Late last month, we reported the band Milwaukee had come to know and love under the moniker The Midwestern Charm would forge on under the name Bad Wig. The change in identification came as a result of a slight lineup change, an abundance of other area acts also employing some variation of “Midwest,” and as a reflection of the band’s stark transformation in sound. Those who didn’t make the first small batch of Bad Wig shows in Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and Green Bay were left to wonder what type of sonic mutation would necessitate a new name. Fortunately, Bad Wig wasted little time before providing an answer to that in the form of a gauzy and grand five-song EP.
The lo-fi release finds vocal duties alternating between guitarist Ryan McCrary (“Fire Breather” and “Some Kids Burn”) and bassist Connor LaMue (all other songs). The quintet of songs—in all of about 11 minutes’ time—grants a brief and brash introduction to the band’s second coming with the warm fuzz of self-recorded guitars and sneering melodies that straddle conventions of garage rock and punk on a song-by-song basis. Originally intended to be demos, LaMue says “the aesthetic felt good enough to release, so we decided to do it.” Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering smoothed out the jagged edges. As short and informal as it might be, Bad Wig crams catchy vocals and bouncing instrumentation into an endearingly sloppy-yet-enjoyable package that’s virtually unrecognizable when compared to the preceding project. Before it’s released this weekend, listen to Bad Wig’s debut EP now, only at Milwaukee Record.
Bad Wig will release its self-titled debut EP on Friday, November 20 at Bremen Cafe as part of a free show that also features Shellshag, Dusk, and Iron Pizza.