Last September, two Morgantown, WV bands–Tony From Bowling and Natural Rat–played a show in support of their split EP, Mate, at Oakland house venue The Deli. If you were there to see it, great! If not, or if you just want to relive the night in psychedelic fashion, Michi Tapes’s Eric Stevens has got you covered. Premiering today is a recording of Natural Rat’s set (Tony From Bowling’s is up on Pittsburgh Independent).
As a sewer rat progresses through its lifespan, it grows fuzzier, gnarlier, and more grizzled. The same is true of Natural Rat; with each release, the group turns the distortion knob up another notch and sinks further into the grungy muck puddle that they’ve created. Their music filters guitar pop through layers of grime and grit, keeping the hooks intact no matter how loud things get. Kelsie Cannon’s voice, by turns sighing and seething, floats above the din like a chemical cloud. Viewing a basement-bound Natural Rat performance through a tape-warped fog is like seeing a sewer rat luxuriating in its natural habitat. Check out the (partial, due to camera follies) recording below:
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Bored In Pittsburgh 