36 Days of Gonerfest: The Intelligence
It makes perfect sense to follow up a post on Thee Oh Sees with one on the Intelligence, who will return to Memphis for their second Gonerfest in a row, hitting the stage at the Hi-Tone Cafe on Friday, Sept. 24.
Although the Intelligence hail from Seattle, both no-wave bands are on the In the Red Records roster; last year, they shared a split twelve-inch (released on Mt. St. Mtn. Records); and the Intelligence scooped Thee Oh Sees’ Red Krayola-inspired “Block of Ice” by releasing a cover version of it first on Deuteronomy, which was released on In the Red in ‘07.
Led by drummer/vocalist/”ham-fisted” keyboard player Lars Finberg, who birthed the group from the ashes of his previous band the A Frames, the Intelligence eschews hi-fidelity for saturated ’60s pop-inspired sounds, acknowledging influences ranging from the Fall to the Country Teasers along the way.
The A.V. Club sez:
On record, the band is known for dousing its no-wave-ish dance-punk in an acid bath of lo-fi noise, grinding out surprisingly refined rhythms and pure dissonance in equal measure—this year’s Fake Surfers is something like ’60s Britpop as interpreted by aliens from Saturn. Live, that means you better bring your earplugs.