In preparation for tomorrow’s performance at Irrelevant Music Fest, local art-punk trio Pretty Boy is dropping their first official release. The brittle single “Stay Hydrated” mixes a general disregard for song structure with some critical health information, all wrapped up within a jangly, plodding ditty.

Pretty Boy is made up of Blare LaBlonk on vocals and synths, Yancey Ballard (Man Up, Yancey) on vocals and guitar, and Kyle Swick (DiCaprio) on drums. Although the band has only existed a little over a year, they’ve kept up a rigorous show schedule despite the members’ other projects.

It’s nice to hear a richer version of the track than the one the band delivers through their usually sparse, sometimes halting live performances. But even if “Stay Hydrated” isn’t lo-fi, it is assuredly minimalist, a necessary quality for a band which takes pleasure in the more grating qualities of pop.

The track, along with the rest of Pretty Boy’s upcoming album, It Ain’t Easy Being Pretty, was tracked at Swick’s house, with help from Carter Sutherland (Sea Ghost), who also handled the mixing. Pretty Boy’s sound is miles apart from the lush pop-rock that Sutherland is known for, but he deftly captures the rough, detached vocal combination which makes the band so engaging.

In a world where art rock is an aristocratic umbrella for music connoisseurs, the abstract swagger of “Stay Hydrated” and ridiculous lyrics prove that Pretty Boy isn’t an artsy side project to satisfy the more snobby side of Atlanta’s DIY scene. Rather, the band is a tongue-in-cheek experiment, a challenge to taste, and a reminder of the inherent limitations of genre.

You can catchy Pretty Boy tomorrow night at the Drunken Unicorn for night one of the Irrelevant Music Fest. Also performing are Sea Ghost, Nihilist Cheerleader, Den-Mate, Jianna Justice, Lady Queen Paradise, and Most Selfless Cheerleader. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $8.

More Info
Bandcamp: prettyboyatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @prettyboymusic