The Post Punk Nightmare

The Post-Punk Nightmare will, as you might have guessed, primarily feature the acts and bands of the late seventies and eighties who were at the core of propelling and inspiring the genre - but the true goal or real reward for fans of the music rather is finding the more contemporary artists who establish a fresh sound, a sound that possesses the very veins of music and beckons the style and ethos of post-punk while feeding a new musical spirit. I would like now to bring and highlight one of those acts.

This group assembled in the early 2000's and acquired buzz in 2002 with the release of their EP "Sinking Hearts", a complete DIY effort that first reflected the band's post-punk and new wave evocations. The group I direct to you now is The Organ who were Jenny Smyth (organ), Deborah Cohen (guitar) Shmoo Ritchies (bass), Shelby Stocks (drums), fronted by vocalist and musician Katie Sketch. The all girl band dissolved in 2006 when Sketch resigned due to significant mental stresses.

During their time together their music and sound harkened to the new and dark wave sounds of the early eighties reflecting groups such as the Cure and to some extent Joy Division. Their only full length album "Grab that Gun" released in 2004 by Mint Records presents this sound which is blanched with a melancholic drone, but do not be fooled, the force behind the group's music packs quite a punch with a nice cutting bass, jagged guitars and vocals by Sketch that picks up much of the band's energy.

The comparisons to eighties alternative bands are apt but what differs in the Organ are engaging and lush vocals. They display a bright pointed attack that prefers not to drag but flash in their strokes. The guitars stir and flutter in a stingy but not vitriolic pattern while the keyboards gently dips and delves; all of the mood and emotion is encapsulated neatly in the pockets of each track.

The album doesn't quite match the attitude and spirit of the post-punk acts by which they are influenced but it is of the better efforts I have heard in what was their attempt to match or create a unique flavor in an otherwise tried indie genre.

The Organ - Grab That Gun (2004)