Meet Turtle Power, a new punk/ska band from Northeastern University who released their debut 5-song EP this past weekend. The band has a clear affinity for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I’m not sure I picked up anything in the songs themselves. My favorite tracks are those sung by vocalist Jess Schmid with her somewhat hypnotic and longing quality in her voice. “Your Girlfriend Sucks” has this bubblegum vibe that reminds me of early Donnas. They show a sense of adventure on “Kandy,” a track with a 90s alt-rock vibe and that gets downright jammy.
This EP entitled “Everyone Has a Grandma From Chicago” (or “In Chicago” according to the cover art) is available on Bandcamp and you can name your own price. $5 is a good place to start if you can spare it; recording doesn’t come cheap. The band celebrated with an EP release party on December 5th. We look forward to an upcoming show! Like them on Facebook for updates.
Their name also reminds of the song “Turtle Power” from the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie.” It’s been stuck in my head since the movie came out. Now it’s stuck in yours.