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 is a mix of indie flavors from all over the United States, from New Jersey to Minneapolis to Pittsburgh! This batch of musicians share some qualities in their songwriting and you can see why they are on the same record label but as you dig deeper into their sound they all have very different inspirations.
We start with New Jersey indie staples Ruby Bones and a single from their soon to be released LP “Laser Tooth Tiger” due out on April 30th. Their track “Drink All Night” has all of the elements that make this band loveable. Although the band is very inspired by indie rock of the last decade and even though it has vibes like Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes the band definitely has their own unique sound. The voice of Chris Fox makes the band, the cadence, the lyrics, and the melodies all contribute to catchy songs. With the addition of guitarist Matt Cohen the band adds shredding and little bit of an arena rock flavor to their already successful formula. The group vocals give it an All American Rejects feel in spots but without the juvenile lyrics. I compare it to Arctic Monkeys on our playlist because it’s definitely an influence.
LC Flowers from Minneapolis is probably the oddball out on this weeks list as his music is definitely more in the Indie Pop vein and has soft washed out vocals that seem to just float atop the music hence the comparison to a band like Cults. LC Flowers gives a unique spin to what he creates because he has the luxury of recording and producing himself. I liken him to a mad indie pop scientist experimenting with tones and textures. The track presented here “Quicksand” is off of his forthcoming album due out in 2 weeks “At Home” where you can really appreciate the full spectrum of styles that he tackles.
Back to New Jersey we check out last weeks Mike Chick maxi-single’s lead off track “The High Life Let Me Down Again Last Night”. Mike is best know for his role in Yawn Mower as lead singer and his overall vocal approach does not change on his solo music but the music is quite different. Where as Yawn Mower is raw guitar power over just drums, his solo stuff is a little more fleshed out with bass and keyboards added. The overall end product just has a different feel to it. I compared it to Wilco’s “Heavy Metal Drummer” because of the vocal approach and a similar aesthetic quality. Although I think there are other bands this could be likened to because of the throwback rock n roll sound of it.
Finally we travel to exotic Pittsburgh to check in on Jaren Love the lead singer of The Lampshades who started his new project Dream Home. Dream Home is a little less weird than The Lampshades and in my opinion is a little more melodic. Jaren’s voice has a little bit of a Ben Folds vibe but the songs lie somewhere between The Beach Boys and Pavement. Another comparison I make on the playlist is to Grandaddy and that feels very appropriate as I feel a very similar shared influence list for both bands. Also the use of keyboards following the vocal on the track “Carpeted” feels like a very Grandaddy element.
- Neil Sabatino, Mint 400 Records