!!!, (pronounced chk, chk, chk)
!!!, (pronounced chk, chk, chk,) have been making infectiously dancey, indie pop since the late 90’s. They are an amalgamation of several fairly eclectic bands originating from Sacramento, California. !!! were initially signed to the experimental, punk label Gold Standard Laboratories, which was co-owned by Omar Rodriguez Lopez of the Mars Volta. Although both bands have little in common on the surface, they share a common goal in experimenting with sounds and concepts in their work. While !!! owe more to the slinky bass lines and funky guitar licks of Niles Rogers in Chic, and Bootsy Collins in Parliament, than they do to the punk crowd, add in a dash of idle rock, and watch a million hipsters swoon to the sounds of booty shaking dance pop. The line-up has seen some changes over the last 20 years, but the sounds have stayed consistently solid and the output of the band with the seemingly unpronounceable name has stayed unfailingly funky.
!!! are touring for their latest foray into booty shaking, indie punk, As If. It was lauded byExclaim! magazine as, “one of the most enjoyable, if schizophrenic, dance albums of the year.”
Which pretty much sums up a band who is used to taking genres and blurring the lines in order to craft music worthy of club goers and indie loving hipsters, respectively. The band, which splits their time these days between Brooklyn, New York, and Sacramento, California, have 4 dates in our fair state; one of which is at Gramps in Miami. Strangely, (and in an awesome turn of events) !!! are opening for themselves with their side project, Stereolad. This side project is a tribute to the influential English band, Stereolab, and brings a krautrock feel to the festivities.
No matter your preference for dance pop or krautrock, there is sure to be something for everyone who likes to cut loose at Gramps when !!! roll into town. Are you ready to leave some scuffs on the dance floor? You better be!
!!!, (pronounced chk, chk, chk,) and Stereolad play Gramps: 176 NW 24th Street, 33127, Miami, FL, US (305) 699-2669 on Wednesday, May 25th. Tickets range from $15 – $18 and the show starts around 10pm. RSVP
~ Tim Moffatt
