Dig ‘in: The Reds, Pinks, and Purples, Bnny, Parsnip
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 Reds, Pinks and Purples - Unwishing Well (Slumberland Records LP)
First and foremost, Glenn Donaldson is an unabashed fan of indie music. His Instagram account partially exists as a love letter to the music that’s shaped his fandom—typically in the form of a block of four record covers displayed on a fabric tapestry that invites comments from his followers. It’s a varied collection that largely runs from the punk era through the latest underground releases. For roughly the last three decades, he’s maintained a formidable presence on the San Francisco DIY scene, with involvement in the vicinity of thirty different projects. The Reds, Pinks and Purples have occupied most of his time since launching in 2018. For an individual with diverse tastes, Donaldson has chosen the lane of somber bedroom pop to growing acclaim with RPPs.
Unwishing Well follows the path of his previous work, which is to say that it offers up vivid meditations of a searching and gentle soul. The erosion of civility and disregard for a universal good permeates the opener, “What’s Going on with Ordinary People.” It’s followed by “Learning to Love a Band,” a favorite Donaldson songwriting device where he marries the potential for personal connection with music memories. Similarly inclined is “Your Worst Song is Your Greatest Hit” that finds redemption in personal failures. Instead of wallowing in psychic pain, Donaldson opens himself up freely for dissection. The heartwarming “Public Art” serves as a rallying metaphor for anyone who’s dismissed out of hand due to popular belief. Since dedicating himself to RPPs, Donaldson has been on a creative roll, pumping out a couple of records with each passing year. Like the photos he uses for his record covers that document his neighborhood, he’s providing a personal snapshot of life that’s evocative and compelling. -Bruce Novak
Bnny - One Million Love Songs (Fire Talk LP)
Love songs in commercial music tend to perpetuate a false narrative; one of fairy-tale romance and impenetrable bliss. Rather than feeling relatable, the sentiment comes off as hackneyed, a universal fabrication of happily ever after. Despite her attempts to do otherwise, Jessica Viscius can’t help but pen love songs. Her songs, though, are full of complexities. In “Crazy, Baby,” Viscius references her album title when she sings: “A million love songs / of our past / Write one quick ‘cause / nothing lasts.” “Something Blue” also examines how love is fleeting and how difficult it is to outrun your past. There’s a profound emotional honesty in Viscius’ music and she’s noted how her lyrical directness is designed to capture a distinct moment in time. Her airy voice envelops the listener and has a capacity of conveying a range of emotions, from regret to resilience. Through all the heartbreak, Viscius remains resolute that the pursuit of love is worth any collateral damage. “Yeah I’m hanging on / to the sunshine / “I’m hanging on / ’til the next time,” she proclaims in “Good Stuff.” One Million Love Songs offers a unique perspective to a format that’s been largely played out and its message is one that deserves to be truly taken to heart. -Bruce Novak
Parsnip - Behold (Upset The Rhythm LP)
Venturing into the world that Parsnip’s “Turn To Love” video depicts is like falling headfirst down the rabbit hole and encountering a whimsical, fairytale-like existence. The Melbourne quartet host their own play production, replete with wacky homemade costumes and unrestrained dance moves. Bassist and songwriter, Paris Richens, is enamored with children’s literature and picture books and applies that sense of wonderment in the form of cheeky songs that are full of exuberance in the face of a more somber reality. “Papier-Mâché” holds out hope in fixing recurrent problems using the principles of craft construction. Pilfering the alphabet for “L.O.N.E.” makes for a snappy number as Parsnip jump between spelling out lonesome and lone song until they sound nearly interchangeable. Fighting to be seen and heard forms the basis of “Placeholder,” with repeated exclamations of “here I am.” Behold is perhaps an ephemeral pleasure, but nevertheless capable of holding your attention if you’re willing to give into its innate charm. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Cindy Lee
Where: Empty Bottle / Directions
When: May 4, 9:00 PM
Some of the most compelling music exists on the margins. When the Calgary band Women splintered after releasing their critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 2008 and Public Strain in 2010, Matt Flegel (bass/vocals) and Michael Wallace (drums) went on to form Viet Cong, who later became Preoccupations. Pat Flegel (vocals/guitar) took an unexpected turn in concocting a drag alter ego under the name Cindy Lee. Following the tumultuous tenure of Women, Flegel encountered issues dealing with gender identity and mental well-being, finding solace in ’60s girl group music that conveyed both glamour and resiliency.
Cindy Lee’s music has been described as “confrontation pop,” which could apply to both addressing Flegel’s personal struggles and challenging the listening audience. Having previously issued a couple of recordings on the Superior Viaduct sub-label W.25th, Flegel has taken an out-of-the-box approach by self-releasing their latest, Diamond Jubilee, a sprawling 32-track affair. Eschewing physical product and typical streaming platforms, the music thus far is only available via the GeoCities site or on YouTube. It’s a diverse offering that squares Flegel’s classic pop inclinations with lo-fi indie charm; a mixture of tenderness and dissonance. The unconventional approach has only heightened the demand for Cindy Lee’s music and performances. There’s a mystique at play that begs to be investigated and appreciated. -Bruce Novak
Gaadge
Where: Sleeping Village / Directions
When: May 11, 9:00 PM
The scope of Gaadge extends well beyond the talents of Mitch DeLong, who started the project as a solo endeavor a decade ago. The Pittsburgh quartet, that includes Andy Yadeski, Nick Boston and Ethan Olivia, pulls double duty in Ex Pilots, which functions as the main songwriting outlet for Olivia. Their adaptability as multi-instrumentalists gives their latest LP, Somewhere Down Below, a diversity and richness that eclipses their earnest and impassioned approach. The record registered as one of my favorites from last year, filler-free over 14 tracks with nearly each song as praiseworthy as any other. -Bruce Novak
Chastity Belt
Where: Lincoln Hall / Directions
When: May 12, 8:00 PM
Having maintained the same line-up that they embarked with since forming in 2010, Chastity Belt has not had to call into question what motivates them to push forward. They share an innate sense of camaraderie and revel in the opportunity to create as a unit. While no longer as geographically centralized as their previous all-in Seattle inhabitance afforded them, the logistics of completing their latest album, Live Laugh Love, became more protracted; landing in March, nearly five years since their last LP. It’s the culmination of three separate recording sessions spanning 2020 to 2022, but feels of a whole with measured compositions that offer an inward glimpse of navigating life with an assortment of speed bumps and potholes. It also finds the band members being as collaborative as ever, sharing songwriting equitably and providing each of them a turn at lead vocals for the first time in their history. Chastity Belt last rolled through town in 2019 at this very same Lincoln Hall venue—a return engagement that’s overdue, but certainly not to be overlooked. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Look Blue Go Purple: Compilation (Flying Nun LP)
When Dunedin band members Kathy Bull (bass), Denise Roughan (guitar), Lesley Paris (drums), Kath Webster (guitar) and Norma O’Malley (keyboards, flute, guitar) originally came together in 1983, they brainstormed for a fitting name. Bull was in search of some positivity after immigrating from Canada where she had grown weary of Calgary’s aggressive punk scene. The phrases Look Blue and Go Purple were plucked from a thesaurus and seemed to strike a chord with everyone, although later in the year they briefly switched to Tunnel Wives. After eventually winning over Roger Shepherd of Flying Nun, LBGP commenced recording a four song debut EP in 1985, titled Bewitched. Compilation is comprised of a trio of EPs that the band issued during their tenure, which also includes LBGPEP2 (1986) and This Is This (1988).
With a diverse appreciation of underground music and modal jazz, which included women pioneers such as The Slits and The Raincoats, LBGP never considered themselves a feminist band. Their friendship rooted in equal footing did enable them to pursue a democratic creative approach that produced an organic-sounding result. No one instrument or voice crowds another one out, the gestalt born out of collaboration, not competition. Bewitched was recorded in a live studio setting with largely single takes, making the material a bit more frenetic as evidenced in the tracks “Safety in Crosswords” and “Circumspect Penelope.” As the group’s musicality broadened, a lushness and opulence took hold. The vocal mix of Roughan, Webster and O’Malley fit hand in glove. “Cactus Cat,” “I Don’t Want You Anyway” and “In Your Favour” are irresistible pop gems of the highest order. Despite a truncated tenure, LBGP proved to be quite influential to generations of female musicians that have followed in their path—the power of positive thinking, perhaps! -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: