Dig ‘in: The Tubs, Great Grandpa, Olivia’s World
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
The Tubs - Cotton Crown (Trouble In Mind LP)
The death of a parent can bring about a myriad of feelings: profound grief, emptiness, and personal reassessment among them. The suicide of Owen Williams’ mother, Charlotte Greig, in 2014 following a cancer struggle had to have hit home precipitously considering that she was a noted writer and singer. Williams was starting to find recognition around that time with Joanna Gruesome, a Welsh noise pop band he formed with guitarist George Nicholls and bassist Max Warren, which included Lan McArdle on lead vocals. On Cotton Crown’s closer, “Strange,” he recounts: “The summer after was nice / Played in New York / And it was alright / There when I found out the method / From an article of Walesonline / A picture of my mother / In a weird hat / Under an overcast sky / ‘Successful music journalist, mother of two, takes her own life’ / How strange it all is.”
A decade of processing has allowed Williams to unveil a complexity of emotions. Cotton Crown’s cover is culled from a promotional photo that Greig used around the time of her debut (Night Visiting Songs) album, depicting her breastfeeding Owen in the midst of a graveyard visit—capturing both an intimacy and alienness that’s reflected in the record’s theme. “Illusion” resurfaces from the band’s 2021 Names EP, capturing Williams grappling with self-identity while craving solitude. On “Freak Mode,” he’s eager to abandon his grieving persona to lay everything on the line for love, but admits his selfishness on “Chain Reaction,” in declaring himself “a scammer in the world of love.” The band’s tuneful and feverish backing (supplied in part from the aforementioned Nicholls and Warren, and supplanted with guest back-up singer McArdle) provides a counterpunch to the lyrical malaise. Both words and music reach max intensity during “One More Day,” with Williams’ lovelorn pleas escalating as the song progresses, almost willing things to happen through sheer effort. Fortunately for Chicago, that performance level is about to hit home as The Tubs will double down on appearances at Empty Bottle; first as openers for The Wedding Present (on 5/29) and then as outright headliners (on 6/14). -Bruce Novak
Great Grandpa - Patience, Moonbeam (Run For Cover Records LP)
Seattle’s Great Grandpa have admirers across the emo/indie universe, including friends of the pod Ratboys, and their newest release, Patience, Moonbeam, their first in six years, continues to expand their adventurous sonic palette. Ratboys singing their praises is initially how I discovered them, and I couldn’t stop playing their standout track (and early single) “Junior.” The song struck me with its beautiful harmonies, southern motifs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Ratboys or Wednesday song, and finally, its build to a soaring chorus. This was firmly in my wheelhouse, and I was excited to check out Patience, Moonbeam when it came out. I have thoroughly enjoyed the indie world’s shift towards more live instrumentation and country flourishes that have found their way onto records from up-and-coming bands. This isn’t to say that all use of computers/synths has been removed from this record, “Ladybug” is anchored by strong beats that the band builds off for their harmonies and elevated choruses. “Doom” is filled with tension and instrumentation reminiscent of Radiohead, which is a stunning thing to see this band achieve. Great Grandpa has great range, and this album shows they are just starting to scratch the surface of what they are capable of. There is so much music to unpack here that repeat listens reveal lyrics and instrumentation missed on initial exposure. This is a band that has leveled up, the six years were long, with start & stops on the follow up to 2019's Four of Arrows—members moved across the globe, released solo albums, but they ultimately found their way back to one another, and we are all the more fortunate for it. -Mark Joyner
Olivia’s World - Greedy & gorgeous (Lost Sounds Tapes LP)
Australian Alice Rezende started Olivia’s World as a solo project during a two year sabbatical in Vancouver, BC that led her to hook up with one of her idols, drummer Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Softies), to record a self-titled EP in 2018 along with bassist Joe Saxby. A return to Queensland produced another EP (Tuff 2B Tender) two years later with Saxby still in tow. That EP title is an apt description of Olivia’s World’s sound; Rezende fully embraces the nuances of twee pop filtered through aggressive instrumentation. She cites Liz Phair’s Girly Tapes and the Chicago trio Horsegirl as inspirations for Greedy & gorgeous. The addition of drummer Daan Steffans and guitarist Jordan Rodger for this debut album allowed her to reach her sonic vision. The record’s opener, “Porcupine Girl,” is an older composition that Rezende penned during the onset of COVID—a whimsical and charming number with psychedelic undertones. The band comes hard charging on “Baby bathwater” and Sourgum,” delivering the powerful punch that Rezende was seeking. “Empresário” is their most accomplished creation; a rhythmic labyrinth that shifts in tempo and intensity. Olivia’s World’s Greedy & gorgeous is a worthy addition to Australia’s dolewave music collective and I have a feeling that their best is still to come. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Tsunami
Where: Lincoln Hall / Directions
When: April 5, 8:00 PM
Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson have had an outsized impact on the indie music scene as musicians, label heads and activists, emerging in the ’90s out of Arlington, VA and the DC scene. Coming together through the Positive Force organization that hosted benefit concerts for community causes, they started Tsunami thereafter, which also dovetailed with their Simple Machines label. Following the demise of their band in 1998 and concurrent shutdown of the label, the pair have continued their activism and advocacy, initially together with the formation of the Future of Music Coalition and currently with Thomson working for the Media Democracy Fund and Toomey anchored at the Ford Foundation.
Last fall, Numero Group packaged the comprehensive Loud Is As box set that combined Tsunami’s three studio albums with their singles output and a few demos. It makes for essential listening in highlighting the band’s energized indie rock that was guided by Toomey and Thomson’s feminist perspective. The box set provided the impetus for scheduling the Coin Toss tour with New York peers Ida; the headliner each night determined by a flip outcome. Earlier shows on the tour have featured a treasure trove of guests, including Kate Pierson (B-52s), Mark Robinson (Unrest, Grenadine), Franklin Bruno (Nothing Painted Blue), Mary Lou Lord and Clint Conley (Mission of Burma). As for Chicago? Well, The Coctails did appear on a couple Simple Machines compilations. Calling Archer Prewitt? Mark Greenberg? -Bruce Novak
Telescreens
Where: Vic Theatre / Directions
When: April 5, 8:00 PM
With their anthemic underpinnings, New York City’s Telescreens seem destined for the bigger stage. Evolving from the electronic-textured debut album, The Return, in 2020, NYU classmates Jackson Hamm (vocals, guitar), Austin Brenner (bass) and Josiah Valerius (keyboards) added drummer Oliver Graf thereafter to solidify a more rockist realignment. That progression came to fruition on 2023’s Stare Wide EP that pairs Hamm’s throaty, emotive voice with the band’s high octane instrumentation on tracks like “Phone Booth” and “Games.” The EP was folded into a full length album from last year titled 7 (that’s a tribute to Hamm’s dear departed best friend and a numerical correlation to the Pixies “Monkey Gone to Heaven”). This will be Telescreens fourth Chicago appearance in less than a year (following shows at Lincoln Hall, Park West and Thalia Hall), and represents their highest profile area gig yet as openers for Franz Ferdinand’s North America tour. -Bruce Novak
Free Range
Where: Empty Bottle / Directions
When: April 10, 9:00 PM
Free Range will be celebrating the release of Lost & Found, their sophomore album and follow-up to 2023’s Practice. Like its predecessor, the record is packed with Sofia Jensen’s detailed self reflections on navigating personal relationships. Jensen grew up in Chicago listening to folk music and that influence is reflected in the group’s songs that unfold leisurely and are given space to breathe. The title track and “Big Star” connect with Jensen’s breezy vocal style and the band’s understated but elegant backing. “Concept” adds some snarl with more aggressive instrumentation that matches Jensen’s uneasy disposition in the song. Lost & Found represents a progression for Free Range that dovetails with Jensen’s growing maturity and emergence into adulthood. Their music sounds wise beyond their years while also holding promise for future growth. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Unrest - Imperial f.f.r.r. (Teen-Beat LP)
Mark Robinson’s eclecticism often results in a thrilling, but uneven listen. His apex can be found on Unrest’s 1992 superlative LP, Imperial f.f.r.r. There’s an overall consistency at play here that doesn’t deaden the adventurousness. From acoustic ballads to instrumental excursions to flat-out pop lusciousness, Imperial is a delight that keeps you off balance and then sweeps you off your feet. “I Do Believe You Are Blushing” is a understated treasure—a Beach Boys-like construction updated for the indie era. “June,” sung by bassist Bridget Cross, provides the sensation of driving through the countryside on a perfect summer day with the convertible top down and the music cranked. Both “Suki” and “Cherry Cream On” are audacious pop gems propelled by jangle strum and persistent rhythmic drive, each highlighted by Robinson’s upper register vocals. While I’d heartily endorse a deeper dive into Robinson’s catalog, which also includes his work with Air Miami and Grenadine (with Jenny Toomey) among others, I’d suggest making Imperial f.f.r.r. the point of departure and the spot for numerous return visits. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: