Dig ‘in: The Klittens, Stef Chura, 1-800-MIKEY
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
The Klittens - Have a Heart (self-released LP)
Working on their first full-length album after forming eight years ago allowed The Klittens to exercise more creative freedom compared to their process with the preceding EPs, Citrus (2022) and Butter (2024), where there was pressure to make every track “a classic pop-song” according to drummer Laurie Zantinge. On Have a Heart, the five-piece Amsterdam feminist band largely maintain their basic guitar/bass/drums set-up, but allow themselves to decompress to a greater extent with more varied pacing and tone.
There are the punk-adjacent takedowns of “Nothing To Teach” and “Badlands” that push back against male narratives. With right-wing politics infiltrating the liberal-leaning Netherlands of late, the title track examines the apathy that provided the opportunity for a nationalist push. “Why are we never on time?” questions vocalist Yaël Dekker. “We’re never on time / The outrage always comes after the crime” she continues as the song grinds and snarls to reflect the discontent.
The understated beauty of “Taxi” and “Fool Me Once” are especially striking—revealing a real vulnerability, but also displaying a resolute spirit. The Klittens call for a humanistic response to the increasing societal divisions hits all the right notes to overcome the tone-deaf messaging that we’ve had to endlessly endure by those that are driven by self-centered motives. -Bruce Novak
Stef Chura - Dancing Alone on the Concrete (Saddle Creek LP)
Stef Chura has been well-travelled since the 2019 release of her last album, Midnight, leaving Detroit for New Orleans, then Louisville before returning full circle to the Motor City. While Chura’s guitar shredding was at the forefront of Midnight, her added exploration of composing songs on piano has resulted in Dancing Alone on the Concrete being a multi-textured affair. Largely recorded in Athens, Georgia with Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo) producing, and David Barbe (Sugar) and Andy LeMaster (Now It’s Overhead) sitting in along with Chura’s regular drummer Ryan Clancy, there’s traces of the Elephant 6 aesthetic in the varied instrumentation.
On the suggestion of Schneider, Mike Mills and Peter Buck contribute to the soulful “Danny,” with Mills’ signature backing vocals providing perfect accompaniment. As she rides the rollercoaster of relationships, Chura alternates between playfulness (“Thunder and Lighting”), tolerance (“Leadweight”) and heartbreak (“The Concrete”). She may not have yet found what her heart desires, but she’s certainly not going to just settle, not when another adventure awaits to be explored. -Bruce Novak
1-800-MIKEY - In Yun (Goner Records LP)
Sydney’s Michael Barker arrived at the name 1-800-MIKEY due to his tenure of working jobs at call centers. His energetic music and boisterous personality suggests spending time on the phone with him would be quite pleasant despite the scripted nature of the profession. Barker also plays guitar in the touring editions of R.M.F.C. and Gee Tee.
After initially being lent a 4-track tape recorder from Kel Mason of Gee Tee to produce his self-titled EP in 2020, Barker went out and purchased his own for his subsequent bedroom recordings. In Yun is 1-800-MIKEY’s third LP, and first effort for Goner Records. The opener, “Self Love,” affirms Barker’s unabashed positivity and comfort in his own skin despite the challenges of fitting in due to his half-Asian heritage.
Barker sells out wholeheartedly in the pursuit of love. In “Me and My Only” and the title track he has no reservations about making his feelings known even if it results in heartbreak. His lo-fi, chiming power pop occupies the same sweet spot that makes Kai Slater (Sharp Pins) and Tony Molina such irresistible listens.
“K Style” takes a detour from matters of the heart and deposits Barker in the midst of an action sequence out of the Korean gaming platform GunZ. As doubt creeps in on how to navigate the emerging attack, Barker pleads to be taught how to react. It’s a rare glimpse of uncertainty from the artist who usually know what he’s after and the pursuit it takes to get him there. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Traps PS at Thalia Hall - October 15 & 16, 7:30 PM
This LA guitar/bass/drums trio cite Gang of Four, James Brown and Minutemen as prime influences, which certainly checks out. The hallmarks are present with Andrew Jeffords’ serrated/spastic guitar slashes and agitated vocals in front of the punk-funk rhythms of bassist Rex Osterkamp and drummer Michael Lafranchi. Their recently released sixth album, Industrial Language, noticeably inhabits the Go4 spectrum, sounding like a direct descendant of that band’s landmark Entertainment! debut. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Traps PS is paying their upmost compliment while trying not to sully the footprint. -Bruce Novak
Autobahn at Hideout - October 25, 8:00 PM
In a stacked line-up for the 2024 Hallogallo Fest that included Horsegirl, Sharp Pins and Twin Coast, Autobahn more than held their own. As their name might suggest, the NYC trio traffic in trance/drone music that slowly simmers below surface level. Louisa Tantillo’s cello & bass provides a lower-end ballast for the effects-driven output of guitarist Findlay Fullerton and Liam Barton’s motorik backing. Tantillo’s and Fullerton’s vocals arrive from a surrounding zip code, forlorn-sounding and creating a sense of detachment. After debuting with the three track Filler Migration CD last summer, Autobahn followed up this year with a limited run two song cassette single that was recorded by Kai Slater. 2025 found the group sharing the stage with the likes of Lifeguard and TV Buddha and their current road outing has them convening with another worthy Chicago outfit, Godstar Megamax. -Bruce Novak
Diabolic SE (Sincere Engineer as The Hives) at Cobra Lounge - October 31, 8:30 PM
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. What’s more exciting than dressing up and cosplaying as someone who isn’t you? Well, Sincere Engineer is celebrating by dressing up as The Hives, and playing a full cover set at Cobra Lounge on Halloween. What might not appear as a logical pairing at first starts to make more sense when you really think about it.
The Hives are one of the great “why aren’t more bands doing this” bands—maximalist, confrontational, dressed like they’re running for office in a country where rock and roll is the law. Sincere Engineer are one of the tightest live acts in Chicago right now, a band that has spent years on the road opening for everyone from Joyce Manor to Motion City Soundtrack, learning how to make a room move. “Hate to Say I Told You So,” “Tick Tick Boom,” “Die, All Right!“—played by a band with Belos’ energy and her crew’s chops? Yes, please. The only outstanding question is, will they dress for the occasion? I am talking about full suits! I certainly hope so. -Mark Joyner
UNCOVERED
Radar Eyes - S/T (HoZac Records LP)
The 2012 debut LP by Radar Eyes came about after a label deal for an initial six songs fell through. When HoZac Records stepped in to welcome the band into their fold, an additional six songs were recorded a year hence, once again on vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Anthony Cozzi’s home Tascam 388 8-channel deck. The resulting album is one of the finer lo-fi garage-psych efforts to emerge from Chicago.
When he was searching for an opening band as the booking agent at Cobra Lounge, Cozzi enlisted guitarist/keyboardist Nathan Luecking and drummer Shelley Zawadzki whom he was currently playing with in Night of the Hunter to begin a new project that they christened Radar Eyes with Lucas Sikorsky in tow on bass. Before moving on to DC the year following the record release, Lueking partnered with Cozzi on the album’s songwriting.
Lueking’s “Prairie Puppies” plays like a descendent between the marriage The Jesus and Mary Chain and Primal Scream. Not satisfied with the initial dynamic of “I am,” Cozzi later added the key synth melody that was inspired by his admiration for Brian Eno’s work on Here Come The Warm Jets. Elsewhere, it’s easy to envision how the soaring vocals and chiming guitars of “Miracle” might have influenced Jason Balla’s approach in NE-HI and Dehd. The blissful drone of “Disconnection” arrives from a galaxy inhabited by the likes of Spacemen 3.
Radar Eyes’ 2016 follow-up album, Radiant Remains, abandoned the home recording approach for a grander post-punk sound that was captured by engineer Gregoire Yeche out the infamous Electrical Audio studio. It’s certainly a worthwhile listen, but lacks the eclecticism that made the band’s debut especially noteworthy. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: