new music: get down to the adventurous post-punk of danielle grub #soundcheck

Danielle Grub’s music is a million stellar contradictions. Jagged guitars collide with infectious melodies, while the percussion threatens to tear itself apart while maintaining an undeniable rhythm. On her two Eps, Pluto I and Pluto 2, the band breathes new life into post-punk, injecting it with a joyously rebellious spirit. “Do you wanna be famous? Cause I just wanna be dangerous” Danielle Grub sings on the cacophonous standout “TINDER.” On tracks like “RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD,” she uses the musical left turns to track her scattered thoughts, creating the impression of a racing conflicted mind.

PLUTO II is the more accessible of the two, with the clipped rhythms and punk rock runtimes of PLUTO I’s songs replaced by anthemic hooks. The epic swirling guitars on “LAST NIGHT” find the perfect balance in the maelstrom of Danielle Grub’s love of self-destructing melodies. “GHOST,” meanwhile crafts pop melodies out of shards of glass. It’s sort of like a stained glass window. It’s full of broken pieces that might cut you if you handle them the wrong way, but damn is it beautiful when the light shines in.