Cloudy with a chance of punk rock: Overnight Lows live in L.A.
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The fine state of Mississippi has a musical heritage as wide and deep as the indolent muddy river it takes its name from. We can thank the 20th state for giving us legendary artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Charles Feathers, Conway Twitty, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley, to name a tiny smidgen of the blues-, jazz- and country-soaked talent that has gone on to captivate the world. Less well known is Mississippi’s punk rock heritage, but thanks to the good folks at Memphis, Tenn.’s Goner Records, that may be changing.
One of the label’s newest signees, Jackson’s Overnight Lows, is currently in the midst of a rigorous U.S. tour, which will land them for two nights running in our very own Southland. It’s a rare chance to get an up close and personal view of the new wave of Southern-fried garage rock ‘n’ roll that has been boiling over in recent years in the form of Jack-O & the Tennessee Tearjerkers, King Louie’s Missing Monuments and, of course, the late, great Jay Reatard. Overnight Lows have carved out their own personal brand of to-the-point punk rock, distinguished by blazing guitar riffs, shouted vocals and a pugnacious, sweaty charm that storms through the door and back window in three minutes or less (typically, more like one minute and 20 seconds).
Band leaders and singers Marsh and Daphne Nabors, also on guitar and bass respectively, are joined by multi-tasking New Orleans chef Paul Artigues (who reportedly once wowed Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network’s ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,’ with his boudin-andouille hash) on the skins. On the band’s debut long-player, ‘City of Rotten Eyes,’ foot-stomping songs like ‘Eyesore,’ ‘Lipstick Burn’ and ‘Static Scars’ create a tumultuous, decadent and slam-danceable sonic portrait of our troubled world.
-- Jason Gelt
Check out ‘Lipstick Burn,’ below.
Overnight Lows at Harold’s Place, 1908 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, Friday at 10 p.m., and at Redwood Bar & Grill, 316 W. 2nd. St., downtown, Saturday at 10 p.m.