Siggy; cool band name, right? A little Iggy, some Ziggy, imagine a pack of Reds rolled up in a tatted, cut-armed rainbow t-shirt sleeve. Taken to a new level when the realization hits that Siggy has been the side hustle of two real and two pseudo-shrinks for 25 years.
But exactly what is Siggy back from? Siggy released four timeless records back in the day. Take a listen to anyone: Harlow’s Girl, R, Cryptophasia, or The Absinthe Effect (available on iTunes & Napster) and try to guess the year. And try to say this band doesn’t rock while you’re at it.
Siggy is back with 25th Century, an album whose sound may be timeless but with a message grounded firmly in the hope, the fury, and of course, the rank psychic pathology of the 21st Century. Siggy’s sound still often hangs in the proto-punk world of Television, but they can bring gritty punk (Splitter) with singer, Buckwalter, sounding as Iggy-ish as ever, and with Howes’ guitar sure to make any hipster recall the mesmerizing cascade of what skilled punk guitar solos can be, ala Verlaine and Lloyd.
Siggy has never limited itself to any specific genre. On the titular 25th Century, they drive home the need for change, if we expect a future, with simple lyrics & toe-tapping rock. They also take a turn with funked-up respect for diversity on Crayola, some countrified Americana on Drunken Prayer, ethereal love VU-style on Marianne, and the rocking one-size fits all act of contrition, Sorry. Their choice of a cover, Echo and the Bunnymen’s Lips Like Sugar keeps the bones of the classic, but Howe’s guitar dirties it up just enough that you have to hit repeat a time or two to remember this ain’t the eighties anymore.
The backstory of Siggy is the story of Siggy. A lot of boomers and Gen Xers wonder what would have happened if the band they started back in the day had stayed together. Siggy is the story of what happens when four musicians start a band, do the professional thing, and continue to get together to play once a week–for 25 years.
It’s no accident that 25th Century was recorded with The Mekons’ very own Dave Trumfiodoing the mixing. Siggy does music because it makes their lives better, not because they are chasing the dragon of fame & fortune. Along the way, something real has emerged, something that might just add a little flavor to the listener’s journey as well.
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