September 18, 2008

Headache City

Here’s a band I have never seen and know relatively little about. However, their music rocks my goddamn balls. This site is therefore incomplete without a plug.

They are called Headache City and they hail from Chicago. During my grand Illinois trip last year, my pal Melissa (who currently grooms the future Midwest rock ‘n’ roll hotties and poets of the coming decade through her Chicago little girls’ rock camp) loaned me their full-length self-titled CD. You know what happened next (hint: it involves my goddamn balls – see above).

The Headache City sound is a little bit garage and a little bit punk, but instead of the chaos or potential blandness of the latter they have substituted a steady pounding authority. It’s simple, catchy and unusual, yet there’s room for lots of variation. Could I get any more vague? Put it this way: Having never attended their gigs, I picture a few of their fans twirling like Ecstasy-addled hippies at a rave and still others solemnly headbanging like the crowd at an Emperor show. Anyway, it’s all real hooky and very fun, even during midtempo bum trips like “Tearjerker.” If you ask me, the band’s namesake song is the hit side – a hard charging, infectious, straight-down-the-middle anthem.

The City currently consists of Mike Fitzpatrick (guitar, bass, vox), Dave Head (bass, vox, guitar) and Lisa Roe (drums, vox). The player of groovy synth on the album is Norah who also runs the label Shit Sandwich upon which the full-length was released (as well as some of their singles). Norah is apparently no longer in the band… my sources can’t tell me when or why… so I think they’re a three-way now. Go hit the MySpace if you want more, better info.

Two of HC’s members (Lisa and Mike) also play in the fierce farfisa group Cococoma who are quite punishing on the aforementioned balls as well. They have a new-ish LP out on Goner Records, one of our favorite labels.

So that’s it. And now, if after skimming the previous text, you actually want to download these songs and listen to this fine, fine band, perhaps even purchase their records and “support” the “scene,” then I have succeeded in my mission. Hooray for public relations!

p.s. All photos shamelessly stolen from the band website and defaced by me.

Headache City – “Headache City”

Headache City – “Ha Ha”

Headache City – “Tearjerker”

Headache City – “Down the Drain”

Rick at 12:35 am

1 CommentÈ

I love that Cococoma album but hadn’t heard this band until now. Thanks. And thanks for starting up Toestubber again.

Comment by Squeaky Ñ November 1, 2008 @ 8:06 pm