Dig ‘in: Case Oats, Water From Your Eyes, Ganser
Check out what the No Wristbands team is listening to and what’s in our show calendars this month on our latest Dig ‘in.
INCOMING
Case Oats - Last Missouri Exit (Merge Records LP)
What immediately strikes me about Case Oats’ debut album is how much these songs feel lived in. On Last Missouri Exit there are tales of misdeeds, misadventures and mixed signals. Casey Gomez Walker leaves everything out in the open for the listener in a plain-spoken tone that pulls no punches. There’s the unrepentant adolescent dressed down in “Buick Door,” the forsaken childhood friend of “Seventeen,” and the left-behind wishful suitor that inhabits “In a Bungalow.” Gomez Walker and partner (& recently fiancé) Spencer Tweedy allow their songs to be experienced without much window dressing—the backing provided by band members Max Sugar (guitar, pedal steel), Jason Ashworth (bass), Nolan Chin (keyboards) and Scott Daniel (fiddle) lend a meaningful heft but don’t detract from the core connectivity. Last Missouri Exit draws on Gomez Walker’s resettlement across state lines at a time where one resides is tied to identity—she’s not abandoning her past, but she’s clearly embracing her future. -Bruce Novak
Water From Your Eyes - It’s A Beautiful Place (Matador Records LP)
After getting their start in Chicago nearly a decade ago, Water From Your Eyes solidified their presence with their Matador debut album, Everyone’s Crushed, in 2023. Multi-instrumentalist and production guru Nate Amos along with vocalist Rachel Brown create kinetic songs that range from woozy to wondrous. “Life Signs” begins with a death spiral before pulling up the nose when Brown breaks in with her shifting vocal patterns, but by mid-song it’s quickly in free-fall again prior to a soft landing. Abrupt tempo changes has “Spaceship” flirting with the edge of nausea; the eastern influences manifest the disorientation. “Playing Classics” locks into the duo’s dance-punk descriptive courtesy of elevated BPMs, throbbing electronics and a dash of Auto-Tune. In contrast, “Blood on the Dollar” maintains a consistent languid pace, benefitting from a disarmingly naked vocal turn from Brown. It’s A Beautiful Place captures Water From You Eyes in all their eclectic glory, unconcerned with precedent and occupying a universe of their own making. -Bruce Novak
Ganser - Animal Hospital (felte LP)
After co-founder and lead vocalist Nadia Garofalo departed Ganser following the release of their 2022 Nothing You Do Matters EP, it was inevitable that there would be a shift in their musical approach. The early work on Animal Hospital had actually commenced as far back as 2020 and when Sophie Sputnik came aboard to replace Garofalo some of the songs were already part of Ganser’s live set. Further change came about when guitarist Charlie Landsman decided to step away midway through recording with Dove Hollis picking up where he left off.
In the intervening years between their previous LP, Just Look At That Sky in 2020 and the release of Animal Hospital, Ganser has broadened their art-punk template, moving beyond Garofalo’s acerbic musings to more of a blended vocal approach between Sputnik and bassist Alicia Gaines. Their aggro edge is still well represented by the likes of “Black Sand,” “Half Plastic” and “Plato.” A more groove-driven approach is represented in “Discount Diamonds” and “Ten Miles Tall” builds contrast between the reverb-laden vocals and the industrial-like backing instrumentation.
Gaines referenced the album title when detailing that Animal Hospital explores the co-existence of base impulses alongside controlled environments. For the members of Ganser, one characteristic isn’t superior to the other, it’s how we find balance between the two that moves us past being savages or overly-cautious—a novel thought in these increasingly extremist times. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Wand at Empty Bottle - Sept 10, 9:00 PM
When Cory Hanson began to accelerate the release of his solo work, the nature of Wand’s music began to shift. After experiencing burnout from being the band’s exclusive songwriter, Hanson was able to facilitate a greater group effort. After a four year recording break for the LA band, Wand returned with their sixth LP, Vertigo, in 2024 on Chicago’s Drag City label. Taking an improvisational approach, Vertigo expands on Wand’s psych/prog roots for a lusher sound that incorporates strings and horns into the new repertoire. The new material has already experienced another transformation as Hanson and crew reinterpret it for the live show in keeping with Wand’s unbridled stage presence. The show will also provide a fully-rounded glimpse of Hanson’s talents as he’ll be performing an opening solo set. -Bruce Novak
Cardinals at Cobra Lounge - Sept 11, 7:30 PM
In a show of solidarity, the complete contingent of Irish bands slated to perform at SXSW in 2024 pulled out in a boycott of the US Army’s sponsorship of the festival amidst the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Cork’s Cardinals among them. A year later, the band returned to Austin and I had the opportunity to catch their scorching set within the tight confines of Mohawk’s indoor stage. The quintet wear their Irish heritage as a badge of honor with their passionate missives voiced by Euan Manning behind a barrage of snarling guitars and accordion strains from Eaun’s brother Finn. Their six track EP that was released last summer on So Young Records is a varied and explosive primer for a band that projects a feeling that they’re only just getting started. -Bruce Novak
Nabinah Iqbal at Rockwell Patio - Sept 12, 8:15 PM
Multi-dimensional artist (musician, DJ, radio broadcaster, writer) Nabinah Iqbal has come into her element chronicling her immersive experiences in the city of London as a native resident sired from Pakistani immigrants. The trials, tribulations and triumphs of her songs connect on a personal level framed by electronics that veer warm instead of icy. On her second, and latest album, Dreamer from last year, Iqbal added sitar and harmonium to the mix, something that she never envisioned happening regardless of her background. The album itself was restarted from scratch after an apartment burglary resulted in the loss of the original recordings. There’s an undeniable resilience that manifests itself in her music and a unique perspective that warrants attention. Her set is part of the eclectic and ambitious Sound & Gravity festival that also functions as a worthy fundraiser for Constellation Performing Arts that’s spearheaded by Mike Reed. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Infinity Shred - Sanctuary (Paracadute LP)
In my younger years, I always aspired to be that person who would go to see the opener at any show I was attending. Now, I find myself timing out how long an unknown opener will play for, posting up at a nearby bar, and showing up right before the headliner is about to go on. My interest in catching the openers predated the rise of music streaming, so if you didn’t know a band, and none of your friends knew, you relied on album reviews, or you went in fresh.
As luck would have it for me, in the summer of 2013 I was in New York for a friend’s wedding, and was staying with another friend who lived in Gramercy Park. The fun wrinkle of this visit was that he couldn’t find his keys, so anytime he went out, I had to go with him, or we had to decide on a time to meet up. This particular evening, he was headed to see the farewell show of The Depreciation Guild at the venue Glasslands in Williamsburg. I was a fan of the band and figured a fun night was afoot. This was in my “you show up when the show starts days.”
The thing I wasn’t expecting was to be blown away by the opener that evening, a local NYC band by the name of Infinity Shred. What I remember was seeing them set up a guitar, synths/computer deck, and drums. I was intrigued. We stood in the back by the bar, like the cool people we were pretending to be. Glasslands was a super cool space; it had PVC pipe lights throughout the ceiling, casting lights/shadows throughout the venue.
What was Infinity Shred going to sound like? To be quite honest, I was floored. They were incredible—this perfect blend of chip-tune, synthy anthemic post-rock. It was equal parts synthy and heavy, but so melodic and anthemic. I was hooked. I couldn’t even tell you what The Depreciation Guild sounded like that night; I was too enamored by what I had just seen from Infinity Shred. I put their name in my phone, and when I got back to Chicago, I bought their album straight away.
I played that album on loop for the rest of the summer. Just when I thought I’d locked down my favorite song (“Void Ripper”), I’d listen again, and this time it would be “Shadow Jeweler,” and the next time I listened it would be “Mapper.” Each song builds so effortlessly, and the disparate pieces blend together perfectly. Everything builds as the album plays through, and you reach some truly epic peaks throughout the record.
The amazing thing, and the reason why I had to share this record with you, is that the album still hits for me just as hard as it did that night at Glasslands back in the summer of 2013. Infinity Shred has gone on to one up themselves with every subsequent release, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see them mesmerize some Chicago crowds over the years. This is a band who’s ambition is still vast, and is continuing to grow with every subsequent release.
This story is my long winded way of saying that we should probably get to shows earlier and catch the opener. You never know when you will discover one of your favorite bands. -Mark Joyner
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: