Photos: Pop. 1280 played 529 on Wed., June 6
The group put a melodic spin on the confrontational instincts of things like no wave and post-punk, all the while dabbling in a quasi-industrial/goth plod
- Chad Radford
- Pop. 1280 at 529
New York City noise-punk outfit Pop. 1280 played a show at 529 on June 6th, sandwiched between sets from locals the Ruination, Nung River, and Dasher.
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The group put a melodic spin on the confrontational instincts of things like no wave and post-punk, dabbling in a quasi-industrial/goth plod, and subtly shocking imagery. Not too shocking, though, which is what saves the songs’ grimy Orwellian tension as they touch on everything from their hometown’s bedbug epidemic to a day on in the life on the grid. It’s a bit of an elegant freak show, covered in spiky distortion, which is something that noise rock like this needs. And even though the songs tend to go on for a bit longer than your average noise, punk, et. al. dynamic, the end result is more of an extended dirge than a groove. It’s dark, discomforting, and very bleak.