On Friday the 13th, I did not have an unlucky day. In fact, thanks to Times New Viking, it was quite a pleasant one. As I arrived at Bottom of the Hill, profoundly-named Psychedelic Horseshit was taking the stage. This punky threesome serenaded the crowd with 90s-era rock that was rigid, jerky, and rough around the edges. Psychedelic Horseshit set the DIY stage with a cardboard Budweiser box mic’ed up to serve as the bass drum. Next in line was the spectacle Hank IV. This band is fronted by a pissed off, raucous, 16-year-old punk who just so happens to be stuck in a drunk, overweight, middle-aged, awkward man’s body. Their no-nonsense punk reminded me slightly of The Clash but a lot more painful to watch. Even the other band members seemed embarrassed to be on stage with the frontman who seemed possessed by an awkwardly-sexual dance demon. The music was decent, but few in attendance seemed able to get past Hank IV’s uncomfortable presence. Finally, Times New Viking took the stage. After a few technical difficulties, the trio collided into their short bursts of lo-fi pop treats. The male-female vocals of drummer Adam Elliott and keyboardist Beth Murphy create a sound that is a-little-too-sweet-to-be-punk, but a-little-too-tough-to-be-pop. Layer on top some Pavement or Guided By Voices-style scratchy, lo-fi noise, throw in a little art-rock, and you’ll have a pretty good estimate of Times New Viking. Most of the bands songs from their debut album, Rip It Off are catchy and unexplainably summery. Maybe it’s the carefree-yet-fuck-you vibe that you can’t help but associate with sneaking out on a summers night to drink some beer in the park with your friends. Times New Viking are sprinting down a path that most other bands are steering clear of these days, but they could use a bit of growth in the way of variety. I look forward to seeing what the three members have in store in the future.
