When Impose editors Eric Phipps and Edwina Hay went to Chicago for HoZac Fest one of the bands they glowed for upon return was Negative Scanner. Locals most likely as familiar with the Empty Bottle as any band gets in that city, Negative Scanner formed from a Craigslist ad requesting "Bands we like include Wire, The Fall, Siouxie and the Banshees, Video, Total Control. NO FLAKES, NO DRUNKS, PRO GEAR, PRO ATTITUDE."
While the crowd-sourcing of a name didn't pay off (they were almost called Butt Stuff), the ad led to the formation of a band properly mining those touchtones with a professional's precision. Negative Scanner's blistering post-punk on "Fan vs Wild" has singer Rebecca Valeriano-Flores following someone along the west coast, taking in San Diego's Ocean Beach and San Francisco's Mission Street, but the song's brooding nature suggests it wasn't sunshine and flowers in her hair. That's what we love about a good n' gritty Midwest band – they're not easily swept up by California romanticism.
Negative Scanner head out on tour soon with The Wet, dates below:
August
28 Wed. – St. Louis @ Chromozone w/ Trauma Harness
29 Thu. – Memphis @ Buccaneer w/ Nots
30 Fri. – Denton @ House Party
31 Sat. – Austin @ Beerland w/ Feral Future, Eets Feats
September
01 Sun. – New Orleans @ Circle Bar
02 Mon. – Nashville @ House Party
03 Tue. – Lafayette, IN @ Foam City w/ Doberman
06 Fri. – Chicago @ Cole’s
