This past Friday, local Pittsburgh psych-rock group Shaky Shrines played a tight set of old and new tunes at Cattivo, Lawrenceville’s hidden gem of a venue for both touring and local bands. Shrines used the night to release a brand new six-song record and rerelease a full-length that first debuted last fall. New songs on Feels Wonderful and Shaky at Best confirm extra dynamic range and showcase a wider set of influences than Shrines’ earlier material that more simply evoked contemporary influences like the greater Ty Segall fuzz collective or the Black Angels. This time around, power is derived through melody, resulting in more mojo. But for the live performance Friday night, 70s rock and roll dominated with a heavily psychedelic gauze shrouding the Lynchian stage as thick fuzz and distortion emanated from crunchy guitars and bottom growl billowed from lead singer Braden Faisant’s lead baritone. Faisant commanded with curly Sabbath-locks sweeping as he waved his head back, disappearing into wavelengths of guitar riffs and drum fills.
Friday acted as a double release of two albums. This autumn, Shaky At Best enjoyed its first limited-run release and was rereleased Friday for another 100 copies. Out for the first time was Feels Wonderful, a mini-album of six songs showcasing a raw and jangly version of Shaky Shrines, while capturing the no-fux, fly-by-night attitude the band adheres to, demonstrated by the fact that the band recorded the six songs in a flurry at local Treelady Studios with Dave Cerminara (former/current Shaky member) manning the board. The record goes from slowed down California convertible-soul to blah-blah-blah Nirvana-rock with enough tongues-in-cheeks to elicit a laugh acknowledging Faisant’s I don’t care, I’m just having fun playing rock and roll music ethos. At times, this nonchalance melds with paranoid, self-conscious pathos in songs like “ShouldBeFine,” a slow jam in an echo chamber where Faisant admits, “It’s easier for me to act like someone who doesn’t care,” before asking not to be taken as a victim. This confluence of confidence and delusion gives Shrines heavier gravity and brings out more layers with each spin.
Opening the show was hardcore locals World’s Scariest Police Chases. While the band has an undeniably dedicated following, it didn’t seem to pair as successfully with the indie-leaning Shrines. Nonetheless, Police Chases donned their polos and performed a raucous grouping of high-energy authority-challenging and hipster-effacing punk rock and likeminded “don’t take me(yourself) so seriously” vibes. DJ Dave Zak spun rare rock and roll from 60s and beyond, serving yet another brick in the wall of rock we received Friday night. Listen to Shaky Shrines here and dig the photos below.
All photos © Lukas Truckenbrod & Pop Press International; click any image to open set in slideshow viewer.
