The awakened actualization of Weird Nightmare

Urban explorations and excavations with Weird Nightmare and METZ leader Alex Edkins; photographed by Ryan Thompson.

Every so often a garage rock icon delivers a secret weapon that has been in the works and under wraps for ages. Enter METZ legend Alex Edkins with the Weird Nightmare self-titled for Sub Pop, a record chocked full of power chords and skronk-laden hooks for days. It is a record that begs listeners, garage rock fanatics, eager eared journos and the like to respond and react with all the energetic superlatives that recall all the favorited and beloved power pop dilettantes and debutantes alike: Favorite fallen idols, the false failures, so-called heroes of yore and all the lauded underachievers of great promise and post-humous accolades. Edkins offers a work that brings about all those immortal and anachronistic aesthetics from luminaries past and present to the forefront of now. Weird Nightmare is the result of a decades long solo project, completed in the perpetual twilight of quarantine lockdowns and birthed into the pale fragile light of our current day.

"Searching for You" appropriately opens the Weird Nightmare experience with a wild track fit for the opening sequence to a raw motion picture making its rounds across the film festival circuits. Alex orchestrates the perfect manic and frantic energy like a speedy flight across densely populated cityscapes, pounding the pavement, blowing past stop signs, dank alleys, blight, remaining vestiges of metropolitan beauty, gentrified and out of place condos and other assorted items of sensory overload. Romantic garage ballads like "Lusitania" upend the college rock charts from the early-to-mid 90s that recalls head banging long-hairs dressed in the always fashionable thrift shop flannel as if it was yesterday. Like the timeless edges of enthusiastic attitude and gleeful bravado found throughout the METZ catalogue, Alex gives us a cycle of glorious choruses, velocity burning verses, chapters and versions that comprises a record of sensible recklessness within reason.

Riffs abound, with a focus on fine tuning a torrential and almost unstoppable aura of distorted noise that is tightly hemmed into proper hooks that would earn the seal of approval from the likes of Kim Deal, Bob Mould and their cohorts. From guest appearances like Chad VanGaalen to Bully's Alicia Bognanno on "Wrecked" ⁠— Weird Nightmare is ultimately a dream come true for a strange world looking for an inextinguishable light of hope, exhilaration and perpetual excitement. Songs like "Wrecked" are testimonies to the heralding harmonic beauty that can be contained within the amplified amber of dissonance, shining like the diamonds contained in the sharpened stones and coarse rocks of otherwise inhospitable terrain. Alex Etkins provided the following reflections along with an exclusive array of various interests of note:

Hooks and melody have always been a big part of my writing, but they really became the main focus this time. It was about doing what felt natural. I had always planned on finishing these songs, but being unable to tour with METZ and forced to lock down, really gave me a push. The hours would disappear and I would get lost in the music and record. It was a beautiful escape. It doesn’t sound right to my ears until it’s pushed over the edge. My favorite songs are the simple ones, I’ve never been attracted to virtuosity or technicality. Certain songs have the power to lift your spirits like nothing else can. I wanted to create that type of song.

I’ve found a new confidence in my writing and producing, I really enjoy creating and recording and I wanted this record to reflect how much fun I was having. I found myself doing new things I didn’t have the guts to do before, recording everything by myself and trusting all of my musical instincts, I think when music manifests quickly, a certain amount of honesty automatically comes along with it. When it is a purely instinctual creation, there is no opportunity to obscure the truth.

And now we proudly present:

A saucerful of life affirming affinities by Weird Nightmare / METZ bandleader Alex Edkins

Careful with that axe, Alex! Photographed by Ryan Thompson.

Long drives vs. Flying 

I love long drives. The ability to turn off, put down your phone and stare out the window for an extended period of time feels like a real luxury these days.

In the context of a touring musician, it is also the time when we have our best conversations, share music, podcasts, and actually connect as people. Compared to the absolute headache that is modern day airports (arrive 3 hours early, check oversize luggage, security, work visa, cram into the sardine can, repeat) I would choose an 8 hour drive 100% of the time. There is a real experiential element to driving across a country (and choosing the soundtrack and menu) that you can miss out on when simply dropping in from airport to airport.

Mississippi Records (Label/Shop)

A staggeringly great record label from Chicago that I've come to truly admire. It's all about trust! I can blindly purchase any of their releases and I've yet to be disappointed. They have incredible taste and I feel that their reissues are doing a true service to music lovers. From lost delta blues singers, African folk guitarists, to 60's garage rock bands they have it all.  They unearth lesser known gems for the public to enjoy without gouging and with a complete lack of pretense. My last Mississippi Records scores are all highly recommended and as follows:

Brother Theotis Taylor

Alan Lomax American Patchwork, V/A

Little Bob and the Lollipops, Nobody But You

George Mukabi, Furaha Wenye Gita

Eddie and Ernie, Time Waits For No One

Arvo Part, Fur Alina

Running

I've started to dabble in the world of jogging/long distance running. By no means am I experienced or particularly good at it, however I've really begun to enjoy it. Similar to long drives, I find I'm able to turn off my brain and, out of necessity, focus solely on my breathing and keeping my legs moving. I find modern technology and communication so overwhelming at times and anything that forces you to PUT THE PHONE DOWN can only be positive. Playing music does a very similar thing for me and creates an insular experience. One that doesn't involve the rest of the planet's opinion or lunch plans.

FACS

Chicago’s FACS; press photo courtesy of the group’s Bandcamp.

Perhaps my favorite current band. METZ recently had the pleasure of touring extensively through the US with these wonderful people and every night was a treat. I'm not sure how to properly explain their sound except that I find it to be verging on spiritual music. The rhythm section of (Noah and Alianna) is truly special. Utterly hypnotic, crushing, psychedelic. Brian Case then layers drenched guitar lines and lyrical mantras that ebb and flow like a body of water. FACS' music takes me to another place, in a similar way that watching Lightning Bolt perform live can transport you far away from your everyday life.  I've just listened to their brand new (unreleased) album and I'm genuinely excited for all their fans to hear it. Check this band out if you haven't already.

The Weird Nightmare self-titled arrives May 20 via Sub Pop.