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HITS Daily Double
THE B-SIDE
SWEET, SWEET SAVAGES
8/27/15

She looks like a female Alex Turner, her voice, at times, sounds like Patti Smith, and the band she fronts produces music that feels like a cross between Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. Her name is Jenny Beth and she's an underground dream.

As Holly Golightly aptly put it, yesterday, I had a "mean case of the reds." It was just one of those fragments of time that felt more like a fragment of glass lodged in your gut. Luckily, I dragged my begrudged self to The Roxy, so U.K. outfit Savages could yank that sucker out and shatter it to bits before patching me up with a multi-layered, sonic wall of post-punk.

"Adore," off their upcoming sophomore release, is uncharacteristically uplifting for its genre. If new wave and post-punk are based on being contrary, what could be more defiant than an optimistic song? I, at the very least, found myself pleasantly befuddled. It's quite encouraging to be reminded that bands are still able to leave you scratching at your noggin.

Other standouts included "Shut Up" and "I Am Here"— both off their 2013 debut, Silence Yourself, which was nominated for Britain's esteemed Mercury Prize.

And speaking of standouts, Beth literally standing out amongst the audience, slowly stepping over helpful hands (crowdwalking, if you will) just exemplified her rockstar calling. On her way back to stage, she switched to crowdsurfing and flailed about in an oddly graceful manner.

The video for "Shut Up" really pinpoints their M.O., and I highly suggest you dive into it. The intro, a delicately delivered spoken word monologue, shines a light on their prophetic and poetic aspect before grabbing you by the belt and thrusting forth surges of up-tempo electricity.

As for a fun fact, 2013's "Husbands" was featured in what was possibly my favorite movie of the year so far, Ex Machina. It's a perfect fit, as it searches for love, warmth and individuality, although cool, mechanical and deadly in nature.

Intrigued? Their new album is due out on Matador next year. Watch its trailer, narrated by the iconic Henry Rollins, below.


*photo by Robert Palumbo