Earlier this month, prolific noise-jazz outfit Skeletonized released their 29th or 30th album since 2019–they aren’t quite sure, since they record with shifting lineups and collaborate often with other artists. It’s a work built around racing drums, squalling guitars, and honking saxophone. To mark the occasion, drummer Matt Rappa answered a few questions. 

Pittsburgh Manifold: Who is/are Skeletonized? A catchphrase or tagline, if you will.

Matt Rappa: We are Pittsburgh-based noise/punk/free jazz inspired skronk.

PM: How did you get your start as a band?

MR: The band started as a solo (drums & noise) recording project, then developed into a live band with written songs. We’ve had various member changes through the years, but the core band has always been a drums and saxophone duo.

PM: Your music establishes a sense of barely controlled chaos. How much of your process is control, and how much is in fact chaos?

MR: All of our written material is pretty meticulously composed and practiced actually. We balance that out with a fair amount of fun improvised recording sessions, as well as the occasional improvised live set.

PM: On January 19 you released an album called 100 Movie Rebels. Who/what were some of your influences this time around?

MR: This new album is the best parts of two improvised recording sessions. The first session being the drums, sax & guitar trio that people in Pittsburgh may be familiar with. The second includes drums, bass & two guitarists. I can’t note any specific musical influences on this album, but the end result was organically a bit more mellow than most of our recordings.

PM: How do you feel this album differs or compares to your previous work?

MR: Having a bass player on most of this session was a nice treat for us. Normally, I trigger analog synth tones live on our composed songs, so this was a welcomed change for the band.

PM: Is there a track on the album that you’re especially proud of? If so, why?

MR: “Bruno Demolished Veneer” is my personal favorite of the album. It’s a good balance of chaotic noisy elements with a driving groove behind it.

PM: Who are some other Pittsburgh artists that you’ve been listening to?

MR: Please check out Chris Cannon’s genius work under the moniker “Business Jazz”. The sound collective known as “Aberrant Joe" is also an excellent live experience if you get the chance.

PM: Is there anything that I forgot to ask or that you’d like to let people know about you, your music, or anything in general?

MR: Thank you for the interview and for always being supportive of the band via Bored In Pittsburgh. We truly appreciate it.

‍

Featured Track: Macroplastics - “Toothpick on a Smorgasbord”

You may be familiar with Ryan Hartman and Ryan Killen from their work with local quintet Water Trash, who blend peppy instrumentation and sardonic lyrics to gleeful effect. In late January, Hartman and Killen released Fully Human, their first album under the Macroplastics moniker, and they’re still making ennui sound fun. “Toothpick on a Smorgasbord,” a rictus grin piano sashay, dredges rabbit-hole humor from the experience of depersonalization, that feeling of being “stuck behind my own eyes [...] trapped in a live movie set, but I’m not there, and it’s 12 FPS,” as the song puts it. Keyboards tingle, bass notes squelch, guitars strut and mug, and guest vocalist Alyssa Waldron chimes in like a Mad Hatter version of Au Pairs’ Lesley Woods, asking, in mock British accent, “Would you like to retreat for tea?” When your brain feels like it’s about to crash, what else is there to do?

‍

Upcoming Shows and News 

- On Saturday, 2/7, North Oakland DIY house venue The Station will host a four-act show featuring lo-fi balladeer Mila Moon, vaporous lullaby purveyor Deftcat, pop-punk digitalist Tilt Contrls, and Connecticut-based brooders Western Reserve. This will be an 18+, sober event. Doors at 7, music at 8. $10 at the door. Message The Station on Instagram for venue address. 

‍

- On Monday, 2/10, Pittsburgh punk heroes The Gotobeds–whose latest release, Masterclass, was one of our best albums of 2025–open for Chicago post-punk hypnotists FACS at Spirit. Doors at 7, music at 8. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 

‍

- On Saturday, 2/14, free improvising bassist Jair-Rohm Parker Wells performs at Bantha Tea Bar’s Valentines Art & Music Party, with support from fellow experimenters Tara Toms and Ben Dumbauld. Attendees are encouraged to draw, color, or write along to the music. 7pm, $10-15 suggested donation. 

‍

- Rapper Connie Roses’ upcoming album, Absence and Persistence, uses animated wordplay and fractured, psychedelic beats (courtesy of producer Kondracki) to explore the “enshittification” of American culture. Check out the album release show, Tuesday, 2/17, at Trace Brewing in Bloomfield, 7-10:30 pm. 

‍