Migo is a hard band to reduce to a single genre. Its Facebook page describes the eclectic Milwaukee quartet as “Lost Dog Fan-Fiction” and “Piñata Rock.” As nonsensical as those descriptors sound, we can’t offer much in the way of a more specific summary of the year-old band. As difficult as Migo’s eccentricities are to narrow down stylistically, the batshit aural frenzy touches the vicinity of punk, jazz, indie rock, and the “experimental” catch-all. The eclectic and energetic act is stitched together with Jay Joslyn, in a role far removed from those of Ugly Brothers drummer or lovelorn singer-songwriter in his eponymous solo project. Sometimes screaming, other times spouting free association works of spoken word atop out-of-step time signatures, and always doing so with undeniable level of conviction, Joslyn and company drive through 14 brief and boisterous tracks (including four interludes) in the debut Migo album, Napkin Back.
Short, occasionally unhinged, and altogether unclassifiable as Migo could be considered, every wild and abrupt turn the band makes leads listeners somewhere as worthwhile as it is unexpected. Before the unpredictable beast that is Napkin Back gets released upon an unsuspecting world Thursday, you can take an early taste by streaming two Migo songs—“Channel Blue” and “Exclamation Points”—only at Milwaukee Record.
Migo will release Napkin Back Thursday, December 4 at Mad Planet in a show that will feature Meat Greeter, Airo Kwil, and Lousy Trouts. The following day, Migo will open for Soul Low and Ace Reporter at Cactus Club.