Washington, DCs Mess Up the Mess are a no-holds-barred, spasmodic quartet whose debut, You Remind Me of Summer Vacation, is less like a lazy afternoon spent in the sun and more like a wild riot on a sweat-soaked Friday night. Delivering a rousing, disquieting style that has seen Mess Up the Mess tagged as riot grrl revivalists, its no wonder that Bratmobile and Partylines Allison Wolfe have name checked them, adding that, "theyre fun, catchy and feminist. With popped up explosions, lo-fi meltdowns, and jangling dynamism, You Remind Me of Summer Vacation crashes through 14 tracks of distortion-drenched bursts of pop charm. Mess Up the Mess deliver it fast (though not all that furious), never letting any song linger a note too long before diving headfirst into the next. The pace is set from the start and doesnt let up the whole way through, which is a good thing because for a band that sounds this rollicking, a lazy afternoon approach just wouldnt cut it.
(Paroxysm, www.paroxysmrecords.com)
(Paroxysm)(Paroxysm, www.paroxysmrecords.com)