…and we’re back with another indie rock deep cut!
out of the bands i’ve reviewed on this site, polvo has to be one of the most obscure, along with swirlies. polvo is an indie rock band from chapel hill, north carolina, formed in 1990 by ash hideyo bowie (guitar/vocals), dave brylawski (guitar/vocals), steve popson (bass), and eddie watkins (drums). their intricate sound formed the blueprint for noise rock and math rock.
however, the most interesting thing about polvo was how the band borrowed a great deal of influence from classical asian music. their slightly detuned, unsettling drones of their guitar work bringing to mind the timbres of sitars and mandolins. their shifting, asymmetrical rhythms reject rigid western time signatures. instead of trying to fit them into dozens of subgenres, it’s better to think of them as a sonic youth-inspired/experimental rock band that incorporated many eastern elements into their music.
“Sure Shot” is a short and sweet track from their 1993 album today’s active lifestyles, clocking in at just under three-and-a-half minutes. it has a bit of an unusual structure, starting with a short intro, verse, and small instrumental section, which repeats twice, before diving into repetitive, increasingly rapid guitar trade-offs and fading out at the end. the bass is loud but off-kilter, and the guitars range from lazy, twanging drones to heavy, intense riffs. i’m pretty amazed by how this song manages to capture all the catchiness and satisfaction of a typical rock song while still going into wacky, experimental territory: the guitars aren’t even tuned properly. it’s helped by bowie’s innocent, amateurish vocals, which provide a melody endearing enough to ground this song. personally, i like it!
polvo were one of the many experimental bands to come forth in the early 90s, active among bands like slint and the jesus lizard. but their willingness to borrow from music beyond the western world mirrored the likes of talking heads (african music) and stereolab (bossa nova), and their very unique approach to post-hardcore makes them one of the most important bands in the indie canon, inspiring everything from modest mouse to unwound.
