The Devil's Cut

I'm always excited when there's a new band in Lansing. Oftentimes (not just in Lansing, this goes anywhere) I walk away without really being affected, but the interest and anticipation I have in discovering something new is something that never goes away. Music scenes always go in waves; for awhile there (after the Eastern Block and Battle Scars fizzled out) I didn't feel like there were any "punk" bands in the fair Capital City, and the few that I would catch at matinee shows at Mac's Bar were often too "screamo" or something-"core" for me to get into. (A musical genre accidentally invented at a suburban New York high school in 1996 when some kid tried to pass off Cap'n Jazz as his own band and had to stumble through some terrible live shows at the VFW). Luckily this has turned around and there's a number of bands that are worth a drunken shout-along in the area, and the latest is the Devil's Cut.

They're a cut above the rest! (Cricket. Cricket)

I've seen Devil's Cut by accident a number of times, and intentionally once or twice now. They've gigged with Goddamn Gallows a bit and it seems like they've been hopping on anywhere that'll take them lately so I've had the good fortunate to look up from a beer and see them on stage. Self-described as "a blend of country and punk," there's definitely an element of rockabilly and roots music going on here, but no greaser or old timey posturing thankfully. I swear to god if I see a jackass in a monocle and suspenders stomping away with a washboard onstage again I'm going to... well, grumble. But, anyway, it's nice to see music devoid of irony, something that even my beloved punks can have a problem with.

Basically, these guys play energetic shows, aren't afraid to get their voices raw, and in general create a good atmosphere for a live music audience be it at at a dive bar, bigger club, basement show, or anything in between. And the two guitar guys are really tall. They don't have any music recorded that captures this vibe yet, but the tunes on their reverb nation are worth a listen. Hopefully they crank out a fun and beautifully ragged record soon here... in the meantime I look forward to continue running into them.