Take three with water
The Districts – Funeral Beds
Genre: indie-americana
Feeling: driving through Pennsylvania in the summer
The Districts are a quartet (originally, they now have a fifth member) rock band out of Lititz, Pennsylvania, a small town near Lancaster. Led by the always emotional and sweaty Rob Grote, they’ve been rocking since high school. Their relative youth even shows through the bands first major “drama”–guitarist Mark Larson decided to leave the band in 2014 to pursue a college degree (not exactly Behind the Music worthy, but I’m sure it was a heavy decision for Mr. Larson).
The above video was shot way back in 2012, when Grote and crew didn’t have a single facial hair between the lot of them. 7 years, 3 full length EP’s, and a few mustaches later, The Districts remain one of my favorite bands, both because they’re talented musicians who are passionate yet unpretentious, and because their music has charted my own travels from precocious college sophomore to sophomoric law school graduate…
…I remember seeing them playing a free summer show in Schenley Park, Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning towering behind the crowd which was half-listening, half-sunbathing. I remember listening to a CD on their first EP Telephone on repeat as I delivered Campus Deli sandwiches around the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Oakland and Squirrel Hill to earn some pocket change my senior year. I remember this past summer tucking a JBL speaker into the side netting of my backpack and blasting “Ordinary Day” as I rode my bike through the ever-congested streets of Boston…
Time, man. Here’s to many more Districts albums.
Night Moves – Colored Emotions
Genre: indie-electro country
Feeling: the milk left over after a bowl of fruity pebbles (it’s so murky, so beautiful)
Night Moves, which I assume is named after the timeless Bob Seger jam, seem to have one thing on their mind. No not that, you sicko. Well, maybe a little of that. But they are also well-listened, creative musicians who have turned out grooves (like “Colored Emotions”), folk-rock strum sessions (“Country Queen”), and spacey rock-ballads (“Border on Border”) all in the small space of two full length albums.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t help furrowing my brow, closing my eyes, and rocking my head from side to side when lead singer John Pelant hits them high notes.
Lyric Sample:
“Cause it’s the feeling that a feeling is over
when it just comes to light”
Andy Shauf – “You’re Out Wasting”
Genre: Windswept folkrock
Feeling: a warmed up car in a snowstorm
Andy Shauf may well be Canada’s response to Jose Gonzalez. Hailing from far across the prairie in Regina, Saskatchewan (which, after google image searching, seems like a nice place to live, one of those places where the extreme cold forces residents to band together to build a pleasant city), Shauf builds on the bass drum kick/acoustic power chord combo made famous by Gonzalez, adding some oomph to Jose’s longing.
Also, I love that saloon piano just after the 2 minute mark.
Lyric sample:
“Rich man counts his money
then holds it in the light
Folds it in his hands together
and keeps it by his side”