Austin Sound

The inadequate nature of my knowledge and exposure to punk becomes very apparent every time I spin Manikin’s latest release, Stop the Sirens. When I hear it, my head snaps back and forth and the chaotic pulse of Manikin steers me into what can only be described as a punk coma. I drool, my arms go numb, and then I get up again to flip the record. The allure of Manikin lies somewhere in their panache for necessity. They color completely within the lines of their minimal three-piece outfit. The music only diverges at moments, particularly when the horn sounds dissonant and fluttering in and out of texture. The rest is secured in a tapestry of bass and drum heavy, racing, general-sense-of-doom punk rock.

You run a certain risk when taking the “indie-pop” route to making music. A good album requires inherently catchy tunes with fairly unique sound. On their second album, Pardon Me, Are Those Your Claws On My Back, the Faceless Werewolves walk the line between good indie pop and just plain boring. For the most part, the local trio is largely successful, but the album does cover the entire range of “catchy” to “skip!” in a quick 36 minutes. At the risk of sounding a bit “pitchforky” here, isn’t that the state of indie music today? A fine line between catchy, interesting and fun, and boring, weird and annoying?

Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about the “sound” of the album. I’ll just lay it on you: it sounds great. Usually a band’s first few records are a challenge to listen to: can you mine the good music out of a terrible recording? But the Werewolves have a stunningly great sound for their second album, thanks in part to local studio The Bubble.

The Faceless Werewolves’ album Medium Freaky gets one ball of acrylic yarn in the newly devised “36th Chamber Kung-Fu Knitting Scale.” The reason is simple: While the Faceless Werewolves have all the right tools, they have not offered listeners 1) anything novel or 2) anything old done in an exceptional way. However, albums are crossroads for bands and there is significant value in talking about why they should seriously consider gettin’ nekkid.

First, meet the band: Erica Barton, drums and vocals; Kelsey Wickliffe, guitar and vocals; and Baldomero Valdez, guitar and vocals. The band transplanted from Denton in 2005, but have been working together since 2001. Medium Freaky is their sophomore effort, assuming you count a 2003 self-titled release from the Already Gone label. Medium Freaky has been lovingly described as “full of garage-pop nuggets exploding into crunchy noise” in the Statemen and “maximum rock & roll,” by the Chronicle. I also hear that they’re an exceptionally nice group of folks. That being said, this is where we get Down To Business. If you’re scared, feel free to hold hands with someone nearby.