Although they would probably shun the comment, HIGH TENSION WIRES essentially are a super group. Or, a group of highly talented musicians with a like-minded punk attitude who just happen to hail from a similar geographic location.
Seriously though. The people who make up the band are all somehow affiliated with Dirtnap Records in some way, whether its Mike Wiebe of the Riverboat Gamblers or Mark Ryan of the Marked Men/ Mind Spiders, and everything else in between. This is their third official album, which has a slightly different cast from the previous two records – the past lineups also consisted of Jeff Burke and Mike Throneberry of the Marked Men. Now almost five years later High Tension Wires are back once again, ready to bring the power-punk full throttle whether you’re ready for it or not. These guys will definitely be a main attraction to the Dirtnap SXSW Showcase come March – something I really wish I was closer to so I could witness with my own two eyes. They don’t really play any other shows!
So this might be a little obvious, but if you recall the Mind Spiders LP we covered a few weeks back, this stuff here falls in a similar vein, which is far from a surprise. Basically just mix in a few of your other favorite Denton, Texas masterminds (like Bad Sports, the Reds, and Ghost Knife) and you’ve got yourself a brand new High Tension Wires album. Pulsing, pressing and clean-cut punk is overflowing and seeping out from all sides, coming through with enough urgency and energy to move mountains. The songs are sharp and rough around the edges, but no matter how hard you try they’re still going to be catchy as fuck. The shared vocal duties offer a nice distinction from track to track, which keeps you guessing as the album plays out.
None of the twelve tracks last anywhere past the three minute mark, which proves just how fast and ecstatic these songs really are. So good luck keeping up, because this rager will leave you with stars hovering above your head like in the cartoons (which is illustrated perfectly in this picture). Songs like “Incorporeal”, “Subprime Love” and “Lose Your Grip” with all of their driving punk fury will leave you straight on your floor – we’re sure of it, so please, proceed with caution! We don’t want anybody getting hurt! Check this stuff out below and tell us what you think. Originally I had more songs ready to go but had to cut back to just “Backbone” – don’t want to anger anyone out there, but the catchy lyrics should definitely hold you over. Leave a comment or share yr thoughts on the Drone Boards!
Backbone –
My Rating: 7/10
Genre/ Tags: Punk, Alternative, Pop
Welcome New Machine: Tracklist:
1.) Get Weird
2.) Incorporeal
3.) Backbone
4.) Temporary Gods
5.) Subprime Love
6.) Lose Your Grip
7.) Lose Face
8.) The Universal People’s Church
9.) Handicapped Hearts
10.) Dirt, Fist, Feet
11.) I’m Too Square You’re Too Round
12.) The Secret of the Hydrogen Bomb
DOWNLOAD the single “Backbone”
Dirtnap Records – “Welcome New Machine” will be available during the 3rd week in March
High Tension Wires on Myspace
Styrofoam Drone 