ABOUT

Trophy Wives are a 4-piece bringing RN’R the way it’s meant to be: sweaty, propulsive, head-pounding fun, and they deliver the exact type of live show we love where you’re calling your friends and attempting to explain how you just had your head handed to you by a band whose sole purpose seems to be giving you the best rock show of the year. Trophy Wives started as a trio in the summer of 2007 with vocalist/guitarist Billy Bisig (ex Elliott, Lords), bassist Tony Ash (ex Coliseum, Nixon) and drummer Geoff Paton (ex Young Widows, Breather Resist). In 2009 they added  2^nd guitarist and kindred spirit Elliott Turton and, with their line-up firmly in place, they forged a highly distinct sound accentuated by Bisig and Turton’s dual guitar interplay, calling to mind both the hook-laden riffs of Portland punk legends the Wipers and the heavy, fuzzed-out grind of stoner metal godfathers Kyuss. The Wives’ airtight rhythm section, a combination of Ash’s gnarled, razor-sharp basslines and Paton’s relentless, Grohl-esque drumming, owes a major debt to Touch and Go powerhouses the Jesus Lizard and Laughing Hyenas. These ingredients, combined with Bisig’s raspy vocal delivery, make up an overall sound that is simultaneously pummeling and inviting, explosive and subdued, always seemingly teetering on the edge of chaos while maintaining a degree of unparalleled precision.

Old Scratch

Old Scratch, the debut full-length from Louisville, Kentucky’s Trophy Wives, draws heavily from its place of origin along the banks of the Ohio River, a locale with a rich musical history that includes indie stalwarts Rodan, Slint, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Like the city’s favorite son, Muhammad Ali, the band knows its punches from its poetry, and both are on ample display here.

Playing on the loud-soft dynamics of its forebears but never slipping into the trappings of genre, the band lays a thick and heavy groundwork throughout. Bassist Tony Ash and drummer Geoff Paton provide a raw, edgy backbeat (“Bad Tattoos,” “Taste of Your Medicine”) to Billy Bisig and Elliott Turton’s carefully controlled guitar flights, which give every song a different personality but keep it all in the family.

Bisig’s pop sensibilities shine through in his vocals. His grungy delivery is balanced by melodies and harmonies that wouldn’t be out of step on a Kinks record (“Crooked Cross,” “616”). His lyrics are brooding and escapist, and gain from clever wordplay mixed throughout, as on the syrupy chorus of the otherwise riff-heavy “(You’re Like a) Bad Song.” For the most part though, Bisig’s takes on love, sex, loss and alienation in our connected world are refreshingly earnest.

Ultimately, Old Scratch is the document of a band with surprising range. From the assaulting screams of “Bless You All,” to the slinky bass and guitar lines that introduce “Picture Perfect,” to the silky vocal intro of “616,” Old Scratch introduces a band that you’d regret to overlook. Take the punch and you’ll hear the poetry.

Billy Bisig – vocals, guitar
Geoff Paton – drums
Elliott Turton – guitar
Tony Ash – bass

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Links
Trophy Wives on bandcamp
Trophy Wives on Facebook
Trophy Wives on Myspace

Press
dan@latestflame.com