Minneapolis garage rockers the Blind Shake return to Memphis next week, just in time to celebrate the band’s new album that was released on Goner Records earlier this month. Led by brothers Jim and Mike Blaha, the Blind Shake have been riding the line between noise-rock and catchy punk for years. With six full-length albums and a smattering of singles under their belt from some of the biggest labels in the genre (Slovenly, Goner, Castle Face), the Blaha brothers aren’t just making noise for the hell of it, and a full U.S. tour last year with Thee Oh Sees solidified their place in the upper ranks of the garage rock genre. The Blind Shake have also collaborated on albums with psych rock royalty Michael Yonkers, and the band announced earlier this month that a collaboration in the form of a surf-rock album is currently in the works with John Reis of Drive Like Jehu and the Hot Snakes.
The Blind Shake
Also on the bill is the all-girl punk band Nots, who will be returning from their first tour across the eastern United States. Nots also have a new album out on Goner Records, but the band had to settle for “bootleg” LPs to bring on their tour as the record release date has been postponed until December. With or without physical copies of We Are Nots (the band’s debut record), Nots have been a force to be reckoned with lately, getting rave reviews from a whole list of underground music website that hipsters pretend not to check every few hours. Monday’s gig with the Blind Shake serves as a homecoming for the female four-piece, as the band is touring through the Thanksgiving holiday.
Rounding out the Monday night rock show are the Sheiks, who seem to be the go-to band these days to get a party started (or keep one going). Since moving out of their house and recording studio the Burgundy Ballroom, the Sheiks went on a two-month European tour with Jack Oblivian, and drummer Graham Winchester is preparing to have his debut solo record come out this winter.
