The Retroaction

Hamilton’s The Retroaction admit they are inspired by past genres of music, and claim to be “The bastard sons of Rock N’ Roll, Rhythm & Blues, and Garage Rock. All wrapped up in loud music and mod suits.” And not only are they “bastard” children of old-school rock, but they are the result of an oddly timed introduction:


“[Keith] met Ron Lang when I went to the ending of a bachelorette party. Ron was the male stripper these girls hired. He commented on my John Lennon shirt and after chatting we ended up liking a lot of the same bands: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who. The Beatles being Ron’s favorite group, he really wanted to jam with us. After my old band fell apart, Ron and I decided to try out new people and see if we could take our sound in a fresh direction”.

With the release of their debut single “Little Strange”, there is an undeniable presence of their favourite bands in their music, living up to the “retro” aspect of their name. However, the rock n’ roll four piece do intend to bring their sound and style into the 21st century, sharing their newly released 360 music video. - Dusty Organ

Staying with Canada for this next one, which may be one of the more creative and fun music videos I’ve seen all year. Shot using a 360 camera in the band’s living room, you can watch this little jam session from every angle conceivable. Most importantly though, WHAT DOES THE SIGN ON THE ROOF SAY, The Retroaction? Because I can’t read it but I absolutely need to know.

The song’s a cracker too, some old time rock and roll done nice and shouty, just the way it should be. There’s running through the motions with music videos just trying to make something that’s aesthetically pleasing and then there’s doing something wacky and enjoyable like this that really involves the listener. The Retroaction nailed it. - Howl and echoes

This video from Hamilton's The Retroaction is one of the coolest things we've seen in a while. It's totally interactive — just move your mouse around on the screen or swipe on your phone to take control of the camera.

Really, this is the equivalent to sitting in a garage band's jam space while they rehearse. Except now you can do it in your bathroom. - CBC

If you’ve got a hankering for 70’s style rock and roll, in the vein of The Rolling Stones and The Who, it turns out that you don’t actually need to go much further than Hamilton, Ontario. The latest single from The Retroaction, a rock and roll/blues/garage rock-influenced 4-piece, is called “Trade Your Lovin'” and it’s an arms-flailing, hips shakin’ single primed for dancing. It’s almost guaranteed that the heavy Mod influence on the track will surely bring a smile to your face.

The song has an interesting backstory to tell as well,

“Trade your lovin’ was a song written in Ron’s basement. A lot of the lyrics were derived from Ron’s old poetry. The groove of the song was inspired by Dr Feelgood with the guitar styling similar of a Wilko Johnson tune. The tune was arrange by the band, and rearrange until it had a solid enjoyable length and feel.I met Ron Lang when I went to the ending of a bachelorette party. Ron was the male stripper these girls hired. He commented on my John Lennon shirt and after chatting we ended up liking a lot of the same bands: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who.”

Get your first listen to this awesome track below! - Confront Magazine

This press release was so heartfelt, hand drawn and hilarious I decided to drop it as it is. And the band really deserves a listen. "We are The Retroaction. We came to be after the fall of our old bands. We'd like to share Little Strange via Youtube! The video gives a perspective of the band in our element, filmed in 360 degrees surrounded by our dancing friends playing the music we love. For best resolution/interaction use the Youtube app on your cellular telephone. Using the on screen cursor, you get the chance to navigating our jam space and see things change as our friends join in, dance and have a laugh. I met Ron Lang when I went to the ending of a bachelorette party. Ron was the male stripper these girls hired. He commented on my John Lennon shirt and after chatting we ended up liking a lot of the same bands: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who. The Beatles being Ron's favorite group, he really wanted to jam with us. After my old band fell apart, Ron and I decided to try out new people and see if we could take our sound in a fresh direction.

Collectively, we are inspired by the music of the past. However, we are trying to take it to the next level. On our site we like to say the we are "The bastard sons" of Rock N' Roll, Rhythm & Blues, and Garage Rock. All wrapped up in loud music and mod suits. We are The Retroaction. Thanks for taking a minute. Keith, Ron,Thomas & Charles." So even with the Mod suits, this Steel Town crew's a bit of all right, digging both Arctic Monkeys and Roy Orbison. - Cash Box Canada

Not just suave dressers, Hamilton’s The Retroaction carries old-school poise in their modern take on classic rock n’ roll. With the raw, elusive energy reminiscent of the 60s height of rhythm and blues, the four-piece delivers in crafting a sound splashed with earnest rockability. We’ve teamed up with the band for the exclusive premiere of their latest effort, “Time Won’t Wait.”

Comprised of Keith Moffat, Ron Lang, Charles Kostash and Thomas Duxbury, the “old-school garage rock” band formed in June 2015. Their debut single, “Little Strange,” was heralded for its gritty, infectious feel, and received plenty of buzz after the band released an interactive 360° video for the track.

Their new single is centered around themes of life being short, and the constant movement of time. Psychedelic melody-driving guitar riffs and well-toned vocals power “Time Won’t Wait” forward, resulting in a strong track perfect for an intimate concert, or slow dance at a school dance.

It’s slower pace offers introspection to listeners, and a refreshing sense of “retro” in today’s age of music. You can purchase “Time Won’t Wait” by The Retroaction on Bandcamp here, and stream the lyric video below. - The Permanent Rain Press