"Proud Parents," 2018.
Madison garage-pop wunderkinds Proud Parents are back with their second album, a self-titled disc chock full of heartfelt, twangy and clangy gems. And rather than just a limited tape release for those of us who still cling to physical music formats like Gollum and the Ring, this time around an LP appeared in local stores on June 22. (For those keeping track, along with the prior tape/digital-only Sharon is Karen album there are also two tape-only releases of live shows out there.) Proud Parents also marks the first release from a Madison band by Dirtnap Records, the excellent independent punk rock label that relocated to Madtown last summer.
Proud Parents started a few years back when friends and local punk band members Claire Nelson-Lifson and Tyler Fassnacht started working on some songs together; soon drummer Heather Sawyer, also a songwriter, got involved. The Proud Parents disc marks the recorded debut of the band’s new lineup, with Maggie Denman taking over on bass for Alex Seraphin.
Over the years, the band’s sound has landed in a somewhat unusual area: between harder garage punk and jangle pop. That’s partly because the members have mastered both approaches in Proud Parents and various other bands. At live shows, Proud Parents can come across as tough and frenzied, and also a tad more laid back and emphasizing the catchiness. The Proud Parents album leans toward that lower-volume end of their sound, which allows the songs to really shine. A perfect example is “Baby,” a song that has consistently remained stuck in my head after seeing it played at shows. There’s a glockenspiel part, which adds some extra pop to the song, and you can really hear the harmonized guitar parts during the solo as well. The song “Proud Parents” itself is even presented in two wildly different versions bookending the album, including a hazy countrified take to close it out.
Three singer-songwriters in a band can sometimes lead to a scattershot approach, but that has not been the case for Proud Parents. Their songwriting approaches may differ, but after playing together for a few years there has been enough cross-pollination between the members that it all comes together as a unified whole. Also, rather than each writer just singing his or her own songs (the typical approach for most bands with multiple writers), the three sometimes trade off who’s singing lead. That becomes a hook of its own for a band whose writing was already full of earworms.
Proud Parents will spend a good chunk of July out on the road, heading south and east before swinging back up to the Midwest, including a record release party at the Crystal Corner Bar on July 20. Also on the bill are Xetas, Gender Confetti and Fire Heads (which also features Tyler Fassnacht). (Dirtnap ZZZ-154, 2018)
2018 7-inch releases from Kitchy Spirit: Trash Knife/Dumb Vision split and No Question.
In other local label-related news, Kitschy Manitou has morphed into Kitschy Spirit. And there are some new 7-inch releases for Madison music followers to track down. July 13 brings a release show at Art In for Madison’s Dumb Vision, featured on a split release with Philadelphia punks Trash Knife. It’s a fun double-sider, with three songs by each band. Dumb Vision is a punk supergroup of sorts including members of Dharma Dogs, Wood Chickens and Fire Heads. Their three songs are quick and catchy bangers that get stuck in one’s head after a few spins. Trash Knife’s side sounds as if it’s a live practice space recording of the two mics hanging from the ceiling variety (a plus when done well), which gives it an absolutely furious edge appropriate for their careening songs.
Also released recently is a 10-song, 33 RPM EP by hardcore outfit No Question (the EP emerged at their June show opening for Negative Approach). Lead screamer Lauden Nute’s demonic vocals and the band’s shifting-tempo songs make for a more than solid release. Judging by the sleeve, this one is a co-release by Kitschy Spirit along with several other labels.
On the horizon for Kitschy are a couple yet-to-be-announced LPs, the label’s first releases in the format. And also keep an eye out for Dumb Vision’s forthcoming Modern Things LP on Big Neck Records.
