The Comic Relief

VulGarrity can't be categorized - they're too busy having fun

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VulGarrity’s theatrical, A.D.D. synth metal, absolute disdain for categorization and tireless work ethic has garnered the band a considerable amount of attention, not just locally, but beyond Rhode Island’s borders as well. In addition to winning this year’s WBRU Rock Hunt, they’ve earned such distinct honors as gigging with the Danzig-less Misfits and landing a track on MTV’s Teen Cribs.

The music of brother-sister duo Tracy and Shawn Garrity is a surprisingly listenable and often guiltlessly enjoyable mélange of skronky dance-synth, processed ‘80s rock vocals and some serious metal riffage, all whipped together into a sort of musical V8 that can provide you with your lifetime’s serving of everything the ‘80s and ‘90s had to offer: new wave, goth, punk, metal, garish neon and Halloween horror imagery. With enough distance between now and that actual era, it’s probably inevitable that young musicians like the Garritys see no problem with wanting to sound like Prince and Megadeth, while offering no apologies for trying. And really, why should they?

Beyond the music, there is a more theatrical aspect of all things VulGarrity, namely VulGarrity: The Series. Painstakingly self-produced, this comically absurd web series features the band getting themselves into all sorts of hilarious hi jinks, like adopting a pair of cocaine-addicted cats or accidentally buying a demonically possessed amp. Awkward dialog and hammy acting aside, it’s quite obvious that these two would be the last people in the universe to take themselves too seriously. And that’s precisely what makes VulGarrity a really fun and maybe even great band, as they slowly master the fine art of throwing everything against the wall just to see what sticks.

Expert Opinion

Wendell Gee, program director of WBRU: “I was really excited when our panel of industry, media and artist types gave them such high marks, enough to win this year’s Rock Hunt. VulGarrity is one of those acts that’s just too much freaking fun to miss them because you don’t ‘get’ them. I get some fatigue watching bands try to out-hip each other; Tracy and Shawn are great people hoping to do something crazy and fabulous and exciting for a crowd, not stick their noses in the air and demand to be treated as artists. It’s no secret that there is no other Alice Cooper-inspired dance rock brother-sister duo in town right now. There is also something refreshing about their musical risks, from the aggressive use of looping to the gender switching within the vocals on some of their covers.”

local music, providence, music, rock, WBRU, rock hunt, VulGarrity

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