New Music Tuesday: Sharkmuffin are more than just the tops

I have to start this post by apologizing for doing everything I could to turn the title of it into some sort of play on words having to do with muffins. I didn’t even Google to see if it had already been done 1,000 times. Let’s just assume it hasn’t so I can feel better about myself as a writer, and as a person.

As a writer of various music things on the internet, I get sent a lot of stuff to check out. Sometimes it will take me about a week to process what I’m sent because the name of the band sounds not nice, or I have menstrual cramps, or I’m busy, or busy being not busy, etc. But then other times I’ll get sent something and mere minutes after receiving it I’m like “YES! YES! ONE MILLION TIMES YES!” This was one of those times.

Sharkmuffin (seriously, best name for so many reasons) was introduced to me via their publicist and sold using only the following sentence:

“Check out these babes. Patty from Hole plays drums. Tarra in the band works at Brooklyn Bowl.”

The Brooklyn based band’s Facebook page lists a long line-up of alternating band members but the current line-up is: Tarra Thiessen (vocals/guitar/theremin/pocket piano),  Natalie Kirch (bass/vocals), and Sharif Mekawy (drums.) Patty Schemel (Upset/Death Valley Girls/ex-Hole) took former full-time drummer, Janet LaBelle’s place behind the drums after LaBelle suffered an arm injury, and she is featured on all ten tracks of their upcoming debut album, Chartreuse, which is being released on vinyl via State Capitol, and digitally via Little Dickman Records on August 7th.

Here’s “First Date” off of their upcoming debut full-length:

Lasting only a minute and some change, “First Date” turns listeners into a sweaty lava lamp of excitement. Starting at the toes, bouncing around some rib bones, and then settling up at the curve of the skull in a satisfied blob. Like a muffin! Like a muffin blob! (I’m gonna keep trying to make “muffin” happen.)

Sticking with the standard thing that happens in these posts where I ask a random question and then try to make the whole post have something to do with that question, I asked the band the following:

“I can personally definitely play drums. I don’t own a drum kit, but I KNOW that I can play drums. Anytime a friend of mine tells another friend about how I think I can play drums, it’s said in this way like it’s supposed to be a big joke. So my question for you is, describe the last time you felt the need to prove to someone, either verbally or otherwise, that you can do something.”

They didn’t get back to me with an answer in time, so let’s just assume their collective answer would have been: “Muffins.”

Sharkmuffin have quite a few shows coming up and you can keep track of those  HERE.

 

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required)

Email (will not be published) (required)

Website

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail