NYC’s Grooms have been through the motions. The band’s first incarnation, called The Muggabears, was forged after Emily Ambruso (bass/vocals) and Travis Johnson (guitar/vocals) met at a party in the Oklahoma woods. The two bonded over a love for noisy, experimental rock and pop music and eventually moved to New York to pursue their art. Since 2004 the duo has experienced name changes, lineup changes, and sonic changes, but Grooms are stronger than ever in 2013.
The band signed to Western Vinyl to release their newest record, Infinity Caller, in September of this year. The album is arguably a more cohesive affair than 2009’s noisy Rejoicer and 2011’s sleek, electro-infused Prom and it features a blend of everything Grooms has done to date — noisy, ’90s-inflected rock, dark electronic textures and pop melodies in abundance. “I Think We’re Alone Now,” the album’s first single, is a three-minute blast of guitar pop and one of the strongest singles that the band has released to date.
Grooms are currently on the road touring Infinity Caller and they will stop in Madison this Wednesday night, playing a house show with Fire Retarded.