The gates of rock history aren’t coated in modesty, so it’s with great civic responsibility I share this privileged information and give a voice to small and sturdy, but lesser known, albums for the betterment of music listening parties everywhere. Some are hard to find and some are right under your nose, but here are ten bands emerging from rock’s underground that you may just love.
Irontom
If you enjoy a tingling sensation under your testes when you listen to new records, you’d be ecstatic about the sensation Irontom brings you with its heavy energy rock and sweetly piercing vocals, like a thousand ferries blowing on your little boys amid a cool autumn evening.
The Los Angeles-based quintet just released their latest of two EPs, The Nitro EP, a statement of lyrical genius and weighty riffs with a delightful combination of erratic and melodic vocals. Songs like “What Will Happen to All the Indie Stars” is a poignant conversation that touches on the current state of music with the fresh reminder that these boys aren’t going anywhere, at least not without getting your testicles to descend first. The only thing better than the music is its live embodiment, one of the best local acts you can see, like Kasabian, Rage Against the Machine and Led Zeppelin all having a naked tickle fight together.
Terraplane Sun
After signing with Trauma2 Records, the Venice-based boys of Dogtown have rereleased some fresh tunes with the Ya Never Know EP, remixed, remastered and ready for ear consumption. Having opened for Imagine Dragons on a few stadium dates and headlining a locals only event at the infamous Roxy Theatre, Terraplane Sun offers up an ace set list that is as energetic as it is right on the money. I dare you to find someone who doesn’t dig on these tracks. Show me a hater, and I’ll show you a deaf guy.
Ghostlight Orchestra
If your cerebellum has been tortured by twerks for too long, this breath of hauntingly fresh air will guide you back to the light of simple musical pleasures. With its first EP Haunted by Shapes Part 1 recently released and gently pushing bedroom windows open at night to massage its listeners’ ears, Ghostlight Orchestra is one of the more unique musical experiments, receiving solid feedback for its early orchestral efforts. Expect more on the way from this Venice-based band of gypsy moonlighters if you’re looking for an escape from the clutches of evil hipster rock and Hannah Montana’s pervy alter-ego.
The Record Company
Following the release of their 2012 EP Superdead, The Record Company has been holding strong with their whiskey rock, blues bar sounds, including their latest track “Feels So Good” featured in the trailer for “Last Vegas,” starring Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman. With smooth but powering bluesy vocals over roots style rock, like John Butler Trio meets Muddy Waters, the recently formed trio has been getting consistent airplay across American radio, and from the sound, it’s hard to not get into a wreck when you’re grooving so hard in your car.
The Native Sibling
For acoustic duet lovers, this Santa Cruz-based twosome has a loving blend of brotherly finger picking underneath its sisterly vocals. Like an Edward Sharpe duet without throwing in the kitchen sink and ten other members, the broken-down melody of soul-searching siblings lands comfortably into the duo’s EP Water Too Deep, Words Too Shallow. For music that calms the soul and makes the heart go pitter-patter, check out The Native Sibling.
Sons of the Sea
A couple feet above underground but still fresh off the boat, Sons of the Sea is a small but shiny gem in the murky waters of digestible pop rock. Grammy-award winning producer Brendan O’Brien – of Pearl Jam and Black Crowes engineering fame – collaborates with Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd while on hiatus in what can only be described as a seemingly nostalgic California sound wave of melodic beauty strong enough to spark a fire under our butts and sexy enough to drum up fond memories of our earliest musical orgasms. With flirty songs like “Come Together” matched with the bass-heavy “Great Escape” and a number of sea-worthy metaphors, the self-titled record sounds more like a luminous soundtrack to your most prized wetdream sequence.
Benjamin Dunn & The Animal Orchestra
Santa Cruz indie rocker philanthropists Benjamin Dunn & The Animal Orchestra stand tall with their debut album Fable, with its cozily eclectic sounds of intellect with songs “Circus of Love” and “My Name Is Eustace!” just to name two. The band’s musical blueprints lay the groundwork for visually evocative lyrics and melodies to build quite a beautiful landscape.
In addition to their well-crafted single record library, the band gives through a program called Joy Revolution where they rescue helpless orphans of third world countries in order to give them a better life. Between that and giving us a better listening experience as music lovers, I’d saying they’re easily a worthwhile mention.
Vacationer
Having only been together a couple short years, the Philly-based Vacationer has a well-rounded enough sound as though they’ve been doing this dance for years, managing to seamlessly coalesce the best parts of Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear and Kings of Leon. Their debut record sends off vibes like perfect sounds of summer escape floating in and out of an open-door beach house with tracks like “Everyone Knows” and “Good As New.” Rarely is it a relatively undiscovered band has the ability to hug the listener’s ear as gently as a summer orgy in an abandoned grandfather oak tree, but Vacationer does that with just one listen. If the album artwork of Gone doesn’t instantly put you at ease, the music will fix that for you.
Perfect Dilemma
A slight left turn into electronic pop punk is Perfect Dilemma, an Arizona-based ensemble of some of the area’s best musicians. With an uptempo Orgy-meets-Linkin Park energy in songs like “Barbie Dolls with Batteries” and “Scene Girl,” you’d be hard-strapped to find another breakthrough band with this level of precision in its hard rock aim. Perfect Dilemma’s debut album is up for streaming, and if you can avoid smashing every breakable object in arm’s reach, it’s worth a listen if you’re looking for some unabashed, hard truths in your hard rock.
The Mowgli’s
Every local bar’s dream band is The Mowgli’s, but they’ve caught enough notoriety that they’ll soon be everybody’s favorite alt-rock dance band to make group love to. After a solid 2012, the band released its full length Waiting for the Dawn, a nod to former Venice band The Doors in its ability to get everybody on board in just a few minutes’ time in summer 2013. The Mowgli’s are on tour around America throughout November if you’re feeling up for a sing-along or something to shake your ass to.
