Dig ‘in: Nothing, Heavenly, Cut Worms
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
Nothing - a short history of decay (Run For Cover Records LP)
Domenic Palermo has always approached his struggles head-on, sometimes plowing ahead and persevering through shear force of will. But following Nothing’s fourth album in seven years, The Great Dismal in 2020, he knew he needed to take some time to recalibrate if he was to keep the band going. What he came to realize by allowing himself to be more self-reflective is that the creative process of making music has always provided him with the greatest means of healing.
On a short history of decay, Palermo lays out the realities of the physical and mental tolls that he’s encountered over the years that have come to define his midlife existence. “Essential tremors” tackles his recently diagnosed neurological condition with sobering directness: “The closer that I get / To dissecting the regret / Honesty ain’t free / And freedom isn’t me,” he reveals. Similarly, “nerve scales” is a meditation on getting down to truths, the blurring of reality and the weariness of dealing with the deception.
“Cannibal world” and the title track pull listeners into the vortex with a whirling dervish mix of overdriven guitar squalor that’s intersected by breakbeats, ushering in a momentary calm before the storm hits again. Palermo retraces his steps on “never come never morning” to address the abuse that he suffered at the hand of his father, rueing an innocence lost and setting the stage for the defiance that would follow.
A short history of decay is a mix of turbulence and serenity—as Palermo gains a greater understanding of the factors that have shaped his existence, truths emerge that are hard to swallow but that are no longer a threat to eat away his soul. -Bruce Novak
Heavenly - Highway To Heavenly (Skep Wax Records LP)
Good news in trying times: British pop band Heavenly has reemerged with Highway to Heavenly, their first album in 30 years. Fortunately, Heavenly’s entwined hard and soft power is as tuneful, clear-eyed, and sharp-witted as ever.
Founding members of the 1990s indie pop movement and veterans of the influential Sarah Records and K record labels, the group were pacesetters in offsetting trenchant social critiques with perfectly crafted pop guitar/bass melodies, jaunty keyboards, winsome vocals, and sweet harmonies. Midway through the album, “Skep Wax,” a paean to their record label (founded by vocalist/guitarist Amelia Fletcher and bassist Rob Pursey), also serves as a declaration of intent: “Let’s turn some / Old thoughts into something new.”
The band still has plenty to say. For example, feminism has been a major motif for Heavenly, and here the jaunty opener “Scene Stealing” takes on a sadly still-relevant topic: toxic masculinity and online sexual predation. From there on—as was ever the case with Heavenly—catchy, hummable songs pointedly address a range of moods and subjects such as relationship power imbalance, the importance of community, fading romance, and the prevailing political madness.
Particularly brilliant is “Press Return,” which admonishes greedy, manipulative tech bros, at the same time acknowledging netizens’ complicity and addiction. A simple, biting, blinking-cursor guitar line and vintage video-game organ riff serve as the baseline. Sonic layers build with increasing rapidity to a cumulative effect of tabs opening on a computer, filling the screen with frantic, ominous blinking: “No line uncrossed / Too late to change / What comes around / And we deserve it / Cos we never said the things / We should.”
Insightful but never cynical, Heavenly closes the record with two really lovely tracks. “She Is the One” is a tender love story about finding quiet happiness in the mundane: “Her tiny world explodes into a scene / From any romcom you have ever seen.” And “That Last Day” follows the grief, remembered joy, and regret in saying a final goodbye to a loved one: “But the true marking of a life / Lasts longer than one day / And I’m still thinking of you now / And all the things that you went through / …And did I do all that I could?”
As the aforementioned “Skep Wax” reminds us, “Songs take you unexpected ways / And break your heart on every single day...No time for sleep / When there is / Still more music to be heard.” -Tina Woelke
Cut Worms - Transmitter (Jagjaguwar LP)
Transmitter, the 4th release by Cut Worms, is the latest from Max Clarke. Produced by Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at the Wilco loft in Chicago, the LP also includes Tweedy on guitar and bass on a few songs and Glenn Kotche on drums/percussion on three tunes.
The mix on the record nicely features Clarke’s beautiful voice with clean indie-pop melodies. Tweedy’s production is straightforward and embellishes the songs in an understated way. You’ll hear influences of Big Star, maybe some folky Kinks and a bit of mid-70’s era George Harrison (think “Crackerbox Palace”). There are plenty of acoustic guitar-driven songs – “Worlds Unknown” and “Windows On The World” are two of my favorites – and Clarke’s songwriting is very tender without being cloying. You get a feeling of staring out the front window on a sunny day and contemplating the world around you. The record closes out with Clarke on piano and vocals on the lovely “Dream.”
Cut Worms will also be playing Lincoln Hall in Chicago on May 9th. -Tom Novak
UPCOMING
Merce Lemon at SPACE - Mar 18, 6:00 PM
Coming from a household where both her parents were involved in creating music, Merce Lemon seemed destined to follow suit. Her journey turned circuitous, initially beset by a bout of stage fright and later a reexamination of the level of satisfaction that music was providing her. An eventually reset following the release of her second album, Moonth in 2020, gradually pulled her back into the songwriting process. When she reemerged with 2024’s Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild, she had transformed from a largely solitary songwriter into a more assertive band leader. The country roots music that comprised much of her Pittsburgh upbringing became more prominent in her own music, aligning well with her self-described “songs of belonging and longing.” The SPACE performance is in conjunction with a U.S. tour with Durham’s Fust, who recently shared a 7" single of George Jones covers with Merce Lemon and their Big Ugly album was a staff favorite of No Wristbands from last year. -Bruce Novak
cootie catcher at Hideout - Mar 23, 8:00 PM
Toronto’s co-ed quartet cootie catcher marry lo-fi indie pop with electronic intervention that gives their songs an offbeat charm. Jangly guitar strumming, bouncy bass lines, and sprightly drumming intersect with glitchy synth flourishes, DJ scratches, and programmed beats. Their third album, Something We All Got, just released on Carpark Records was mixed by Water from Your Eyes’ Nate Amos, who knows a thing or two about constructing electro pop nuggets. The tag team vocal approach from guitarist Nolan Jakupovski, bassist Anita Fowl and synth instrumentalist Sophia Chavez provides an endearing dynamic and mirthful vibes. The band’s eclecticism exudes a heartwarming charm that serves to soften the hardened soul. -Bruce Novak
Westerman at Sleeping Village - Mar 27, 9:00 PM
Westerman is the stage name of British musician Will Westerman. He initially burst onto the scene as Covid was raging back in 2020. His music felt different, like a throwback to earlier, happier times with wide swaths of synth and dreamy soft vocals. Westerman’s music felt out of step with what was popular in indie music at the time, which is to say it made it stick out in my mind. There was mystery tonally with his songs, but also, not much was known of him when his songs started appearing.
Here we are, 6 years and 3 albums later, and Westerman is going on tour in the U.S. for the first time in 3 years. In November of last year, Westerman released his latest album A Jackal’s Wedding. This album feels like an idyllic take on past releases, balancing his poppy and experimental tendencies. Westerman decamped to Greece during the pandemic, and it is reflected in the song “Mosquito” which features dreamy atmospheres and nice acoustic guitar flourishes. Later, you will find the gentle piano-led folky song “Spring” which, like its title, is a cautious look at renewal. Seeing Westerman in a small room where the synths are sure to bounce off the walls and create a wall of sound is an opportunity not to be missed. -Mark Joyner
UNCOVERED
Centro-Matic - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try (Quality Park Records LP)
Although it didn’t surface until 2000, the recordings for All The Falsest Hearts Can Try were carried out in 1998 as part of an extensive session at Son Volt’s Jay Farrar’s studio that also produced Centro-Matic’s earlier albums, Navigational and The Static vs. The Strings Vol. 1.—such was the industriousness of Texan songwriter Will Johnson. That level of productivity and a penchant for the immediacy of lo-fi production drew parallels between Johnson and Guided By Voices prolific kingpin Robert Pollard. For all its ragged glory, ATFHCT is considerably more affecting than its slapdash origins might suggest.
The album splits time between blown-out indie rock (“The Blisters May Come,” “Call The Legion In Tonight”) and disarming acoustic numbers (“In The Strategy Room,” “Would Go Over”). “Hercules Now!” and “Magic Cyclops” incorporate the type of pithy wordplay and hook-driven structures that are the hallmarks of Pollard. On the record’’s penultimate track, “Members Of The Show ’em How It’s Done,” Johnson proffers: “Concentrate this time / You may well soon find that we are not your kind.” It’s a defining statement that serves to separate Centro-Matic from the pack and a call to be celebrated for their utter uniqueness. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: