (formerly of Shelter and FiDo), the band includes guitarist Loren Molinare (The Dogs, Little Caesar) and guitarist Mike Gavigan (The Blessings), backed by bassist Paul Ill and drummer Brian Irving. Their 2023 debut *Shoot for the Stars* – a riff-driven mix of Stonesy swagger and British Invasion hooks – gained traction on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, followed by 2024’s holiday single “Santa’s in a Punk Band Now.” Their second album, *Wild & Restless* (2025), expands their gritty, melody-forward sound, channeling everything from New York Dolls’ streetwise punk to Crazy Horse’s raw intensity.

The band’s origin story reads like a rock ‘n’ roll workshop: Johns and Molinare initially teamed up for a shelved solo project in 2015 before recruiting Ill and Irving, with Gavigan rounding out the lineup. COVID lockdowns solidified their chemistry, leading to a sound they jokingly liken to “a Lower East Side band that’d drink with the Stones”. With members split between Midwest roots and California grit, their songs balance working-class narratives (“Latch Key Kids”) and unapologetic rock revivalism (“Brand New Day”).

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