Spit Takes and Whiplass Records Bring the Twin Cities Queer Punk Noise
Local punk group Spit Takes have been propelling themselves across the Twin Cities and beyond since 2023. Band members VansAnn/Vanessa McKinney (vocals), Monet Wong (guitar), Angie Reed (bass), and Charles Gehr (drums) all have extensive roots in the local music scene and enough experience to guide this outfit into something very specific. While their bio refers to influences like Bikini Kill and the Slits, it’s clear they are aiming for a voice all their own.
Given this, it is no surprise that their debut full-length album, Teeth, would be the first release from the new Minneapolis label Whiplass Records. Whiplass aims to “amplify the voices of femme, trans, and queer punks in the Twin Cities scene,” a tentpole supporting LGBTQ+ artists within the DIY punk scene. Judging by the crowd at their sold-out album launch party at Cloudland Theater on Lake Street, there is absolutely an appetite for a label like this to give local groups a home.
As this was their release party, Spit Takes were the headliner. The band was clearly lit with excitement before they hit the first riff, and the crowd was right there with them. Given some of the press about the band and the label, you could be forgiven for assuming the show would be a thundering blast of punk fury. I wouldn’t have minded, of course, but there was a delirious kind of humor underneath everything, and VansAnn’s potent grin revealed the trickster heart at the core of this project. To paraphrase VansAnn, all their songs are about getting off and kicking bootlicker ass (not necessarily at the same time, but I haven’t done an exhaustive study of their discography).
The crowd became nearly ecstatic when the band launched into their anthem “God Bless (Holy Tits),” which is about exactly what the title promises. Rock songs about tits from the perspective of folks who have them are few and far between, and this track has the potential to be the breakout hit of riot grrrl summer.
Scrunchies, a punk/noise group featuring Laura Larson (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Warden (bass), and Katy Fenaschi (drums), warmed up the stage for Spit Takes. While the main act provided rock jams that could be sung along with well enough, Scrunchies delivered a powerhouse wall of grunge, noise, and twisting sonics that very much brought me to my personal audio mind castle. Larson is a performer at times possessed by her guitar, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the room bent a little bit toward her while she was playing. Given Scrunchies’ past work with the late great Steve Albini, you didn’t have to look too hard to see the riotous gods of feedback looking upon them and smiling.
Doll Chaser opened up the evening with their remarkably propulsive sound. This queer punk quartet held nothing back in their musical rebuke of the oppressive control systems that would be much unwelcome in the sweaty, sold-out (tickets—not ethics) confines of Cloudland.
Usually, at a show like this, you can manage some safe guesses as to who is there for what band. The fact that crowds sometimes stay for “their” band and then leave for parts unknown is both a strength and a weakness of the indie music scene, but that vibe wasn’t there for this show. While the crowd took breaks in the Cloudland backyard area between bands, it was obvious everyone had bought their tickets for the entire set of bands. This is a bit rare and points to the strength of the community at the heart of Whiplass Records.
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About the Author
Todd Wardrope
Todd has been a passionate fan of the Twin Cities music scene since Hüsker Dü was still playing together as a band. While we are a long way off from the all-ages exuberance of the late-’80s punk scene, he is dedicated to capturing and telling the stories of the vibrant music scene of today.
