Pictured: Arks. No funny caption, just the 2nd best shirt ever.
Arks are a Chicago band that according to it’s website are catagorized as “punk” first and “rock” second. I’m not sure that’s a completely accurate assessment, but it’s a good starting point. Like most punk, these guys use distortion, after that it gets a bit different. These guys play “real” chords, they seem to care less about things like graffiti, peeing in 40 ouncer bottles, and cutting their hair in interesting fashions.
Arks album, “The International” is more of a shoegaze record with attitude. There’s all the far out guitar work, the groaned vocals, and the, well gazing at your shoes that you’ve come to expect from the genre, but it doesn’t end there. Arks know when to put the pedal down, when their drummer should drive the tempo, and when they should talk-sing. Not like the guy from Cake, better than that.
The first time listening to “People’s Monument” it sort of reminded me if Chris Martin and Alan Sparhawk started a weirdy punk shoe-gaze band. It sort of sputters, starts and stops, until the chorus where the bass player takes the lead and lays down one of the best bass lines since “Good” by Better Than Ezra. Yeah, that good. Try learning THIS one in 7th grade with your uncle’s old tube amp.
Post a Comment