by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Chicago’s Tension Pets were made for these times, their sound a whirlwind of warped technicolor punk and hyperactive noise pop. The band - Jeff Graupner (The Hecks), Davey Hart (The Christmas Bride, Wishgift), Brian Weza (Richard Album and the Singles, Jessica Risker), and Wendy Zeldin (Mandy, Pussy Foot) - no strangers to the weird world of being a DIY punk band, have been playing together for a year, developing a sound that feels akin to a comet colliding with a rainbow… only occasionally more sordid. Set to release the Cubey EP on July 11th, the band arrived delightfully weird yet locked in. Earning apt comparison to Brainiac or potentially The Rentals after a prolonged acid trip, their debut, recorded by Doug Malone captures a particular kind of synth friend brilliance that gets better with every listen.
With yesterday’s announcement of the record came lead single “On The Outside,” a song that slithers and squirms into your subconscious over warbling synths, animated effects, and an unhinged layering of insistent vocals. Sounding something like The B-52s in space, the song whips around abrasive ideas and makes them sound inherently sweet. It’s kind of magic and a great example of Tension Pet’s sunny chaos. The video, directed by the band (and including camcorder footage courtesy of Miles Kalchik), plays like a melted film strip of VHS manipulation and fun swipes and cut-outs, capturing both the energy and the joyous carnage. It’s rudimentary in the best of ways as animated creatures pop in and out between grainy footage of the band and plenty of light sensitivity inducing transitions. Check it out. Have some fun with Tension Pets.