Punk's Undead

Why go with friends when you can leave with them?

I’ve always sought out bills I know nothing about from venues and bookers I know have good taste. If you go see something new, there’s a high likelihood you’ll add to your ever-growing list of art you like. Berlin (the venue, not the city) is often a place that upholds this habit for me. I’ve seen great shows there.

Their recent triad was no exception. Psincerity (NYC) and Discreet Charms (NYC) opened for Memo PST (LA) recently there. Having never heard of any of them, I threw on my newest vest, an excessive number of belts, made sure my eyeliner made Divine proud, and left to check them out.

Psincerity is more proto-punk in their sound than punk, but deserve an honorable mention as they are what I’d expect Flowered Up to sound like if Lou Reed joined them in an alternate universe. They inject a wonderful humor into some of their songs. Think of the cheekiness of “Tonight (I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight)”.

Discreet Charms was amazing. I had the pleasure of chatting to Nate before the show. He was saying something nerdy about niche punk bands, which is the fastest way to get me to talk excitedly for at least an hour. He clearly has a love of the scene and has been at the craft for a long time. The whole band is really cohesive and has a genuinely unique style to them. I caught a bass riff from Nate at one point that sounded just like the bass and chord progression from “Cold City” by Spizzenergi (which set me off on a whole new nerdy ramble with another new friend from the evening). The best way to describe it would be a much more experimentally punk Pixies. I never compare bands to do them a disservice to their individuality, rather to try and place them on a spectrum for others, but even saying that makes me feel like I’m under-selling them a bit. Their rhythm guitarist is exceptional and has a great ear for noise composition. You know when Bauhaus would get a little experimental in their guitar ambiance? Kind of like in “Lagartija Nick” or “Dark Entries”? It has the same compositional awareness while being elevated from that simplicity to a more hardcore/noise punk intention. The high pitched jangle of the guitar provides a nice texture to the overall effect and reminds me of the instrumentals in “Mother Earth” from Crass. If you get the chance to see them live, I recommend you take it!

Memo PST didn’t disappoint. I hate to make the comparison as someone who isn’t a fan of the Sex Pistols, but they do have quite a vocal similarity to that style of punk. The guitarist seems to have a lot of rockabilly influence and the rhythm section is super solid driving the energy of the 4 member ensemble. The drummer in particular is a really powerful addition. Their drummer is a very clean musician with a comfort for variations on square, walking beats gilded with accent cymbals and quick tom textures. Not overly complex, the musical parts are very legible and play with each other in a very balanced way–each instrument gets a moment to shine–which is altogether unusual for a rough, hard(ish)core group. Their vocalist is an excellent performer and draws a controlled attention that contrasts the rest of the band. Don’t expect the antics of Ian MacKaye, rather anticipate the same high energy of Ari Up during her 70s performances. Not quite streetpunk or classic altogether, I find they sit somewhere in between. More art brut than complex and reminiscent of a lot of the punk pathetique (think Peter and the Test Tube Babies) with a west coast vibe. Their recordings are less legible than their live performance, so I hope you get a chance to see them live.