There’s so much about Chapel Hill indie-rock heroes Superchunk that we can learn from right now, while a lot of us are wishing for a hero to pull us out of our political morass. The band has roots in the late-’80s DIY scene, and instead of waiting for someone else to take interest in their music, the booked their own tours and put out their own albums on Merge Records, which they built up as a force to be reckoned with (especially in recent years with their biggest signee, Arcade Fire).
The band’s newest album is due out in February, titled What a Time to Be Alive — the songs on which reportedly not-so-subtly addresses our political climate. And why not? Now almost into their fourth decade, they have nothing to lose by staying quiet. Superchunk has stood up to the corporate music world the way many are yearning to stand up to the White House, and they’ve done it the way I think 2018 will be defined: with fun, in-your-face action instead of mopey shoegazing. Sounds like this new album follows suit. They don’t make it to the Bay Area too often, but they’ve been an erstwhile staple at the Noise Pop Festival, who’ve wrangled them out here to play Feb. 24 at the Great American Music Hall; details here.
