Wristwatch’s frontman Bobby Hussy has another band, and that band is finally showing its hand. Whippets, the Madison garage-punk outfit he leads, have announced a new album called No Skulls, and they’ve followed their lead single “Nothing New” with a follow-up track, “These Woods.” The record drops 10/2 on No Coast.
The Double Debut
Whippets have been operating in the background while Hussy kept Wristwatch in the spotlight. The new album is described as a poppy ’90s alt-rock exercise, cut through with grooving, post-punky Y2K-era indie rock. It’s a lighter sound than the grunge-era sensibility Hussy showed on Wristwatch’s III.
The first single, “Nothing New,” set the tone with a needly lead guitar melody and a contagious bass-powered rhythm. The chorus adds a cartoonish new wave flavor to the band’s grunge roots. Now “These Woods” is out, and it further spotlights those bass grooves in a way that recalls Les Savy Fav and the Dismemberment Plan.
Two Songs, Two Venues
Hear both tracks below.
The release comes just a few weeks after Wristwatch dropped III on New Year’s Day. That album was Hussy’s project first, but Whippets have been working in parallel. The new album is a separate beast entirely, with a distinct identity that doesn’t rely on the heavier Wristwatch template.
The US Leg
Whippets start in Minneapolis at Zhora Darling, with support from Busey and Brüder. The Madison show at Mickey’s Tavern follows on 10/09, and Chicago gets the Liar’s Club on 10/10.
The European Stretch
The international run picks up in November and carries through February, with stops in Indianapolis, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and beyond. The itinerary covers a wide stretch of Western European cities.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 10/08 | Minneapolis, MN | Zhora Darling |
| 10/09 | Madison, WI | Mickey’s Tavern |
| 10/10 | Chicago, IL | Liar’s Club |
| 11/01 | Indianapolis, IN | Turntable |
| 01/22 | Netherlands | TBA |
| 01/23 | Paris, France | TBA |
| 01/24 | France | TBA |
| 01/25 | France | TBA |
| 01/26 | France | TBA |
| 01/27 | Köln, Germany | Sonic Ballroom |
| 01/28 | Dortmund, Germany | TBA |
| 01/29 | Hamburg, Germany | Komet |
| 01/30 | Berlin, Germany | SCHOKOLADEN |
| 01/31 | Hannover, Germany | Nordstadtbraut |
| 02/01 | Bayreuth, Germany | Schokofabrik |
| 02/02 | Winterthur, Switzerland | TBA |
| 02/03 | Tübingen, Germany | Blauer Salon |
| 02/04 | Stuttgart, Germany | TBA |
| 02/05 | Karlsruhe, Germany | Alte Hackerei |
| 02/06 | Limburg, Netherlands | Kakadu |
| 02/07 | Arnhem, Netherlands | CAFE BOSCH |
| 02/08 | Bruxelles, Belgium | LE CHAFF |
| 02/09 | France | TBA |
| 02/10 | Annecy, France | TBA |
| 02/11 | Germany | TBA |
| 02/12 | Groningen, Netherlands | Vera w/ Primitive Ring |
| 02/13 | Netherlands | TBA |
The Hard Numbers
- Album title: No Skulls
- Release date: 10/2
- Label: No Coast
- Lead single: “Nothing New”
- Follow-up single: “These Woods”
- US tour dates: 10/08–10/10
- European dates: 01/22–02/13
- Support acts: Busey, Brüder, THE FAINT, Primitive Ring
Our View
This is a band that knows how to keep a fan busy. Hussy put out III on New Year’s Day and now he’s rolling out a second album from a second band just a few weeks later. The two songs already out show a band willing to chase a poppier, more melodic sound without losing its edge.
The tour is ambitious, covering a wide stretch of cities across Europe. It suggests a band willing to commit to the road.
Either way, Whippets are doing what Hussy does best: making music, putting it out, and getting on the road.