Song of the Day: Nothing - Vertigo Flowers

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Vertigo Flowers” by Nothing from their 2016 album, Tired of Tomorrow, on Relapse Records.

Nothing - Vertigo Flowers (MP3)

Philly band Nothing is a shoegaze band on a metal label. It's an odd match on paper, but the minute the heavy tones of their music flood through the air, the pairing makes sense. Nothing make music that washes you with sound like 90's shoegaze greats, through a dark grating lens. The lead up to the band's recent release "Tired of Tomorrow" has not been easy, as the title implies. Lead man Dominic Palermo was playing in a punk band when he stabbed a man in a fight and found himself in jail facing seven years for assault and attempted murder. After two years of jail, he got out only to experience the deaths of friends and family. So it makes sense that Nothing touches on heavy themes, through both texture and lyrics. And while they do that excellently, their sound also relies on a certain contrasting softness, that melds the harsh tones and honest lyrics into a smoother affair. Album cut and our featured song "Vertigo Flowers," may be the lightest on the album, providing an excellent example of the bands duality. It begins with harmonies and pleasant guitar riffs, but a breakdown in the later half shifts the tempo, bringing wave after wave of fuzz crashing down to the harsh droning of a guitar. Palermo's voice rises and falls, dipping in and out of the haze instead of adding to it, providing a pang of emotion few shoegaze vocalists can match. As the song ends to the ringing of feedback, it's clear that when you're tired of tomorrow, Nothing will help.

You can catch Nothing live in Seattle at Tractor Tavern on June 16th. Until then, keep up with the band on their Facebook and website, and check out the video for "Vertigo Flowers" below: