by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Philadelphia's Ramp Local has developed an impressive roster of artists with a focus on experimental art. Their bands are blending outsider pop and dissonant punk, bridging the gap between the two with a deranged brilliance and disregard for conventional structures. Perhaps no other act exemplifies this better than Old Maybe. The trio of Jazz Adam, Nina Ryser (Palberta) and Ricardo Balmaseda, play with the deconstructed, disoriented, and unpredictable nature of perception, contorting reality to its strangest form. Mixing elements of no-wave, twee, and post-punk grooves, Old Maybe offer the perfect balance between jittery and primal. Piggity Pink, the band's sophomore EP (due out on April 14th via Ramp Local), is both strange and joyous, built around themes of "pigs, pink, purple, Scientology, self-hate, forced femininity, lethargy, and the sub/dom dynamics that appear in relationships". It's weird, and unique, but more than anything else, it's irresistibly charming.
"Pink Pigging," the record's first single is swarming with detached chord progressions and gnarled rhythms, sounding something like the microwaved spawn of Palm, Palberta, and Cate le Bon. With jagged turns and passionate yelps around every corner, Old Maybe stumble into form, jerking back and forth with stabs of guitar, wacky arrangements, and slurred vocals. Similar to a fairy tale after a healthy dose of acid, "Pink Pigging" embraces the bizarre with a racing pulse, warping tempos, and an eager desire to push its disjointed sound as far as it will bend. As the song comes to a close amid a flurry of unsettling oinking sounds, it's clear that Old Maybe are simply having fun; creating dynamic art-punk without taking themselves too seriously.
Old Maybe's Piggity Pink is out April 14th via Ramp Local.
Upcoming Shows:
3/30 - Philadelphia, PA @ the Pharmacy w/ New Fries, Ursula & Chaser
3/31 - Brooklyn, NY @ Sunnyvale w/ New Fries, Ursula & Pill
4/01 - Boston, MA @ Black Lodge w/ Ursula, Evil Sword & Peach Ring
4/02 - Hampshire College w/ New Fries, Bromp Treb & Krichter lite
4/03 - Bard College w/ New Fries