Virginia band known for lack of defined genre and intense lyrics
Posted on March 27, 2008
When given the choice, some may choose to go the half-and-half route with life: vanilla and chocolate swirl ice cream, sweet and sour, etc. This usually just applies to food, but there may be a band to satisfy this craving musically as well: Pygmy Lush.
JMU students will have the opportunity to see Pygmy Lush, hailing from Sterling, Va., live at this year’s Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference (MACRoCk) next weekend. The band is scheduled to play Friday at the Blue Nile restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg. The lineup also features Tideland, another band from Sterling, Va.
Pygmy Lush’s sound is as interesting and as complex as its name. Chris and Mike Taylor and Johnny Ward, all former members of the notable bands Pg.99 and Majority Rule, make up Pygmy Lush. Despite its punk roots, the band moves in several directions.
The band’s most recent album, Bitter River (Robotic Empire), ranges from softly haunting, acoustic folk to dissonant, hardcore punk. Due to this wide range, the result is a magnetic journey for listeners. Fans can’t really predict what Pygmy Lush will do next.
The album begins with a track called “Nonsensical Tremor,” an aptly named 37-second smack in the kisser. The track is followed by the waltz-like “Hurt Everything” with unforgettable lyrics. The rest of the album tosses the listener back and forth between this alternative folk style and the startling hardcore tracks, with genres explored in between.
According to the event Web site, MACRoCk is a “celebration of college radio and the independent music community” put on by student volunteers at WXJM. The event will feature many local and regional bands like Pygmy Lush.
JMU alumnus Harper Holsinger (’07) , the head coordinator for MACRoCk, helped to bring Pygmy Lush to the event this year. “I knew what bands they were in before,” he said. “I feel their sound is reallyconsistent with what I would consider a ‘MACRoCk’ sound.”
Holsinger said that Pygmy Lush did not apply for a MACRoCk spot, instead, the committee selected them.
“They are an up-and-coming regional band,” Holsinger said. “MACRoCk’s mission is to promote unknown bands.”
The band’s genre-hopping style is a unique fit for the MACRoCk showcase next week.
“It shows true musicianship to play at different decibels,” Holsinger said. “I’m hoping that when they play at MACRoCk, they will do a mix of styles.”
Pygmy Lush’s next album, Mount Hope, will be released on tape in June. CD and LP forms of the album will follow after a promotional summer tour.
