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Let’s Wrestle – In The Court Of Wrestling Let’s

 

When reading a band’s bio, nine times out of ten there’s an “art-school-meets-guitars” moment in there somewhere. The “thing” that brought the band together. But meat and records; that is a new one.

That seems to be the way the menz in Let’s Wrestle bonded. Meat and records, dice and fruit cake, Twinkies and pretzels. It doesn’t matter. What does is the debut release on Merge Records, In The Court Of Wrestling Let’s, out soon after the dust settles from the British invasion at SXSW 2010. 

“I’m In Love With Destruction” is a great representation of the sunny and sharp side to Let’s Wrestle, where the vocals and organic harmonies are fresh and bright, like a ride ‘round the merry-go-round, while the vocals push you off into the tanbark where your face grazes a wrapper from the night before, promoting “ribbed for her pleasure.”

Lots of wha-wha guitar and pedal work, rubber band-aided to melancholy lyrics in “My Arms Don’t Bend That Way, Damn It!” doesn’t stop one from bobbing and swaying to the melody with a smile, even as singer and guitarist Wesley Patrick Gonzalez revels in “My friends are in prison/ and I swear I want to go / ‘cause I hate everyone.”

Then there’s “In Dreams” that is, well, dreamy. I picture the band playing on the sand with the warm breezes blowing as the palm trees sway. A couple, eyes locked, dance slowly as the water flows in and bubbles around their bare feet. A hurricane could come through with people screaming and running about, and this man and women (or man and man, or women and women…) wouldn’t notice.

This is also a bass-heavy band that takes is rhythm seriously, taking on the duties of bringing back the pogo dance, especially on the “Tanks” ditty. “Diana’s Hair” is the obvious inspiration for the album’s artwork and title, paying tribute to Princess Diana.

On this track and a few others, there is a vintage slant to the production and recording; a late ‘60s meets early ‘90s Brit-Pop echo and style (Troggs meet The Chords meet Blur). A good thing indeed. As inviting as a pizza of meat and records. And for an appetizer, there are the quaint and quirky interludes.

The single, “I Won’t Lie To You,” bursts with a light show of a New Year’s Eve fireworks display, with a few water balloons thrown in for good measure. It will no doubt get the kids riled up (including this one) at the many SXSW shows (five in all) they have scheduled.

Let’s Wrestle reminds me of why I have been in love with British music since I was a wee one. Believe them when they say, “We Are The Men You’ll Grow To Love Soon.” Bah, bah, bah..bah bah bah…bah bah bah bah.

Mar 15 Brooklyn Vegan show at Knitting Factory    Brooklyn, New York

Mar 18 SXSW: Knuckle Rumbler party at Austin Town Hall – 1:45P           Austin, Texas

Mar 18 SXSW: Pop Montreal party at Lovejoy’s – 4:15P      Austin, Texas

Mar 18 SXSW: Merge Showcase Cedar Street Courtyard – 8:00P    Austin, Texas (with Radar Brothers, Wye Oak, Lou Barlow + the missingmen, She & Him, & The Love Language)

Mar 19 SXSW: Ground Control/Urban Outfitters party – 4:00P       Austin, Texas

Mar 19 SXSW: Homeslice Pizza Party – 8:00P          Austin, Texas

Mar 21 Black Market with Titus Andronicus             El Paso, Texas

Mar 22 Chyro Arts With Titus Andronicus    Scottsdale, Arizona

Mar 23 Bootleg Theatre with Titus Andronicus         Los Angeles, California

Mar 25 SLO Arts Center with Titus Andronicus       San Luis Obispo, California

Mar 26 Cellar Door with Titus Andronicus    Visalia, California

Mar 27 Fungarden with Titus Andronicus     Sacramento, California

Mar 28 Slim’s With Titus Andronicus            San Francisco, California

Mar 30 The Vera Project with Titus Andronicus        Seattle, Washington

Mar 31 Mississippi Studios with Titus Andronicus    Portland, Oregon

Apr 15 Turf Club w/ Quasi     St. Paul, Minnesota

Apr 16 Annex w/ Quasi          Madison, Wisconsin

Apr 17 Magic Stick w/ Quasi             Detroit, Michigan

Apr 18 Horseshoe Tavern w/ Quasi    Toronto, Ontario

Apr 19 Il Motore w/ Quasi     Montreal, Quebec

Apr 20 Middle East Downstairs w/ Quasi      Cambridge, Massachusetts

Apr 22 Bowery Ballroom w/ Quasi    New York, New York

Apr 23 JohnnyBrenda’s w/ Quasi       Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apr 24 Back Cat w/ Quasi      Washington DC, Washington DC

Apr 26 Cat’s Cradle w/ Quasi            Carrboro, North Carolina

Apr 27 529 w/ Quasi   Atlanta, Georgia

Apr 28 The Bottletree w/ Quasi          Birmingham, Alabama

Apr 29 Mercy Lounge w/ Quasi         Nashville, Tennessee

Apr 30 The Southgate House w/ Quasi          Newport, Kentucky

May 1 Lincoln Hall w/ Quasi Chicago, Illinois

  
http://www.myspace.com/letsfuckingwrestle

Merge Records

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