Indie Rock Hit Parade Live Session: The Safes

The Safes | Photo by Eric Schuman for WXPN

For our latest Indie Rock Hit Parade live session, we’re joined by the Chicago garage-pop combo The Safes! Formed by brothers Frankie and Patrick O’Malley, The Safes recently released their third full-length album, Tasty Waves, on Hidden Volume Records. More than just a throwback rock crew, The Safes combine punchy pop songcraft with the ragged edges of ’90s indie. Top that off with harmonies that can only come from a pair of brothers and you’ve got an instantly likable performance.

Our session with The Safes begins the same way as their new album, with the sing-songy “Hometown.” Chiming guitars punctuate a tale of returning to your old stomping grounds with a life’s worth of experiences on your back. Next comes “Crystal Ball,” which put the O’Malley brothers’ harmonies right in the spotlight. A jangly, carnivalesque confection, the song features an impossibly nimble rhythm pattern from drummer Dex Fontaine and bassist Curt Schmelz. “Streets And Sanitation” comes next, showcasing one of the band’s most gleefully unconventional extended metaphors. Closing the set is a web-exclusive song, “Mediocre Jokers.”

Listen to The Safes’ full Indie Rock Hit Parade session below and check out some photos from the studio!