Image via The Max Levine Ensemble.

These days, it’s a painstaking process for any band that wants to create buzz for their new record: get a publicist to pitch an advance stream of the record to music outlets, and hope that the editors bite. Without an NPR Music First Stream, or a Pitchfork Advance Stream, or an exclusive stream at Brooklyn Vegan (or at SPIN, Consequence of Sound, Rolling Stone…the list goes on), how does any band stand a chance of reaching a wider audience?

There’s one solution: not give a shit. That kind of laissez-faire approach is exactly what beloved local pop-punk trio The Max Levine Ensemble is doing with an “exclusive stream” of their new album, Backlash Baby. The record doesn’t come out until the fall sometime, but you can exclusively stream the album in its entirety in the jukebox of the Black Cat’s Red Room.

“We wanted to do an ‘exclusive stream’ to poke fun [at that culture],” singer/guitarist David “Spoonboy” Combs tells DCist over the phone. Though Combs jokes they’ll probably try and get an outlet to stream it online at some point anyway. (Full disclosure: Combs is a friend.)

So how did The Max Levine Ensemble’s new record end up in the Black Cat’s jukebox? “The Black Cat is our regular hang out spot anyway, so it made sense,” Combs says.

The Black Cat staff was preparing to change up the music in the jukebox when they asked Combs if he wanted to put in a Max Levine or Spoonboy record (Combs writes and performs solo as Spoonboy). Their last full-length record was 2008’s OK Smartypants, so they figured why not put the new one up in their, along with a bevy of new albums including ones by Priests, Waxahatchee, RVIVR, Ex Hex, and more.

Backlash Baby will remain in the Red Room’s jukebox to stream exclusively indefinitely. “Sorry it’s such an expensive stream,” Combs says.

The Max Levine Ensemble will play with RVIVR and Shellshag at the Black Cat on Wednesday, June 24. Spoonboy will play his final solo show at the Black Cat on Thursday, June 4 with Nana Grizol and Art Sorority for Girls.