TV Ghost and the Spits at Churchill's Pub June 10

Photo by Sarah Lloyd

TV Ghost: Kinda like jelly, Scrappy Doo, and Ralph Malph.

​In a certain way, TV Ghost is the sweet, playful jelly to the no-nonsense, peanut-buttery Spits. You could also say that TV Ghost is the pugnacious, frenetic Scrappy Doo to the Spits' more worldly, less frilly Scooby. But most aptly, we might draw a Ralph Malph to Fonzie comparison, if only to indulge the kind of inexhaustible pleasure that comes with likening nu-garage affiliates to OG cool kid and renowned stuntman Arthur Fonzarelli.

But however you choose to view the double headliners taking the stage at Churchill's Pub next Friday, there's no doubt that the pairing provides plenty of variety.



Seattle's Spits have been churning out solid chunks of sweaty balls music since the dawn of the new milennium. In many ways, this band is a forerunner of the garage explosion of the 2000s. And while radio rock was experiencing its last gasp (as exhaled by then-buzzworthy, highly polished "garage" acts like the Strokes and the White Stripes), the Spits were getting loaded, digging up rock 'n' roll's grave, and filling it with empty beer cans, hocked loogies, and old porn mags.

That's one major difference between the Spits and the round-edged garage scene -- thorough vulgarity. The music is straightforward and fast. The lyrics are righteously stupid. And this crudity is a big part of the reason why the band likes to make a certain subtle distinction, calling its music garage punk rather than garage rock.



On the flipside, Indiana's TV Ghost get wiggly with noisy rock that uses a lo-fi bedroom pop template to rip through all sorts of bizzare, psychedelic (but still punk) ins and outs. Garage rock institution (and TV Ghost's record label) In The Red, accurately describes the group as packing the punch of '70s art punk, the twang and gallop of the Cramps, and the background electronic scuzz-fuzz of Suicide.

Put simply, TV Ghost will give you something to ponder and the Spits will demand you forget everything you've ever known.

The Spits and TV Ghost with Lil Daggers and Heartstrings. Friday, June 10. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $8 via brownpapertickets.com. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.

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