Post Punk crew Swear Jar celebrates the release of its new long-player Cuss Saturday at the Southgate House Parlour with Pincushion and Mala In Se. Phratry Records is giving away Cuss CDs at the door with the price of admission.
Though the press release for Cuss states “most people won’t like it,” fans of old-school, underground, independent Rock and Punk will immediately get what Swear Jar is doing. While most of the songs have a spastic, wild-eyed energy, tracks like “Lonely” possess the murky, sludgy grind of later Black Flag, while the sung/shouted vocals on songs like “Old Shake” and “Narcissist Artist” are reminiscent of peak Jesus Lizard and early Butthole Surfers.
The band’s rhythm section plays a prominent role; the ropy, sometimes distorted bass lines drive everything, while the creative, convulsive drums underline and accentuate the inherent chaos the trio effortless concocts on nearly every track. That sturdy anchor and the songs’ unexpected, roundabout structures (akin, in approach, to the hectic, unpredictable roads the Minutemen paved decades ago) allow the guitars to dynamically weave in and out of the grooves, shooting sparks of gnarly ingenuity.
Go here to read Mike Breen's full Sound Advice on Swear Jar and to get show and club details.