Modey Lemon preview

Modey Lemon
Beat Kitchen, Chicago
Friday, July 11, 2008

Pittsburgh-based (how often do you read that?) Modey Lemon used to get so rough it wouldn’t have been unexpected for frontman Phil Boyd to emerge from the crowd with a fan’s newly decapitated skull dangling by its white afro. He’d probably mock headbang with it, and then crash it into drummer Paul Quattrone’s cymbals in perfect sync.

No one’s to say it can’t still happen, but since 2003’s Thunder + Lightning (Birdman), the Lemon have gotten slightly progressive. On their last two albums, including this summer’s Season Of Sweets, a tendency to psych-rock jam (“The Peacock’s Eye,” “Ice Fields”) has pushed its way aboard, perhaps a welcome expansion on scalding garage rock, but an intrusion nonetheless. Their Moog returns to assassinate five minutes, and Sonic Youth’s Sister unearths itself as a melodic template (“Live Like Kids”). Most noticeably, however, Paul Boyd sings, whereas he used to just scream at the empty void where your head used to be. No matter the effect on the youngster’s vocal health, it has had a massive taming effect on everything they produce.

“It Made You Dumb” proves Quattrone’s kit can still quake ’til it tumbles off the riser, while “Milk Moustache” and the title track would willingly substitute blood for their confectionary title delights. But no one survived the garage rock fad to hop on the noodle wagon. Take my head — please!

Lover and Head Of Skulls open.

— Steve Forstneger

Click here to download “Milk Moustache.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly