Just over two weeks ago, Chicago grunge/rock trio Stepfather Gets Mohawk celebrated the release of Dead Cat, their second record and follow-up to the 2013 debut, Come On, Super Devil. In describing their sound, the group uses unconventional adjectives like messy, gritty, dirty, and even pure evil. They may seem like buzzwords, but each of them seems to show their face, if even for a moment, in Dead Cat‘s lead single, “Hipstergrinder”.
The track is bursting at the seams with enough distortion and energy to satisfy an entire group of rowdy teens. Right out of the gate, you’re hit hard with the group’s garage, punk, and grunge influences. The pounding instrumentation lays the perfect groundwork for the tracks almost schizophrenic vocals from the subdued growl of the verses, to the melodic chorus, and of course the howling background vocals.
Every piece of this song is bleeding fun and energy, although you may not want to find yourself singing the lyrics out loud in mixed company.
Dead Cat is out now and available for a digital download for just $5 through the group’s Bandcamp page. You can catch Stepfather Gets Mohawk live tomorrow night at Knickerbockers in Lincoln, Nebraska or Saturday night at House of Bricks in Des Moines, Iowa. Check out the group’s Facebook page for more details.