TrEmUlaNtS

There’s nothin’ like a good old-fashioned drag show to kick off a CD-release party. Earlier this month, in what was quite possibly the wildest performance ever to grace the stage at Yucca Tap Room, a swarm of drag kings and queens danced, spanked, and stripped the roof off the joint in honor of Helicopter Moon, the first full-length CD from Phoenix’s TrEmUlaNtS. While these performers were a surprising match for a band that cites The Arcade Fire and Built to Spill as influences, you’d be hard-pressed to stumble upon a more enthusiastic, fun-loving bunch of partiers at a CD-release show. Helicopter Moon is a clever combination of psychedelic indie rock with a ’90s alternative edge that demands your attention from the first track, “Slow Jam,” where Marco Holt’s vocals tremble like a Southwest, folkie Jello Biafra. While each track offers some level of catchiness, “Junero” has an infectious ’90s college radio quality that pairs Russ Kaskallas’ violin skills with vocalist Kim Shelton’s schoolgirl musings; softening the guitar-driven alternative rhythms and Holt’s earthy vocals. TrEmUlaNtS’ distinctive, yet eerily nostalgic sound makes this album a repeat-play, whether you’re drag royalty or not.