Static Eyes “Traps” 2017. Triple Eye Industries. Local Milwaukee trashy, thrashy garage punk. I’ve collected a tidy pile of local music over the last little bit, mostly on cassette (vinyl production issues, you know the deal) so this week I’m focusing exclusively on Milwaukee bands currently, or at least very recently, active. Static Eyes is 3/4 of one of my favorite MKE bands, Fox Face; both bands include Chopper (on drums in Static Eyes, on guitar in Fox Face), Lindsay (on bass, some vocals: Static Eyes, guitar and vocals: Fox Face) and Lydia (drums: Static Eyes, guitar and vocals: Fox Face). Lee provides howling, growling vocals and some crazy-ass dancing for Static Eyes — it’s been a few years since they’ve played out (I think) but their shows were dynamic, loud and nuts. I think the last time we saw them was maybe in 2017 at Burnhearts Pabst Street Fest.

“Traps” is a quick and brutal six-song EP, no filler. My top track is “Dahmer Faced Dog” which is both wicked and hilarious; I believe the story behind it is that Lee was at a yoga class and misheard, in the most Milwaukee way ever, the pose Downward Facing Dog as Dahmer-Facing Dog. It has a killer (pun intended) hook and is a total ass-shaker. The title track “Traps” is dark, menacing and more than a little creepy. My other top pick, “Close Talker,” has a sentiment pandemic-me can totally relate to: “Don’t stand so fucking close…get outta my face!”

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Static Eyes are a hometown Milwaukee trashy, thrashy garage punk band. They formed in 2011 “after The Gut Reactions called it quits. Knocking out loud, trashy rock-n-roll” (quote from bassist Lindsay), they are also – in classic Milwaukee-band-overlap style – 3/4′s of Foxface. The women, Lindsay on bass and Lydia on drums, are the powerful ass-kicking rhythm section, providing the foundation for Lee’s howling, Murder City Devil-esque vocals and Chris’ dirty guitar riffs.

Their first release, “Trouble” b/w “Waves” is blistering garage infused punk swagger, reminiscent (to me, anyway) of the early aught’s Milwaukee band The Mistreaters: snarly yet really danceable.

Static Eyes’ 2013 release is a split with another Milwaukee band, Drugs Dragon, and is more Cramps-like psychedelic garage (The Cramps are one of Static Eyes’ influences, as are Hasil Adkins, Dead Moon and The Gories), from the cover art (by Luke Chappelle) to the slower psychobilly beat to the A side at 33-1/3 rpm and the B side at 45 rpm (I think!!). The B-side is Drugs Dragon playing “Fester/Breed/Scatter” and “Waiting Around to Die” (which, notably, was recorded and mixed by Space Raft’s and RX Drugs’ Jordan Davis; RX Drugs also played at Burnhearts on Saturday), both of which are complete fuzzed-out insanity.

Their latest release, “The Thaw” is the most polished of the three, albeit at an awesome scuzzy lo-fi frantic level. “Blank Tapes” is my favorite, with a minor chord hook that is slinky, dark, menacing and yet totally ass-shaking.

My favorite song from Static Eyes’ Burnhearts’ performance was “Dhamer Faced Dog,” which has a disturbingly hilarious title and showcases Static Eyes’ rhythmic power and hookable riffs in a bite-sized garage punk nugget.

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