Sick Lipstick

Sting Sting Sting is the soundtrack to the worst mushroom trip you’ve ever had. But for a band like the Sick Lipstick (whose sole purpose is to freak you out), that comment couldn’t be more complimentary. The first out of the gates from the recent wave of credible Toronto groups signing lucrative American deals, the foursome’s Tiger Style debut is a frantically tight, wonderfully strange bundle of noisy rock’n’roll songs fashioned for drug-addled Friday night dance parties. With "ex-so-and-so” credibility (remember Black Cat 13?) and true DIY spirit (drummer Dennis Amos was a former head honcho at Canada’s best math rock label Matlock Records and keyboardist Mark McLean runs a button-making operation out of his bedroom), the Sick Lipstick deserve more than a little credit for the fast-rising reputation of Toronto’s indie rock community. Scene glad-handing aside though, they should be praised for perfecting the two-minute noise rock freak-out. Yes, this is an abrasive record. Yes, your parents will hate it. But what do parents know? If you have a taste for dissonance or frightening music in general, you will fucking love this.