Dig ‘in: King Hannah, Magic Shoppe, Laughing
Check out what the No Wristbands team is listening to and what’s in our show calendars this month on our latest Dig ‘in.
INCOMING
King Hannah – Big Swimmer (City Slang LP)
Touring across the US can be an arduous endeavor, especially for upcoming artists. The long treks between cities in a touring van coupled with limited nutritional food choices can tax both the body and the mind. On an east-to-west coast jaunt in the summer of 2022 to support their I’m Not Sorry, I Was Just Being Me debut LP, Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle of Liverpool’s King Hannah parlayed that experience into the creation of their newest effort, Big Swimmer.
On the opening lines of the expansive “Somewhere Near El Paso,” Merrick observes: “There was a vending machine / It was obscene / Sold a build-your-own tuna sandwich thing / So I had a cereal bar in my blood-stained bed instead.” Whittle’s guitar progresses from a simmering strum to full-on frenzy as things continue to spiral, summed up by Merrick’s lament of “That was a bad decision.” Her deadpan musings and Sprechgesang delivery cultivate a similar emotional resonance to to that of Florence Shaw of Dry Cleaning. The sly skewering of male corporate dismissiveness in “New York, Let’s Do Nothing” could have just as easily come from Shaw’s camp. A seemingly benign encounter takes a sinister turn in “Milk Boy (I Love You),” where Merrick’s raised exclamation of “He swung a hammer at that little boy’s face” competes for airspace with Whittle’s turbulent noise blast. On “Davey Says,” a more hopeful tone emerges built around patience and perseverance. Also, the inclusion of Sharon Van Etten on backing vocals of a couple tracks ushers in a more calming presence, such as on the title track that offers encouragement to dive in head first. In the end, Merrick and Whittle seem to suggest that we not shy away from experiences both good and bad—for to weather the journey offers hope for new adventures and further insight to our existence. -Bruce Novak
Magic Shoppe - Down The Wych Elm (Little Cloud Records LP)
It’s a little mind boggling to fathom how Josiah Webb is able construct the maelstrom fury of Magic Shoppe all on his own. Despite operating out of Boston, Magic Shoppe is little known in the States and typically tours in the more receptive territories of Europe with an assembled line-up of primarily Canadian musicians that Webb has befriended. Representing the 7th full length LP in their catalog, Down The Wych Elm is a buzzing blend of psych, shoegaze and distortion. Awash in the requisite levels of reverb and delay, Webb envelops his listeners with cascading waves of sonic density that will have them trying to catch their breath between tracks. There’s a gravitational pull and an undertow that’s sucks you in and ushers you along in majestic numbers like “The Field Where I Died” and “Something Hollow.” “Needle In Your Eye” is sinister-sounding with a whiplash lick that keeps you firmly in within its clutches. Webb ratchets up the tempo in “An Empty Cartridge” with a punkish fury that skitters to an end. On Down The Wych Elm, Magic Shoppe elevate to such great heights that it’s unfathomable to think that they would continue to slip under the radar. -Bruce Novak
Laughing - Because It’s True (Celluloid Lunch / Meritorio Records LP)
Even though the four members of Montreal’s Laughing fit like hand in glove, their connection was more due to happenstance than destiny. Josh Slater (Nap Eyes, Monomyth) encountered Cole Woods (Human Music) and Laura Jeffrey (Fountain) when their respective bands shared gigs over the expanse of Canada. André Charles Thériault hadn’t played in a formal band for nearly fifteen years when Slater happened upon him performing solo at a local Montreal bar. While each of their other projects highlighted divergent sounds, Laughing purposely choice the path of mining a power pop playbook. With each member harnessing a knack for singing and songwriting, Because It’s True is rich in melodicism and depth, following along the lines of Teenage Fanclub and fellow countrymen Sloan. The opening three tracks of “Easier Said,” “Pebble” and “Bruised” could serve as a lesson primer on pop song construction—flowing, hook-laden and infectious. The capricious nature of human interaction is explored in depth with the estranged couple in “You And I” and the non-starter denunciation that comprises Jeffrey’s “Don’t Care.” Because It’s True is steeped in matters of the heart and has a tangible presence that deserves to be held near and dear. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Water From Your Eyes
Where: Pitchfork Blue Stage - Union Park / Directions
When: July 20, 4:00 PM
The past year or so has proven to be quite fruitful for the ascendant indie duo Water From Your Eyes. 2023 saw the band signing to Matador Records and releasing their critically acclaimed album Everyone’s Crushed. As if that wasn’t enough, guitarist Nate Amos has a prolific side project, This is Lorelei, that shows his more power poppy side on the just released Box for Buddy, Box for Star. Everyone’s Crushed’s sound is vast with outstanding production by Amos that is hard to describe, but to me sounds like glitchy art-rock (“Out There”) with blast beats that are influenced by the more chaotic moments of Animal Collective (“Everyone’s Crushed”). Their music is blended with the soothing vocals of Rachel Brown in a way that at first doesn’t sound like it should work, but delivers. This is a band that is a perfect match for the wooded area that encompasses the Blue Stage at Pitchfork. Even more exciting is that additional new music is on the way, with the band having released an EP on July 12th titled MP3 Player 1. -Mark Joyner
Wednesday
Where: Pitchfork Green Stage - Union Park / Directions
When: July 20, 4:15 PM
The lead-up to Pitchfork every year includes my friends and I speculating as to who will fill in the bill. It’s an exciting time filled with a lot of wild guesses being a blend of who we’d love to see and who Pitchfork has reviewed favorably. Last year I was certain, I’d have bet most anything that Wednesday was going to be there. They were coming off of putting out their level-raising 5th album (and my 3rd favorite album of 2023), Rat Saw God, and seemed primed for a Pitchfork slot. I was almost right, their guitarist MJ Lenderman played, but sadly Wednesday wasn’t on the bill. That gets rectified this year with their Saturday afternoon set on the Green Stage. Their mixture of twangy ’90s grungy guitar rock is sure to sound expansive across the main field at Pitchfork. Songs like “Chosen to Deserve” and “Quarry” are sure to sound epic while perfectly blended with lead singer Karly Hartzman’s vocals in the Saturday afternoon sunshine. It’s a mixture, that as I have previously noted, isn’t the coolest form of music right now, but that just works perfectly. Their lyrics have sharp edges, and so does their sound; every high is earned, allowing their audience to become emotionally invested in Hartzman’s narratives. -Mark Joyner
Lambrini Girls
Where: Sleeping Village / Directions
When: July 27, 10:00 PM
In his Big Takeover publication, Jack Rabid expressed how slam dancing killed off the egalitarian participation that existed previously in punk music. Prior to mosh pits, pogoing was punk’s iconic dance; a form of expression that captured punk’s energy while respecting personal space. Hardcore and slam dancing alienated a good portion of the female audience, who decried the escalating violence and sexism that began to pervade performances. With the advent of the Riot Grrrl movement, things began to resettle. Kathleen Hanna’s call for “Girls to the Front” at Bikini Kill shows empowered females to reclaim their equal footing and break down barriers of imposed male dominance.
Brighton’s Lambrini Girls are on a parallel mission. In “Boys In The Band” off their 2023 You’re Welcome EP, singer/guitarist Phoebe Lunny declares: “Give a big hand to the boys in the band / As they try to work a crowd / They’re local heroes I’ve heard, but the lines are getting blurred / The girls say they’re not safe to be around.” The band not only desires to call out abusers, but also to have the entire community step up and confront the degree of harm that’s been inflicted. Lunny came out to her parents as bisexual at Lambrini Girls’ first headlining gig, moments before ripping into the song “Help Me I’m Gay.” The group’s activism also extends to issues of gender identity (“Body of Mine”) and nationalism (“God’s Country”). Turn up and expect to get an earful that’s equal parts informative and exhilarating. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Primitons - Don’t Go Away: Collected Works (Arena Rock compilation)
In an era of defining American jangle pop epitomized by the likes of R.E.M., dB’s, Let’s Active and The Bangles, Primitons tend to get overlooked, no doubt in part due to being further down on the map (Birmingham, Alabama). Like most of their brethren, Primitons made a pilgrimage to Mitch Easter’s Drive-In studio to record their self-titled debut EP. The record is loaded with frontline pop gems like “All My Friends,” “You’ll Never Know” and “Stars.” “City People” also stands out as a hushed meditation on forging a intimate connection in a crowded environment. The band’s focal points were Stockholm-expat Mots Roden (vocals, guitar & keyboard) and Leif Bondarenko (drums, percussion & accordion), but Stephanie Truelove Wright also served as a secret weapon, collaborating with Roden on songwriting while off raising a family of her own. So valued were her contributions that she appeared with Roden and Bondarenko on the the cover of the band’s second EP, that contains the splendid “Don’t Go Away.” That song also appears on their final album, Happy All The Time, released in 1987 and featuring the talents of Windbreaker Tim Lee. With an all-inclusive tracklist of 18 songs, this compilation, issued in 2012, captures an overlooked group that deserves a featured spot in the rich tapestry of ’80s pop music, Roden passed on in 2014, at the too-soon age of 54, albeit with a legacy that will be forever cherished. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: