Rademacher

"If U Know"


Our good friend Aimee and I saw this band randomly during my recent trip to LA, and I sort of fell in love with them. I hadn't seen a real rock band rocking some old-fashioned rock & roll in a long while, and it was pretty refreshing. Also refreshing was the trio's dynamic onstage—how unabashedly they were enjoying themselves, trading little glances and grins while they made their racket. The chemistry was especially striking between the singer/guitarist and bassist (the singer and melodica-player in the video below). Whenever he'd make some lame joke, she'd roll her eyes at him in the most endearing way (I think one of the reasons I loved them so much was that they reminded me of [my best friends and co-bloggers] Nate and Thea).

And the music? It's pretty straight for my usual taste, but the songs and the energy are just so undeniably entrancing. Sometimes they sound like a stripped down, tanned and sandy version of Arcade Fire. You know, if Arcade Fire came from Fresno instead of Montreal... It's all sunsquashed, Americana desert music for sure. Wranglers and whiskey... The guy's singing style is definitely the focal point, at times like a tamed version of Isaac Brock's yelp mixed with Stephen Malkmus's speak/sing delivery.

Anyhow, I dig it. What do you think?