Tony Barnett

In the early nineties, Boston buzzed with a multitude of bands, and a good many were given an outlet via Taang! Records, including The Swirlies. Early on, the band juggled a My Bloody Valentine fixation with more melodic indie-pop sensibilities, creating a handful of gems, including "Bell" and what would become their signature number, "Pancake," which the band consciously decided to remake and revise time and time again. Since then, The Swirlies pendulum swung between dream pop and avant experimentation, with a little fuzz in between. To be a fan of the band means having frustration stamped upon your forehead--it's not so much the schizophrenia of the music as it is The Swirlies unorthodox approach to being a band. In addition to recreating "Pancake," the unpredictable timing of new material is enough to crowd chatrooms with wild speculation. There was a three-year gap between their first two full-lengths, with EPs and singles filling the gap. Their newest, "Cats of the Wild, Vol. 2," follows up an album released in 2002, and again, stands more as a mini-album than a fully fleshed effort. The line-up of the Swirlies has also changed more than Scott Peterson's alibi and they rarely tour beyond New England. So, for all your Swirlieheadz out there in Chicago: this is your time to rejoice! You've hung in there and now you are being rewarded.

The Swirlies play May 30 at the Empty Bottle, 1035 North Western, (773)276-3600.

(2003-05-28)

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