Catacombz
Exactly one year ago, Milwaukee's Catacombz came seemingly out of nowhere spitting sprawling and drawling garage jams. Definitely one of the most energetic sets of the past year, their short set was a psychedelic monument to driving bass & drums. And what more can you ask for than a show to culminate in simultaneous crowd surfing & shredding? If you missed them last summer, they'll be back @ Shea next week with Unstoppable Death Machines, Japanther & more.
Phone Tag
As we enter the dog days of summer you'd have to search hard the archives hard to find a better companion to the heat than Phone Tag. Heavy in the synth and drum machine department, this band has a light and airy sound, and some seriously crafted low-key pop songs. This week we feature a great set of theirs from Jan 2011, including the undeniable banger "Only With You." The sun is setting and I'm ready for Phone Tag to take me away into this late summer night...are you? -LC
Wax Idols
San Francisco's Wax Idols' set came very close to never being recorded. Scheduled to play on the same fateful day that Con-Ed started a fire under Meadow St. (and inadvertantly birthed the Electric Man), we were lucky enough to capture this 25 minutes of dark pop goodness. Combining heavy subject matter with some seriously slinky guitar, the band provides an interesting groundwork for frontwoman Heather Fedewa to yell & snarl along. Their debut LP No Future was released last year on Hozac Records.
Liquor Store
Something has come over you. You're taking off your shirt. Now one hand is rested on your naked beer gut and the other is a raised fist pumping violently. The words rise thoughtlessly inside you and break from your sweaty lips -- YEAAAAH BUDDY! Liquor store is quintessential bro-punk: a strange combination of no-nonsense punk and classic rock sensibility that jives well with their Jersey origins. It all results in what can only be described as the ultimate celebration of the meathead. It's fast, it's heavy, guitars are wailing...and it rocks. -LC