Post-innocence, pre-apocalyptic folk punk

(Hail Seizures at Pigpen, 9.22.2008)

If you had to clone one folk punk band in order to ensure the survival of the genre, the group would be Hail Seizures. It’s like they went through a checklist to make sure they didn’t omit one specification. Upright bass? Check. Wretched body odor? You bet. Multiple genders. Uh, huh. One member without shoes? Of course. Quirky children’s toy as an instrument … you get the point.

That’s not an insult to the Olympia, Washington-based band. They’re extremely dedicated to their genre, and it shows: They’re better than many of their well-known contemporaries.

It could have been that this was just my first show in over a month, maybe my longest punk drought in six years, but Hail Seizures sounded great in a tiny, dirty basement. Fast and catchy, but not overly dancey. Well-layered vocals complimented a tempo that left new listeners curious as to where it would go next, but it was never bizarre enough to leave our heads spinning.

I’ll see them anytime our paths cross. Not sure if I could regularly listen to a recording (some lyrics I caught sounded cheesy), but I’d give it a shot.