On Repeat Brilliant Pebbles' and Netherfriends’ debuts

Two of Chicago's kookiest bands are slated to put out debut EPs in the next few days: Glam-rock space-cadets Brilliant Pebbles unleash their self-titled, seven-song EP Saturday at Subterranean, and Netherfriends put forward Calling You Out, which sounds like a mix between Menomena and Animal Collective, Wednesday at Schubas. Two of The A.V. Club’s music writers had an informal discussion about the bands, their releases, and their collective weirdness.

Jon: Of these two bands, Brilliant Pebbles definitely have a stranger, harder-to-navigate sound. Frontwoman Monika Bukowska's singing, for instance, is engaging, but often too theatrical and jarring—bearing a resemblance to Ronnie James Dio at times. Same goes for their sad, vaguely sinister, Middle Eastern-inspired synth lines, impressively executed as they might be. However, Brilliant Pebbles bring the funk. The tight rhythm section contrasts the more peculiar elements of the band's sound with simple but effective grooves—the syncopated bass lines and rock-steady drum beats on “Beez” and “The Cougar’s Secret Door” will get listeners dancing, even if they're unsure of what exactly they're listening to. Some bits don’t work—like the dirge that is "Chinese Muscle”—but there's some incredibly strong material here for those willing to brave it. (“Motorcomet” rivals the best of New Order and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.)

By contrast, Netherfriends are weird in a way that has become more acceptable to casual indie-rock fans thanks to Wilco, The Flaming Lips, and Animal Collective. Nothing is bad on Calling You Out, but a sense of sinking familiarity marks the album, like I’m listening to the future clichés of indie-rock. There are moments, though, where the band demonstrates an aptitude for melody and arrangement—“Friends With Lofts” has an immensely appealing sing-song vibe, and the warm glow of vocal harmonies and synthesized textures of “Don’t Invite Me” sound simply fantastic. Netherfriends may be borrowing from the indie-rock playbook, but they do it reasonably well. I wouldn’t exactly call them “weird” though.

Brilliant Pebbles on Chic-A-Go-Go

Jaime: Between Netherfriends' Calling You Out and Brilliant Pebbles' self-titled EP, I found the latter the less accessible of the two, a bizarre mixing of keyboard, bass, and drums. Frontwoman Monika Bukowska's voice at times resembles System Of A Down singer Serj Tankian's weird, Armenian falsetto, and while I found myself able to enjoy a few elements from select songs, like the lurching riff that builds throughout "Dr. Unseen," it ultimately proved a challenge to fully digest any one song as a whole. The group made a bit more sense to me after looking at its pictures, which indicate there's a sizable performance-art element at work here, apparent in Bukowska's eclectic and chaotically neon costumes. While not entirely inviting on record, I suspect Brilliant Pebbles translate far better as a live band, with an accompanying stage show to assist with translation.

Netherfriends, on the other hand, are far easier to embrace. The band places a great emphasis on melodies and harmonies on display in songs like "Mom Cop" and in the warm and jangly "Oh-Hi-Oh," which even buries what sounds like birds chirping in the mix. It's representative of the band's approach as a whole, where guitars can end up sounding like mandolins, and disparate noises blend together in a surprisingly cohesive manner. Art-house indie influences are at play in tracks like "Don't Invite Me," which recalls …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead at their rollicking guitar best, and Calling You Out may be a busy and layered pop experiment that takes its share of risks, but not at the expense of tunefulness.

Netherfriends performing "Nunya (Beeswax)" live

Verdict: Brilliant Pebbles are definitely the weirder and more experimental of the two, but those seeking more structured, layered melodies should check out Netherfriends.