Women Bring Public Strain To Schubas

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 21, 2010 4:40PM

The deceptively-titled foursome Women is actually composed of all guys, all long-time friends hailing from Calgary, Canada who come together to deliver their own brand of lo-fi post-punk/psych-rock. They made a name for themselves in 2008 with the release of their self-titled debut album, which had music bloggers worldwide mustering up comparisons to both Velvet Underground and the Zombies. And now two years and 200+ live performances later, Women will release their sophomore album, Public Strain.

While their debut showed them embracing experimental noise drenched in distortion and fuzz and mixing it with traces of melodic pop, Public Strain shows them leaning away from the noise aesthetic and closer to the melodic. It’s still, however, as unpredictable as its predecessor, weaving through a spectrum of moods, from the abrasive noise of opener “Can’t You See” through to the catchy hooks and buoyant melodies of the album’s lengthy, though stunning closer "Eyesore," which itself changes structure throughout.

In support of Public Strain, Women will be making a stop at Schubas this Monday. While the album was released in Europe August 23, its U.S. release date isn’t until September 28 (the day after their Schubas show), but we're hoping the band will be selling copies a few hours early for its Chicago fans. Also playing are Canadian experimental indie five-piece dd/mm/yyyy and local favorite Netherfriends.

MP3: Women "Eyesore"

Women performs September 27 at Schubas, 3159 N Southport, 8 p.m., $10 in advance or $12 at the door, 18+