Can't-miss show of the week: Melkbelly and Paint Thinner at Donovan's

We know, we know: there’s a lot going on any given day in Detroit, but if harmoniously aggressive post-punk is your thing, transport yourself to Donovan’s Pub for a near-perfect bill this sure-to-be-gloomy Wednesday evening.

The members of Melkbelly are veterans of Chicago’s experimental and DIY scene, which has clearly influenced the band’s style and approach. Heck, the Chicago Reader even called them “Chicago’s most exciting rock band.” They come to Detroit in support of their debut full-length Nothing Valley, which has been characterized as such: “If Nothing Valley were a real place, it’d be mossy, verdant, and a little bit strange.” To get to the heart of the music a bit better, we’d describe it as frenetic guitar lines meet velvety vocals to create something of a magical smorgasbord of adventurous noise.

Hear them on Bandcamp.

Local support comes in the form of Paint Thinner, who you may recall from our prophetic list of 15 Detroit bands to watch in 2017. “Their music is what bubbles below the surface of the ordinary tensions we all face; their songs give a kind of context to these tensions, and in doing so they deftly convey emotion without oversimplification, supported by restless imagery and a downright melodic psychedelic dread,” we wrote. “If Fugazi had sounded more like Unwound and really liked Pink Floyd, the result might have been something like Paint Thinner. Oh, and did we mention they shred?”

Since then, their sound has evolved into an even more delicate evocation of that psychedelic dread, with occasional additional instrumentation and an appreciation for the most quiet end of the sound spectrum as much as the loudest. Also, there might be incense.

Hear them on Bandcamp.

Rounding out this sick bill is APT 3, a group of self-proclaimed sweetheart slacker punks from Burlington, Vermont, who all happened to move into the same apartment building, hence their name. They quickly found common musical ground in a shared appreciation of bands like Thee Oh Sees, Pavement, the Pixies, and Ty Segall, which is pretty clear from their particular stylings of fuzzy power pop and slacker rock. Their set is sure to be high-energy, complete with fits of feedback to augment the melodic fuzz.

Hear them on Bandcamp.

Melkbelly, Paint Thinner, and APT 3 play Donovan’s Pub on Wednesday, October 25th; Doors at 8 p.m.; 3003 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; $8 in advance, $10 night of the show, and available here; 21+ only.