Post-punk never really dies. Yes, it morphs and adapts. Yes, it rises and falters based on prevailing tastes. But for generations of musicians, including members of the local band Stuck, post-punk is here to stay. As much is evident on Stuck’s latest album, “Freak Frequency,” a rich, spindly wonder executed with near-perfect precision. “Freak Frequency” was released May 26 on Born Yesterday.
It is surprising to learn that Stuck has only made music for a few years. Few groups are as sure of their sound — and themselves — as they are. But that’s what makes Stuck so unique. Comprising former members of other local bands, Stuck has gained a sizable following — both here and across the country — by captivating audiences through their records and in-person.
But it is their live shows that truly set Stuck apart. Band member Greg Obis credits an aggressive touring schedule over the past few years for their unique performances. Every show is meant to feel different for both the audience and the band, like “controlled chaos.” Set lists are changed frequently. Moments of improvisation are sprinkled throughout. “We have certain beats that we stick to in our live performance, but we leave a lot of room for accidents and fill it with space rather than having very much like a cut-and-dry approach to the live performance,” said bass player David Algrim.
Obis, who said live shows are his favorite thing about being alive, cited the punk group Minutemen as a particularly strong point of reference.
“(They) had this philosophy that there were gigs and flyers. The gig is the thing that matters, and the flyer is anything that gets you to the gig. And records are flyers, which is a really funny mentality to have,” Obis began. “I don’t know if I would go that far, but I think being present and mindful is important to me, just in life in general. And I think that live music is where the thing happens.”
This summer, audiences who missed the group’s sets in recent years will get a chance to experience them live as they tour in promotion of their latest record, “Freak Frequency.” Primarily written in 2020 and 2021, the band described the record as having a lot of “political stuff.”
“I have a strong belief that you can never assume that people are politically engaged, even if they’re in punk bands and stuff like that you’d like. You can never assume that. And so it never really hurts to really be ringing the alarm bell on things,” said Obis, a self-described socialist and the primary songwriter for the group.
Some of the “political stuff” includes diving into the downward trajectory of the U.S. and the tension, paranoia and violence that has developed from it. Confused by where we’re going as a country, Obis said “Freak Frequency” as a record is less about providing a major takeaway or thesis, and more so about exploring those ideas and their manifestation culturally.
“In my own writing, I’ve never really been a person that can dive deep on the beauty of the natural world or relationships or things that are very personal to me. I just feel like I’m not, internally, a very interesting person,” Obis said. “And so as I kind of go out into the world, I feel like things of political nature are things that I think are really important and should be talked about.”
It’s serious stuff, but Stuck doesn’t want to be stereotyped like every other politically-minded rock group. “We’re not an incredibly self-serious post-punk band where we’re meant to be this kind of stoic group,” Algrim joked.
Stuck combines pop culture with political discussion and engagement, but more often than not, there’s an absurdism steeped in their music and how they present it to the world. The video for the lead single “The Punisher” embodies this well. Composed of discordant guitars and Devo-like vocals, “The Punisher” was written in the jarring aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. But the video — abrasive, yet relatable — highlights the daunting and inescapable modern surveillance state and how it affects the people within it.
Musically, Stuck may traffic in the unnerving, but they also make sure to lighten the load through humor, however unusual. “I would also say that specifically, with our music, it’s meant to address (those things), but it’s also meant to be a way of dealing with it,” Algrim added.
9 p.m. June 3 at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave.; tickets: $14 (21+) at sleeping-village.com
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Britt Julious is a freelance critic.