Minnesota:
Red Pens
CITY: Minneapolis
SONG THAT GOT US: "Weekdays [mp3]"
ON THE TUBES: MySpace
RECORD LABEL: Unsigned
WHY THEM? Appropriately sobriquetted, the Minneapolis two-piece Red Pens are like a point-by-point correction of the still-burgeoning revival of early-’90s lo-fi aesthetics — or lack thereof. Call us old-fashioned, but fuck: the Pens’ combination of soupy Goo guitars, plunging nosedives of noise, sing-songy Yo La vocal melodies, and bright sheets of shimmering noise (cassette hiss — is that you?!) is just about perfect. Does it sound a little familiar here and there? A Bee Thousand times yes, but isn’t that kind of the point: figuring out what made us all stop rocking this truly?
BONUS BIT! Astute indie-pop dweebs of a certain age may recognize guitarist/singer Howard W. Hamilton III as the man behind beloved bedroom-electro magnate Busy Signals.
