Regular readers of Rosy Overdrive know of the blog’s appreciation of Mister Goblin, whose 2022 album Bunny was my favorite album of last year. In addition to his work with Mister Goblin, however, bandleader Sam Goblin has joined a new band, with the Bloomington, Indiana-based musician swinging down to Louisville to play guitar in the five-piece group Deady (also comprised of vocalist Mandy Keathley, guitarist Chyppe Crosby, bassist Clayton Ray, and drummer KJ Bechtloff—pictured in the above photo by Mat Schladen).
The first half of 2023 saw the release of two Deady songs, “Eat Sleep” and “Knock” (the former of which I wrote about in June). I’m pleased to report that Deady shares Mister Goblin’s love of 1990s post-hardcore, noise rock, and indie rock, although the quintet have a bit of a Midwestern/Rust Belt edge compared to the Maryland-originating Mister Goblin’s D.C. vibes–a little less Jawbox, a little more Brainiac.
Today, Rosy Overdrive is premiering “Uneeda”, the third-ever Deady song, and the band’s hot start continues with this one. Although the track isn’t a world away from their last two songs, it feels a little different–instead of fully embracing the new wave-y playfulness of the other singles, “Uneeda” gets a little heavier and blunter. The sub-two minute track is a math-y squall of shredding guitars and pummeling percussion, taking a slight breather before ending in a big noisy conclusion.
Over top of all the chaos, Mandy Keathley is, of course, singing about zombies. According to Keathley, her lyrics here are inspired by The Return of the Living Dead, the 1985 horror-comedy film that’s apparently set in Louisville (a fact of which I imagine Deady are quite proud). Her vocals are just as impressive as the rest of the band’s contributions, managing to shout along loudly with the musical storm while at the same time incorporating a hint of post-punk/death-rock-singer gravitas that feels appropriate for the track (yes, I’m hearing lines about bones and brains throughout the lyrics of “Uneeda”).
“Uneeda”, along with “Knock” and “Eat Sleep”, will appear on Deady’s debut EP, which comes out at the end of next month via Never Nervous Records. Both Deady and Mister Goblin will be playing in Chicago this Friday, August 18th, with the also-great Sonny Falls, and those in Indianapolis and Louisville will have a chance to see Deady this Thursday and Saturday respectively, as well. Furthermore, Louisvillians can also catch Deady at Never Nervous’ Plunder Over Louisville music fest on the EP’s release date, September 30th. Listen to “Uneeda” below:
Rosy Overdrive 