Not Quiet Hearse Disorder, but Close

We can't hide the fact that our musical bias here at I Hope You're not Squeamish obviously leans towards the punk side of things. However, most of the people we associate with can't stand that kind of stuff. Included in that are our musician friends, who are constantly creating bands that expose us to music that we might not come across on our own.

You may remember back a little while ago where we profiled electronic duo Valerna, we admitted almost total ignorance of the genre and simply presented an honest assessment from an outsider's perspective. So it will also be with this installment, a review of NYC industrial/goth trio Limousine Syndrome. Let's quickly clarify that when we use the dreaded "g" word, we don't mean any of the postured, overly dramatic antics or costumes. Instead, Limousine Syndrome does the genre proud by employing a bleak and minimalist guitar sound paired with a unnerving, yet still soothing, voice, backed by deceptively simple programing and keys. This is a desolate, atmospheric experience. In other words, you aren't going to jam this on the way to the beach, but it is perfect for late night drives, periods of creative concentration or maybe even intense Ouija board sessions. "Little Mermaids" is probably the most compelling track that they have released so far. Its constant beat keeps the song moving forward and concludes with some interesting spoken word. "Covered in Leaves" and "Love to Hurt You" are both reminiscent of the quieter Nine Inch Nails songs, particularly "Leaves" with it's super creepy piano line. All of the tunes are linked by their intentionally arid approach.

These guys have a show coming up in NYC this weekend, Friday the 5th at Port 41. They are playing with some other goth/industrial/genre bending acts, but this is really a mixed bag of performers. We would recommend that you show up early to see Quimera Music, as she is certainly the other strong act on the bill. The boys in Syndrome promise us that they have an EP in the works that will be ready in the near future. In the meantime, you can check out their official webpage or their Reverb Nation site to hear some tunes, watch their video and keep an eye out for future shows. For fans of Pornography/Faith/Seventeen Seconds era Cure, Dead Can Dance, tragedy and isolation.

Limousine Syndrome
Limousine Syndrome Reverb Nation
Port 41