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One of the most distinct features associated with garage rock tends to be its ramshackle bordering on lazy attitude toward composition and structure. Unlike most other styles of music, there’s a certain amount of charm that oozes through songs with all of the cracks visible and hinting that things could completely fall apart at any second. It’s like a lovable drunk friend or relative – they stumble around with smiles on their faces and jokes to spare, but there’s always a slight worry at the back of your mind that they’ll blindly wander out into traffic and get hit by a car or start puking heavily in the most inappropriate place. It’s all fun and games until shit gets real. Thankfully garage rock rarely if ever self-destructs in an off-putting way, and when it does only harmless jangly guitar melodies are left in its wake. There’s often a method to the madness, as even some of the grittiest bands can secretly be the greatest perfectionists. Their jeans are torn up, but less from wear and more because they were purposefully ripped to look that way.

The reason I bring this up is because two garage rock-inspired bands will be performing together in Chicago at Lincoln Hall next Thursday, and they’re proverbial trainwrecks you definitely shouldn’t miss. Calling Hinds and Public Access T.V. trainwrecks is meant as a compliment, and hopefully everyone takes it as such. The music that both bands make is distinctly bouncy, fun and memorable in such a way that you can tell it was made by people who are passionate about every aspect of life. Every album, song, video and live show is a celebration.

In the case of Public Access T.V., the New York four-piece is the brainchild of John Eatherly, formerly of the indie punk band Be Your Own Pet. Those familiar with his former group should feel some sense of connection with this new one as they share a similar attitude, though the sound and members are certainly different. Instead of hyperactive and aggressive punk rock, Public Access T.V.’s sound comes across more like a hybrid of ’70s punk and ’90s Britpop, which is a unique enough combo that it enables them to defy easy categorization. The term “garage rock” is more of a catch-all descriptor for them than it is a legitimate definition. For example, their latest single “Patti Peru” feels familiar in a Strokes or Stooges kind of way, while “All We Want” is practically indebted to new wave with its more synth-dominant melody. They are nothing if not a complex band. Considering that they currently only have a few songs to their name, there’s also plenty of room for these guys to continue evolving and shaking up some genres just for the fun of it. Of course as more and more people are turned on to Public Access T.V. they’ll figure out what’s working best and head in that direction. I’m excited to hear what that might be, and hope you will be too. In the meantime they’re playing live shows and earning plenty of acclaim along the way, which is why they’re worth showing up early at Lincoln Hall to see.

As for Hinds (fka Deers), the Madrid four-piece are members of my Class of 2015, otherwise known as 10 artists I’m expecting to do big things this calendar year. They’ve done a fantastic job building hype these last 10 months, releasing a couple of new singles, videos and a mini-album collection of older songs, all to keep us tantalized until their debut full length Leave Me Alone arrives in January 2016. Their star has continued to rise the whole time, in part due to the quality of the music but also because they’ve been touring pretty much nonstop for the last year and a half, winning over audiences around the globe. They played a few shows in the U.S. this past spring, but hadn’t really scheduled a full North American tour until recently. They spent the last couple of weeks opening for Glass Animals in a dozen or so cities around the country, Chicago included, but now they’re off on their own headlining trek and will be bouncing back through town on the 22nd. One of the things I really like about Hinds is how much they’re willing to share with their fans. Most of their music videos are the four of them goofing around backstage, on the road or at home. Last winter they released a 25 minute documentary highlighting their 2014 summer, which gave even more insight into their distinct aesthetic and personalities. It’s ridiculous how charming and effortless the four of them are together, and their songs capture that chemistry perfectly. Give a listen to songs like “Chili Town” and “Between Cans” to get a great idea of why Hinds are such a captivating band that has earned and continues to earn a very rabid fan base. They’re likely to become huge sooner rather than later, so do yourself a favor and catch them at a small-ish venue like Lincoln Hall while you can!

The Fine Details
Date: Thursday, October 22
Location: Lincoln Hall
Time: 9 PM
Age Restriction: 18+
Tickets: $15 [Buy]