San Diego Reader

Wavves — the local duo brainstormed by former Music Trader manager Nathan Williams — are being called lo-fi poseurs by Columbus, Ohio, garage band Psychedelic Horseshit, which manufactured “Wavves Suxx” T-shirts after sharing three shows with the San Diegans.

“Wavves is getting $30,000 to [expletive] crank out this [expletive] generic [expletive],” said Horseshit front man Matt Whitehurst in a Washington Post interview that deemed it necessary to censor his band’s name. “I don’t even think Psychedelic Horse[expletive] is that good of a band, but it’s, like, [expletive] leagues and years beyond Wavves.… Just a bunch of poseur [expletive], honestly.”

Whitehurst points out that the “Suxx” shirts are mocking Wavves’ stage name. “Wavves took, like, six pictures with [our drummer] Rich with the Wavves Suxx T-shirt on. So, you know, that little [expletive]’s probably into it or something.… We should have named ourselves Wavves. We’d be rich now if we would’ve. We’re better than Wavves.”

Williams politely declines to return fire. “Anytime I mention it, they get the [media] ink, and that’s the only reason they started insulting [other performers].… I might like a cut of those [Wavves Suxx] shirts, though.”

Wavves’ 2009 album Wavvves (yup, three Vs), on Mississippi-based Fat Possum Records, earned an 8.1 rating at hipness arbiter Pitchfork.com. That could either mean he’s “made it” or that it’s all downhill from here.