This is the story of five men who’ve been there and done that – from the Bowery to the Arc9c Circle, from countless dive bars to one of the landmarks of baseball – and when they had done it all, well, they went out and did it again. And again aAer that. And when they finally stopped to
catch their breaths, they saw each other and said let’s get together ... and do it again!
The Split Squad, founded in 2011, is one of the finest all-star teams you might never have heard before. They don’t get together too oAen, as, hey, they have these other gigs, too. But when they do unite, watch out! Five fingers of a closed fist.
In 2020, they were back with Another Cinderella, their first full-length album since their 2013 debut, Now Hear This… (In between was 2018’s The Showstopper EP, which spawned an
Underground Garage Coolest Song in the World, “Stop Me (If You’ve Heard This One Before)”.)
This genera9on of Cinderella Men can take a punch and give one back that’s just as hard, if not harder. A TKO. The band went to the mat in 2024, however, with the passing of original member (and resident legend) Clem Burke (Blondie). In the summer of 2025, they released the “Less Of Everything” EP, which featured their final recordings with Clem, on the French Fu Manchu label. But now as 2026 dawns, the band sports a new lineup, a new album, and a
whole new shot at the 9tle…
So who are these bare-knuckled stars of the musical ring, anyway? Let’s go to their corner:
Keith Streng: One of the four handsomest guys in rock’n’roll, an uncrowned king of pop and
soul, Keith and his glider boots have trod on stages all over the globe the past four and a half decades as the guitarist and co-founder of one of the most enduring bands of all, The Fleshtones. These days, he also can be found recording with other acts, from Radio Birdman legend Deniz Tek to Swedish garage fiends Stupidity, Strengsbrew, and The Master Plan.
Brad Elvis: Exploding from the streets of Chicago in the late 70’s, as a member of the proto-power pop group Screams, Brad has shared stages with legends as diverse as Van Halen and The Clash. Brad ruled the Chicago scene in the 80s, as a member of the Elvis Brothers, who also delivered 2 stellar albums of rockabilly 9nged pop for Epic Records. Since then, Brad has occupied the drum throne for the Roman9cs, The Mike Skill Band, and his own pop oukit, The Handcuffs.
Michael Giblin: Working from his laboratory deep in the center of Pennsylvania, Mr. Giblin, the
well-dressed bass player, singer, keyboardist, producer and connoisseur of fine cuisine, is the glue that keeps the band together and the fuel that keeps it moving ahead. A member of ‘90s power-popsters Cherry Twister, he assembled The Split Squad aAer his current band, Parallax Project, encountered the other band members on various tours and recording projects. He also has a predy extensive career as a sideman bassist, having recorded and/or performed with The Minus 5, Dan Kibler, Peter Buck, John Wesley Harding, and many others. Michael has also recently seen his stock rise as a producer and engineer, having his hand on new releases from The Fleshtones, The Vapors, The Cynz, and Stupidity.
Kurt Bloch: Long regarded as one of the secret architects of the Seadle music scene from his days in The Fastbacks (cited as a big influence by no less than Kurt Cobain), Kurt has gone on to leave his mark on the music of The Young Fresh Fellows, The Minus 5, Alejandro Escovedo, The Filthy Friends, and countless others. A highwire act of the first order on guitar, Kurt’s unique blend of precision and chaos, as well as his keen ears as an engineer and producer, have made him one of the most revered figures of the American Underground.
Josh Kantor: How many people in the biz can say they played with four Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers (Clem, Peter Buck and Mike Mills of R.E.M. and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin) and at least one future Baseball Hall-of-Famer (and maybe more)? When not playing with The Split Squad or The Baseball Project, Josh is the long9me organist extraordinaire for the Red Sox. Yes, those Red Sox, the ones up in Boston. From his perch at Fenway, Josh dishes out arguably the wildest array of songs in the history of the game, many by request, and has been on board for three World Series 9tles.
If that’s not enough of a punch, the band has a deep bench, who oAen show up as an all-star cast of guests, including Eddie Munoz (The Plimsouls) Jason Victor (The Dream Syndicate), Brian Hurd (Daddy Long Legs), David Minehan (The Neighborhoods/Aerosmith/The Replacements),
Sco> McCaughey (R.E.M./The Baseball Project/The Young Fresh Fellows), and Joe Adragna (The Junior League). Because they know a hit when they see or hear it.
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