Sounds Like Sonic Youth. - Walking Bicycles: Dumbshit Never Learns

The groove is meditative, as noise-rock goes, and a trigger-happy kick drum joins the labored heavy-hits on the snare to lay down a furious invective for humanity. This was once the spirited sound of youth meeting the brick-wall of middle age, as a generation expunged the post-traumatic stress of Reaganism and modern realpolitik by turning to sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll without the distractions of gadgetry or social media.

Dumbshit Never Learns, the latest from Walking Bicycles, is steeped in that aesthetic: there was a time when clubs for live music were not yet full of kids holding cell-phones, and people still smelled like ashtrays and hairspray; there was more patchouli in the air, and the world hadn’t yet invented vodka citron. It was a simpler, more rugged time, and music still had a soul. A couple of decades and 1 Britney Spears later the world is hotter, politicians still suck, and we’re still doing it wrong.

Some things never change.

Chicago's uncompromising post-punk band Walking Bicycles is back after a five-year hiatus with new album Chooch, available everywhere April 26th. Earlier this year we reviewed Fat Cat, and the premise here is similar: to be loud and unapologetic in whatever fucking way they choose.

This song is featured on our Indie Rock playlist.