Artist: Joy Buttons

Artist: Joy Buttons

Review by Jessi Roti – @JessiTaylorRO

EP: Other

Links: https://www.facebook.com/joybuttonsusa

https://twitter.com/Joy_Buttons

http://joybuttons.bandcamp.com/album/other-ep

Joy Buttons don’t give you what you’d expect on its latest, Other EP. What opens with nu-wave punk feedback similar to Joy Division or The Cure quickly crashes at the 1:30 mark with explosive, hardcore vocals.

The band seems to enjoy pushing the listener out of their comfort zone, whether they’re an avid punk listener or not. It’s easy to imagine the scene at a Joy Buttons show – where patrons go from standing together to crashing against one another as the band thrashes on stage.

The lushness of the instrumentation on the opening and title track, “Other,” against the vocal aggression is as daunting as it is welcome. But, while “Other” sets itself up more expansively, the band quickly establishes its fiery, relentless niche of D.C. hardcore.

The following three tracks pack themselves into ferocious spurts of two minutes each. “Runaway” feels like a sprint compared to the four-minute marathon of “Other.” But in true DC punk fashion, small bands often pack the biggest punches.

Lyrically, punk and hardcore have always narrated the trials and tribulations of the underdog. “The Box” follows that tradition, almost to a fault. Fed-up with the establishment, the socio-economic politics of where you live, and what’s expected of you – angst that’s always relatable. Particularly in D.C, which is famous for its hardcore punk scene. What’s nice is that Joy Buttons are obviously well-versed in the greatest acts, from S.O.A. to Teen Idles and Bad Brains.

The EP’s standout track is closer, “Triumphant Stabbing.” Spastic and irresistible in its brutality, it’s an explosive and direct call to arms. The “fight or flight” take on punk has been long overdue. The underdog’s story is always worth telling, no matter how brash and unpolished. Joy Buttons are wonderfully unpolished, and while “Other” shows that there’s an untapped skill for expanding their sound, I hope they stick in their niche awhile longer.

Artist: Husbands

Artist: Husbands

Review by Jessi Roti – @JessiTaylorRO

EP: Achin’

Links: https://twitter.com/husbandsokc

http://husbandsokc.bandcamp.com/album/achin-ep

Abstract indie pop, bubbling over with ideas and distortions, has been successfully produced by bands like Animal Collective, Yeasayer, and Passion Pit. Oklahoma City’s Husbands’ globally-infused, abstract pop is truly new ground in indie music. On their latest EP, Achin’, fuzzy reverb feeds on each track as they melt into each other across a half hour.

Opening with “Aikin,” a slightly psychedelic, haunting jut of guitar and drums create the feel of the sound winding down a corridor. While “Aikin” is used to draw the listener in, it’s slowly drowned out by what sounds like bucket drums and synchronized hand-claps as “Overholser” feeds in.

Two tracks in, it’s apparent that Husbands’ approach to song construction is fearless. Their ambition and creativity, whether it propels or hinders them, definitely sets them apart. Whether it’s the effect of an ambulance whizzing past you, the arcade noises that define the ‘80s feel in “TarBB,” or a laser being shot-out at supersonic speed, Husbands are unabashedly all in.

“Bois” is much less overwhelmed by sound distortions, but still filtered through the same indie format. Think of The Beatles’ song “Because” sped-up and accompanied by a jangling guitar riff that breaks up the sliding drone of the vocals.

As the EP progresses, so does the band’s desire for a bit of sonic clarity. “Marley” is so minimal, by Husbands’ standards – evoking a Vampire Weekend-like prep about it. It’s a breath of fresh air amongst the preceding tracks that teeter on sensory overload.

While “Marley” is bare in comparison, closing track “Bets” ups the ante again. But that seems to be the definition of Husbands’ all-inclusive sound.

Achin’ really leaves Husbands’ future up in the air. With everything utilized on this release, stripping down future releases could allow the band new, creative outlets. Honing in on a specific feature of their sound, focusing on one element instead of trying to include four in a three-minute track could actually open them up to a larger fan-base. Or, they could explode. Either way, Husbands seem to be worth keeping up with.

Artist: Clean Girls

Artist: Clean Girls

Review by Jessi Roti – @JessiTaylorRO

Album: Expensive Tastes

Links: https://www.facebook.com/cleangirls

https://cleangirls.bandcamp.com/album/expensive-tastes-split

Indecipherable lyrics, pounding away at an instrument, scream-like vocals that make my vocal chords ache just listening to it…I like a band that doesn’t care if anyone really likes them. At least, they act like they don’t care. Case in point, Clean Girls; a trash-punk trio that features only one biological girl and absolutely nothing clean.

Drums that sound like knives recklessly stabbing away against the backdrop of a relentless banging on guitar strings drive the first track, “Portion Control.” After a minute and a half of shattering vocals, instrumental destruction takes over. An onslaught of distortion pours out of the speakers in a way that would inspire quite the mosh pit, I imagine. That seems to be the name of Clean Girls’ game, scream and destroy.

The second half, “Day of the Woman,” follows a majority of the same recipe. The clash of the cymbals employs a speed and ferocity that’s been lacking in a lot of newer punk tracks. The only difference is the 45 seconds where Clean Girls allow the listener to catch their breath. At the 1:30 minute-mark, a melodic breakdown creates a shift that makes it feel like everything is happening in slow motion. No sooner as you feel relaxed are you thrust back into the race with an explosion of beautiful cacophony.

That’s the “it” factor regarding punk music, that “beautiful cacophony.” It’s not pleasing to the ear, yet you don’t want to turn it off. The aggression that’s there, the brilliant lack-of-finesse (as made popular by the Sex Pistols), it’s so relatable that you want to be a part of it because you feel like you can be. Anybody could be a “clean girl,” that’s one of the best things about ‘em.