With a shoulder revealing Shivers cut-off tee and a spandexmini-skirt, Busy Signals vocal vixen Ana McGorty screeched “Turn upyour stereo / Wind up to go go go,” before leading into a blurring fitof Flashdance-like hot steps. At the Empty Bottle last night(Jan. 14), a full pack of punklings collected at the front of the stageto see the Busy Signals — a band spawned from the Windy City’sSouthside loft parties, where the average attendee can’t legally drivea car — blaze through a near gapless nine-song show without a word ofbanter.
Select tracks from their self-titled debutdominated the quick performance while others touched upon flip sidesfrom 2005 and 2006. Carefree thrashers such as “Matter of Time,” “TellMe,” and “Plastic Girl” saw each band member crash into each other witheach change-up by drummer Frank Jensen. But it was a currently untitlednew tune, which showcased angry guitars à la the Stooges and fieryKaren O-like venom, that saw the nervy fivesome go completely apeshit.As “So Pointless,” a blasé Ramones-style runaway tailored for guitaristEric Cecil’s laser leads, closed things out, the Busy Signalspunch-lined their set with a bat of a lash and a simultaneous gear tossto the floor, etching a perfect bittersweet question mark for theevening. Sticksman Frank Jensen quipped to SPIN.com post-show, “We’redefinitely not trying to push any envelope at all.” Heh.
We asked:In honor of some of the seven-inch singles from the era ofrecord-geekdom the Busy Signals take notes from, what’s one of yourfavorite record stack finds?
