The Minneapolis Uranium Club Band Expand Their Sound With Infants Under the Bulb
Am I writing about new LP Infants Under the Bulb by The Minneapolis Uranium Club because I love the music and have been a longtime fan of the band? Or because I spent a Saturday afternoon last summer dressed in a red rain poncho with a bunch of strangers posing in different spots in a circle to help make the album cover? Can it be both?
While my (indistinguishable) presence on the cover makes the record even cooler for me, it’s the bands ramshackle, snarky post-punk that keeps myself and, judging by sold out records and packed shows, lots of other people coming back for more. Infants Under the Bulb is 11 songs, including a running series of classic hip-hop style skits interspersed, that build on the bands tried and true sound that still raises hackles 11 years into their band’s run. It’s a sweaty combination of herky-jerky guitars, galloping drums and bass, and snake-oil-salesman vocals peddling dark humor and witty asides.
If you’ve heard their materials before (and we assume Reviler readers have), the classic sound is all there, with songs like opener/single “Small Grey Men,” the scorching “Abandoned by the Narrator” and “2-600 Lullaby” mining the band’s traditional motif, but the LP also includes the near ballad of “Tokyo Paris L.A. Milan” and the frantic instrumental “Game Show.” It also includes, most brazenly, a suite of meditative ambient pieces that could soundtrack your next massage that tells a parable titled “The Wall” that is spread out over four parts dropped sporadically throughout the album, creating somewhat jarring interludes that splice up the band’s otherwise manic energy.
Infants Under the Bulb is the latest in a now decade-long run of music from the band that hasn’t seemed to lose even one step during that time. We’re usually graced with a few local shows a year from the band, who I understand are currently spread out across different cities, so we’re hoping that is the case still this year. Whether it’s for the great music or to say you own a record with me on the cover, you can stream and buy the record below (note that as far as I can see on band camp you can either buy it from Britain or Australia, so factor in those shipping costs!).
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