60 Watt Kid makes music for the fourth dimension, music from "the realm of theoretical sonics and mad science." Any band that starts off describing themselves in terms of time travel, gravitational fields, and black holes gets my sci-fi dork boy-briefs in a twist. Now if they only mentioned the space-time continuum...but alas, I digress...

60 Watt Kid embodies that crazy experimental mix -- raw, gritty, inspiring -- that in my opinion is the quintessential innovative SF sound. The kind you catch at a small local venue, and it moves you all over and seeps inside your skin. It gets you so excited that you can't help but look around and wonder how you got so damn lucky to live in this talent haven we call San Francisco. The kind of music not everyone will get. But fuck those people. 

The first time I saw 60 Watt Kid was at Thee Parkside for the February Wiretap Music event, with Black Fiction and Chairman Wow. Hot damn that was a kick ass show! I had heard great things about 60 Watt Kid from my esteemed colleagues, but had yet to give them a listen. Oh man did I ever fall for them that night. They had me entranced the entire set. They've been called "certifiably Schizo" by Pitchfork and that only makes me love them more!

60 Watt Kid is Kevin Litrow (voice, guitar, fuckery), Derek Thomas (guitars, keys, samples and electronics) and Garrett Pierce (tom drum, percussion and xylophone). And yes fuckery is indeed an accurate description. Their self-titled 14-song debut was released in November on Absolutely Kosher Records. Lucky you, they are portable. With influences such as Brian Eno, Faust, Buddy Holly, Talking Heads and Animal Collective -- mmm, Animal Collective -- the music is anything but boring.

The album, like the band, demands your attention; it's not a passive listen.

The eight-minute "Ocsincnarf Nas" (which is San Francisco spelled backwards) is my favorite track on the album with its flickering guitar and haunting echo-driven vocals that spiral into a spectacularly handsome finish. As rapturous as "Ocsincnarf Nas" is, other songs on the album shout and flutter with dementia. "Time of Mad Scientists" and "Sea Salt" utilize similarly destroyed keys and chirping synthesizers, but "Time of Mad Scientists" uses spoken-word style storytelling instead of more traditional vocals. "Going Home" is a softer, more nuanced, comforting sound than most of the album.

60 Watt kid is all guts and glory, endless amounts of guitar reverb juxtaposed with sounds of old church organs. Sexy retro-synth throwbacks and old-time grainy blues contrasted by unconventionally graceful melodies. I love music that defies categorization and 60 Watt Kid does just that. Take a trip with them to the 4^th dimension.