A Place To Bury Strangers

Onwards to the Wall EP (Dead Oceans)

Like a strawberry cupcake covered in Szechuan pepper, A Place To Bury Strangers finds the sweet spot by ripping its way through in Onwards to the Wall. The NYC troop endeavors to be inviting on this five-song EP, mixing thrusting bass and reverbed-to-hell vocals above the sheets of distorted guitar – but the effort is minimal enough that die-hards won’t bitch. Even the pop-wise title duet with Moon’s Alanna Nuala bristles with tension. Besides, the explosive climax of “I Lost You” and sonic corrosion suffusing “Drill It Up” leave no doubt that APTBS believes chaos is the best place to find grace. (Sat., 11pm, Spider House 29th St. Ballroom.)

***

This article appears in June 1 • 2012.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.