Saturday night in Memphis at Murphy's, Omaha's pop princes the Box Elders are rolling into town to join the Overnight Lows and hometown heathens True Sons of Thunder for a skull-cracking good time. Box Elders are out on the second swipe of their US tour and with the strength of such an impressive 7" EP behind them, it's causing their growing legions of fans to snowball, and with good reason. As their 'Cave Pop' formula is a refreshing take on modern vocal melodics, Box Elders come from a strong lineage of underground fanaticism, and coupled with a double-sibling front man setup from the McIntyre brothers, it's exactly what your mid-period Redd Kross-jonesing bones are needing. And if you haven't had a chance to witness Dave (from the Terminals) on drums and keyboard simultaneously, it's quite the spectacle to behold. With their debut record as their solid piece of enduring promise tucked under their arms to guide them into the golden kingdom, keep an eye on Box Elders to continue their majestic pop mission and to win over people by the boatload on the last leg of their tour this weekend. Check out their all-female fan page HERE, and check them out on the first night of the 3-Day Victim of Time SNOOOOZE FEST next month in Chicago on July 18th, as well.
If you think Overnight Lows are anything to scoff about, then you're dead wrong and you probably have your pants on backwards. For the past few years, they've been one of the best bands in the state of Mississippi, yet sadly with less fanfare than some of the most obscure bedroom recording projects you hear popping up on daily basis. Centered around core members Marsh and Daphne from the 90s band The Comas, Overnight Lows had one of the best songs on the Gonerfest II DVD and should be huge, yet they remain content toiling in the shadows. With still no official releases available, it's long overdue that these scalawags find comfort inside of a bucket of fried chicken and devastate the evening with their scathing punk noise. Check 'em out and buy Marsh a beer for us before he gets choked by one of the local law enforcement officers again.
Revving up the evening is the dirge-drenched Memphis super-group True Sons of Thunder, who employ a cavalcade of River City luminaries, including Eric Oblivian, and roll back the melodic preferences in exchange for a mind-bending noise racket that blends Flipper-style pummeling with a demonically loose metallic bludgeoning. Sounding more like a party than a band, TSOT are not fucking around on stage and their angry bleats of guttural dissatisfaction suggest that they're at the end of their moral ropes. And as good times go, you can count on TSOT to offer belligerence in favor over dignity, and it's what keeps this Memphis institution in such high spirits all year round as they smack that smirk right off your face just for their own amusement. Check 'em out early, and don't be late to Murphy's on Saturday night.
Check out a video clip of Box Elder's "Hole In My Head" courtesy of Timpala44, right here...
