The buzz on the quintet GASH is that the group is "that kinky S/M punk band from South Philly," but that quick observation hardly tells the whole story. After checking the band out at The Cobra Lounge, 235 N. Ashland Ave., on Nov. 6 and delving into the music, I got an entirely different take.
Front woman Tibbie X has a scruffy wail that is equal parts debutante and scrappy tart. Behind her is the scathing twin guitar attack of A.J. Delinquent and Kit Cunningham, and the propulsive rhythm section of Atom Riot ( drums ) and Travis Travesty ( bass ); together, they make a distinctly sweaty musical vibe. Hearing the band reveals that GASH adds up to something much larger than that "punk" label suggests, and they have musical smarts, dexterity and muscle to spare.
I was knocked out by the high pressure rave-up "Ritual," but the careening wallop of "Deadly Venom" literally left me gasping. The recordings are not only loaded with sharp edges and rampaging thunder but have an out-of-control feel reminiscent of a high speed freight train skidding off the tracks. The real surprise for me was "Luxuria," a coiled, hypnotic low-tempo mood piece that sounds like music from another dimension. The song is sensuous, haunting and spellbinding but the real treat here is hearing X display the many shades in her voice.
After hearing "Luxuria," I suspected that GASH won't fit easily into any category, and the show nailed that notion. There was plenty of BDSM on display, including a dominatrix ( Mistress Stephxecutioner, who happens to be a professional wrestler ), plenty of bondage gear, a slave ( who spent much of the evening face down on the floor ), lots of flogging and audience participation, and ( surprise ) a lot of good-natured humor. Those in the audience who joined in on the kinky fun pushed the show into a near out-of-control freak-out. As X and Mistress Stephexcutioner got into all types of saucy, convoluted physical positions with each other onstage or in the audience, I couldn't help but notice GASH's hidden message. The members may be "punk" by attitude, but they are really here to remind us that sex in all its flavors, kink and BDSM are really good for you and fun, to boot. It never hurts to be reminded about such things.
Speaking of indescribable, we have Richard Album and his brand spanking new Saturday Night Album ( on Athletic Tapes ). As one of Chicago's most prolific, charming and playful artists, Album's music can best be described as "intellectual nerd-pop." As its title suggests, this new recording is a dance record ( Album would never be so obvious as to call it a "disco album" ) and, unsurprisingly, it creates a new art form that can only be called "intellectual nerd-pop with a beat." Saturday Night Album may not be aimed at the dance floor or give Skizzy Mars a run for his money, but it is an awful lot of fun on several levels.
For starters, Album's songs here are lyrically dense, something which is atypical for most dance music. Second is that the production sounds intentionally artificial and revels in that quality. That facet makes for a rather witty joke as Album seems to be gently skewering dance music and infusing it with his ( very funny, very distinct ) personality.
The best way to think of Saturday Night Album is to think of late period Pet Shop Boys without the upper-middle-class pout. "who r u?" starts things with a ping-ponging bop and is as airy as popcorn whizzing about in the popper. "boring" and "Facebook group" have the kind of killer hooks that cling to the base of the brain and won't let go. "take" is pure perfection, and though that Euro-beat thumps on and on, the lyrics and Album's vocal is so engaging that they make you forget to dance.
Although Album doesn't try to revolutionize dance music as an art form, he has managed to rescue it from the "blahs" with intelligence, humor and charisma. God bless him for it.