Key Tracks: “Dirtbag,” “Night Time”
In an era where AI is beginning to dominate our daily lives via attrition, art is becoming increasingly sanitized, and minorities are getting ever more stifled, it becomes important to seek out the oddball art. And it’s out there, everywhere, waiting to be found. Today’s transmission comes to us from Missoula, Montana, where the throwback garage band Minot have just released their sophomore album, Down & Out at the Thunderbird. The trio consists of Alex on guitar, Flora on bass and Noah on drums, with Alex and Flora sharing vocal duties.
The music made by Minot is somewhat simple on paper, akin to a rockabilly revival or even psychobilly, but in reality it can be difficult to pin down. There’s some garage rock in there, some folk-punk, some indie rock, and all with messy DIY spirit. This is crunchy, grungy music, like a hotel room left in much worse shape than it was found in. The promo images for Minot show all three members in bandages, something that might be genuine – multiple live videos on the band’s social media show members sporting some crimson on their faces. There is serious scrappy energy here, a ton of punk energy strapped to some garage indie.
Thunderbird starts with a bang – a quick little scream from Flora leads to a supremely jangly guitar rhythm before the band kicks in on “Scarecrow.” It immediately sets the lo-fi tone that never strays across the album. The album’s opening lyric, “Her breath smelled like corn,” only adds to the grunginess as well. The first few cuts on the album all have that musty punk sense to them, some quick bangers with tons of spunk. The first quarter of the album really builds to the third song, “Dirtbag,” the first on the album that features shared vocals. The follow-up, “Hipshake,” falls much more into garage rock territory with a subtle but neat little synth pattern.
Most of Thunderbird is difficult to pin down. After the whiplash opening tracks, the band explores some much older territory. While much of the album sounds influenced by 60’s rock, “Night Time” sounds like a cut directly from the era. Early garage rock acts like Count Five and The Association feel like they were probably an influence on these tunes, especially that one. “Cry, Cry, Cry” takes things even further back, invoking a 50’s rockabilly style that isn’t exactly common among the youth today. It’s got that patient rhythm that feels dressed up because of the time, but ready to let loose at a moment’s notice. Possibly the biggest outlier on the album is the excellent closer, “Slime.” It’s more of an indie tune, with some slightly louder mixing, and it has emotional spoken word vocals from both singers. It’s an emotionally affective song, especially after 30 odd minutes of lo-fi punk snark.
Minot scratch an itch that not too many newer bands these days are capable of. The band hearkens back to mid-60’s garage rock in a way that is increasingly rare. While artists like Ty Segall and Jon Dwyer and their respective universes take heavy inspiration from that era, few bands really capture the dirty, lo-fi spirit. Minot have it in waves. The sparse production and noodly instrumentation transport the listener to the time between sock hops and acid trips. Toss in punk energy and a touch of folk, and you’ve got a rollicking good time.
