photo: @alyssaleicht
Straight out of Des Moines, IA — aka the ninth best place to live in the entire world — Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops deliver manic garage-punk slime at its finest, whatever that means.
Greg Wheeler joins Jill McLain-Meister and friendly neighborhood barber Hutch to form an unusual and frantic chemistry that leaves you winded, but thirsty for more. As Evan Minsker of see/saw puts it, “Wheeler’s vocals have this scream-growl that offers propulsion enough on its own, but let’s talk about what Greg and the Cops do best: transforming a simple and strong hook into an all-power punk barrage.”
Their new full length “Slimephone Surveillance,” out on High Dive Records, is an exciting addition to the bands growing discography. Following 2024’s live album “Live At The Lift,” 2023’s debut full length “Manic Fever” and their previous 7-inch releases, the new album delivers a dizzying whirlwind of emotional volatility and cathartic release packed into 10 hard-hitting tracks that never let up.
Merging the sounds of past punk acts like the Wipers and The Rats with the modern garage leanings of acts like Thee Oh Sees and Jay Reatard, Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops add a fresh energy to the Midwest scene. Sam Lowry of Rebel Noise says that the band’s sound, while feral, is distinctly modern. “Their sound rooted in the grit of vintage punk but reframed through a 21st-century lens, Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops turn everyday anxieties into combustible rock anthems.”
The band has shared the stage with Viagra Boys, Otoboke Beaver, The Darts, Death Valley Girls, Downtown Boys, Deerhoof, Scared of Chaka, The Shivas, No Age, and Bob Log III.
Are they really poly? Depends on how many drinks they’ve had. Are they really mall cops? Depends on how many drinks they’ve had. But no matter what goes on backstage, their onstage antics are guaranteed to be just as intriguing.
contact: polymallcops@gmail.com