So full disclosure I run a record label and I’ve come to an agreement with Blood Makes Noise to let me promote releases every week. The idea is every week I will present a playlist with some new Mint 400 Records music and what I think inspired our songwriters. This week we have two bands from California who make awesome indie rock. Both bands are similar in that they fall under the broad spectrum of Indie Rock but they definitely occupy different parts of that spectrum.
VanDeRocker is female fronted Indie Rock/ Indie Pop that has elements of the 90’s but here and there you can hear a little bit of 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I’ve never heard 2 songs from singer Adrienne that sound like they are the same or written using the same conventions. Every track always feels likes influence lies somewhere else from where the last track was written. I compared VanDeRocker today to the bands Lush, PJ Harvey and Geowulf because I think the music is like you took 40 years of music and put it into a blender and pulled out indie pop gems. It’s no wonder when you look at the list of people who appear on the EP, why it sounds so diverse all on one EP:
“This EP features Federico Pol Jr. who played with Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, Tina Turner, and more, Peter Holmström of The Dandy Warhols, Chris Kuffner who’s played with Ingrid Michaelson & Regina Spektor, Brendan Bond who has played with Black Pumas & Willie Nelson, and Andy Stack who has played with Wye Oak & Joyero. THE GOOD PUNK EP was largely written in Joshua Tree, and produced in LA and Portland with Brandon Eggleston who’s known for his work with The Dandy Warhols, Mountain Goats, Joyero, Wye Oak.” (From the VanDeRocker Press Release)
Home Is West are a little easier to pin down as their focus seems to be more along the lines of great 80’s-90’s indie stuff mixed with newer indie acts like Death Cab For Cutie, Nada Surf and others. Hence the comparison I give to Nada Surf and Cake on this playlist. Home Is West is another band that is such an amalgamation of influences that it’s hard to say what their overall influences are because I hear everything from The Posies to Guided By Voices. This EP is a great follow up to the bands 2019 album The Moment. It feels like the band constantly is growing as a unit and it’s impressive that a 3 piece band sounds so lush and full on albums without getting loud. Overall they are one of those bands that will surprise you with each release because it’s a surprise as to which musical direction they are heading.
- Neil Sabatino, BMN Contributor