The Streets On Fire’s debut Hot Weekend is nearly unclassifiable. There’s a dancey rhythm section under post-punk guitar licks and a demented, lofi growl on top of it all. Though the band occasionally has problems fleshing out full songs, they’re freshness is immensely promising.

Is dance-post-punk-garage-indie rock a real genre? Regardless if it is or not, The Streets On Fire have cornered the market. Their debut Hot Weekend is aptly named as the record rips by in a blur of only 25 minutes and recalls one of those black out, alcohol-fueled Saturday nights in it’s intensity.

As previously stated, the group’s rhythm section, comprised of bassist Sebastian Brzek and drummer Gabriel Palomo, is undeniable bouncy and full of direct, thick bass lines and lots of hi-hat shenanigans. Then there’s the simple-yet-clever guitar work from Yuri Alexander, and, probably the most intriguing aspect of the group, Chadwick’s anguished, earnest vocals that really draws the listener in. It’s as if Hot Hot Heat and The Jesus Lizard had some sort of evil love child.

No track on the album reaches five minutes, although “The Desert” gets close at four and a half. But the majority race by in a heartbeat leaving little time for the listener to catch his or her breathe.

“1964″ is a fuzzed out bass rocker that features mind-warping intertwining guitar and keyboard lines, and Chadwick’s vocals compliment the melodic madness while Brzek’s steady hits keep the track from meandering. The groovy “We Play With Tigers” opens with a Fugazi-esque bassline over Palomo’s workman-like drum beat as Chadwick snarls, “Indian summer/ Never change your face/ You think this is mad/ It’s just a common game,” while Alexander’s stop-and-go guitar riff flesh out the song’s rhythmic pulse. “Flannel Attack” boulders along with urgency as tension-filled guitar antics give the impression that the band is descending into madness. And “Supersonic Lovelife” is the moodiest of the bunch with textured guitars leading the way over Brzek’s booming funk bass line.

However, some tracks suffer from a lack of development and occasionally come off as song sketches or jams rather than completely thought out songs. “The Desert” slow burns with phasing guitar and creeping bass but offers no real climax. “Long Night” relies more on small intricacies rather than full on changes and never really takes the listener anywhere new.

But this record is one of the more exciting debuts from a Chicago group released in the last year. The Streets On Fire pull no punches and offer the listener something new and yet nostalgic in its retro-playfulness. Hot Weekend is fast, furious and unabashedly twisted.
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Catch The Streets On Fire Saturday, December 12, at the Bottom Lounge. Tickets are available on Ticketweb.com right now for only $5 in advance and $8 at the door!
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