Scrimshaw

Milwaukee’s Scrimshaw may not be the city’s most press-happy group—good luck finding a song or even a website online—but its music seems especially suited to listeners who enjoy a little digging. Comprising members of Crappy Dracula and The Trusty Knife, the group mines a deeply weird (and giddily infectious) spirit that calls to mind the early 4-track experiments of Ween. Songs like “Donkey Venom,” “Hip To Hip Combat,” and “Tiny Belt” are as winning as they are off-kilter, and translate to the stuff of dance-party fever-dreams live. Credit frontman Robert Thomas and drummer Brock Gourlie’s unique musical repartee, which results in shared vocal duties, surprising harmonies, and thoroughly demented sing-alongs.

Updated 02/13/2012