will be releasing a FREE EP on February 24th, and it will be all about anime. The band consists of Andrew Conroy, Tom Thacker (Sum 41, Gob), Anthony Bleed (Die Mannequin) and Darrin Pfeiffer (Goldfinger) so that should peak people’s interest in those bands and anime. I really, really hate anime so not sure I’ll appreciate this album but we’ll see.

“I wanted to combine my passion for music and my love of geeky things like anime,” Andrew Conroy says of his upcoming and appropriately-titled EP ANIME. Combining the punk/DIY aesthetic of his band RAIN CITY ROCKERS with the nerdcore pursuit of all things comic-con-esque, Conroy and his bandmates – Tom Thacker (Sum 41, Gob), Anthony Bleed (Die Mannequin) and Darrin Pfeiffer (Goldfinger) – have assembled a five-song homage to the Japanese artform that has taken the universe by storm.

Set for self-release on Conroy’s Flashlight Music Group on February 24, 2015, the release features four Anime theme song covers including “Pokemon”, “Dragon Ball Z”, “Digimon”, “Sailor Moon” and the original track “If You Don’t Like Pikachu”. Coming in at under just seven minutes from start to finish, the EP is an avalanche of kitschy, cartoony hooks filtered through a punk strainer. The EP will be given away free on release date at Arcadesushi.com (more info soon).

“Theme songs really resonate with viewers, even years after the show has ended, and I wanted to do my own take on these songs,” Andrew continues. “I go to a number of conventions every year, and I absolutely love the sense of community there. Giving this EP away for free is my way of saying thanks to everyone for being so awesome.”

Called “an unlikely story” and “an unforgettable collaboration” by Substream Magazine, Conroy used a collection of incredibly well-written power-pop songs as his bargaining chip to go from an empty resume to position himself as the leader of a band of seasoned punk veterans.

The Anime EP will follow up the September 16, 2014 release of Rain City Rockers’ debut album, Mayday. Rain City Rockers is Andrew Conroy (vocals, guitar), Tom Thacker (Sum 41, Gob), Anthony Bleed (Die Mannequin) and Darrin Pfeiffer (Goldfinger).