Uh-huh. Right. Time. Hasn’t everyone written about the seconds and the minutes and the hours, their precious value, the wasted and the well spent, the etc. and etc.? Yep, they sure have, say the Shut-Ups in a loosely coordinated murmur. That’s why the five venerated blokes of this Athens/Atlanta collective can throw away the purple prose and trade dad jokes about the passing time. There’s nothing new to say, and no reputation to prove—especially not for guitarist Jason NeSmith, beloved producer, Casper & the Cookies frontman, and card-carrying member of the Pylon Reenactment Society—so why not laugh instead?
As this video demonstrates, the Shut-Ups know exactly where they stand. What’s a song about wasting time gonna do for you in 2018? Nothing! Hence why they’re all sitting by the couch, munching on their respective sandwiches. Only lead vocalist Don Condescending stares right at you, because he knows, contrary to his lyrics, that you’ve definitely got something better to do. The timer at the bottom even tracks exactly how many seconds you’ve lost to “We’re Gonna Waste Your Time.” Who said the Shut-Ups weren’t thoughtful? I like to imagine that this particular face-off with ennui would unfold if Elvis Costello guest-starred on the Eric Andre Show, particularly the twist ending two minutes in. (Of course, as the Shut-Ups admonished us when they beamed the transmission along: “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”)
If tongue-in-cheek gags about birth and death set to caffeinated new wave sounds like your cup of tea, then you’re in luck! The Shut-Ups’ next album, Just Another Generation—a project eight years in the making—comes wailing into the world tomorrow. About time, eh?
The Shut-Ups will celebrate the release of Just Another Generation tomorrow evening, Apr. 13, at 529 alongside Weisshund. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $7. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: shutups.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @theshutups