Names can be misleading. Psych-punk trio Honey isn’t exactly sweet and smooth as you may expect, quite the opposite. The band, made up of members of Psychic Ills and Amen Dunes, plays a loud, tense and distorted brand of psychedelic garage that seem to teeter on the brink of a nervous breakdown. The track “Monk” (streaming below) off their debut LP Love is Hard lives up to the album’s name as it examines the devotion it takes to keep a relationship alive by comparing it to the vow of commitment and self-discipline that a monk would take. “Everything I do/ I do it for you/ Because I’m a monk!,” sings guitarist Dan Wise in the chorus, before melting into a swirling psychedelic finale. Honey will be playing St. Vitus on July 21st in support of Radioactivity. – John Honan
