Crossed Wires Explode

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 10, 2006 7:09PM

Buddyhead is primarily known for their gossip, penchant for releasing the cell phone numbers of Top 40 alt-rockers and mall-punks, and general railing against all bands that they think generally suck. This includes just about everyone. In the midst of all this, Buddyhead still manages to run a label and sign the occasional band that escapes their hate and ire. As one would expect, it’s a pretty small roster.

Wires On Fire made the cut, though, and it’s pretty obvious why, upon listening to their debut full-length. The band carries no pretension and suffers no fools. Their self-titles disc’s lead-off track is a heavy thumper titled “Death To Jeff Lynn.” A chorus straight from the underworld provides the backing for the twisting and tangled vocals of Evan Weiss. Guitars aren’t strummed so much as they are pounded and the drums provide a beat equal parts primal and martial. Personally our fave is “Let It Live,” a slow seether of a tune whose intro builds and builds before exploding into the aural equivalent of TNT detonating between your ears.

The band has been cutting its teeth touring and sharing the stage with (and, we assume, stealing the backstage booze of) bands like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Death From Above 1979, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Dillinger Escape Plan, the Bronx, and The Riverboat Gamblers.

Personally we hear hints of local faves The Jesus Lizard in their sound, only Wires On Fire dispels with that band’s bass heavy thump and replaces it with riffs surging forward so quickly they seem to keep stumbling over their own chords.

Wires On Fire plays with The Willowz and Chicago’s own Thunderwing at Subterranean tonight.