“Wild improvisation,” CHICAGO SINGLES CLUB
Posted Tuesday, February 25th, 2014 at 4:20 pm
If you’ve been paying attention to independent music in Chicago for any time at all, you’ve heard White Mystery. The brother-sister duo has been a fixture for the past five years, playing classic garage punk that’s pure irreverent rock and roll. Having come up in the DIY scene, their connection to Chicago’s vibrant music community is readily apparent.
Their songs, simple and raw, serve more as launching pads for the wild improvisation that is characteristic of their live sets. Extended instrumental romps, the centerpieces of these tracks, are reminiscent of White Light / White Heat era Velvet Underground. Unlike their forebears, their two-piece setup and years of performing together give White Mystery a dynamic edge – allowing them to change tempos, rhythms, and tonalities at the drop of a hat. As the improvisations develop, Alex’s buzzsaw guitar leads devolve from blues-inspired pentatonic riffs to texture-over-melody guitar pyrotechnics, all while Francis pounds out beats that propel the chaos forward. At times, the two are so in sync that you may find yourself questioning if sibling telepathy really does exist.
Like their upcoming album, this single was recorded entirely live, and in one take – a first for CSC.
White Mystery is
- Alex White
- Guitar, Vocals
- Francis Scott White
- Drums, Vocals
Exclusive CSC Single
Video Interview
Contributors
- Engineer Jeff Kelley
- Videographer / Editor Cassie Balynas
- Interviewer / Videographer Iris Lin
- Photographer Kerri Hacker
- Production Assistant Kevin Claxton
- Production Assistant Ron DeMay
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