Dig ‘in: Chameleons, Magic Shoppe, Cheer-Accident
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
Chameleons - Arctic Moon (Metropolis Records LP)
It’s safe to describe a record as “highly anticipated” when it’s a band’s first release in 24 years, and Chameleons’ new disc, Arctic Moon, is perhaps even more eagerly awaited in the wake of the band’s scorching, dynamic live set in Chicago last fall. The group is still led by the two primary architects of its classic ’80s sound: vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess and guitarist Reg Smithies, with three younger members adding guitars, keys and drums.
Arctic Moon is a solid return to form, with several genuinely stellar moments. If you were expecting the band to revive the delay-heavy axe atmospherics of its early records, you’ll be slightly disappointed. Arctic Moon generally features a more straightforward modern rock sound, which the band had already adopted on its excellent 2001 record Why Call It Anything.
The new disc gets off to a rewarding start with its first three tunes. “Lady Strange” deftly blends an exhilarating melodic rush with a brooding moodiness, a hallmark of many classic Chameleons tracks. And it ranks with the band’s very best work. Album opener “Where Are You?” is an infectious, punchy, streamlined rocker, while “Feels Like the End of the World” is a soaring pop tune (decked out with a string orchestra) that boasts a beguiling melody over a swinging, waltz-time beat. On a contrasting note, the mid-disc ballad “Free Me” sounds strangely bland and formulaic, briefly stalling the disc’s forward momentum.
Things do get a bit better on Arctic Moon’s final songs. “Magnolia” stirs a mysterious, nocturnal guitar mist in the verses into an anthemic chorus (another vintage Chameleons move), while “Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing” undergirds a lovely lattice of minor key axe lines with a rushing, propulsive groove–closing the disc with a bang. Overall, Arctic Moon is an encouraging re-start for Chameleons. Here’s hoping for more music soon. -Rick Reger
Magic Shoppe - Resurrection Machine (Little Cloud Records EP)
Resurrection Machine is the follow-up to Down The Wych Elm, Magic Shoppe’s seventh LP that registered among my top five favorite releases for 2024. The EP hits with a raw, punkish fervor with four of the five tracks clocking in under 3:15. Josiah Webb’s DIY aesthetic and embrace of heavy psych and shoegaze permeates throughout. The opener, “Going Nowhere Slowly,” is bathed in dense fuzz and distortion and when Webb transitions over to a pristine ringing guitar tone two-thirds through the song, the contrast brings an added dimension to the number. “Space Cadet” sounds like a spiritual descendent of Blue Öyster Cult’s oeuvre, featuring forlorn vocals and a sumptuous, spooky vibe. Resurrection Machine closes with the sparse “Little Sheep” that finds Webb trying to put his troubles to rest amongst all the uneasiness that’s infiltrated present day life—a thwarted lullaby in the midst of a national nightmare.-Bruce Novak
Cheer-Accident - Admission (Skin Graft LP)
After 40 years and 26 albums, you’d think it would be easy to characterize what Cheer-Accident does. Think again! For sure, there’s some “prog” in their sound—the harmonically and rhythmically jagged prog of Red-era King Crimson or Van Der Graaf Generator. But there’s also lilting, lyrical piano balladry a la Todd Rundgren and Burt Bacharach. Oh, and there are occasional forays into synth pop. And did I mention the band even has a rare penchant for noise-scaping? What’s more, Cheer-Accident isn’t even really a “band” as much as an ever-shifting galaxy of musicians orbiting long-time members multi-instrumentalist/singer Thymme Jones, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Libersher and lyricist Scott Rutledge.
To cut to the chase, Admission is one of the band’s best records, and it definitely leans into Cheer-Accident’s melodic pop side (but it ain’t that simple). Album opener “My Love” is an infectiously melodic, well-crafted piano-pop outing distinguished by an engaging hook, Thymme Jones’ ageless tenor and some quirky instrumental breaks in 5/4 time. “Cold Comfort” adorns a repetitive, crunchy axe riff with gorgeous layered vocal melodies, elegant piano octaves and a brass choir, creating a delightful contrast between the droning riff and the kaleidoscopic accompaniment. “Weird Organ” is lush, dark-hued synth-pop, with singer Angie Mead’s lovely vocal line gliding over a bubbling bed of synth tones that emit an appealingly mysterious vibe.
Admission also veers into moments of avant-rock (“Redwood Creek”) and pensive, pristine chamber pop (“Palos Hills”). Album closer “Die for Me” is as beautiful a song as Cheer-Accident has ever produced. Three snappy, syncopated guitar chords ring out over a crisp bass-and-drum pulse, giving the verses an irresistible, almost R&B-ish groove beneath Bethany DeGaetano Smoker’s soaring vocal melody. But then the choruses melt into a beguiling wash of richly harmonic, delicately shifting instrumental chords undulating under an airy choir of voices. It’s a stunning conclusion to another rewarding chapter in the Cheer-Accident story. -Rick Reger
UPCOMING
La Sécurité at Hideout - Oct 3, 8:30 PM
With their new wave underpinnings, Montreal’s La Sécurité offer a playful, but on point, dissection of modern day absurdities The co-ed quintet draw you to the dance floor with snaking rhythms and punchy vocals sung in both English and French. Initially started as a side project by Éliane Viens-Synnott and Félix Bélisle during the pandemic downtime, the duo recruited additional friends that aligned with their DIY sensibilities. Their 2023 debut album, Stay Safe!, advocates “dancing as a means to revolution.” With another album on its way, their workout will undoubtedly intensify in both pace and patter. -Bruce Novak
Swervedriver at Thalia Hall - Oct 5, 7:00 PM
When the British press coined the the term shoegaze as a derisive descriptive during the advent of the genre, bands weren’t having it. Swervedriver was one of the outfits that resisted the categorization back then, but with the renewed popularity of the genre, co-founder Adam Franklin now views it as a means of reaching new fans. Swervedriver issued the four-song The World’s Fair EP this spring, their first new recording in five years, that put them back on the road in front of some fresh set of ears.
Among their original peers, Swervedriver hit a bit harder, adding more crunch to achieve a sound that Franklin has termed “chaos with heart.” Getting sucked into the Swervedriver vortex in one helluva thrilling journey that bears repeating whenever the opportunity arises. -Bruce Novak
Stereolab at Metro - Oct 9 & 10, 8:00 PM
An extensive slate of re-issues from Stereolab’s deep catalog in 2019 led the band to resume touring after a ten year hiatus. Recording new material wasn’t top of mind at that point, but the shows confirmed their continued relevance and the power behind their performances. Eventually the band connected with Cooper Crain (of Chicago’s Bitchin Bajas) to record and engineer Instant Holograms On Metal Film, their first new album in fifteen years that came out in May. The record continues Stereolab’s cosmopolitan approach to blending styles and textures. Roughly half of their current set will be culled from the new record. Of particular note, Stereolab has been leading off their encores with “The Way Will Be Opening”—plucked from their very first single—a call for rebellion and confronting hard truths that’s even more pertinent today than when it first appeared in 1991. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Flipper - Album Generic Flipper (Subterranean Records LP)
The passing of Flipper co-vocalist/bassist Bruce ‘Loose’ Calderwood over the past month led me back to their confounding 1982 debut album. At a time when west coast punk was transitioning into hardcore thrash, Flipper came across as slow-footed, sinking down into the muck and mire.
Loose leads off the album with the sneering “Ever,” unleashing a litany of gripes, but not absolving himself from some of the offenses. Society’s ineptness comes under attack again during “Way Of The World,” and more or less is met with a shrug by Loose and the band. Flipper appear engaged at the beginning of “Life,” as bandmate Will Shatter proclaims “Life is the only thing worth living for.” As the song progresses though, things become more chaotic with the band barely holding on long enough to stumble to a finish. By the closing “Sex Bomb,” Flipper is just ready to turn things loose with a woozy sax accompaniment to Shatter’s primal screams.
With their irreverence and absurdism, Flipper left a visible mark on a punk movement that was slipping towards self parody. Just like their crudely drawn shark logo, their satirical art had some real teeth to it. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: