#post-punk

#post-punk

Onstage, Manchester four-piece Maruja conduct a series of distinct rituals. Like Moses commanding the Red Sea, sax player Joseph Carroll might gesture for the crowd to part down the middle, then join them to kick off the first song. Singer and guitarist Harry Wilkinson will peel off his shirt and pump through a few pushups at the top of "Break the Tension." Drummer Jacob Hayes and bassist Matt Buonaccorsi may wave their arms in slow motion, like mediums leading a seance.

At 19 years old, Debsey Wykes stood in front of a sold-out crowd at London's Hammersmith Odeon, her knees literally knocking with fear, as she puts it. It was the end of 1980 and Dolly Mixture were supporting the Jam for a second time, having piqued the interest of Paul Weller. Despite the shaky start, the teen trio made it through the set to appreciative applause.

Letting go. It's one of the hardest things human beings have to do in this life. And-oftentimes-we can't. After all, it's one of the reasons why we invented photography, the ability to capture single moments forever. There's an entire television show dedicated to hoarding. Then there's the oldest and most obvious form of not being able to let go: cemeteries. Our entire species, for thousands of years, has created burial places for our dead because the living can't-and don't want to-fully let go.

Singer Brett Anderson suggests that if 2022's Autofiction their best post-reunion album until now was their punk album, Antidepressants is its post-punk sibling. Influences such as Magazine, Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees feed into edgier but otherwise trademark Suede guitar anthems. Helmed again by longtime producer Ed Buller, Richard Oakes's killer riffs maraud and jostle, Anderson's moods run the gamut from impassioned to reflective and the rhythm section brew up a right old stomp.

Formed in London, England in 2012, Shopping drew heavily from the classic post-punk of Mo-Dettes, Gang of Four, and Delta 5. The trio of guitarist Ray Aggs, bassist Billy Easter, and drummer Andrew Milk-all former members of the band Covergirl-first gained notoriety when their 2013 debut album, Consumer Complaints, was reissued by FatCat Records in 2015. Though they repeatedly insisted that they were more interested in making people dance than offering political commentary, Shopping became known for their portrayals of queer alienation under capitalism.

The Sunday afternoon matinee show features a lineup with music by Yama Uba, Songs for Sabotage from NYC and L.A., Vague Lanes, and Steilacoom.

The Psychedelic Furs have influenced the post-punk landscape for four decades, blending rawness and romanticism with hits such as "Love My Way" and "Pretty In Pink."

Oscar Wilde's influence looms large in Cutthroat, with lead singer Charlie Steen reflecting on the paradoxical nature of life: 'Life's far too important to be taken seriously.'