Recording: Protruders

Artist: Protruders

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Owl's Club (basement), July 20, 2018.

Protruders - unknown

After 2017's flurry of tapes and shows, things have been more paced lately in the Protruders camp. Could be a coincidence, but that also seemed to seep into the music a bit, with some indications of some Clean vibes (and slightly-slower "new wave" tempos) creeping in. The band also provided a nice bit of symmetry to the night as one gets the feeling that The American Devices, headlining the show, could be a valid sort of career model, doing their thing and sounding like they've been pushing on their own path into their third decade.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

Recording: Protruders

Artist: Protruders

Songs: Hydro-Phytol-Oxy-Plastick + Code Red

Recorded at The Dupe Shop, October 7, 2017.

Protruders - Hydro-Phytol-Oxy-Plastick

Protruders - Code Red

This return to The Dupe Shop for another matinee (eyes protected from the sun by stylish oversized wraparound shades) was billed as one of the band's last local shows for the foreseeable future. Capping off a productive year, they were sporting yet another new tape — this year's third! And as usual, they cranked out a whole bunch of no-frills rockin' in efficient style, even with a quick pause required near the start to switch guitars after a broken string.

Recording: Protruders

Artist: Protruders

Song: Ice Cream 17

Recorded at The Gladstone Hotel's Ballroom (Long Winter 5.4), March 24, 2017.

Protruders - Ice Cream 17

Long Winter ended its abbreviated, roving season with a return to The Gladstone, filling the second floor with art and the Ballroom and Melody Bar with ping-ponging live sets. Sporting a new tape, Protruders brought some punkrock excitement to the stage, galloping through song after song at a breakneck pace.

[You can check out some video footage of the night over at Brandon Caswell Douglas' youtube playlist. Protruders are playing the afterparty for Wavelength's ambitious multisite Doors Open event, rockin' at Bike Pirates alongside The Holy Gasp, Pucumber Sasssquash Family Band and SPOILS.]

Recording: No Parking

Artist: No Parking

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Dundas Video (Track Could Bend #21), December 6, 2016.

No Parking - unknown

I invited Joe and Ilse from Protruders to come out to TCB to do whatever they wouldn't do in a "regular" set, so this version of the band whiplashed from snappy punkbursts into songs with the same number of chords (or less!) but that were considerably stretched out. Along the way there was some speak-and-spell antidisestablishmentarianism and some old-fashioned pass-the-instruments-around to close out on a propulsive two-chord fever vamp.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!

[Track Could Bend's February show (on the 7th) will feature sets by Heidi Chan, Upanishads and Organballoon.]

Recording: Protruders

Artist: Protruders

Songs: In Line + Cold Energy + Hot Glue

Recorded at Monarch Tavern, October 31, 2016.

Protruders - In Line + Cold Energy + Hot Glue

At some point over the past year, the mighty Kappa Chow disappeared, to be supplanted by Protruders. Musically, that has been accompanied by straight-line evolution more than any sort of radical reinvention, meaning there's still plenty exuberant garage-punk momentum on stage. Careening through songs like a subway on a crash course (one of the lyrical topics essayed here) and gaining momentum throughout, this set basically followed the track laid out on the first side of their tape.

[There'll be some different modes of propulsion being explored when No Parking ("follicles flaked from The Protruders' skin mass") take the stage at Dundas Video on Tuesday (December 6th) at the next Track Could Bend.]