by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
“And for my toothpaste I’m relying on the industry that’s keeping me in poverty though I can’t afford to clean my teeth!” There’s nothing more Punk Rock than dental hygiene, kids! If you like this sort of irreverent, metaphorical societal sonic dissection then Pennsylvania’s The Twindows have a new album out called Valkyrie 2.0 and it’s full of buzzy, grungy, funny, hyper-cool music that is a rarity in the industry — they truly sound like no one else making music today.
It all starts with naming the frame on “Like My Music.” Vocalist Aster Grimm has a style that is akin to if Gwen Stefanie and Zooey Deschanel shared an I Know What You Did Last Summer-style secret; it’s all at once innocent and naïve and also there’s bodies buried somewhere. There’s a serrated edge to her delivery, no matter how young she sounds. When you hear the refrain, “Play my CD and never get back to me,” you can’t help but think it’s that damnable search for finding a music label.
“Mosquito-Thick Skin” is a noisy, sort of discombobulated composition, but in the best way possible. You hear some strange guitar leads where most of the album is a host of distorted chords. Grimm almost spits some of the lyrics at you–you’re welcome.
“Dig Tree” is a slower, more moody track, with acoustic guitar and a some haunting vocals from Grimm. As far as a pop song, this is probably the closest you get on the album. There’s more vulnerability in both the musicianship and the vocals here, although they keep it weird, cuz The Twindows …
“Ska Death” is a big bag of fun. It’s exactly what it says–it’s Ska, and there’s some manic Death vocals in the chorus too. It’s amazing hearing Grimm sing lines like, “I think your body is a temple and I want in,” and then take a cheese grater to the vocal chords and rage on the chorus. About two minutes in they play some METAL passages and if you are looking for a band that is influenced by everything and has the musical versatility to prove it, this is your band.
It’s tough to pick a “best” song on such an eclectic creation as Valkyrie 2.0, but “The Instigator” has to be any listener’s favorite. There’s some deep, churning Alternative riffs, yet Grimm sings jump-ropey lines like, “I’ve been holding my hands in my pockets to find out what has gone wrong with this … world.” The dichotomy of noise versus melody works on whatever level you need it to.
“Wire Mother,” though, is probably their best live song. It’s manic, it crescendos, and Grimm’s vocals are actually buried under the music at the onset. The music carries the message here more so than on any other track, but don’t let that define the song. The reason why it’s strong is because of the tempo changes, the foreboding ferocity, and the way every instrument gets a chance to shine. There’s spoken word wisdom, well, it’s political messaging on a child raising level … and it feels both sad and inevitable. The end is this eerie shrieking and high falsetto crooning from Grimm, and damn … its over.
Give The Twindows their street cred. They are different in innumerable ways, but bring in so many comfortable elements in myriad genres they somehow make sense of it. They are raw, and quirky, with a lot of jagged frolicking edges, so if you like your music spraying colorful napalm outside the lines, Valkyrie 2.0 may be your jam.
Genre: Punk/Alternative/Rock
Band:
Aster Grimm – Vocals, Guitar
Kyle “Shaggs” Anderson – Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Caleb Banas – Guitar, Bass
Oskar Daoud – Drums
Tracklisting:
1. Like My Music
2. Mosquito-Thick Skin
3. Forgiven
4. Dig Tree
5. Ska Death (Ska Death Lounge Death Ska)
6. Reversals
7. Pulp
8. Instigator
9. The Industry
10. Sleepycore
11. Wire Mother
Online: https://thetwindows.bandcamp.com/album/valkyrie-20
https://www.facebook.com/thetwindowsmusic/
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.8 / 10)
