Steve Albini | Heartbreaking Bravery

April 5, 2014

Perfect Pussy at 7th St. Entry – 3/30/14 (Live Review)

First of all, deepest apologies for the delay in content. It’s been an incredibly busy week and there hasn’t been much time to post anything between driving over 1,300 miles, prepping all of the content that came out of that trip, and the crippling side effects of getting a total of nine hours sleep over four days’ time. There was a reason for all of that insanity and the reason, for anyone even remotely familiar with this site, won’t come as a surprise.

It had only been two short months since the last time the coverage of Perfect Pussy’s incendiary Chicago set, which was something that played a definite factor in the decision to drive from central Wisconsin to Minneapolis to Chicago over three days to see them play two more sets. While there will be more to come on the second Chicago show, this piece will be devoted to their Minneapolis stop at the legendary 7th St. Entry, which more than lived up to its reputation.

Not only was the drive down much more pleasant than the potentially life-threatening Chicago trip back in January but there was actually time to spare before the opening acts, ensuring both time to settle in and the ability to see all three bands on a characteristically impressive bill. First up were local stalwarts The Miami Dolphins. All wiry nerve and frenetic energy, the quartet ripped through one of the most memorably spastic sets there’s been in quite some times. Seamlessly transitioning between a shrill metallic dissonance falling somewhere between Shellac and Sonic Youth at their most aggressive, the completely left-field work of The Minutemen at their strangest, and moments of both staggering heaviness and genuinely bouncy surf-inflected powerpop sounds like a mess on paper. Luckily, the written word doesn’t dictate motion. The Miami Dolphins’ set managed to be unpredictably thrilling and left a deep impression- they control their future by the sheer virtue of fearless originality. There’s not many things in music that are more commendable than pulling that feat off.

A set as jumpy and insanely bug-eyed as The Miami Dolphins’ one, especially when used in the opening slot, has multiple benefits- one of them being that it can cover a wide range as a set-up for the ensuing act. Condominium‘s abrasive hardcore noise somehow seemed to dovetail quite nicely with their preceding act despite occupying two very different ends of the hardcore spectrum. Their unifying ground may have come via what seems to be a distinctly unique debt to the readily apparent influence of Steve Albini but the level of intensity both brought to their live sets wound up being what pushed them into a comfortable coexistence (and wound up heightening the expectations for Perfect Pussy’s set). They played as loud as possible and approached frightening with their militaristic precision but really seemed to live for the moments of pure noise (usually generated by guitarist Greg Stiffler’s penchant for maximum-impact feedback sections). More than anything, they obliterated any lingering doubts (if their were any to begin with) that their Sub Pop signing and subsequent release was a fluke. Last Sunday their set seemed to indicate that they were far from done. Expect to be hearing about them quite a bit more in the coming years.

After two incredibly loud sets (neither lacking in the intensity department), the stage had been set and the bar had been raised. Perfect Pussy came out, sans vocal amp, set up and looked downright tranquil for a few moments to the point where it became an effectively eerie calm-before-the-storm situation, all members looking down at their feet or out at the void that exists pasts the blinding stage lights. Meredith Graves, one of the most seductively intimidating and forceful performers on the face of the planet, paced silently. Then, it happened. Drummer Garrett Koloski counted the band in and they took off with enough velocity to send the crowd into immediate hysterics. All of the band poured every inch of themselves into their near-twenty minute set (a marathon by their past standards) and absolutely tore through the majority of Say Yes to Love while also making sure I have lost all desire for feeling wasn’t completely neglected either.

Both the band and the audience fed off of each other in another strong example of the most supportive symbiotic relationships imaginable, reaching a fever pitch during the band’s last stretch that kicked off with the back half of the unbelievably gorgeous-turned-unbelievably fierce “Interference Fits” (a highlight even without an introduction containing a dedication worth eternal gratitude for). Shaun Sutkus’ body shook violently, as if he was possessed, guitarist Ray McAndrew couldn’t stop thrashing around even during the very few song breaks that the band allows, and bassist Greg Ambler seemed to be everywhere at once. At several points, being on the stage looked about as risky as being in the center of the audience. That potential danger seemed second nature to everyone between those four walls, though, as it was nearly impossible to find anyone in 7th St. Entry without a massive grin on their face.

Feeding into that relentless energy and making Perfect Pussy’s set even more memorable was the fact that it sounded incredible (seriously, major props to whoever was behind the soundboard, bands that loud and chaotic are not easy to mix- especially when the singer’s notorious for wanting to drown the vocals in swells of interference and pure feedback). Actually hearing Graves yell things like “Ain’t that a big drag?!” over the staggering wall of noise her bandmates conjure up around her was nearly as cathartic on its own as the presentation as a composite whole. There were times where it really was all whirlwind, heat, and flash. Photographers staked out their ground early only to be swallowed up in the chaos surrounding them, beer was spilled on just about everyone, converts were made and the band was onstage, doing what they love, clearly having the time of their lives, unafraid to show their adoration for anyone in the audience reacting to something they created.

By the time Sutkus’ epilogue showcase had finally run itself into silence, McAndrew, Ambler, Koloski, and Graves had all exited the stage, visibly exhausted but still feeling the overwhelming excitement that comes with being at the center of a groundswell. They may have their detractors, they may also have the accompanying anxieties of being a band that’s incredibly visible so early on, and they may very well have escalating levels of doubt- but one thing’s for sure- they put on one hell of a show. All fingers crossed that this thing they’re at the center of lasts as long as it possibly can- and that they get every ounce of enjoyment out of it as humanly possible. They deserve it.

Photographs below.

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February 27, 2014

Screaming Females – Lights Out (Live) (Stream)

Screaming Females are gearing up for the release of Live at the Hideout, the Steve Albini-produced document of their recent two-night stand in Chicago. In the press release for Live at the Hideout, there’s a mention of an incident that occurred sometime before the Chicago show, where there band’s vehicle spun out of control on the freeway and they were hit by an oncoming semi whose driver they had locked eyes with before impact. While the story does tie in to Live at the Hideout‘s renewed sense of purpose and freedom, what the release doesn’t mention is that the incident happened before their Milwaukee show (which also explains why that set was particularly lively).

Everything that the Milwaukee show was praised for seems to have tied over to Live at the Hideout and with Albini at the soundboard, there’s no possible way this will be a misfire. Don Giovanni’s offered a first glimpse at Live at the Hideout with “Lights Out” and it’s predictably brilliant; the band sounds as tight as possible, Paternoster shreds fearlessly, and Albini applies the trademark metallic sheen that helped make Ugly one of the band’s best efforts. If nothing else, the song’s worth listening to for the crowd’s elation- a reminder of just how far this band’s come over the past few years. For a few years, they were one of the most tenacious acts playing the basement circuit and now they’ve earned a kind of fervent dedication that’s only granted to legends. What makes this all the much sweeter is that they accomplished this without changing and by continuing on the path they set for themselves in the early stages of their career. That kind of dedication is a rarity and that brand of integrity deserves to be celebrated. Right now, there’s no better way to celebrate than to just listen to “Lights Out” below and eagerly await the final product.

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February 9, 2014

Watch This: Vol. 12

Another week, another Watch This. In this 12th installment, there are full sets, acoustic takes, and studio performances. From the Albini-indebted strains of Into It. Over It. to the irrepressible manic glee of Los Campesinos! there’s plenty of range in this week’s edition. Enough with the introductions, onto the music. Watch it all below.

1. Cumulus – Middle (KEXP)

Cumulus recently stopped by Seattle’s most legendary radio station to deliver a set full of sugary shoegaze pop. “Middle” is all kinds of accessible, offering the clearest signal yet of the extent of shoegaze’s resurgence. A dirtied up bass line and swirling guitar lines wash over an undeniably pop vocal, while the song itself is packed full of hooks. All of the sudden, the future of pop music doesn’t look as bleak as it once did. There’s serious potential for a major crossover here. For now, take a step back and marvel at how effortlessly graceful this performance of “Middle” really is.

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2. Los Campesinos! – Cemetery Gaits/What Death Leaves Behind (Brooklyn Vegan)

Los Campesinos! have been an anomaly for a long while now. Their brand of twee-punk, even as it evolved into something more aggressive and cynical, was always leaning too far twee for the punk kids and too far punk for the twee kids. A few on the outer rings of both circles had trouble accepting them because they were either too accessible or not accessible enough. That unwillingness to commit to the easily classifiable has always made them interesting and the band thrive on it. Their high-energy live performances have always been reliably endearing as well. This BV Studio Session is no exception.

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3. Into It. Over It. – Where Your Nights Often End (Audiotree)

Into It. Over It. are a band that’s becoming similarly hard to pin down. Very frequently grouped into the emo-revival discussion, the band’s resisted embracing and denying that classification in equal measure. Frequently appearing on bills alongside the likes of LVL UP and Ovlov, their live set has also sparked a fair bit of admiration. They’re one of the bands that evokes the Albini studio aesthetic most readily. For proof of this, watch the exquisitely filmed Audiotree video of “Where Your Nights Often End” below, which features Kate from Kittyhawk on backing vocals.

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4. Cassavettes – Full Set

Cassavettes recently played Philadelphia and youtuber Will McAndrew was on hand to shoot the whole thing as it happened at the reliably excellent house venue The Great Indoors. Noisey recently posited that Philly has the best punk scene in the country and fondly extols the virtues of its bands but doesn’t speak much on how supportive that scene is to the bands that pass through. With more and more full sets like this hard-hitter from Boston-based basement punks Cassavettes (think The State Lottery with a little less gruff), it’s hard to argue Noisey on that one.

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5. Hot New Mexicans – Damned Distractions (Pink Couch Sessions)

This week’s Watch This band to know is unique in a certain distinction; it’s no longer a band. That said, Hot New Mexicans are a band that people deserve to be hearing about for a very long time. After a promising debut, the band released a string of classics with their self-titled sophomore effort (a legitimate best-of-decade contender) and a pair of seriously incredible 7″ releases. In a way, the closest band to Hot New Mexicans was the “band to know” from the very first Watch This, PURPLE 7 (they share a pivotal member). In this clip, Patrick Jennings (the aforementioned PURPLE 7 member) plays an acoustic version of Hot New Mexicans standout “Damned Distractions” for IYMI’s Pink Couch Sessions series (who will be featured on Watch This soon). Enjoy- and order/buy Hot New Mexicans material wherever it can be found. It’s a collection necessity.