Dig ‘in: The Young Fresh Fellows, Wu Lyf, The Reds, Pinks & Purples
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 Young Fresh Fellows - Loft (Yep Roc Records LP)
The Young Fresh Fellows have carved out a forty year-plus tenure by cultivating their unique take on wit and whimsy. In that regard, Loft is both a continuation of that ethos and a victory lap of sorts. Deriving it’s title from Wilco’s Loft Studio where it was recorded in the summer of 2025, the record is a communal celebration that features a bevy of musical guests that have crossed paths with the band down through the years.
Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven) and Morgan Fisher (Mott The Hoople) deftly color the Beatlesque psychedelia of “Death Become Us” with trippy string and piano flourishes. Their accompaniment to “Before The Deluge” judiciously supports the melancholy vibes verbalized by frontman Scott McCaughey. Longtime collaborator Peter Buck pitches in with twelve-string fretwork on the jaunty “Three Gasconading Saints” (additionally fleshed out with Jenny Conlee-Drizos’ accordion and Max Crawford’s trumpet), and on the wistful “Books Don’t Burn Twice” (which also features Mark Greenberg’s vibraphone). McCaughey is the troop ringleader, but gives way to Neko Case on lead vocals for “Destination,” which is reminiscent of the pop song energy she brought forth to The New Pornographers.
If we were to apply the adage that “you’re judged by the company you keep,” then on Loft The Young Fresh Fellows reside in the realm of indie rock royalty—a notion that they’d undoubtedly gleefully poke fun at! -Bruce Novak
WU LYF - A Wave That Will Never Break (LYF Recordings LP)
I’ve been thinking about the concept of a band returning after a long absence and whether they can outdo their past work. Rarely does that happen. But WU LYF—fifteen years gone, one album to their name, a mythology built almost entirely on mystique and refusal—have pulled off something I genuinely didn’t think was possible: a second album that doesn’t betray the first one.
Go Tell Fire to the Mountain was a specific kind of lightning in a bottle. Ellery Roberts howling over organ drones recorded in an abandoned church, the whole thing feeling like it might collapse at any moment. You couldn’t always make out what he was saying and it didn’t matter—the feeling was the point. So the question going into A Wave That Will Never Break was obvious: can you recapture that without just doing a pale imitation of it?
What I love about this record is that they don’t try. This is a different band, and they seem to know it. The chaos has been replaced by something more deliberate—songs that breathe and build rather than unravel. “Letting Go” is a perfect example of that shift. It has all the yearning intensity of old WU LYF but it spreads out, lets the guitar lines ache, lets the drums push rather than pound. It’s the kind of restraint you can only earn by actually growing up.
The centerpiece is “Tib St. Tabernacle,” a ten-minute sermon that earns every second of its runtime. It moves through moods like chapters—piano-driven and brooding early, then opening up into something that sounds like WU LYF discovering post-rock for the first time and making it entirely their own. There’s a breakdown around the seven minute mark that is genuinely one of the more thrilling things I’ve heard this year.
And then there’s “The Fool,” which I keep coming back to. It’s the most purely melodic thing they’ve ever written—almost buoyant, which is not a word I ever expected to use about WU LYF. It also made headlines because the version uploaded to Spotify featured parody vocals and a message directing listeners to their own site instead. Very on-brand. The real version, available through their community, is gorgeous.
Which brings up the other thing worth noting: WU LYF have released this record entirely outside of mainstream streaming platforms, building their own community around it rather than handing it to Spotify. I find that genuinely admirable, even if it makes the album harder to find. It fits the band. They’ve always operated like a cult—in the best possible sense of that word—and this record feels like proof that the cult was worth belonging to. -Mark Joyner
The Reds, Pinks & Purples - Acknowledge Kindness (Fire Records LP)
Like many of us, Glenn Donaldson is seeking solace in these turbulent times. “This album is probably about learning to live with your ghosts and trying to be alive in the present,” he explains. Donaldson has always been heavily reflective about his past experiences; letting moments fully sink in before examining the detritus that’s left behind.
“The past is a garden I never fed / Couldn’t see the future / Too cloudy in my head,” he confesses on the striking piano ballad “Worthy of Love. “Waiting for a lesser god / To take my hand / Lead me to a better place / Alive in the present instead / Couldn’t grasp the moment / Slipping through my hand,” is the rumination that follows. Despite any personal misgivings, Donaldson routinely expresses empathy for others. “Is it you, or is its them?” attempts to raise the spirits of a shunned acquaintance amidst the turbulent backdrop of rising distortion. On “Heaven of Love,” he cautions against cynicism and shoots for a higher plane of connection. When Donaldson urges his comrades on “Emo Band” to keep on pressing forward, he could very well be giving himself the same pep talk. As a prolific songwriter, Donaldson knows the therapeutic value of the art form, and while music may not solve your problems, it’ll make dealing with them far more palatable. -Bruce Novak
UPCOMING
Melody’s Echo Chamber at Thalia Hall - May 11, 8:00 PM
Parisian chanteuse Melody Prochet likens herself to sculptor—fastidiously molding her music that’s the sum of multiple components that when combined to take on a unique shape of their own. She initially teamed up with Kevin Parker on her 2012 debut album after being inspired by Tame Impala’s penchant for combining fuzz-laden psychedelia and booming beats with a pop sensibility. Her silken voice provides the base layer for compositions that are intersected with shifting tempos, bouts of distortion and a host of electronic flourishes. Her latest record, Unclouded, which arrived late last year, found her seeking clarity in thought and execution with a selection of lush songs that are driven by crisp rhythms. Her music’s transportive quality is capable of whisking you away to an exotic locale filled with undeniable beauty and beguiling intrigue. -Bruce Novak
King Tuff at Lincoln Hall - May 13, 8:00 PM
After a decade of being the living embodiment of glam superstar King Tuff, Kyle Thomas needed a recharge. His final two albums for Sub Pop, 2018’s The Other and 2023’s Smalltown Stardust were more self-reflective affairs. Retrieving the Tascam 388 eight-track deck that Thomas had used for his early recordings from his parent’s Vermont home rekindled a return to a more rocking approach on his latest album, MOO, that arrived in March. His voice steers more towards Tom Petty’s twang than Marc Bolan’s falsetto this time around and the previous fuzzed-out instrumentation has morphed into crunchy, classic riffs. It’s Thomas’ version of Dad Rock—not as edgy as before, but plenty catchy and a sound that’s destined to age well. -Bruce Novak
Twin Peaks at Thalia Hall - May14-21, 7:00 PM
Last November Twin Peaks announced an upcoming pair of shows for this May at Thalia Hall, marking their first stage appearance since 2020. After an immediate sell-out, they double-downed with two more shows, eventually ballooning to a residency of eight consecutive nights. The event will mark the tenth anniversary of their landmark album, Down in Heaven, and corresponding limited edition releases of the record with various extra perks like flexi discs, a special 7" single and coloring book.
While the band has been on hiatus for the better part of this decade following a forced retrenchment during COVID, diehard fans have held out hope that a return of this sort would eventually come. For a time, guitarist/vocalist Clay Frankel partnered with Chris Bailoni in Grapetooth, and fellow guitarist/vocalist Cadien Lake James re-emerged a couple of years ago with solo releases under the banner of lake j and kiwi house. His association with Stranger Things actor Joe Keery via the band Post Animal also resulted in James meeting Finn Wolfhard and introducing him to Kai Slater (Lifeguard, Sharp Pins). Their friendship led Slater to co-produce/engineer Wolfhard’s 2025 Happy Birthday album on which James also guested on a few tracks.
Wolfhard, Lifeguard and Post Animal will be among some of the chosen openers, which also includes a reformed NE-HI. On their Instagram, Twin Peaks pointed out the predominately local ties to their support acts and their desire to honor Chicago’s past, present and future music generations with the diversity of selections. Twin Peaks’ last release was the four-song Side A EP in 2020, and it was once rumored that the band had begun recording a Side B follow-up so perhaps this return will result in a launch of fresh material. While each of the eight Thalia Shows sold out promptly, Twin Peaks will be offering the 5/18 and 5/19 performances as live-streamed purchases. -Bruce Novak
UNCOVERED
Felt - Forever Breathes the Lonely Word (Creation Records LP)
It’s difficult to square the outright desire for success professed by Felt’s mastermind Lawrence Hayward with the downtrodden sentimentality of his music. Then again, the same dynamic didn’t preclude Morrissey from attaining such heights. In the same year (1986) that The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead rose to number two in the UK Albums Chart and eventually achieved Gold status thereafter, Felt’s acclaimed masterpiece, Forever Breathes the Lonely Word, barely registered a mention.
Arriving at the mid-point of Lawrence’s masterplan of releasing ten albums and ten singles over the course of a ten year career, Forever Breathes the Lonely Word is more ornate then Felt’s austere origins, building off preceding pop-oriented numbers “Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow” and “Primitive Painters.” The Television-inspired twin guitar line-up between Lawrence and Maurice Deebank gave way to the baroque keyboard tones of Martin Duffy after Deebank departed following 1985’s Ignite the Seven Cannons album.
“Rain of Crystal Spires” and “Down But Not Yet Out” open the record in uplifting fashion on the strength of Duffy’s percolating Hammond organ accompaniment, Lawrence’s ringing guitar runs and Gary Ainge’s incessant drumming. “September Lady” sounds like an addendum to Lou Reed’s 1984 New Sensations album, with a heartfelt romanticism in a rare unguarded moment. “Grey Streets” is centered around objectification as Lawrence dismisses a passing flirtation for its lack of substance. His ultimate despair kicks in with “All the People I Like Are Those That Are Dead” with an admission that “All the people I like are in the ground / It’s better to be lost than to be found.” And yet the profound statement that this album makes is a testament to the opposite—a compelling piece of work that got lost in the shuffle, but one whose rediscovery provides a much better outcome. -Bruce Novak
We recommend listening along over at our Spotify page. Here’s this week’s content: