Dig ‘in: Elias Rønnenfelt, Shepparton Airplane, Hot Face
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
Elias Rønnenfelt - Speak Daggers (Escho Records LP)
I always find it so interesting when musicians who are 10+ years into their careers suddenly find themselves dramatically increasing their creative output. Whether it be Jeff Tweedy finding another gear and cranking out multiple solo/Tweedy albums outside of Wilco, or The National being dormant for years and then suddenly putting out 2 albums in a year along with multiple side projects…it happens!
The newest entrant into the veteran indie rocker upping their output is Iceage’s Elias Rønnenfelt. Iceage is a punk/post-punk band hailing from Copenhagen, and they have always been good for an album of great tunes every 3-4 years, last popping up with 2021’s Seek Shelter. As Iceage has slowed down their output as a band, Rønnenfelt has found himself in a creative renaissance over the past year, having put out two solo albums as well as an EP with Dean Blunt.
Speak Daggers opens with a beautiful orchestral intro, which I think presents to the listener that this album is not going to be what you’d expect from Rønnenfelt. His singing has grown throughout his time in Iceage, and as a solo artist; the howl of past albums has opened to almost a Thom Yorke-style falsetto. Unlike the punk/post-punk music of Iceage, this album is churny, glitchy,and trip-hoppy. “Love How it Feels” is filled with tension—there’s no yelling—and is very personal with a minimal sparkling beat below it. To me, it’s clear that Rønnenfelt loved his collaboration with Dean Blunt—specifically Blunt’s ability to let negative space develop in his songs with a raw, almost unfinished quality to the vocals. “World Prison” finds Rønnenfelt turning his gaze outward instead of being aimed at himself. Above a muted, almost industrial loopy beat, Rønnenfelt is not speaking of a literal prison, but rather a social, societal, and spiritual one. The title comes from a Shakespearean reference, which to me reads as further proof of Rønnenfelt’s growth as a lyricist and artist. Again, whereas in his earlier days there would have been fury and a yelp behind his vocals, now it’s almost muted, like he has been beaten down by these things.
This album feels like Rønnenfelt’s most ambitious as an artist, jumping across genres, not feeling settled, and exploring what he’s capable of. I am fascinated by where we go from here. If the past 15 or so months are any indication, more music is certainly on the way! -Mark Joyner
Shepparton Airplane - Forecast (Wing Sing Records LP)
Right from the outset on Forecast’s opening track, “Hell No,” Shepparton Airplane announce their clear intentions: “Get your affairs in order / Take the time to write / State of the art is useless / Won’t take us down without a fight.” When approaching their fourth studio album, the Naarm/Melbourne outfit were forced to change course in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Their past recordings were the result of collective jam sessions, but Forecast would emanate from individual lyric writing that the band then soundtracked when they were able to once again gather in person. With each of the four members (guitarists Matt Duffy and Ezra Dowling, bassist Stewart Rayner and drummer Steven Carter) being capable songwriters and vocalists, the creative heavy lifting was a shared endeavor.
“Saw You Coming” is full of vim and vigor with vocals exploding forth in a manner that recalls Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten. The gothic title track was inspired by a 3AM fever dream that shook Rayner awake, causing him to attempt to distinguish between reality and a slumbering state of mind. “Stereo Youth” comes on like an anthem for the ages, propelled by a motorik rhythm and the alternating contrasting vocals between Rayner and Duffy. The churning “Heaven Will Take Us In” closes the record amid turbulent seas with hopes for a celestial intervention against the rising tide. Shepparton Airplane released Forecast last August, falling under my radar at the time. It’s an enthralling work that merits more discovery. -Bruce Novak
Hot Face - Automated Response (Speedy Underground LP)
Garage bands were ubiquitous staples for novice musicians during the ’60s & ‘70s, but they’ve become rarefied species in these current times. Undoubtedly, the ready access to digital recording has hastened their demise. Speedy Underground’s co-founder and producer, Dan Carey, maintains a credo of working quickly with laser intent, and so when he happened upon an early Hot Face gig in southwest London, he was driven by the idea of recording an album with them over the course of a single day that would capture their raw intensity. An opportunity arose to do just that through Abbey Road Studios’ annual Amplify event; an incubator workshop program designed to provide opportunities for aspiring creatives.
With an edict from Carey to use a maximum of three takes to produce a recording direct to analog tape, the Hot Face trio pumped out ten impassioned numbers all in a day’s work. The immediacy is captured through accelerated tempos, redlining sonics and frayed vocals. “Sinnes” hearkens back to the opening guitar chords of The Who’s “Can’t Explain” before heading down its own path of pleasure. “Red Fuzz” and “Pink Liquor” hit back to back with a punk fervor that easily explains how Carey got caught up in the mosh pit frenzy during that initial gig according to drummer Sam Catchpole. The strutting crawl of “Cruel Tutelage” adds a measure of subtlety to their repertoire, but still maintains the grittiness of their garage origins. The underlying charm of Automated Response runs counter to its title; there’s no canned predeliberations or calling it in performances—just an authentic desire to shake, rattle and roll! -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Feller at Empty Bottle - Feb13, 10:00 PM
Feller is celebrating the release of their debut LP, Sound Colored Penny, with this appearance on their favored local stage. Since largely recording their 2024 Universal Miracle Worker EP as a duo with Pete Willson on guitar/vocals and Ethan Toenjes on drums, they’ve added bassist Ramsey Bell, who had contributed to a couple of tracks on that record. The band reveals its depth by mixing pop melodicism with circuitous structures. There’s an exploratory impulse in Feller’s music that leads to unanticipated discoveries and a curiosity as to what they’ll cook up next. -Bruce Novak
Sweetmelk at United Church of Rogers Park - Feb 14
Champaign-Urbana’s Sweetmelk began as an introspective singer-songwriter solo project of Kenna Mae Reiss, received some interim assistance from a few musician peers, leading to more of an empowered riot-grrrl-inspired direction. Kenna Mae chose their name to signify the nourishment they were driven to provide for a marginalized queer and trans community. Sweetmelk’s music is both defiant and celebratory; their “cunts to the front” call to arms to begin their shows embraces and honors Kathleen Hanna’s infamous Bikini Kill feminist rallying cry. Their appearance is part of the Two Piece Fest—a celebration of performing duos that was initiated in 2008 out of Philadelphia from Peter Helms and Craig Woods, and is returning to Chicago after last taking place in these parts from 2014-2016. The four day fest commences on 2/12 and wraps on 2/15. The Valentines Day show at United Church of Rogers Park is the main event, running from 2-11PM and featuring two dozen duos at a bargain price of $22 with an additional donation option that would go towards supporting local mutual aid organizations. -Bruce Novak
Dave House and the Mermaid at Sleeping Village - Feb 27, 8:30 PM
The last show that I saw before COVID shut down the entire world was Dave Hause and The Mermaid at Sleeping Village in March of 2020. That seems like forever ago, but thankfully they are back in Chicago—with a brand new record. Released at the end of September, 2025, … And The Mermaid is a familiar mix of folk, rock and punk energy. This Sleeping Village show will include The Mermaid band (with brother Tim on guitar and vocals), so we’ll get the full-on sound that brings out the best in Dave’s songs. The new album does include a cover of the Tim Mcilrath (Rise Against) song “Bible Passages.” Tim used to play the song on the Revival tour back in 2013 which included Dave Hause. Maybe we get a visit from Tim at this show (we can dream, right?). Two Cow Garage open the show and should not be missed either. -Tom Novak
UNCOVERED
Beachbuggy - Unsafe..At Any Speed (Sympathy for the Record Industry LP)
The allure of car culture was synonymous with early rock ‘n’ roll. The ’50s and ’60s encompassed the later stages of the Golden Age of Automobiles when vehicles transcended their utilitarian purpose of an advanced mode of transportation to become a style statement and a symbol of personal freedom to take off and travel. “Rocket 88” released in 1951 by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, which extolled the joys of cruising in that iconic Oldsmobile, is consider by many to be the first rock ‘n’ roll record.
Despite those past associations, I don’t think anyone was expecting a ’90s British indie band to base and album and tenure around a love of American hot rod culture. Unsafe..At Any Speed, which appeared in 1998, was the brainchild of Darren Belk, who performed under the pseudonym Jack Straker. Belk/Straker formerly served as a Wedding Present roadie (and would later join that band for a spell). The chainsaw guitar approach of Wedding Present and the acerbic vocal stylings of The Fall’s Mark E. Smith would come to inhabit Beachbuggy’s DNA. Belk/Straker created a vivid iconography through self-referential numbers “Kill Straker!” And “Hey! Jack.” The album is tied together with snippets of movie/TV dialogue between songs that capture the thrills of racing and living in the fast lane. Every track on the record is a pure delight.
With a couple of early 7" singles to their credit and years in advance of their Unsafe album debut, Beachbuggy became known for their guerrilla approach to touring where they’d pull up at another band’s gig on the UK college circuit and perform from the back of their trailer with a group of loyal fans in tow to generate additional buzz. Unfortunately, the British press never really got onboard (apparently puzzled over the obsession with Americana and car culture), prompting the band to head over to the US where they’d record their final two worthy albums, Sport Fury and Killer B, with Steve Albini before eventually calling it a day in 2006. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: