!!! Hit the Bottom Lounge

By Sarah Cobarrubias in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 28, 2010 5:20PM

While the guys from !!! explain that their peculiar band name can be pronounced by repeating any monosyllabic sound three times, they choose to pronounce it ‘Chk Chk Chk,’ taking inspiration from the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, which represents the clicking sound of the Ju/'hoansi bushmen’s Khoisan language with “!”. The band came together in ’96 in Sacramento and has since been developing its own blend of disco, punk, and rock, holding strong after the recent loss of members John Pugh, Justin Van Der Volgen, and Tyler Pope to other bands, as well as the loss of drummer Jerry Fuchs, who fell to his death down an elevator shaft November of last year.

Despite its run of bad luck, the band kept focused on their music, writing new material for their recently-released full-length album, Strange Weather, Isn’t It? A follow-up to the 2007 LP Myth Takes, the new album leans more toward psychedelic rhythms than the vigorous, punk-soaked dance beats of its predecessor. But despite Strange Weather’s mellowed-out vibe, its sound still maintains the danceable vigor that !!! is known for, particularly with tracks like “Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass,” “The Hammer,” and (our favorite) “Steady As the Sidewalk Cracks,” which incorporates jazz instrumental and Afrofunk into a jangly pop tune.

!!! are currently on tour in support of the new album, and will be making a stop at the Bottom Lounge tomorrow night. Also performing will be L.A.-based indie pop group Fol Chen and local DJ Mother Hubbard. After the show, you can head over to Beauty Bar and dance it up at Leather Disco, featuring a DJ set by !!!, as well as sets by resident DJs Jeremy Chrome of Clique Talk and Ross Kelly of Brilliant Pebbles.

!!! play Wednesday, September 29 at the Bottom Lounge, 1375 W Lake, 9 p.m., $18, 17+