OK, so maybe the fantasy was a little out there. But this band is out there, too—in a way that we really like. Their sound starts with snappy, distorted alt indie guitars a la Dinosaur Jr. and Fugazi, two of their sources of post-hardcore inspiration. Badger’s clear, rich vocals evolve effortlessly from spaced out (think china doll experiences fleeting moments of life…) to bold.

 

These musicians know how to write lyrics, too, tucking in references to postmodern literature (Badger studied it in college) and painting bizarre images of blanket-draped mirrors and the distorted faces they spare. “A lot of our songs have a love element,” Badger says, “but it’s about being an outcast in love.”

 

The theme has resonated for the group, which—getting back to Carl’s Place—began with a chance conversation in 2009 between local musicians Nick Parks and Chris Lachky. Following an early recording session, Parks named the band after a song inspired by the classic scene in The Bride of Frankenstein, “when Frankenstein’s monster is lured into a blind man’s cabin in the woods and is befriended by the man and has a brief moment of happiness before resuming the role of the hated and hunted abomination that he is.”

 

Subsequent songs have also alluded to the conjecture that “monsters have a hard time hooking up with others,” says guitarist and vocalist Justin Neuenschwander says. To wit:

 

With fangs and claws built to lacerate,
You’d find it hard to get a date…

 

Does that translate to humans—perhaps as a desire to speak for society’s outcasts? Not at all, says Badger. “We really make our music to be creative more than anything.”

 

It’s a creative effort that’s catching on. The band’s bookings and reach have steadily increased, and their music will be featured April 1 on 105.1’s “Iowa Unsigned.”

 

What to expect at the GDP show? “Bring your earplugs,” Lachky says. “It’ll be pretty loud.”

 

Love Songs for Lonely Monsters is:

Amy Badger: lead vocals, 6-string, woodwinds
Nick Parks: 6-string, vocals
Justin Neuenschwander: 12-string, vocals
Chris Lachky: bass, vocals
Brian Gellerman: percussion, vocals

 

Learn more about LS4LM here and get tickets to see them live at GDP on April 14.

 

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