Smoke ’em If You Got ’em

Pop music has long been about teen angst, social anxiety and sexual confusion. And Brooklyn two-piece Diet Cig — touring behind their hotly anticipated (and, after getting panned by influential music site Pitchfork, pretty divisive) debut album, Swear I’m Good At This — effectively takes you right back to a place of paralyzing puberty and all its related self-consciousness.

“Can you tell that my shoes are too big on my feet,” sings vocalist Alex Luciano from album track “Bite Back.” “Seeing you makes my boots so damn heavy,” she continues. If you’ve passed this period in your life, you might not want to go back there. However, one might argue we never truly grow out of these kinds of worries and concerns.

But if you’re still in the muck of growing up, I can understand the band’s appeal, particularly for young girls. Musically, the guitar/drums lineup is surprisingly starter-kit for such critical darlings: chugging and distorted power chords, clumsy and fumbling pop-punk percussion, and Luciano’s voice — at best emotive, at worst a little whiny, and overall pretty tuneless.

On top of teen angst, pop music should be about great songs, and it’s here that Diet Cig misses.

Nevertheless, Good At This closes with what might be Diet Cig’s best tune, “Tummy Ache.” “Trying to find my voice surrounded by all boys,” Luciano sings, and later: “It’s hard to be a punk girl wearing a skirt.”

We’re not all punk girls, of course, but we all have our — literal and metaphorical — skirts to bear.

Diet Cig plays with Seattle’s Lisa Prank 7 pm Wednesday, April 26, at The Boreal; $10, all-ages. — Will Kennedy

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!