Yuppies

Yuppies are one of those delightful, weird bands that offer smart, slippery glimpses of other delightful, weird bands amid their own abrasive art. These four Omahans clearly have a great record collection: The way their songs churn and often butt up against one another recalls the ramshackle, rollicking aesthetic of the Minutemen. The ranting of “A Ride” comes straight from Mark E. Smith’s This Nation’s Saving Grace notebook. Their runaway jams evoke a mix of both early Touch & Go and mid-period Dismemberment Plan, and the speak-singing intro of “I Don’t Know” is a direct descendent of either John Darnielle or Patrick Stickles. (Maybe both?) “Hitchin a Ride” borrows actual lyrics from The Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.”

Far from nostalgists, though, Yuppies twist and turn their good taste into something vibrant. There’s an uncomfortable intensity throughout Yuppies that, coupled with the band’s oft-frenetic sound hints that they’re a ferocious live band. Plus, they love action verbs. If they’re not moving around while they play these gritty jams, they’re at least talking a big game — “Getting Out” sounds like it’s trying to avoid its parents, “Race to the Finish” is an ominous, slow-and-steady, tortoise-and-the-hare affair, and “Hitchin… read more »