Brooklyn’s post-punk provocateurs Dead Tooth have returned with a vengeance, unleashing the official video for their defiant new single You Never Do Shit. Released via Trash Casual, the track is a feral follow-up to last year’s underground favourite Birthday Boohoo and serves as a sonic taste of their upcoming self-titled debut album, due out this July.
Fronted by the enigmatic Zach Ellis (guitar/vocals), Dead Tooth’s current lineup is a sonic collision of raw energy and experimental flair, featuring James Duncan (bass), Taylor Mitchell (guitar), Mikey Cohen (drums), and John Stanesco (saxophone/EWI).
It’s a blend that channels the grit of early 2000s NYC with sax-blasted chaos, landing somewhere between Heavy Metal theatre and punk rock rebellion.
You Never Do Shit actually started its life as a demo Ellis composed for a fictional TV band on Apple TV’s City on Fire, capturing the messy glamour of New York’s early-aughts indie scene. “They went with something else for the disco-punk B-side,” Ellis reveals, “but I actually liked this demo more. I was kind of excited that I got to keep it and bring it to Dead Tooth.”
Visually, the official video ramps up the urgency and angst, echoing the band’s reputation for explosive, celebratory live shows. It’s this wild live presence that has landed Dead Tooth on diverse bills—from supporting theatrical thrash icons GWAR to punk tours with Bass Drum Of Death and even afterparty slots with East Coast rap royalty Juelz Santana. The band has also turned heads at SXSW and across Europe with their intense performances.
Emerging from a project Ellis started with DIIV guitarist Andrew Bailey, Dead Tooth have grown into a genre-bending force. Their past releases—including the Still Beats EP (2018) and Pig Pile (2022)—have earned praise from NME, Spin, New Noise, and beyond.
With their debut album looming, You Never Do Shit signals a band ready to bring the underground into sharp, unrelenting focus.
