Dig ‘in: Smut, The Cool Greenhouse, Gut Health
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
Smut - How The Light Felt (Bayonet Records LP)
Vocalist Tay Roebuck characterizes their sophomore album as centering around grieving and loss. “Let Me Hate” specifically addresses the therapy that she underwent after the passing of her younger sister.Roebuck initially formed the band with guitarist Andrew Min out of Cincinnati before relocating to Chicago just prior to the start of the pandemic. On the title track it’s hard to discern whether the change of scenery provided any more comfort with Roebuck singing “I’ve seen flowers / Bent at ugly angles / Killing hours / On the floor / Wires tangled.”There’s a pervasive melancholic feel throughout the record, but the music remains warm and inviting. Ethereal guitars and synths intertwine effortlessly and the rhythm section provides a soft landing for an overall immersive experience. How The Light Felt shows us that coping with pain is at difficult and harrowing, but it’s vastly preferable than feeling nothing at all. -Bruce Novak
The Cool Greenhouse - Sod’s Toastie (Melodic LP)
In deciding whether I like a band, a lot of it has to do with the vocalist. A good one elevates the music, but others have me moving on to the next thing at top speed. This is especially true of the current crop of British post-punk bands, many of whom are fronted by talk-singing front persons. Yard Act? Not buying it. Sleaford Mods? Yes please.
It’s a big yes for the Cool Greenhouse, fronted by one Tom Greenhouse. His voice resonates with me; I find his oddball lyrics and his delivery of them compelling, and the music, a kind of semi-lo-fi kitchen sink approach with lots of Fall-influenced off-kilter guitar scrapings, really does it for me.
Sod’s Toastie (lousy title, great title song), is their second full-length, following the hysterical 2020 single “Alexa,” which has befuddled and irritated listeners with Amazon’s digital assistant. “Play the song ‘Alexa’ by the Cool Greenhouse” he declaims; “Hm, don’t know that one” comes the reply. But it will call greenhouses for you.
Hooks are present, and some songs are really catchy, serving as a simpatico backdrop for Greenhouse’s orations. The many references to isolation and solitude mark it as a pandemic album, but with a sense of humor and plenty of quirky asides. Non-sequitur lyrics like this grab my attention:
Googling questions like “Should I start microdosing?”
And “How come I'm standing in front of Four Seasons Total Landscaping?”
That’s from my favorite track “Get Unjaded,” with its killer guitar riff, during which Greenhouse calls for a guitar solo and is instead rewarded with a brief keyboard solo right out of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Bitchin’!
And that’s not to mention references to the fly on Mike Pence’s head, the interjection “It’s like Windows 98 in here,” a smackdown of Jordan fucking Peterson, and a Talking Heads lyric reference and sample (I guess they really like Remain in Light). “Hard Rock Potato” probes the bamboozling investment schemes of the bitcoin era, and “The Neoprene Ravine” is a like a dream channeling the “alien equivalent of the Velvet Underground.”
I do wonder how much these punch lines will stick after numerous listens or whether they will wear out their welcome, which can happen more quickly when things are spoken rather than sung. For the moment I’m loving it, one of my favorite albums of the year. -Jon Ginoli
Gut Health - Electric Party Chrome Girl (Marthouse Records EP)
Pete Townshend once said that “Rock ’n’ Roll might not solve your problems, but it does let you dance all over them.” Taking inspiration from queer rave culture, Gut Health’s singer Athina Uh Oh aspires to bring people together to dance as a means of fostering community, finding catharsis or just enabling escape.
While the Melbourne-based band members come from varied musical backgrounds, their sound gestates in the dance punk realm of artists such as Le Tigre and Lizzy Mercier Descloux. Electric Party Chrome Girl is the band’s debut—comprised of four tracks that clock in just shy of ten minutes. The music is brisk and urgent with the rhythm section firmly in the driver’s seat while the rest of the band careens along the pathway.
Gut Health seek to confront accepted norms across gender and class lines. “Put your money where your mouth is” comes their challenge in the song “Shut Down.” Whether the audience is up to the task or not, they won’t be taking it sitting down—which clearly suits the band just fine. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
The Flat Five
Where: Fitzgerald’s / Directions
When: December 22, 7:00 PM
The collective reach of the members of The Flat Five is vast. Scott Ligon and Casey McDonough are part of the latest iteration of NRBQ, Alex Hall is a longstanding member of the jazz outfit The Fat Babies, Nora O’Connor has collaborated with Andrew Bird and Kelly Hogan turns up on a number Neko Case records. And that’s just a portion of their overall music endeavors.Their versatile talents and adaptability suit the structure of The Flat Five, where no sole performer captures the spotlight. With each of them providing distinctive vocal talents, their music is rich with texture and harmony. They’re adept at pivoting on a dime—from sugary pop to Doo-wop to Bossa Nova. While they’ve carved out of time to record two studio albums thus far, their live shows are where their full personalities come to the fore when they break out a treasure trove of whimsical cover selections. If you’re seeking some mood elevation for the holiday season, there’s no better place to find it than here. -Bruce Novak
Waco Brothers
Where: Schubas Tavern / Directions
When: December 28, 7:30 PM
The term bar band has largely vanished from contemporary vernacular. Forty five minute performances are vastly more common than the multiple sets that were once required of groups to secure bookings. Waco Brothers exemplify the spirit of a bar band; alcohol-fueled, indefatigable and forever committed to a raucous time. If you happened to wander in from the street to catch one of their performances, you’d likely surrender to their mayhem in short order.With backgrounds incubated in the initial wave of punk, the Wacos applied that rebellious spirit to capture the essence of the early pioneers of rock ’n’ roll and country music. With nearly all of those originators now deceased, the band is an essential conduit to their legacy—often paying tribute with well curated covers to mark another passing.Benefitting from the talents of a trio of accomplished songwriters has helped produce a catalog of material that runs deep and varied. Their last record, Going Down In History released by Bloodshot in 2016, found the Wacos still at the top of their game. The band laid down some recordings at Dave Trumfio’s Kingsize SoundLabs earlier this year so hopefully some future performance will include the added attraction of a record release party. -Bruce Novak
Lydia Loveless
Where: Golden Dagger / Directions
When: December 30 & 31, 8:30 PM
It’s been a while since Lydia Loveless has played Chicago proper—maybe 2018??? Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn since then, but not in the city. And she’ll be touring in April & May 2023 with Drive-By Truckers—with no announced Chicago venue. But this is your lucky month because she’ll be doing two headlining shows at the small-capacity Golden Dagger at the end of December! Her latest full album release is still 2020’s Daughter which was recorded at the Wilco Loft with Tom Schick. But she’s also got plenty of older material—and maybe a cover or two—to work with. I love good country music and I love punk rock—so there’s no doubt in my mind that these are going to be two fun shows! Come on out to close out 2022 in style. -Tom Novak
UNCOVERED
DoubleHappys - Nerves (Flying Nun compilation)
Matthew Goody’s new book Needles & Plastic: Flying Nun Records, 1981-1988 is a comprehensive examination on the influential New Zealand label that was founded by Roger Shepherd. It follows Shepherd’s own memoir, In Love With These Times: My Life With Flying Nun Records, which was published in 2016. While Shepherd derived his book title from a song first written by label mainstays The Clean (and later recorded by Bailter Space), Goody tapped the short-lived DoubleHappy’s song for his naming inspiration.
The DoubleHappys came together in 1983 when Shayne Carter departed Bored Games to team up with Wayne Elsey who’d previously played in Dunedin-based The Stones. The band hit their stride when acquaintance John Collie was recruited on skins replacing the faulty drum machine that they had nicknamed Herbie Fuckface. The twin guitars of Carter and Elsey brought an intensity to the band that was matched by their on stage presence.
Flying Nun was able to release a 7” single (Double B Side) and a 12” EP (Cut It Out) during the band’s tenure. In addition to those tracks, Nerves also collects two live tracks from a Windsor Castle taping and two practice space demos featuring the infamous Herbie. The DoubleHappys reached a tragic end in June of 1985 when Elsey died in a train accident. Carter collaborated with Peter Jeffries to pay tribute to his bandmate with the harrowing “Randolph’s Going Home” single. He and Collie eventually moved on to Straightjacket Fits and achieved a bit of notoriety in the American market through their 1993 Blow release on the Arista label. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: