The Michigans – a trio hailing not from Michigan but from Morris County, New Jersey – put out their second single, “Show,” on February 4th. It’s a tune just north of two minutes that sounds like a Guided By Voices A-side: Slightly lo-fi with an unpolished but powerful performance.
The band says about the song: “The lyrics explore our love of spectacle – watching others fall apart – before turning inward with a vulnerable love storyline.” The music builds with the increasing vulnerability; starting off with meek strummed guitars and a subdued Peter Hook-style bass, the song explodes into a full-on indie symphony, opening up the floodgates of sound like the band opening up their hearts.
Jeff Mensch chugs away at the guitar and sings with a snarl like Frank Black, harmonizing with Jessica Keuskamp, whose drums (along with Patrick Greer’s thunderous bass) carry a steady, headbanging-ready rhythm to the track. By the time Jeff and Jessica get around to singing “Tell me why I fall apart in your hands”, you’ll find yourself so invested in the track that you won’t want it to end.
The Michigans released their first single, “Spring Ahead (Fall In Line)/Don’t,” last October, and since then have picked up some solid press in other publications around the blogosphere. They’ve also played some local gigs with more scheduled for 2026, making the near future bright for one of North Jersey’s promising new indie acts.
Take a listen to “Show” below.
Written by Will Sisskind
