Megaweapon

Hailing from Seaford, New York, Megaweapon are an indie punk band with a reputation for great live performances. Their first release, The Shakes and Other Ghost Stories, is a well-produced piece of work showcasing the bands talents by highlighting their old school sound across 6 great tracks. Lead vocalist and Keytar player, Michi Turk, has a natural vibrato that gives a great ska-punk feel to the whole EP, despite the absence of a brass section. On top of that, her vocal pairing with guitarist Andrew Stieglitz brings another level to their songs, really helping to round out their super 90’s, East Coast punk sound.

This is done best, I believe, on Ghost Stories. Starting out with heavy, almost screaming guitar, the riff finally softens as the whole thing slides right in to Letters to Cleo/Tsunami Bomb style goodness. I really enjoyed the strong, emotional lyrics, especially in the bridge, an honest line that really spoke to me; “I might get really scared, I might try to die. But what if I try to live, what if I live to try”.

This theme reappears on another highlight of the EP, It’s Alright. The chorus alone is telling of what the subject of mental health means to the band as Michi sings; “…when I take my meds, it becomes alright”. I also loved how the layered up vocals at this point in the song really reinforce Michi and Andrew’s harmonising abilities, an obvious trait, yet not one that is overused or understated throughout this piece of work.

Being a bit of a musical nerd, when I first came across Megaweapon, it was the word “keytar” that made me sit right on up and pay attention. Its awesomeness is utilised best in The United Shakes of America where, after carrying the intro, gives the band a whole other level of sound. I only wish that I could watch this brilliantly written song live to get the full on keytar experience.

Overall I think that this is a great first release and most likely only a snippet of what the band are truly capable of. After buying The Shakes and Other Ghost Stories on Bandcamp, you can keep track of Megaweapon on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. They will be heading to VuDu Studios in the spring to record a full length album so keep an eye out here for updates! - Angry Young Female