Shark week may be over, but not at Bushwick Daily! As another summer winds down, we’re ready to answer some lingering questions on the topic of our latest Bushwick Music Crush: rollicking Brooklyn rockers Shark?. Last week we caught Shark? amongst a noise rock-studded lineup including Potty Mouth, Bleeding Rainbow and A Place to Bury Strangers. Jonesing for some killer pics of Shark? In action? Want inside information on their latest upcoming release? Read on for details – including Spotify playlist – and we promise to cool it with the non-band related question punctuation. But then again, where’s the fun in that?
If you haven’t heard Shark? by now, then you’ve probably (and appropriately) been living underwater. These four dudes have been circulating the Brooklyn scene for the past few years, making waves with energetic live performances and a slew of satisfying releases that includes 2012’s super fuzzy True Waste. The band’s latest is Savior, a brand new LP out October 1 on Old Flame Records. Consider grabbing a copy if you’re down for great jams, good vibes, and a totally bitchin’ time all around. If that doesn’t apply to you, then we probably shouldn’t be friends anyway.
At Death By Audio, Shark? kicked off the insane lineup with “This is Living,” titled perfectly to suit an incredible night of live music. The track’s appealingly lowbrow, lo-fi vibe is crafted via pretty, lazy melodies and frontman Kevin Diamond’s well-intentioned slacker persona (“Did you see that show last night?/ The one where everyone got shot?/ It was on right after House/I dunno, I liked it”). Not only is this living, but it’s also guitar rock perfection as it was meant to be.
Raw riffs, intricate rhythms, and hard-hitting beats made each song of the band’s set memorable, but things were also kept light in a decidedly agreeable twist; Shark? employ a signature sound that blends garage and punk rock power with swirls of indie pop pleasure. Later, swinging single “California Grrrls” arrived in fine form, taking tongue-in-cheek swipes at the women of the West Coast in true style: think screeching guitars, vicious hooks, and a gruff hatred of all things Golden State. Just thinking about it warms the cockles of our little New York hearts – Aww!
If their Death By Audio set was any indication, the new Shark? album should definitely take high priority on our fall radars. But while you wait patiently for the release of Savior, do yourself a favor and catch the band alongside Bent Shapes on August 29 at Silent Barn. Of course, we can’t speak for everyone, but we’re ready to ride the Shark? wave well beyond summer.
