When a band from Chicago calls itself Vicious Dunk you have to assume there’s some primo, brutally self-deprecating humor of the Midwestern vintage informing the music. So in the video for “Please Try To Leave Something There” filmed in one take at the Edge Theater in Chicago you get that and much more. The song is a gentle indie pop song that takes digs the evolution of the urban Bohemian creative and never once is the dreaded designation of “hipster” employed. And maybe because despite the dry sarcasm and irreverent sentiments it’s a tender song about an affection for the experiences and the people along the way and how they shape your perspective. With just vocals, acoustic guitar, drums and bass with a touch of synth in the background to give parts of the song a surreal atmosphere that perfectly suits the whimsical and humorous yet meaningful tenor of the whole presentation. Chicago has long had an overlap with theater and music (Maestro Subgum and The Whole as an older example) and clearly songwriter Jake Pollock (bassist of the late, great indie folk weirdos Friends of the Bog) and Preserve Records label founder Patrick Budde have some experience with being or being around theater kids and that gives the vibe here an authenticity that prevents the pointed humor from being too much of a, yes, vicious dunk. Hard to compare this odd indie pop song to anyone else and best just to watch the video on YouTube or visit the project’s Bandcamp linked below to get a taste of how clever and inventive Vicious Dunk has been as a songwriting duo but fans of They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Richman and Dead Milkmen might greatly appreciate what these guys have to offer.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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