Lovely Litle Girls - Cleaning the Filth From a Delicate Frame LP

I’d followed Gregory Jacobsen’s Tumblr for quite awhile before realizing that alongside his repulsively uncomfortable artwork, he also spent time in a band that created equally uncomfortable and disgusting imagery. Watching the video Lovely Little Girls created for “Massive Vulva Cantaloupe” was in a lot of ways watching one of Jacobsen’s pieces of artwork come to life. With the wildly bright colors that go to great lengths to emphasize the sores, illness, depravity, and sexually inept. And that was unquestionably a bit eerie to witness. While I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing them live, I can only imagine how entertaining or awkward that may be. Either way, I’m incredibly intrigued by the idea of it all. Jacobsen has surrounded himself with a cast of members that provide the perfect complimentary backdrop of oddball rhythms, vocal contrasts, and a horn section even. It’s safe to say that he has assembled just what he needs to bring those images of his to life.

Apparently hanging around since 2001 or so, Cleaning the Filth From a Delicate Frame is the groups third release, but first for Skin Graft who have handled a few releases from fellow Chicagoan art-rock peers Cheer-Accident. And with that, this record is very much a fine representation and addition to Chicago’s long history of producing this type of wildly bizarre progressive heavy rock. Just maybe not this obsessively focused on themes that are often relegated to the secrecy of being behind closed doors. Lovely Little Girls, however, kick them all wide open with Cleaning the Filth… allowing anyone who has the stomach to peer inside and watch those unspeakable events unfold before their very eyes. There is no real proper way to describe the sounds that take place here. A precisely executed combination of the greater free-jazz inspired no-wave and rhythmic structures of prog-rock accompanied by some legitimately frightening theatrics. Fans of Cheer-Accident, Dead Rider, The Contortions, Ruins, and so on will likely get a kick out of this record.

Lovely Little Girls – I’m So Good Looking (stream)

Those interested in grabbing a copy of this can do so by heading over to Skin Graft. Comes on salmon-pink marbled vinyl along with artwork by Jacobsen himself.