Shesus
Loves You… Loves You Not
Narnack
Shesus is a group of ladies (and one gentleman) who create angular, jangly post punk in the same vein as early-‘90s riot grrl bands like Slant 6, Autoclave and Bratmobile. They’re from the lovely state of Ohio, and include former members of Guided By Voices and the long-missed Brainiac. It’s fun to hear the hints of Brainiac in Shesus’s music, in the form of the bizarre guitar lines and spaced out effects (for those who grew up in Ohio in the early ’90s, Brainiac surely holds a special place in your heart).
Loves You… Loves You Not is some pretty snotty post punk stuff that, at times, sounds kind of like garage rock. The guitars are really weird, overdriven and are often played with bizarre effects. The melodies they put together are strange (in a Sonic Youth kind of way), but they match the rest of the music. The bass guitar is also overdriven, giving that warm ringy tone often found in indie rock records. Singer Heather Newkirk really reminds me of the lead vocalist from Delta Dart as well as Christina Billote from Slant 6 (one of my all time favorite bands). She can sing, she can scream, and she’s got loads of attitude.
In 2003, this record sounds out of place, but in a good way. I’m glad that this genre of post punk hasn’t been forgotten by everyone.
Narnack Records: http://www.narnackrecords.com/
