Twerps

Australian lo-fi revivalists Twerps make noisy pop and ’80s-influenced college rock that has an unmistakable Flying Nun/New Zealand feel. Formed in Melbourne and made up of guitarist/vocalists Martin Frawley and Julia McFarlane, bassist Rick Milovanovic, and drummer Patrick O’Neill, the band released the Good Advice single in 2009 and caught the ears of noise pop enthusiasts. In 2011, Twerps returned with a self-titled full-length album. The record met with critical acclaim and garnered them a wide range of fans, including actress Jessica Alba. The band spent the next year touring the world and issued a single, “Work It Out,” in the summer of 2012 for Chapter Music and Underwater Peoples. They went back to a steady diet of shows, including 2013’s Laneway Festival tour, before signing with Merge in the U.S. during the summer of 2014. At the same time, they released their long-overdue next record, the Underlay EP. This self-recorded release was the first to feature new drummer Alex MacFarlane (of fellow Melbourne band the Stevens), who joined the band in early 2013. He was on board when the band recorded their second album, Range Anxiety, which was co-released by Merge and Chapter in early 2015. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi