Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Morning Wood: Join the Pioneer Valley’s finest “Noodlerz”

Morning Wood File Photo
Britainy Young/Morning Wood

Bikini Catfish Noodling is nouveau, post-grunge, four-piece band new on the Amherst scene. You could call them the Neutral Milk Hotel of the trap-metal-bluegrass scene. Or the Smash Mouth of the polka scene.

Maybe you could be so bold as to compare them to The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Wu-Tang Clan.

“Bikini Catfish Noodling was formed rather spontaneously, last summer,” said Charlotte Kelly, one of the bandleaders.

“We had a good friend who had an unfortunate noodling accident,” Kelly continued, “While in a tense catfish noodling encounter, our dear friend lost a breast, due to tiny bikinis and the ferocity of the wrastling (sic).”

The members are Allison Rigney, Charlotte Kelly, Emily Devenney and Zach Smith. All are UMass students, and all ready to play at your next house party. Similar to groups such as Odd Future, they roll “squad deep.”

Additional members include Jenna Grady, Preston Davis, Priya Ghosh, Erika Civitarese, Michael McCormack, Jack Shepard and Annie Mombourquette. The band is open, and is open to working with others in the future.

To raise awareness and show their support, the self-styled “Noodlerz” decided to get together and play a show at a local bar.

“What we did felt right,” said Devenney, “And we haven’t looked back since.”

“Our band plays with a wide range of instruments. From kazoo to stand-up bass to ukulele to saxophone to cowbell, we play it all,” said Smith. “Our signature sound is our keyboard’s simulated cat function. We love breakin’ it out and layin’ down the meooow.”

Their first album, The Gummy Worm Liberation Front, debuts in May 2014. They do have some singles out, if your ears are in need of a firm, though gentle, caressing.

Future singles off of the album include “Mono Boob,” “Logogonous Felines” and “Conspiracy Theory.” They have particular expertise covering songs as well; the album will include a psychedelic “MmBop,” a heavy metal “Beautiful Soul” and a screamo version of “Birthday” by 2Chainz.

Jax Hoff can be reached at [email protected].

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