Magatha Trysty

Over the past few years [during the International Pop Overthrow Festival], bands like Magatha Trysty have quickly established themselves as IPO standouts. - Illinois Entertainer

Over the past few years [during the International Pop Overthrow Festival], bands like Magatha Trysty have quickly established themselves as IPO standouts. - Illinois Entertainer

Magatha Trysty has maintained a steady presence on the local club scene since its International Pop Overthrow- Chicago debut a few years back. The quartet fields two strong lead singers in the husband and wife team of keyboards player Catherine Louise and guitarist Chris Bevard, while consistently finding inventive ways to mix indie rock and power pop. Bassist Billy Blastoff also chimes in on harmony vocals. Your Clothes Will Wear Themselves is a self-assured debut, brimming with irresistible melodies and biting lyrics about troubled relationships.


'Want To Stay' immediately establishes the band’s dynamic male-female shared lead vocal approach; evoking Let’s Active or a coed version of The dB’s. Catherine Louise and Bevard work that same magic for the high-energy satire of 'Art Zero' and 'Printer's Row.' On the tracks where one mostly sings lead, the other is never too far away, eager to jump in on the chorus. John Monaghan’s rolling drumbeat propels 'Saturday Dress' while Catherine Louise’s pristine vocals add a touch of folk to the 1980s style arrangement. Magatha Trysty takes a breather on the more subtle 'Dimestore Fairytale' and 'Another Lovely Party.' Even on a CD enriched with immediate grabbers, 'Clairvoyant' stands out as a classic throwback to Chicago’s nascent punk/new wave scene, with a powerful blend of guitars and keyboards. - Broken-Hearted Toy

With a band name like Magatha Trysty, it's a wonder they don't resort to cleverness more often, because singer Christopher David, in perfect harmony with his wife, Catherine Louise (herself, a Chrissie Hynde-caliber vocalist), sounds completely at home going quirky -- "when I wake up in this hotel bar / with working girls on my MasterCard"; or "I'll say I lost you in the war," and "I draw your face on...bits of pages torn from Popular Mechanics" -- with a nasal-tinged voice that's strong in tone and full of character a la They Might Be Giants and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.

This collection of up-tempo power-pop chord progressions make for standout performances by bassist Billy Blastoff; and the capable piano is rivaled only by the under-employed xylophone/glockenspiel. As promised, Your Clothes Will Wear Themselves is stuffed to the gills with all manner of catchy musical hook and verse. In fact, listening to the first minute of album-opener 'Want to Stay' would make most bands trade the one reliable drummer they know for Magatha Trysty's pop musicianship.

Generally speaking, bands avoid cliche by focusing on particularity -- the credit cards and magazines that populate real-life romantic encounters, rather than vague master narratives of love and love lost. It's when Magatha Trysty does so that it delivers on the promise of their genre. And it's here that it all comes together (to wit, the poetic hook of 'I'd make you perfect like before / before all of the damage')." - Chicago Indie Music Live

Regular readers of this column know that I’m a sucker for a catchy chorus and keen musicianship. Chicago’s Magatha Trysty has both in spades. Their debut, Your Clothes will Wear Themselves is one of the tastiest servings of deep-dish pop to come out of Chicago since the heyday of Material Issue.

Guitarist Christopher David and keyboardist Catherine Louise share vocal duties, creating an interplay reminiscent of The Judybats and Babylon and On-era Squeeze. That isn’t to say their stylings are a complete throwback, though. The power chords of Want To Stay and Brighter have enough modern crunch to pull all of their influences into the here and now.

Bassist Billy Blastoff and drummer John Monaghan form an incredibly tight rhythm section, keeping these pop tunes full of bottom-end punch. Playing exactly what each individual song needs to be supported, these guys are the band’s unobtrusive secret weapon, and the key to Magatha Trysty’s might. - Kenosha News

"Excellent male/female dual leads, cool power-pop melodies, and good energy!" - David Bash - International Pop Overthrow Festival

"Their riffs are fun, the grooves are big, and the vocal harmonies are super catchy!"

- Loop Loud Press