Photo by Angel Ceballos
“Stagnant” is not a word you’d associate with the pop-punk/riot grrrl trio Skating Polly, who since 2009 have taken their self-proclaimed “ugly pop” from unassuming venues in OKC to full-on Western hemisphere notoriety. X’s Exene Cervenka produced the group’s sophomore album Lost Wonderfuls, and their third album had the frontwomen of Veruca Salt reaching out to then-members Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse, resulting in a trio of pro-fem anthems last year called New Trick. Since the release, Skating Polly added Kelli’s brother Kurtis to the group and the trio has kept a dense itinerary, playing over 100 shows including major festivals, a stint in Europe, and joining X for a couple legs of their 40th-anniversary tour. The band’s busy touring schedule took a short rest stop long enough for the band to record their 5th album, The Make It All Show, out this Friday. Now they’re out on the road again and stopping at Austin’s Stubb’s Indoors next Tuesday.
“Hollywood Factory” shows a bit of a sonically softer side of Skating Polly. No growls or abrasive riffs here, just catchy skater-punk-meets-indie-pop hooks, a lo-fi gel placed over the guitar, and Mayo’s sour-sweet, loose-jawed vocals. Skate on with your ugly pop!
-Taylor Wallace// Host, Thursdays 8p-11p & Saturdays 2p-6p; Producer, Eklektikos with John Aielli
