This Is Our Jam: Super Minotaur, “Thug Killings”

For garage rockers, from the Black Lips to FIDLAR, pushing buttons comes with the territory. Chicago newcomer Super Minotaur knows this better than most, with its lyrics that reach near enlightened levels of calculated controversy. Like bathroom wall poetry, this trio has a way of turning even the most sophomoric joke into a critique. See: “Thug Killings,” a track where lines like “come at me bro” address cultural violence, and the drug references are as tongue-in-cheek as it gets. This isn't to say these lo-fi punks are somehow profound, but the self-aware immaturity does come off as charming if you're in the right mood. Then again, an EP called Hawaii Pee probably isn't for everybody.