Dig ‘in: Smirk, Magic Shoppe, Meat Wave
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
Smirk - Material (Feel It Records LP)
You may know Nick Vicario’s name as a member of Portland Oregon’s punky Public Eye, but Material is from Vicario’s occasional side project Smirk. The semi-deranged cartoon clown on the cover of Material definitely captures some of the record’s slightly warped, humor-slashed, punk punch. Many of the tracks traffic in an amped-up, beat-hammered punk strum that never quite overshadows an underlying pop hookiness. Tracks like “Material World’s Unfair” and “Symmetry” fly by with a taut, brusque, slightly claustrophobic pull that can evoke echoes of touchstones like very early Wire, the Fall or some of the more rough-and-tumble Flying Nun bands. But then in the middle of the record, the pulse downshifts and more crafty melodies begin soaring up. Songs like “Hopeless” and “Souvenir” stick with surly lyrics, but they deck the snarly verbiage in shimmery guitar chords and vocal melodies that gracefully arc and float rather than bark. This push-pull dichotomy between pop hook and three-chord chug on Material at times reminds me of a similar tension in the music of Australia’s Royal Headache. Then there’s the song “Total Reality,” which traffics in ultra-catchy, mid-tempo, hard-rock that even throws some cowbell into the final verse and chorus. Overall, Material does an invigorating job of tossing both your inner punk and inner popster some tasty red meat.
-Rick Reger
Magic Shoppe - Patty Hearse E.P. (Little Cloud Records / Cardinal Fuzz EP)
Conjuring a sound as dense as London’s fog, Boston’s Magic Shoppe follow up their Mono Lake LP from earlier this year with the provocatively titled Patty Hearse E.P. With each of the four tracks clocking in under two minutes, the release is an adrenalized take on their more typical ambling pace. The trio of guitars emerge unshackled with cataclysmic force and whiplash effect. As expected, the reverb is laid on thick and Josiah Webb’s vocals maintain their ethereal quality. True to its title, Patty Hearse will hold you captive and maybe even slightly unhinged. -Bruce Novak
Meat Wave - Malign Hex (Swami Records LP)
The short fuse assault that defined Meat Wave’s earlier work has largely given way to a slow burn approach. Advance tracks “Ridiculous Car” and “Honest Living” reside in the ninety-second/two-minute rapid fire territory, but the rest of Malign Hex traffics in more expansive environs while still preserving the band’s trademark agitation. “Disney” opens the record with a loping beat and gradually ratchets up the intensity before everything comes crashing down within a portrayal of family dysfunction. “Waveless” and “Jim’s Teeth” extend this patient exploration—confident in where they want to arrive, but in no hurry to get there. By the closing track, “Malign,” Meat Wave are in full decompression mode—vocalist Chris Sutter languidly repeats the album’s title phrase over repetitive, textured instrumentation. Malign Hex admirably tries to come to grips with the anxious times we currently reside in without resorting to knee-jerk reaction. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Friko
Where: Metro / Directions
When: December 8, 6:00 PM
Friko is headlining this enticing Chicago showcase along with Cafe Racer and Lifeguard. Since meeting up at Evanston Township High School, Niko Kapetan (guitar/keys/vocals), Luke Stamos (bass) and Bailey Minzenberger (drums) have been honing their intricate and subtle songwriting incorporating elements of chamber pop, glam and folk-rock. The ‘70s AOR music that Kapetan’s parents favored at home surfaces in considered arrangements that play with tempo and texture, and have recently expanded to include string embellishments. Minzenberger has described Friko’s performances as meditative—giving way to the moment in time. Finding their zen seems to go hand in hand with amassing a creative breakthrough. -Bruce Novak
Andrew Bird
Where: Fourth Presbyterian Church / Directions
When: December 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16, 7:00 PM
Few things equate the holiday season in Chicago as much as Andrew Bird's Gezelligheid concert residency at Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church. Bird is still producing and whistling at a high level over 20 years into his career. I remember fondly him playing barefoot at the Pitchfork-curated Intonation Music Festival back in 2005. He captivated my attention with his violin playing, beautiful voice, and his whistling. He has been a model of consistency over the years putting out music every other year. With these December shows, the hope is that he sprinkles in some of his holiday music from 2019's Hark!. Bird also put out a new album this year called Inside Problems which finds him exploring more traditional indie music than we are used to, and it seems have suited him as he just put out a new song featuring indie starlet Phoebe Bridgers titled "I felt a Funeral, in my Brain.” A hometown show at an intimate venue like Fourth Presbyterian Church is sure to pull out deep cuts, and is a perfect match of artist to venue. -Mark Joyner
Jeff Rosenstock/Laura Stevenson
Where: Lincoln Hall / Directions
When: December 9, 7:00 PM
Having performed together in Bomb The Music Industry!, the New York-based music collective led by Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Stevenson and Rosenstock kept in touch as each of them pursued their separate solo music careers. When one of their conversations centered around the music of Neil Young, Rosenstock asked for guidance from Stevenson since he never experienced the connection to Young’s music that would make him a devotee on par with her fandom. After further digesting Neil’s catalog, Rosenstock’s appreciation grew and plans were hatched to record some cover songs which came to fruition with their Still Young (2019) and Younger Still (2022) EP releases. As fans of punk growing up, Young’s raw honesty, affection for distortion and willingness to experiment appealed to the pair’s sensibility. Their selections tend to bypass the better known hits and are plucked from as far back as 1969 (“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” up through 2000 (“Razor Love”). For the Lincoln Hall performance, the covers with be interspersed with a few their own solo tracks and a chestnut or two from their time with Bomb The Music Industry! -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Honor Role - Album (Merge compilation)
When Pen Rollings (guitar/vocals) and Steve Schick (drums) formed Honor Role in the early ‘80s there wasn’t much taking place in Richmond, Virginia to garner even a passing notice. After an initial EP release in 1984, Steve’s brother Bob joined to become the group’s vocalist. That switch unlocked a profound dynamic for the band as Schick’s hyperventilated delivery and cutting lyrics melded seamlessly with Rollings’ twisting guitar excursions. A pair of singles functioned as a clarion call to their noteworthy debut LP, The Pretty Song, which led to a signing by the influential Homestead Records. By then Steve Schick had departed and Seth Harris from Kepone took over drum duties. Another 7” followed and then the Rictus album was released in 1989, which proved to be Honor Role’s swan song. Album essentially collects just about everything other than the aforementioned EP and an earlier split record with fellow Richmond hardcore outfit Graven Image. While the band’s run was relatively brief, their material remains distinctive among a punk genre that’s often overrun with imitation. Bob Schick would go on to form Coral and then Dynamic Truths—worthwhile listens in their own right. Pen Rollings turned his attention to his then side project Butterglove, later moving on to instrumental trio Breadwinner that featured Bobby Donne on bass who thereafter became a founding member of Labradford. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: