Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features rebooted grunge by Tension Splash, electro-metal by The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, indie-folk rock by Lionbelly, techno by The AMX, and moody alt-rock by Iconic Chronic.

Tension Splash, Blur EP
Tension Splash's Blur EP sounds like it was discovered in a time machine—and it kinda was, since the four songs here were started 30 years ago when grunge was still king. Way back when, the Ann Arbor quartet never finished these tracks, which were recorded with Tim Patalan at his Saline-based studio The Loft. Tension Splash regrouped over the past few years, worked on these tunes again with Patalan, and released demo or edited versions of the songs as singles over the past few years, but the Blur EP showcases the fully completed renditions. "Willing," with guest vocals from Taproot's Stephen Richards, is a bluesy butt-shaker (think Alice in Chains) that came out in 2023. An edited version of "Breathe," without its attached five-plus-minute droning-instrumental prologue "7:45 AM," came out in 2024, but Blur combines the two tracks as they were originally intended for a 10-and-a-half-minute jam. At the center of the EP are "Firefly," which first appeared in 2023 and whose spoken-word verses give way to anthemic choruses, and the grunge-country ballad "Scared," which debuted in edited form in April. But Blur is more than just a product of now-older guys trying to rekindle the creative spark of their youths; this EP is also a form of tribute to bassist Mike Bertsch, who died suddenly in 2020. Finishing these songs is the best possible way to honor their friend, and Tension Splash did not stumble in its salute to Bertsch.

The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, dds7sd5df67 EP
This anonymous Ann Arbor-based project releases a handful of new songs every few months, though I'm pretty sure all the tunes were started years ago—at least they were written a while back, and that's no different for the dds7sd5df67 EP, whose compositions come from 2010-2021. The Strange Theory of Light and Matter is almost certainly a solo project that often injects "vague allusions to physics" in the song and record titles, but you probably have to be a scientist to disCERN (hey now!) their meanings. You need not be a brainiac to understand this project's sounds, however, which mixes elements of instrumental death metal, electronica, and what sounds to my old ears like video-game music. It's technical and compelling but not necessarily emotional music—in other words, perfect jams for guys in lab coats.

Lionbelly, The Wild Strange
Ann Arbor's Brian Lillie has been making music for a long time. His 1995 debut, Waking Up in Traffic, was released under his name, but he used the anagram Lionbelly for his latest LP, The Wild Strange. This 17-track collection walks the line between jangly pop and earnest folk-rock, while "Space Monkey" sounds like a lost Lou Reed song. I think The Wild Strange is a one-person project (and probably recorded at home), but if Lillie ever got together a live version of Lionbelly, I can easily imagine the band playing The Ark or at the various area summer fests. The album's cover art is by the fab Ypsi artist Jen Harley.

The AMX, "Ace Deuce"
Raleigh and Renan Woods are Detroit-based techno producers and two-thirds of The AMX, but the twins' new song, "Ace Deuce," is a sonic shout-out to the place of their births. "'Ace Deuce' is that whispering voice in your ear as you catch the Vibes terminating along the I-94 corridor that connects Detroit Techno and Chicago House," writes The AMX in the track's Bandcamp notes, and it's true: "Ace Deuce" does have a vintage techno-electro feel. (Also, this AMX isn't the other techno producer from Detroit named AMX.)

Iconic Chronic, "Breathless"
When I saw the name "Iconic Chronic" on The Blind Pig's concert listings this week, I thought it must be a hip-hop act— or, based on the extreme-metal-style band logo, at the very least a metal-rap hybrid. But when I looked up this Ann Arbor quartet, I didn't find hip-hop or metal; I found something closer to shoegaze and early '90s alt-rock. I also discovered Iconic Chronic doing a cover of the old Majesty Crush song "Boyfriend" (hello, fellow Detroit Space Rock Elders). The 2025 song "Breathless" and the band's 2024 debut single, "Detour"—as well as an August 2024 live session for WCBN's Local Music Show where the group covered The Cranberries' "Zombie"—showcase a moody, atmospheric band that works in sonic shadows, with singer Leah's dark voice at the front and center. 

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.