No guitars. No frills. No two ways about it, Foul Tip’s “Madness” makes for a solid debut.
Throbbing two-piece punk duo Foul Tip unleashed a bulldozer of a performance on the crowd earlier this month at The Empty Bottle during the Maximum Pelt Records showcase. The gig served as a release party for their split 7″ with Pelt-mates Lil Tits; a slab of wax that features just over two minutes of Foul Tip’s brand of brooding, bass-driven grunge.
“Madness” thumps open with astounding momentum, as if drummer Ed Bornstein and bassist Adam Luksetich had been jamming on the core riff for an hour or so before someone remembered to press “record.” Luckily for us, someone did capture the song, which bounces repetitiously before tearing itself apart in a delightfully buzzy, sludgy tantrum of a chorus.
Whereas whittling a band down to just drum and bass might strip the color off of most acts, Foul Tip are a fascinating example of what happens when a song is all muscle and bones. The band’s 2013 digital release, Heaven Now, hinted at the duo’s potential, but this new recording finds the band a bit more focused, and a bit nastier. Here’s to hoping there’s even more of that to come from Foul Tip down the road.
The Madness 7″ is limited to 300 copies and is available via the Maximum Pelt Online Store, or at your local Foul Tip live show. The band next plays on Saturday, December 13th at Cole’s Bar in Chicago.