Long Underwear Bands - Finis 

Before I wrap up this series, I want to introduce you to two more bands that are unconventional and strange enough to be included in Long Underwear Bands. One utilizes “Union Suit” in their album name; the other entitled their first album after a union suit.

Union Suit Characters make their home in Joliet, Illinois, an area much suited to union suits. Even though they are not known for performing live or wearing long underwear, at least that you can see, the group is purported to have a first rate, full-length album: “Streetcar Legs.” Their music, with titles like “Sunday Babies” and "Without the Wilderness," is pure and singular, like from a by-gone era. Background sounds like dogs barking, trains whistling, tires squealing, wind blowin', and horns a-honkin are plentiful.

These guys have fun right down to the names of their alter egos. for example, William Nemecek goes by Elmer Smudgegump and Mike Moloney is Clancy Snapgirdle. Reportedly, they compose and record their music in the evenings so as not to interfere with their truck driving, goods delivery jobs in the daylight. “Characters” they are.

Long Underwear Band Honorable Mention goes to a new “post punk” band, Them Airs of New Haven, Connecticut. These kids hail from New England, a winter wonderland location for union suits and other types of long underwear. They “deliver an eclectic and adventurous love letter to abnormal post-punk of both present and the days of yore.”

Their first album is called Union Suit XL, and few, if any, know why or how they came up with that title. Do these young kids even know what a union suit is?! They probably refer to them as "onesies."  They are known neither to wear one-piece, button-down long underwear, nor write, sing or reference such in their music. 

Anyway, these art punks include Cade on guitar (vocals), Adam on Bass, Rebecca on Sax, Evan on drums, and Hayden on Guitar. Anna and Tal contribute to the vocals. If you are in to “weird punk” or “salad rock” and take your music loud and raucous, listen to Union Suit XL. You may just like them.