All hail GOP! No, not the Republicans ‘mdash; experimental punk trio Grand Ole Party is way too hip for starched shirts and elephant ties. Instead, expect a liberal riot of urban plaid and anarchist activism. (Like we didn’t see that coming.) Stereotypes abound on the college circuit, especially when everything indie looks and sounds eerily alike. Take this strange fruit: A little-known GOP scored a spot on the current Yeah Yeah Yeahs tour. Awesome, except ‘mdash; one girl with pale skin, red lips, bowl-cut black hair and a Karen O wail, two backing male mates on guitar and bass ‘mdash; notice a pattern? They’re an exact copy of YYY, only less endowed with, you know, fans.
GOP’s only hope lies in Kirstin Gundred. The mini-Karen’s simultaneous singing/drumming is a show stealer for sore eyes: Timekeepers everywhere will be high-fiving percussion’s return to center stage. Though she can’t swing the mic like it’s an acrobatic lover or dive into a sweaty pit on the guitar solo, Gundred’s ceaseless shout thrashes with the best of them. ‘Love, lust, nasty/ Habits make us who we are/ Love, lust nasty/ Habits take us very far/ Underground’ trembles like a silkier, insane Gwen Stefani ‘mdash; circa No Doubt, of course.
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