Justin Farrar of the Miami New Times once called the Sic Alps “total amateurs zapped on Robitussin, bashing out a primal fusion of Sixties garage rock and deliriously distorted psychedelia (think early Spacemen 3/Sonic Youth).” Does this sound like fun to you? Well, you’re in luck, my friend, because Fanclub Collective is at it again! This Saturday, you can be one of the lucky few to see Sic Alps live, in person down at No Radio Records!
So, okay, maybe that was a shitty start. But all I’ve said so far is true. Sic Alps is coming. They will play on Saturday. And it will begin with Aaron Phillip Tate, who will play Halloween-inspired songs to get us in the mood for the weekend.
But perhaps I’m leaving out a few important details, like: What is Sic Alps’ deal? And what do they sound like?
Sic Alps formed in San Francisco in 2004 as a collective of three friends, who saw this band as a side-project. Mike Donovan had another gig as the label head of Folding Cassettes, and moonlighted in another band, Big Techno Werewolves; Bianca Sparta split her time with Erase Errata, and Adam Stonehouse got his musical kicks with The Hospitals. Their disparate backgrounds mingled in the musical mire, and thus in 2005 they created their first LP, Pleasures and Treasures.
After a few more EPs, Sic Alps is now the duo of Mike Donovan and Matthew Hartman, who apparently enjoys multi-tasking, since he’s also a part of Cat Power, The Coachwhips and Total Shutdown.
So what does Sic Alps sound like? Well, the website Forced Exposure has a big, gushing, giddy-as-a-schoolgirl musical crush on these dudes. They describe Sic Alps as, “An honest breath of timelessness, filtered through the delay and echo of the past. A modern psychedelic classic.” Hyperbolic tone? Maybe. But maybe not.
In summation: Sic Alps — should be called “Sick Alps” because they’re just that good. See you there on Saturday.