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Shmiffy, Lil Julez

EP Release Show, Kramladen, Vienna 20240912

The past Thursday 12th of September we got invited to the EP “Blood, Shred & Tears” release show by a young local artist, Shmiffy. We were very excited to attend as we always look forward to hearing how the music scene sounds currently and where it is going musically in the upcoming days.

The show was at Kramladen, a well-known venue at the Gürtel. To open the night was Lil Julez and their indie rock that transported me back to those times of the early 2000s, might have been their catchy chorus and melodies, or perhaps those sticky riffs, or was it something about the voice that sounded so familiar, like if Julian Casablancas had never gotten overwhelmed by the instant hit of the fame. It was a heartwarming throwback sonorously, as it was also a refreshed throwback of a genre we might have thought forgotten.
Songs like “Blunder” got the audience dancing along, “Saw Someone Like You” was well received by everyone, and the cute “Flying Penguins” and their most recent single “Your Life” closed their supporting act.

After some minutes, Shmiffy started her set, excited and happy to have her first headlining show at Kramladen, and what better occasion as her EP release show?
She started with one of her first released songs, “Pressure” with a clear punk-pop-rock influence and, a happy fun chorus to follow through.
And then “Mama Nr1”, an unreleased song, followed by a cover of Hannah Montana’s “Rockstar”, we witnessed how this wasn’t simply a cover but a tale about a young girl fulfilling the dream of becoming indeed a Rockstar. Shmiffy was the result of that dream come true.

Afterward, and on her words came a couple of -riffy riff songs-, “Drive/Blurry Sky” an energetic tune with a catchy chorus, and “Universal Thing” a bit of a darker/moody song with a cool crescendo in the middle.

Then a small encore to start a short acoustic set where she presented one of her first songs she had composed back when she was a teenager playing acoustic songs, “Someone Like You” a song with sweet lyrics and a nice rhythm to follow through. Next, another cover of what I would say is an influence on her, “August” by Taylor Swift, it was the touchy moment of the night, well received by the audience who probably were sharing the affection of the past events that occurred in the city.

Back to full band, “What Did I Expect” and “House & a Dog”, the favorite of the audience as everyone was choring all together. “Sticky notes”, as the name suggests, with a catchy simple riff that stuck into your mind.

Lastly, a short encore to close the gig with “Again”, one of my favorite songs of the set. It displayed a promising sound and a unique, refreshing pop-rock style. It was definitely a great choice to close the set, as it left us with this sweet and exciting flavor.
Hopefully, we will see her around inspiring new generations to pick up a guitar and start composing their own songs.

To close this review, and just because it is something I used to love when I was younger and read reviews. At the end of the show I encountered and asked a couple of simple questions:
1. Which bands/artists inspire you? (Beyond the past references made on the setlist)
Shmiffy mentioned Fall Out Boy, particularly because “they are not just rock but involve genres like RnB and Soul”. And if you listen to her EP, you might catch the influences kicking in.
2. Which bands/artists would you recommend?
Without a flinch, she mentioned the punk-rock duo from Washington, Origami Angel. Secondly, the psychedelic rock of Mother’s Cake, which she described as “the best rock from Austria”.