This photo series was taken in and around Baltimore, MD this spring.  These images of reflections were taken in an effort to try and view these places from a new perspective.  Reflections have always seemed to have an amazing power to change and alter the things they reveal.  At the same time, our minds and eyes find comfort when they are able to recognize the source of the distortion.

Article by Jasmine “Lovey” Allen. All photographs by Mariah Barlow.

I arrived at the IMAF a tad after 2pm, just in time to see Accordians, a four-piece Indianapolis based Folk/Rock band, on the Nuvo stage.  Being amazed by their musicianship, lead singer Benjamin Bernthal kept my attention with his poetic lyrics and energetic ukulele strumming. This feeling thickened when Wolfy, a seven piece band, performed next on the Apparatus stage.  They began the show saying, “We tune, cuz we care,” which tickled nearly everyone under the tent!  The players jammed out on guitar, bass, piano, drum set, violin, electric violin, and electric cello.  Their humor and cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” created a light atmosphere and chance to sing-a-long.

TJ Reynolds and the Freehand Orchestra schooled their audience on community issues like:  kids without guidance and hustling illegal substances.  At one point, TJ (the emcee), jumped off of the stage and into my face yelling, “YOUUUUU!” I was taking notes in the front row, which probably was not a great idea considering how embarrassed I was forced to feel after I cringed up so tightly!

Jookabox moved me in a way that I was not expecting at all.  I enjoyed their energy and ambient/electronic sound.  The crowd danced their way through an entire 30 minute set, swatting gnats, wiping sweat, and being loyal fans in the oddly humid weather we experienced that day.  I couldn’t stop tapping my foot and nodding my head in response to the energy!

Rob Dixon and Triology brought Nu-Jazz and Funk to the Apparatus stage.  The audience was the total opposite of Jookabox’s, but the “adults” still responded positively to the band’s groove.  Surprise guest poet Sonny Bates kicked things up a notch with his smooth lyrics.  He spoke of love as if he had fallen for it an infinite number of times.  Drinks went in the air, hands clapped together, happiness revealed smiles, and program flyers became fans as the band let their instruments speak to the listeners.

The festival concluded with performances by Elsinore, Mary Claire, Lord of the Yum Yum, Mandy Marie, Cabin, and Denison Witmer.  The IMAF has been going strong every year since 2002 on the second Saturday in June.  I appreciate the Harrison Center and other sponsors for coordinating this FREE event!  Both the music and art entertained me for hours!  I’ll be looking forward to next year’s artists and music!

Some photos taken at Classic Cleaners Tan & Laundry in Broad Ripple. All others taken at The Underground Studio 9 in Irvington: http://www.theunderground9studio.com/index.html

Links:
Grey Granite: http://www.greygranitemusic.com/
Heavy Gun Blog: http://heavygun.blogspot.com/

On February 22nd, Grey Granite and producer J. Brookinz dropped their latest labor of love on Indianapolis. Lust Poisons Pride effectively blends Granite’s distinctive electro/hip-hop/dance music with fresh and ultramodern experimental tracks. The album is a milestone for both Granite and Brookinz, as they continue to think outside the box and strive to present Indianapolis with music and sounds they never fathomed from a local artist.

The paragraphs that follow are a brief background of Granite’s expansive place in our community, a springboard that explores what’s unique and different about his music and why it has taken so many people by surprise.

Songs birthed early in Granite’s career such as “Highper”, “Totally Pop’d”, and “The Bar” helped him establish a reputation for catchy beats, articulate raps, and high energy performances. From the beginning, products of the Granite/Brookinz collaboration leveraged on up-tempo music saturated in elements of electronica, pop, and hip hop.

Under the radar, Granite soon recognized his ability to sniff out cutting edge news in music, arts, and entertainment… often weeks or months before hitting public media. Heavy Gun Blog became the host for this knowledge- a tool through which Granite (and a slew of other contributors) could connect to the people who respected their opinions.

Remarkably, all this still wasn’t enough. Granite and Brookinz, overflowing with creative energy, knew it was time to take their art to a new level. Last month, after more than a year of studio labor, Lust Poisons Pride was finally released to the public. Although the album delivers standard tracks that any Grey Granite fan can immediately embrace, it also experiments with abstract beats, ventures into new vocal territory, and requires a certain amount of effort from the listener for interpretation.

Below, Granite and Brookinz help me break down the components of the album and understand the thought process that built it.

DL: How does a song typically develop and come to life in your partnership?
GG: I come up with an idea based on whatever Brookinz is into at the time and pitch it to him.
JB: And then I shoot it down. (laughs)
GG: He shoots it down, but then comes back at me a month later with a beat or some music. Then I write to that and we record. Brookinz plays with it for a while and comes back to me with it, a lot of the time with something that sounds completely different than the original concept.
JB: We’re control freaks.

Control freaks? Maybe. Perfectionists? Definitely. With Lust Poisons Pride, the two played this back-and-forth game of song tossing for more than a year, but ultimately ended with an album that clocks in at just under 30 minutes. On the surface, it appears that a significant amount of time was invested in a project yielding little content in return. But after a third, fourth, or fifth spin of the record one begins to hear a theme in the songs and listen on a much deeper level.

The opening track, “Off Safety”, instantly meets musical expectations with a likable beat that’s perfect for dancing. That’s appropriate since the voice in the song “came to let go” but then found a kink in the plans when unexpected, undesirable company was already at the party. “I hear lies coming from your way. And you won’t back up. Get the fuck out my face,” Granite demands of the nuisance. He continues, “You know what you did and what you put me through. Just because it has wings, don’t make it an angel. I see you now from a different angle.” Obviously channeling the heartache from this relationship-gone-sour to find the strength to move on, the song closes in declaration: My pain is now my power.

DL: This is some form of a concept album, would you agree?
GG: No. Not at all.
JB: I thought it was.
GG: What’s the concept?
JB: (laughs) I’m waitin’ on you to tell me.
DL: So maybe you’re not trying to tell a specific story through a series of songs, but rather guide the listener through a range of emotions?
GG: (looking at the floor, scratching his head) Yea. It’s like, in talking with a dude he’ll tell me about some shit going on in his life. And I’m like “Damn. This story needs to be told.” The songs aren’t about any one person in particular, but really just feelings we can all connect to.

Track two, “The Road”, continues the hypothetical saga as Lust Poisons Pride considers the realization of an end: I’ve had enough. It’s been way too long. I’m out. I know you know its time to go. I’ve broken all these laws. These walls won’t hold. Glum subject matter aside, the song itself is catchy and holds much potential for a hit single off the album.

“Teenage Song” is a brief, minute-long track that holds more mystery than a Sherlock Holmes novel. Synth-heavy, upbeat music is absent as Granite slows down to sing “I’ve never been here but don’t tell me the way. I’ve got this thing in my heart, telling me to stay.” The ambiguity of the song (we never really find out exactly what or who he’s referring to) leaves much room for interpretation, allowing the listener to create a bond with the artist through whatever similar situation they be me engaged in. The track cuts abruptly- “a cliffhanger which will be answered in a subsequent release,” says Granite.

Six songs into the album the tone changes significantly with two minutes of “Bad Honesty”. The track is raw and stripped down to two simple elements: Brookinz’s one-layer experimental beat that mimics a pounding heart and Granite’s voice delivering an unpleasant message. It is here that the truth is told, distressing as it may be.

I might tell you things that break you down
I might do some things that I know are wrong
I might do some things that cut your skin
I might do some things that hurt you

It trails off into a muffled one-sided conversation, mostly an inaudible Granite who sporadically mumbles the word “sorry”. The song is served in a variation of the spoken word format- full of emotion and dependent on the rhythm to which it is delivered. At this turning point in the album, one finally recognizes the goal of Lust Poisons Pride: to connect with the listener on a profound, expressive level. While mainstream music is only skin deep (and thus, widely appealing), Granite and Brookinz strive to take their fans to another dimension of the musical experience. Granite explains:

“It’s like, with ‘Off Safety,’ I don’t see any art in that. A lot of people were expecting me to go one way; to repeat a specific sound. But that mainstream sound, to me, is like someone trying to claw their way out. ‘Make something that sounds like the radio,’ people say to me. ‘You need to make songs that sound like this.’ But when you make something that sounds like the radio, by the time it gets there, it’s already outdated and old news.”

Standout tracks completing the second half of the album include the daringly sultry “Lay You Down” during which Granite promises, “She can’t compare to you- without a doubt! But I guess she could be you… with the lights out.”; “Villian”, another vocal experiment driven by a pounding gong; and “Date With The Future”, a happily-ever-after conclusion to the emotional roller coaster that is Lust Poisons Pride.

When asked who else had important roles in the creation of the album, Brookinz speaks first, explaining that he wouldn’t be doing work at this level of creativity without Granite. Echoing his musical partner, Granite elaborates on their synergy. “Brookinz has helped me to keep doing what’s new. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be singing instead of just rapping. We like to stay ahead of the curve.”

JB: Push the envelope.
GG: Blaze your own path.
JB: Choose Your Own Adventure, like the books.
GG: What?
JB: Check it out man. You get to a certain point in the story and if you want to go left, you turn to this page. If you want to go right, you turn to a different page.

After a brief session of early 90’s reminiscing about bookmobiles and the Book It reading program (personal pan pizzas and holographic buttons with stickers included), Granite is still shook up over the interactive approach of the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Conversation moves in the direction of bridging the gap between artists and fans.

DL: In a blog entry titled “The 11th Dimension” you declare that “there are so many pivotal moments and important people that play a part in the creation of an album.” The objective of your blog, a separate entity from HeavyGun, is “to allow you [the listener] to walk in and see it all.”
GG: Lust Poisons Pride was released on iTunes with no physical distribution outside of Indianapolis.
JB: Because it’s only been released online, there are no liner notes. Back in the day, you got fold-outs, stories, and pictures when you bought a new record or CD. (pauses) We wanted to get into peoples’ hearts. (pauses again) We wanted to make it like we’re first cousins.

Again, Granite and Brookinz discuss their ultimate desire to connect with their listeners. The Lust Poisons Pride website successfully surpasses this goal by providing the same level of creative insight one would receive with a hard copy of the CD (album artwork, lyrics, credits) and then some (outside feedback, other artists’ interpretation of the album, stories, pictures, and commentary of milestones in the creative process).

In the end, an artist doesn’t make a hit; they create a work of art. Support and conviction are ultimately what will turn that song into a hit. Unfortunately, Lust Poisons Pride has yet to find its way into the hands of believers. Admittedly, it’s unique and avant-garde, but that’s what makes it so amazingly great. Granite cites Brooklyn’s Matt and Kim as an example of musical artists that are an acquired taste. They, along with MGMT and other New York-based experimental rock bands, are not immediately appealing to the average ear. But when placed in the proper environment and exposed to the right level of diversity, it becomes possible to find a niche for almost any kind of music. Perhaps, dare I say, Indianapolis just isn’t ready for the explosive ingenuity of Grey Granite and J. Brookinz.

Before a bigger city with a higher tolerance for abnormal thinking snatches up Lust Poisons Pride and puts these guys on the map, I can only hope that I’m wrong and that Indianapolis opens its eyes and ears to the masterpiece before it.

As far as I can tell, there is only one over-21 venue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. As a result, an underground, under-age scene reminiscent of the old school CBGB days has formed. The scene belongs to the kids who love their hard core punk rock & roll and you can find a show on almost every night of the week and they’re almost all in basements.  This is where Screaming Females (not THE Screaming Females, by the way) comes in.

Jarrett Dougherty plays bass, King Mike plays drums, and yes, there is only one female in the group: singer and lead guitar player, Marissa Paternoster who has been wailing on her G&L Stratocaster since she was 15.
Back to the NJ underground scene:
Jarrett recalls, “The cops don’t like the punks having shows, even though they are run really well and provide a safe space for a lot of misfits. The cops didn’t seem to have a problem with the frat houses.”  Jarrett also makes a good point regarding punk’s misconception by the way it is misrepresented by advertisers. “Most people think of punk as a historic music style, or the shit style of music that Warped Tour and Hot Topic have co-opted the name to sell clothes to confused and angry teens.”
Even though SF is known for bearing the DIY torch along side many legendary DIY bands that came before them, don’t let their new signed status with Don Giovanni records fool you.

Judging by the size of their tour dates and a ton of new exposure they are happy with the way the label has handled their band’s business side of things.
The band is also currently celebrating their fifth anniversary, which has Jarrett thinking about their tenth anniversary: “We are also going to hit our 500th show mark this year, which made me think about our 1000th show. Screaming Females is the longest relationship I’ve been in.”
The first two self released EPs received wild reviews by fans and when it comes to the new experience of recording with a label’s support, they stick to their roots and the ironic twist behind the actual type of music they are producing.  As far as the recording progress goes in the studio, nothing has changed.

“We record to analog tape and mixed down to analog tape which makes the record have a different sound, and also makes you think about the recording process differently. It sounds like rock and roll.”  Dougherty notes.  “Songs usually begin their conception when someone plays a riff and the other two start playing along. We’ve all become very good at listening to suggestions.”

The songwriting process between the musicians is entirely a collaborative process. Dougherty continues, “We’ve all become very good at listening to suggestions from each other.”  Its Marissa’s guitar playing that adds the essence of interlude and integration this band’s sound has to offer the world. Learning to play when she was 14 years old and introduced to a Fender/Music Master, she indulged in old school punk rock. Although initially influenced by The Pixies, Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, PJ Harvey and Pavement, it was Billy Corgan and John Fahey who became her real guitar heroes.

Marissa plays Screaming Females sets with a G&L Stratocaster her cousin introduced to her at 15. Her collection of guitars ranges from a 59 Gibson Melody Maker, Silvertone semi-hollow body, 69 telecaster reissue and a fender duo. Oh, and she has a guitar shaped like a shark that she bought off the internet.
This past year the band toured with the Arctic Monkeys. Their most memorable tour moment happened one night while sleeping on someone’s apartment floor. Mike remembers “At 8 am in Huston, Texas two guys walked into the apartment. First they got really excited about the colors of all of the seven sleeping bags then started blasting Frank Sinatra and eating psychedelic mushrooms and maple syrup. That was about the time we left.”

Screaming Females music is absolutely enlighteningly engaging in all of the punk rock riffs and attitude that punk rockers love and live by.  Marissa’s guitar playing is phenomenal. She plays as if she had a 50 year career behind her. When asked if when would consider herself a role model, she answers with a humble, “Gee I feel way too young to be a role model, ask me in ten years.”

When asked who she would like to collaborate with Screaming Females in the future she mentioned how she has; “Always wanted the Vienna Boy’s Choir to do some backups”.  They are proud to be part of the huge DIY current that continues to flow across world.  Jarrett notes. “There are hundreds of people all across the country that open their houses and run DIY show spaces just to allow bands to be able to tour through their towns. Punk is an arm of American folk music. It has included The Minutemen, Beat Happening, Fugazi, and This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb. I definitely feel like this is part of who we are as a band.”

Embedded within the Final Four weekend, Broad Ripple hosted the inaugural event to the No Coast Art Series, to be held every month. Below are photos captured from the event. For more information about the event itself, please check out ZapTown’s Lead Story: http://www.zaptownmag.com/2010/04/no-coast-art-series, or The No Coast website: http://nocoastartshow.com/

Githead
Landing
Swim
Rating: 5 out of 5

Link: http://www.githead.com/

When our Zaptown editor last spoke to post-punk super group Githead in 2008 they were asked if they  considered  their band as a side project. Two years later the release of Landing on Swim answers the question. For a band whose musicians all have found musical success individually, Landing is proof these power players are easily able to pump out a fantastically written, produced, and marketable piece of work.

Opening song “Faster” is a 4:30 minute instrumental showcasing all of the whimsical vibrant sounds that unfold with in the next 10 tracks.

“Before Tomorrow” is a fast paced, poppy number combined with electronica elements that sound like a song straight out of an 80’s coming of age film.  I imagined the cast of The Breakfast Club dancing through the aisle of the library to this tune.   It has a happy go lucky feeling to it, with a post-90’s electronic twist.

“Ride” opens with a steel guitar, an apprentice to the intellectually aversive lyrics. Subtle distrusting words spoken not sung, “You don’t own me. Back off. Let go.”  The song slithers like a snake trailing along, transforming into  a galloping horse and ultimately ends with a ferocity that allows each musician to do just as the lyrics suggest, to let go during the powerful escalating ending.

Githead was featured in the March issue of Computer Music Magazine and hailed for utilizing mass computer effects which perfects the beat in “Over The Limit.” Self-taught guitarist Robin Rimbaud, from Scanner, has a reputation for multi-layering sounds which is apparent in this tune, while the vocals portion has Ramones undertones.

“Lightswimmer” is as close to the Beatles in the new millennium as it gets. If the Beatles were still together today, Light Swimmer would certainly have been the tune to allow Githead to accompany them on the road, as well as perhaps bringing all of the musicians together while playing Lightswimmer as an encore for this fantasy venue I drifted off to while listening to this song.

“From My Perspective” is a simple song perfectly constructed in  true songwriting, poppy, manufactured eletronic fashion. Lyrics stating and asking, “We should be making plans what could be? What should be?” A poignant statement as this song’s perfectly constructed architecture allows “From My Perspective” to carry the label as the song with the most commercial potential.  Advertising  agencies around the world, here is the song that will sell your products off the shelf.

In “Dispacement And Time,” the up-beat tempo, and electronic allure is intensified by Max Franken’s hard-hitting drums. He’s called the ‘Carpenter” as he hits his skins so heavy the floor surrounding his set is usually covered in wood chips from the numerous drum sticks he annihilates during a show.  “Dispacement and Time” is proof that he is a minimalist in the cymbal department.  Yet their absence is not missed. The combination of drum machine vs. drummer is apparent.  For those who appreciate the sound of a high-hat, or a crash cymbal, you wont hear it here.  Which make this song a sure fire winner at the clubs.

“Transmission Tower” is perhaps my favorite of all 10 tracks. The overall feeling of inner peace and turmoil is profoundly enlightening. With mass computer generated effects over a simple  baseline and again with those ethereal vocals and the occasional whispers to go along with the wonderful mayhem they create.  Transmission Tower closes with a powerful metallic ending, reminding me of one of Githead’s fave bands, My Bloody Valentine.  I could write a James Joyce sized masterpiece while listening to this one on a loop!

The musicians in Githead are known to write, rehearse and record all in the same sitting and whose general goals while making this album were to create, creatively together. The Landing exudes honesty, diligence and consistency, and an abundance of creativity.

Screaming Females
Singles
Don Giovanni

Link: http://www.screamingfemales.com/

Screaming Females Singles is a kaleidoscope, each song on the LP transforms into its own image in the form of pure rejuvenating punk rock. Yes, it has that old-school punk rock beat, but there is something more in this band’s sound beyond aggressive catchy punk rock swagger and riffs.

Arm over Arm the poppiest of the 6 tunes, opens with a strong bass line which embraces the appearance of being a sweet ditty with some simple guitar riffs, until guitar goddess and songstress Marissa Paternoster stops singing the chorus for a few seconds to wail on her guitar.  Paternoster plays her guitar as if she were pulled from the womb with it clutched in her arms. Marissa looks like herself, sounds like herself and plays her guitar unlike I’ve ever seen or heard. Combined with tight percussion by Jarrett Dougherty and technically inclined bassist King Mike, Screaming Females are completely in tune with one another and hit the trifecta with their brilliant timing and wall of sound.

Zoo Of Death, an enigmatic tune, reveals Marissa as she uses a scientific method towards utilizing her effects pedals.  Whenever a song approaches a break for a solo one might hold their breath in anticipation as there is no telling what she will do with her fingertips and the ball of her foot next.  She is a brilliant guitarist with a talent reminiscent of many genius musicians whose sound also is in a realm of their own. I dare not compare them to another. Cortez The Killer (a song that literally brought me to tears)  and No Being Disgusting, have all of the fervor you would expect from a band called The Screaming Females, with a ton of screaming involved but glorious screaming at that.

Singles deserves to be an iconic art punk LP that will shape and mold many young musicians who hope to wield such powerful music from their souls and fingertips as this band does!  It will be a pleasure to watch The Screaming Females progress, as it is bound to happen to any truly great punk rock and roll band!!

Reno Bo
Happiness And Other Things
Electric Western
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Link: http://renobo.bandcamp.com

Formally of the Mooney Suzuki, Reno Bo is creating a buzz with his solo debut titled, Happenings And Other Things. This CD is like a musical variety show, concentrating on different eras of musical styles. For instance, the opening track, “There is A Light,” is a ballad with the substance to engage any classic rock fan. The second track, “Higher Tonight”, is definitely the shiner. “Off Your Back” shows some great potential with a passionate guitar solo and piano track pleasantly laid down, as does the next track (“Shine”).

It’s unfortunate that a CD with such a strong opening would end with monotonous 3 chord guitar riffs and accommodating drum beats, as the rest of the CD fails to progress. “Baby Your Not Feeling Me,” opens with a sweet harmony provided by a harmonica and is sure to act as the ultimate break-up song, or perhaps a tune one can learn in a beginner’s guitar lesson. The simplistic riffs played on an acoustic guitar blended with scratchy vocals that has a Dylan feel, is sure to grow on any folk fan.

The vocals on “Sugar Suite Blues”  are not as sharp as the mid-song guitar solo. “You Don’t Know” falls into the ’70s bubble gum pop realm. The 10th track, “Here Right Now”, sounds like something you’d hear during the opening credits of an ’80s sitcom.

It is apparent that Reno Bo’s musical influences are worn on his sleeve. There is definitely talent here although some of the songs have a rushed feeling to them, which brings one to believe that perhaps Mr. Reno was rushed in the studio or hadn’t enough time to complete this project. It would be beneficial to spend some more time in the studio  to match the talent here. Perhaps that is not the sound producers were going for.

Verona Red
Melody Inn (Indianapolis)
Friday January 8, 2010
Link: http://veronaredblog.blogspot.com/

Without warning or an introduction, sound check was over and the first notes were blasted. The sound slapped faces across The Melody Inn quicker than a sucker punch to the cheekbone. With the bar’s full attention, Verona Red delivered a rousing performance of “Warm Bloody Syndrome”, a saloon-style rock song. Before it concluded, lead guitarist Tony Focht and lead vocalist/supporting guitarist Chris Balzer both fell to the floor in a doubly pleasing display of guitar annihilation. Immediately transitioning to “In The Coat Check”, Balzer continued his captivating on-stage antics; first by scaling Mike Panagakis’ base drum for use as a platform, followed by an additional drop to the knees to support another wicked guitar solo.

Musically, Verona Red is a hodgepodge of characteristics from genres across the board. Fast tempos and heavy drums make nods to punk rock. Balzer’s deep, swing-style vocals hold a striking likeness to Murder By Death singer Adam Turla. Occasional use of a synthesizer generates a spacey, abstract feel (see: All We Ever Had). The placement of a microphone in front of all four members (something rarely seen in rock bands), provides continuous lyrical texture. Together, these combined forces create a dark, yet uplifting, bluesy sound that is both nostalgic and cutting-edge.

Continuing to play from their debut full-length Side Effects, “After All” and “Marjorie” pulled fans to the dance floor. Feeding off the crowd energy, Balzer returned to his perch atop the bass drum, Focht jumped up and down vigorously on the off beats, and bassist John Bottrell faced Panagakis in intense moments of driving rhythm. Recognizing the power of a well-translated cover song, the band gave the gift of John Lee Hooker in an unlikely rendition of “Boom Boom”. Balzer and Focht’s knees met the floor once again as they worked their guitar strings with emotional fury.

The highlight of Verona Red’s performance was easily “No Way Home”, an obscure experimental side track that was (unfortunately) not included on Side Effects. Balzer warned the audience, “You guys wanna do something weird?” as he and Focht put down their guitars in lieu of keys and a conga drum respectively. Panagakis led the song with a tribal-like cadence, complimented by Bottrell’s pounding bass line. Freed from a dance-restrictive guitar, Balzer seductively shook his hips in circles as he wailed into the microphone. The song was surprisingly long, refreshingly avant-garde, and admirably outside of the box.

Additional highlights included “Long Neck Deep Curves” with a special appearance by Indianapolis super-fan Kris Murphy on harmonica and an encore performance of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. “Well, fuck us if we don’t play one more,” exclaimed Balzer in response to the audience demand for a final song.

Chicago-based Verona Red returns to Indianapolis on Saturday March 6th to shake The Vollrath with local indie-rockers Spare Time Killer. Expect to witness a grossly satisfying night of live music that’s sure to be high in energy, talent, and pure entertainment.

November 13, 2009
Vollrath Tavern
Indianapolis, IN

Prizzy Prizzy Please’s short 30-minute set kicked off with synth-heavy, spacey music and artsy, high-pitched vocals that hinted at an Of Montreal influence. The vibe was short-lived, however; their signature fast-paced hard rock kicked in shortly after playing began.

The band’s unique element is the absence of an electric guitar, essentially replaced by Ted Wells on the keyboard. Remaining members include Scott McNiece on the drum set, bassist Bob Allen, and sax player Mark Pallman – the latter two also providing a mix of falsetto vocals and punk rock scream-sings. As evidenced by the atypical instrument combination, Prizzy Prizzy Please creates a sound all their own. No other Indiana-based band rocks the way these guys do.

Through multiple techniques (whether intentional or not), Prizzy Prizzy creates an engaging atmosphere for their audience. Nearly every song comes packaged with an introduction that includes the title, as well as its subject matter. Without force, the songs have a natural ability to consume bodies and spit them back out with flailing arms and mile-a-minute fancy footwork.

The band has a strong following, too. Many familiar faces were present from their recent Local’s Only set during the Broad Ripple Music Festival. But here, at The Volrath, the crowd was lighter and the dance floor more accommodating, giving opportunity for piggy back rides, swing-step moshing, and overall chaotic disorder.

With an exhausting six-band lineup and the clock approaching 2 a.m., Prizzy Prizzy Please fans never tired through the duration of the set. They demanded an encore, to which the band answered with one final song.

The invincible, high-energy drive behind their music paired with admirable musicianship and a touch of quirkiness make Prizzy Prizzy Please a band worth seeing by fans of nearly any genre. Bonus points if you dig getting rowdy with your concert neighbors and listening outside your comfort zone. Meeting any of these conditions warrants a trip to the next Prizzy Prizzy show in your town.

[All photos by Rachel Rubenstein]