Friday, February 14, Communication, 7:30 p.m. Info
Madison band Burnidette grew from the acoustic songs guitarist/vocalist Karl Schultz started recording by himself to cope with some emotional lows. On a new EP, George Gloomy, the material has evolved into shaggy, jangly rock that balances charm with volatility. “What would you say right now / If I threw up in your car? / I would not say sorry,” Schultz sings over the raucous brightness of “Weekender,” in a voice that waivers between vulnerable pleading and unhinged defiance. Across the EP’s three songs, Schultz lays out a lot of such unfiltered thoughts, in a way that might reassure anyone who’s ever felt unstable or needy or just plain at a loss.
There’s also an element of self-awareness and acceptance in the way Schultz delivers lines like “I got your name tattooed on my tongue / Hope you like it,” which starts off the opening track, “Voicemail.” At times these songs might come across as darkly funny, even though they’re really just meant to be a raw outlet, paired with melodies that brighten things up a bit. “I’m definitely very critical of myself at all times, so I guess I understand how the bluntness in the lyrics comes across as humor,” Schultz says. “I’m actually glad it does, but that was totally not intentional. It’s really just how I perceive what I experience. If that comes out humorous to some people, then I’m glad I could help crack a smile, I guess.” The motivation behind the songs is pretty simple: Schultz says: “Writing music that makes us feel good and just getting it out there.”
This Friday’s release show at Communication follows an abrupt name change. Until a few days ago, the band was named Tom Danks. There’s another artist out there using the same name, as Schultz discovered when Apple Music somehow merged the two artists’ profiles. (The other one, a rapper of some kind, wasn’t happy.) Burnidette’s live lineup has Schultz on guitar and vocals, Steve Higgins on bass, and Erik Schultz on drums; the EP was recorded with Isaac Marquardt on drums and Brett Schlidt on bass. Marquardt’s band Barely Civil will be headlining the show, which also features the first appearance in a while from Madison indie-pop standouts Trophy Dad.
