Pitchfork

Milwaukee trio Call Me Lightning seem to have been hanging out with Emily Haines recently. On February 20, 2007, the band's sophomore LP, Soft Skeletons, will land via the band's new label, Frenchkiss Records. As far as we know, the album has nothing to do with Haines' band the Soft Skeleton...but can we ever be sure?

To celebrate the album, Call Me Lightning have planned two record release parties: at their hometown's Todd Wehr Hall on February 17 and at Chicago's Empty Bottle on February 19.

One cut from Soft Skeletons, "Billion Eyes", has already made its way online, and it's easy to see what the group is talking about when it cites the Minutemen as an influence. For some seriously loud drums and a sense of good old-fashioned punk community (note the group vocals during the chorus), download the track below.

Tracklist:

01 Meet the Skeletons
02 Billion Eyes
03 Bottles and Bottles
04 Beaming Streaks
05 Soft Skeletons
06 Nobody Dies
07 Filthy Information
08 Shook House Shakedown
09 Shadow Twin
10 Little Bear
11 Return as a Child

[photo by J. Loberg]