Horsegirl are three friends who make music in a basement. It’s true, and they want you to know that, not because they’re shy about the attention they’ve received as indie rock’s latest breakthrough, but because the Chicago trio of Penelope Lowenstein, Nora Cheng and Gigi Reece want you to know that they’re having fun. They’re accomplishing that in the way that only passionate teenagers can: professing their admiration for Kim Gordon, painting T-shirts haphazardly, and throwing riffs against the wall until they unfurl into songs. The end product of those basement hangs, “Versions of Modern Performance,” impressively combines noisy, punk-minded influences that congeal into a wondrous concoction of post-punk, no-wave, early shoegaze, and more. While inspired by the ’80s and ’90s cadres of emergent indie rock’s noisier actors, Horsegirl’s sound is singular, curious and glossed.
Chicago’s Horsegirl signed to Matador when members Gigi Reece, Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein were all still in high school and hadn’t played very many live shows. But their songs, indebted to Sonic Youth, Galaxie 500, Flying Nun bands and The Raincoats, already feel like those of a seasoned band. Adding to their indie rock bona-fides: they made the album at their hometown’s famed Electric Audio studio with producer John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., The Breeders). “It’s our debut bare-bones album in a Chicago institution with a producer who we feel like really respected what we were trying to do,” the band say.
Horsegirl stopped by SiriusXM’s studios while in NYC last week to chat about their upcoming debut album and to record a short set. That included this excellent, low-key cover of Au Pairs’ 1981 song “It’s Obvious.”
Horse Girl performs “It’s Obvious,” cover by Au Pairs. Horsegirl’s debut album ‘Versions of Modern Performance,’ out June 3rd on Matador Records.
The Fat Angel Sings 