Download Then See: The Yolks

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 18, 2012 8:40PM

The Yolks’ mix of garage punk and Sixties-style garage rock is a recipe for nostalgia—not the saudade kind of nostalgia that makes you long desperately for the past, but the kind that makes you flail your arms around in dance and spatter your beer all over the place like a human sprinkler.

This local trio (not to be confused with the French band it shares a name with) isn’t one for complex compositions. Along with a whole bunch of covers of oldies-but-goodies, the band’s original songs are mostly jangly, melodically-simple ditties of the 3-chord variety. Their self-titled album’s star track “I Do What I Do” is a model example of their fast and loose sound and mellow charm, and it comes with lyrics like “I won’t do what you want me to. I do what I do, but I don’t do it for you.”

But what we’re really digging from these guys is their most recent release, Songs The Yolks Taught Themselves Vol.1, a collection of swinging oldies covers and original tracks they had sitting around. Check out “I Don’t Mind,” which will make you want to slow dance and make out with the vocalist.

Album Download: Songs The Yolks Taught Themselves, Vol 1.

Actually, all of the material on the trio’s Bandcamp page is free to download, so take a look around and snag that shit while you can.

There are multiple opportunities to catch The Yolks live this week: they’re booked to play the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival this Friday, but first they’ll play tomorrow, Thursday night, at Logan Square’s Ultra Lounge. Tomorrow’s show also presents other stellar acts including Party Bat, Vacation Club, and Close Hits.

The Yolks play Thursday, July 19 at Ultra Lounge, 2169 N Milwaukee, 8 p.m., $5, 21+