MPLS Rulz Ur Buttz Pt. 2 /// Mrs., more.is.more
Two stellar left-of-center rock bands from my beloved hometown of Minneapolis, MN have released killer albums this week. Take a listen to the noisy flamboyance of Mrs. and the bombastic minimalism of more.is.more, both of whose new joints clock in under 25 minutes total.
Mrs. is a post-punk band for the cool freaks to boogie to all night long. Their new album City was recorded as one complete take (while drunk) at Chicago’s legendary Electrical Audio studio. Their style is rooted in the weirdo noise rock championed by Amphetamine Reptile back in the day; stanky krautrock guitar riffs lay the foundation for curious drum grooves and abrasively flamboyant singing spouting satirical, lyrical gems like this riff on white privilege –
“what every honky should know, is-
suffering ain’t gauche…
when you got the pedigree
marvel at the misery”
and this jab at too-hip indie rockers,
“this apathy bores me
and I’m not one to champion pizazz
but this “blah for the sake of”..
it’s ironic jazz
it’s desperate nostalgia
it’s J.V. posturing
[…]
neophyte twits bungling sardonic wit
classic
caustic be the flavor of the quips I savor
classic “
Both City and its 2013 sister album Cave are available as pay-what-you-want bandcamp downloads RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW so go pick that shit up and boogie your weird-ass little heart out until the sun comes up.
The irritatingly punctuated more.is.more are a not-so-humble instrumental two piece band with no patience for subtlety. Their passion for their instruments comes out not as wankery, but as an unapologetic anthem to self-expression. For my tastes, too many post-rock bands focus on melodrama and slow crescendos from the humble to the majestic. more.is.more have the same breadth of emotion, but aren’t tentative about any of it. The quiet parts are haunted by prickly determination, and the huge parts are played with a punk ferocity rather than a regal omniscience. Even though a respectable suite of expertly used guitar pedals help fill in any tonal gaps a one-guitar band might have, the nature of an instrumental two piece ensemble makes each song feel like a very intimate performance where every note is heard and, hopefully, none can be forgotten.
Roy G Black is available as a 10” vinyl and a digital download from more.is.more’s bandcamp. It was performed live, recorded to tape, and mixed/mastered completely in the analog realm before being sent to the presses which means the vinyl recording hasn’t been digitized in any way, just like in the old days. The digital download is ripped straight from the vinyl test press, with the sound of the needle coming on and off the record left intact at the beginning and end of each side. Charming touch, if you ask me. Won’t you be a dear, go give ’em a Facebook like and tell Tim and Chris that ol’ Pumpkin Baby sent you?
