Party Jail

This minimalist postpunk duo of Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice from Baltimore play maniacally violent rock ’n’ roll, with just drums and bass forming the heart of the noise. Yet, the brief, animated attack of “Televan” alone is reminiscent of the best work from Wire and The Minutemen. Just when it seems like they’re locked into permanent aggression, they opt for the melodic subtlety of the Jam-like “Clock Weather,” where Rice’s bass work is all that melodically accompanies Schrader’s surprisingly tuneful vocals. Schrader relies on his original floor tom to belt out the rhythms, and it’s a miracle of sound and energy that the duo can accomplish so much with so little. Just as their debut album, Jazz Mind, introduced their odd schematic, Party Jail expands on it. An earlier version of “Radio Eyes” was selected for Sub Pop’s Sub Pop 1000 Record Store Day 2013 compilation; it accomplishes the magic of a classic punk single in just two minutes' time. Party Jail features additional drums by Jeremy Hyman of Ponytail, Dan Deacon, and Boredoms, explaining the larger noises behind “No Fascination” and “Pantomine Jack.”