Iyez
Iyez's rock and roll refuses to adhere to any specific genre. It's particularly evident in the Brooklyn band's eclectic 2013 release "Psychic Jungle," a record whose opening moments include a brooding drone giving way to a windows-down, 100mph sing along tune. The light & dark motif continues throughout the record but never to the point of becoming repetitious. Songs like "After Hours" are a foggy psychedelic dream...until you're ripped awake by the front & center searing guitar solo. There's a sense of duality in many of their tunes but it's not a struggle between the two forces. Iyez finds their serenity in the chaos.
Of course the recordings alone don't do this band justice. Their excellent live show has an incredible intensity and they're easily able to captivate a room. They effortlessly execute the same reckless abandon of their albums, but whether it be an ear-smashing drum fill, screeching feedback or an impromptu fuzzed out jam, they take the opportunity to remind us we're seeing the living incarnation of their creation. The result is ominous, but still inviting.
It may be imperative to witness the band's debauchery for yourself, but until then stream their live tracks from our archives and get a small taste of the creature that is Iyez.
-Emily Chadwick
Bully
It had been a long month for Bully. They had played countless shows from coast to coast in the fall of 2014 and one last one remained before they headed home to their native Nashville. And no doubt because of those many days spent on the road the band displayed an exceptional tightness when they hit the Shea stage.
Bully's tunes embody some interesting dichotomies. They're a rare example of a band that both rips and is maybe at their best when the jams are mid-tempo. And while the songs are excellent pop-punk gems there's a bittersweet quality to them thanks in no small part to frontwoman Alicia Bognanno's thoughtful delivery and formidable rasp.
Their set from 10/25/14 was a short affair, but if you're left wanting more there's always their new 7", available now via Chicken Ranch Records.
-Luke Chiaruttini
Eskimeaux
The members of Eskimeaux are no strangers to the stage. It's just one of bands from the rotating cast that also bring you Bellows, Told Slant, & Small Wonder. And with that kind of practice under their belts, it's no surprise that all these bands are pretty great.
I'm tempted to call Eskimeaux's tunes a little rainy, maybe because of their probable pacific Northwest influences. Songs like "Folly" & "The Thunder Answered Back" have a largeness and scale to them that never feel like that four letter word: "epic" - they're fairly down to earth. Thanks to frontwoman Gabrielle Smith's formidible songwriting & voice, the band is able magnify those little things with an emotional intelligence that's a hallmark of great twee.
Eskimeaux will be releasing an LP with Double Double Whammy this spring, but in the meantime you'll have their excellent set from this past August to hold you over.-Luke Chiaruttini
Beech Creeps
I try to make it a point to never compare bands to other bands but I'm going to have to break that rule for Beech Creeps. There are times this band sounds like Guns n Roses in a k-hole and that fact can't be ignored.
Most of the time though they're just shredding. The band is relatively new but is filled with vets from bands like Knyfe Hyts & Pterodactyl, and it makes sense to hear them beautifully tow their line between metal and noise rock. Like any good ol' loud band, watching them feels like a celebration of rock and roll and songs like "Sun of Sud" have that perfect sort of rhythm that hits you on a primeval level.
If you've yet to see them play, you can catch them at Shea on 2/26 with Shea fave PC Worship, Turn to Crime & Happy You.
- Luke Chiaruttini