Citizen Zero at The Shelter

The Messenger Birds is not a rock band. It’s just two guys. But there is more to this two-piece than meets the eye and a lot of noise to back it up. The Messenger Birds have earned a reputation for an abrasively loud and energetic live show, and their Detroit brand of alt-rock seamlessly blends monster riffs, catchy hooks, intricate melodies, droning synthesizers, and unapologetic lyrics into a coalescence of sub-genres, a sound that all at once is difficult to categorize as simply alternative rock. At face-value, the band has often drawn comparisons to Queens of the Stone Age and Highly Suspect. As you dive deeper into their catalogue, however, you find little traces of Nine Inch Nails, Manchester Orchestra, and even Explosions in the Sky.