It finally happened. I finally did it. After bitching and moaning for years about how the L.A. scene is completely fucked out. After hating my life every day as I sat in upwards of 3 hours of traffic to go to and from a job that I hated. I finally took the plunge and headed back east to New York City in search for a job and a life that offered something more. I had finally had enough. My final weeks in L.A. were littered with all of the bullshit that Iāve come to expect from the city. My car getting hit for a 5thtime, waking up to find a used tampon sitting outside my front door, a neighbors sewer line bursting so the smog filled air smelled like pure shitā¦all this and more. It was the cityās way of showing me out the door. Thanks L.A. You gave me a fistful of bad memories and more spite than I know what to do with. That being said, Iāve been in NYC for a little over a week and I can honestly say I find myself vastly happier. The air is crisp and cool, the sun shows itself every now and again, the streets are bustling, and most importantly I havenāt had to get behind the wheel of a car once. I find myself just wandering around from time to time, listening to music soaking everything in. During one of these sessions I picked up a magazine touting up and coming New York bands. I always find it a bit strange to read about someoneās music before you hear it, but the interview sparked my interest. Mostly because the author of the article called this bandās harmonies, āBeatles inspiredā. I dunno if Iād go far as comparing them to the Fab 4 but damnit if I wasnāt delightfully surprised by their tunage. This weekās ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Dances. Letās kick things off with their punk dance jam Rat. Itās short and sweet. Itās fast and loud. Itās fun as fuck. Turn up the volume and go with it.
The band is comprised of Trvor Vaz on guitar/ vocals, David Su on drums,
and Sam Stoeltje on bass and vocals. The trio previously featured a 4th member on a second guitar, but after a few shows and practices when said guitarist was unavailable, the band booted him and kept it as a threesome. That goes to show you kiddies. You gotta show up. You donāt show up, you out the club. I mean band, you out the band.
This past month they released their first EP Whiter Sandson Black Bell Records. Iām a big fan of it. 4 songs. 13 minutes. A damn fine debut if I do say so. Their garage rock sound puts them in the line of indie bands like FIDLAR and Wavves yet I canāt help but have flashbacks to bands like The Vines or The Hives when they really get going. Their harmonies sweeten up the guitar thrash and show their skill as vocalists, especially on their tracks Doc Youth and Holy Fool.
I foresee this EP going into heavy rotation in the coming summer months. I also foresee myself being super sleepy after going to see them play live tonight.
Great vibes. Good jams. Get on this band early and you wonāt regret it. Go to their Facebook link at the bottom of this article though. Itās easiest way to find them. Trust me. Googling āDancesā will get you nowhere. Go check āem out.
Big hugs from NYC,
Kelly
LINKS