The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries have the sort of resume that makes it easy to call them a supergroup, but the self-described “summer fun punk band” seem to take themselves way less seriously than that, especially if their name is any indication.
The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries have the sort of resume that makes it easy to call them a supergroup, but the self-described “summer fun punk band” seem to take themselves way less seriously than that, especially if their name is any indication. Born from a joking conversation between bassist Bob Weston (Shellac) and guitarist Elisha Weisner (Kahoots) about ridiculous names for bands, The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries have been pretty lackadaisical about releasing music, having only 2010’s In The Pond to their name thus far. But now they’re planning to release a longer collection of material, Mass. Grave, coming in October from Kiam Records.
Like In The Pond, Mass. Grave has a somewhat varied sound, showing off the different styles of each of the band’s three songwriters. However, all of the music hangs together, unified by punk energy and a somewhat threatening rumble. The first song released from Mass. Grave was written by drummer Chris Brokaw (Codeine/The New Year), and while “She’s A Fucking Angel (From Fucking Heaven)” is definitely the poppiest song in the Martha’s Vineyard Ferries’ repertoire, it retains a punk edge–and not just because of the multiple F-bombs in the title. The witty yet heartfelt lyrics feature great lines like “I had sex with the devil to match wits with an angel,” and Brokaw’s vocals are reminiscent of Robert Pollard’s fake-British croon on the best Guided By Voices material. The song’s less-than-polished production also calls the best GBV material to mind. With 90s nostalgia on the rise in the indie scene, a song like this is sure to find a lot of fans, but there’s also something to be said for great pop music that transcends its era of origin. “She’s A Fucking Angel (From Fucking Heaven)” fits the bill, regardless of whether its titular sentiment would have kept it off the radio back in the 60s. Check it out below:
Mass. Grave comes out on October 15, and can preordered from Kiam Records in vinyl, CD, and digital formats.
