100 Bands in 100 Days Presented by Verity Credit Union — Day 61: The Good Wives
Music fans of the Pacific Northwest, hello and welcome back to our third annual year-end daily countdown, 100 Bands in 100 Days, where every day until December 31st, we’re showcasing a new band or artist you have to know about, presented by Verity Credit Union. Follow the #100Bands100Days hashtag on Twitter to stay on top of all the bands featured and make sure to follow Verity on Twitter as well. Some days the featured act could be an established and locally-adored northwest-based musician that perhaps you haven’t been turned onto yet, and other times they could be a band with a small following that just hasn’t had their deserved time in the sun yet. Either way, we’re fairly confident you can come away from this daily segment with plenty of new favorites. Today’s musical offering is a band called The Good Wives from the Jet City.
On the Facebook page of The Good Wives, they list their genre as “Neon Vibe.” Of course that’s not really a thing, or is it? Who’s making up the rules anyways? One thing for sure is that their indie influenced power punk sound is catchy as hell. The band just released a 12 song winner called Robot Island that contains some REAL gems such as “(If Your Heart’s) Still In It.” You can stream that song below and we highly recommend you do. They also further prove that they’ve got the chops on the guitar and drums on the upbeat tune “Give It a Go” from the same album.
The Good Wives; a Seattle-based, indie-rock quartet whose noisy, hook-filled guitars and infectious positive energy have been steadily captivating hearts in dive bars, theaters, and arcades across the Pacific Northwest. The East Portland Blog hails their “catchy, melodic pop tunes,” while Alison from the indie-music blog Abduction Radiation declares, “their songs just make me want to dance.”
The Good Wives originated as lead singer Jacob Bruggman’s solo project. After merging with local guitarists Nicholas Alexander and Shane Berg, the project quickly developed into a full-fledged band. Following the release of two notable EPs within two years, drummer Brent Nelson joined the trio solidifying the full line-up. Having recently finished recording their debut full-length record, Bruggman remarks, “it feels as if we’ve finally found our voice as a band.”
The confident, expansive sound of the upcoming full length Robot Island reflects the band’s new found voice in a big way. The most likely radio single “Lonely Again” brandishes an achingly beautiful guitar riff and evokes a yearning to start anew. Bruggman’s distinctive vocals punctuate the unruly, fist-pumping anthem “Haul Us Off” as he enthuses, “let’s quit our jobs, take whatever we want, make some noise before they haul us off!” However it’s “Give it a Go” that is perhaps the most explosive track; hitting hard with a sonic force of frenzied guitars and drums before surrendering to a sigh, “being with you beats being alone.” Bruggman’s intentionally oblique lyrics never fail to lure the listener into his tenderly crafted world and make you feel like you belong there. The haunting and seductively hypnotic “Cause of Cavities” is a testimony to this as Bruggman softly implores, “tell me something so sticky sweet it rots holes right through my teeth.” And there is no doubt he is singing to you.
The Good Wives is another great local band that is breaking apart the “Seattle Sound” myth and proving that there REALLY is no definitive signature sound around here. This one comes highly recommended, by us!
(You can check out The Good Wives on Facebook and you can listen to them at Bandcamp and/or stream the EP below)
Submissions for 100 Bands in 100 Days are still open to any Pacific Northwest band interested in submission. If you would like to have your band submitted for a chance to be featured in this segment, consult this link for more information on how you can do so.
