Originally I thought “Shitwave” was just a fitting way to express disdain for that insipid scourge of 21st century indie pop music “Chillwave.” It’s actually the genre practiced by Future Shapes, a band that both embraces and subverts aspects of that lo-fi, synth-driven trend.

Future Shapes’ new song, named after the self-ascribed genre, isn’t so chill as spine-chilling with its fuzzed-out, droning guitars, crashing drumbeat, and agonized vocals that sound a bit like a strung out Conor Oberst. This wave is loud and slightly manic, especially at the 3:25 mark, where chaos ensues and the track dips into atmospheric noise rock full of exploding cymbals and piercing guitar howls. It’s a hazy psychedelic comedown full of terror and that nagging sadness that inevitably materializes with the return to reality.

Check out the new single and catch them at the Brick & Mortar where they’ll be releasing a split with dot Vom.

https://soundcloud.com/futureshapes/shitwave

Jet Trash, Future Shapes, dot Vom, Hudson Properties
Brick & Mortar
April 29, 2015
9pm, $6-10 (18+)