In a realization similar to my ex-wife’s, Travis Johnson concluded back in 2009 he’d made a terrible mistake and had to do something to correct it.
Johnson’s dilemma was infinitely simpler; he merely had to change the name of his band from Muggabears to the more elegant and evocative Grooms. What didn’t change was the band’s dedication to its noisy Post Rock melodicism, a visceral blend of Sonic Youth’s artisanal howl, Pavement’s accessible eccentricities and Polvo’s sharp-edged and brilliantly channeled chaos.
Johnson hadn’t avoided change with Muggabears, as the lineup was in flux during its six-year history, but with the 2009 shift to Grooms, the trio initially solidified to feature Johnson, bassist Emily Ambruso and drummer Gabriel Wurzel. Read more about the band in this week's Sound Advice.
See Grooms with A Place to Bury Strangers and Leggy Thursday at Madison Live. More info/tickets: madisontheateronline.com .
