11-01-2013

Munchin' Girls

The UK indie/punk rock/emo scene is booming with talent and I'd like to live there sometimes. Today in my mailbox: yet another proof of that fact.
Muncie Girls' Revolution Summer EP was chilling on our porch and I was really glad. Now it's chilling on my turntable and I'm really glad it's doing that.

Muncie Girls - Revolution Summer (Specialist Subject Records, 2012)

1. Feel It Soon
2. Kasper And Randow
3. Bum Chicago
4. Revolution Summer
5. Railroad



 So, this record came out in September last year. It's their 2nd EP. Or first one if you distinguish demos and EPs as different things. That's kind of a difficult subject (a specialist subject, perhaps! (see what I did there?)). Let's say it's their second 'release', at least I think so. It has amazing artwork and a limited press of the vinyl has a Scrabble template screen-printed on the B-side. That's sold out, though, I think. Doesn't matter, either way it's a pretty package full of surprises.
I didn't really listen to Muncie Girls actively before this LP arrived on my doorstep. It was more of a "whoa, cool"  and "let's instantly buy the shit out of this" situation. Good for the music aficionado in me, not so good for the financial worrier inside me.
Anyway, it's spinning and I'm happy now so that's what's important.
Revolution Summer is an indie/punk rock record extraordinaire. It releases soothing sounds that dance on a the thin line between catchy pop punk and innovative and danceable indie rock. Basically like Weezer. I think? I'm so unsure of a lot of things, still, but I think Weezer is a good reference. Other similar artists include Cheap Girls and Good Luck. Yeah.
The songs are not too far-fetched but they're well-crafted and original. Catchy choruses, great guitar hooks, climactic intros and verses, it's all there. But next to that, there's a world full of interesting riffs, bass lines and drum fills. The "whoa"-part in Kasper And Randow, for example, which includes hand claps and all that jazz, that's something that sparks my smiley sense.
This whole record, though thematically not necssarily positive, seems created with the intention to make people smile. It's upbeat, steady and frivolous. Bum Chicago has this sublime break/outro with a cool drum pattern, completed by this boogy-worthy bass line and a high-pitched solo and it's just makes you go all stupid and ":)". Lyrically though, it's not really positive but it does have an optimistic message (that's open for interpretation of course) and I like that. For example, "Don't hesitate, it'll never put you forward" (from Revolution Summer) could very well inspire you to stop hesitating. Like, now! Not only do the Muncie Girls wanna create an environment of musical joy and semi-poetry, but they also have a message ready for you to read between the lines, or even simply on the lines. The lyrics are not cryptic or anything, but just how I like them: relevant, slightly metaphoric and clearly worded. And it has lots of "whoa"s, which makes this record instantly a lot better than records that do not have "whoa"s. Write that down, "whoa"less bands!
As I'm writing this very sentence, I'm up to my third time listening, and Railroad is definitely the track that sticks around the easiest, and stands out as a hit song or something. It's a rad tune, catchy, it had a super cool intro and outro/bridge and the lyrics/singing is really nice. The singer (Lande, if I'm not mistaken) has a really bright and powerful voice, very enjoyable. When she gets into the chorus of Railroad I just wish she'd never stop. Ever. Well, maybe some time after all. Also, Railroad has a videoclip, and it's cool!
Revolution Summer, although it is the title track and it's a good one, it doesn't stick to the mind as fast as the other ones do. Maybe that's not the point, that's up to them, I'm just putting it out there.

Anyway, I bought the shit out of this EP and now I'm listening and enjoying the shit out of it.
Something you might wanna consider doing.
Know what I mean?
And if you're like "Every inch of me doesn't know if this is right", well then, just "suck it up and give it a try."

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