Who? This Athens, GA trio is comprised of vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio, and bassist Hank Sullivant. Gispert and Dorio were childhood pals, and once they met Sullivant, a Memphis native, while they all attended the University of Georgia, the Whigs were born. But even after gigs sharing stages with Franz Ferdinand and Futureheads, the Whigs couldn’t seem to cut a song, much less an album. Four times the band went into the studios of friends and colleagues, with ambitions no greater than laying down a few tracks, and four times they scrapped the sessions. The fifth time, it would seem, was a charm.
What’s the Deal? The album, Give ‘Em All a Fat Lip, has earned the band comparisons to ’90s Southern acts like Superchunk and Archers of Loaf, or older bands like the Replacements, but none of those comparisons are quite right. There’s a lot of sunshiny, ’60s pop style lurking amid the fuzzy tones, distortion, and occasional dissonance. Ultra-hummable choruses and saccharine hooks are fun, all the more so with a little yelping — just ask Nirvana. Gispert’s rough and raspy vocals bring it all together, falling somewhere between feral and just hung over.
Fun Fact: The band bought all the equipment they used to record their debut on eBay, and once the sessions were over, they went right back and hocked the gear on eBay again. J. GABRIEL BOYLAN
Now Hear This:
The Whigs – “Technology” (Download MP3)
On SPIN.com:
New Track from the Whigs
Talk: Do they Whig you out? COMMENT
Web:
thewhigs.com
