The New Music

!!! Strange Weather, Isn’t It? [Warp]

Need to know: Sacramento’s !!! (pronounced “chk chk chk” or any three sounds repeated in a row) emerged from the post-punk scene that broke in the early ‘00s. While most of those bands were known for their angular guitars and disco drums, !!! were renowned for their emphatic rhythms that were more funk-based than punk-based. A self-titled album in 2000 was greatly overlooked, but the band struck gold in 2003 with the politically-minded epic single “Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard.” A second album, the awesome Louden Up Now, followed the next year and in 2006 they were the support act for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ UK tour. In 2007, !!! released their third album, Myth Takes, which scored the band spots on video games like FIFA 08 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Singer Nic Offer and guitarist Tyler Pope used to moonlight in the equally rad but no longer active Out Hud. Pope is also a member of the live version of LCD Soundsystem.

In a 100 words or so: Recorded in Berlin, unfortunately Strange Weather, Isn’t It? doesn’t exactly break new ground for !!!. That may never have been the plan for recording their fourth album in a new environment, but it feels as though they have once again failed to make that leap from writing eternal punk-funk jams to actual songs. Die-hards may appreciate their dedication to the groove, but the verse-chorus-verse structure could do wonders for a band with this kind of throbbing dynamic. They experiment with this notion on “Even Judas Gave Jesus A Kiss,” but in the end that song eventually morphs into the same tune we’ve heard again and again. Strange Weather, Isn’t It? sounds like !!! are just going through the motions at this point instead of exploring a sound that is open to all kinds of interpretation.

Best track: “The Hammer”

R.I.Y.L. Out Hud, LCD Soundsystem, Public Image Ltd., The Rapture, Liquid Liquid, Soulwax

Rating: 6/10

Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Download “The Hammer” and “AM/FM.” Stream the album here and decide for yourself about the rest.

Sample: “AM/FM”

Website: ChkChkChk.net