Brandishing a riot-grrrls-meet-The-Go-Go’s sound, Tacocat charms fans with funny songs about waiting for the No. 8 Metro bus, fear of toxic shock syndrome and a psychic cat that predicts nursing-home deaths. Band members Emily Nokes, Lelah Maupin, Bree McKenna and Eric Randall—who have described their vibe as “feminist sci-fi” and “equal parts Kurt and Courtney”—have been cranking out clever lyrics and infectious pop punk tunes since 2007. This month (2/25), Tacocat releases its second full-length record, NVM (as in “never mind”), on local label Hardly Art. The second effort amps up the band’s bubblegum-surf harmonies and the driving garage rock—not to mention the amusing song topics, such as wanting to build a bridge to Hawaii, getting trapped at a weird party and jerks on the street who tell women to “smile.” Listen and you might just utter another palindrome: “Now I won!” For CD-release party dates, check hardlyart.com or search “tacocatband” on Facebook.
Brangien Davis 