This Saturday, self-described “fuzz buzz no class trash act” The Funs will roll into Tucson to play Tanline Studio for the first time.
They bring along a whole lot of noise and one of the best band names east of the Mississippi. Hailing from Chicago, The Funs have the kind of fully-formed sound and aesthetic that most DIY bands can only dream of, combining the buzzsaw guitars of early Sonic Youth with the blown-out pop sensibility of a group like Times New Viking.
You can’t always tell what they’re singing or what instrument is what, but even a cursory listen of The Funs reveals them to be a band with fresh and livewire energy.
“We are loud and dirty and dead serious, but at the same time pretty and sweet and making jokes,” said Jessee Rose Crane, one half of the core duo that makes up The Funs.
Crane has known songwriting partner Philip Jerome Lesicko since Lesicko was only 17 years old; the two decided to move in together and play music years before officially starting the band.
“Both of us needed a way to not think and just play,” Crane said.
The most compelling component of the band is undoubtedly the interplay between Crane and Lesicko. Their brash collaborations on guitar and drums keep The Funs from simply being another hip noise band. Instead, The Funs thrive on their “no class trash” style, maintaining a steady dose of contradictions rather than any serious posturing.
“We have different aesthetics,” Crane said. “He’s got this beautiful black and white thing going right now, and I like carnivals. So we clash, and it’s great because it’s a balance.”
As much as they conflict, their opposing styles is what gives The Funs its sound. What Lesicko describes as the band’s “distorted vocals and blown out speakers” often results in androgynous vocals, and the lyrics add another dimension to the collaborative space between the two.
Of course, the way The Funs play their music is just as important as the songs themselves. On the band’s Facebook page they write, “We do not fake passion,” and they mean it.
“I think you can definitely tell when something is forced,” Crane said. “A lot of bands you see look like they studied rock ‘n’ roll videos. If you are pissed, you sound pissed. If you are depressed, you sound depressed.”
In this way, The Funs are more than your average apathetic indie band — there’s a method to their trash act.
Still, Crane remains cryptic when it comes to talking about any larger meaning behind The Funs.
“I never want to take myself too serious, even though I’m dead serious,” she said.
The only thing you can really know for sure from listening to The Funs’ recordings is that the duo must be a killer live act.
“All I need is a shoe tapping to charge my batteries while I’m playing,” Crane said. “The best shows are the ones where everyone is sweating.”
