By Wyatt J. Wilcher
Sun Star Music Columnist
On Saturday April 18, Joel’s Place held a concert featuring the Vocal Chords, Granddad and the Young Fangs. It was loud, it was bright and people were rocking out. Before I get into the actual review of the show, I would like to say that I found the billing of the groups to be really interesting. I spoke to the program director, Kelli Boyle, about this and she said that sometimes they’ll have a metal show, and sometimes they’ll have an indie rock show, but on April 18, it was a very different billing.
The first group to play were the brother-sister folk duo, the Vocal Chords, who were perhaps the most different of the three. However, they still put on a good show. The group consists of Joe Rahsdell-Green on acoustic guitar and vocals and his sister Lily on recorder and vocals. When I got the chance to interview the group, I asked them what some of their influences were. They said they were heavily influenced by modern folk and indie artists, such as the Avett Brothers and Death Cab For Cutie, as well as 60s folk singers, such as Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Neil Young. Songs like “Old Desert Road” and “The Mermaid” certainly reflects 60s folk with a modern perspective.
Next up was Granddad, who have a punk rock edge, but with melody. I would say their sound is like a mixture of The Police and Sex Pistols, where it’s somewhat chaotic, yet it’s really emotional. Of course, this represents the genre of emo punk itself, which is how I would describe the band’s music. In fact, when I interviewed the band, they said that they were influenced by emo and punk bands, such as Dads, Modern Baseball, Against Me! and the Frontbottoms. My personal favorite song that they played was “Forget,” which was probably the most punk song they played during the concert. The band members include Kellen Baker and Alisha Drumm on guitar and vocals, Matt Harris on bass and Alex Thompson on drums. Check these guys out if you like punk rock with melody, and you want to see a good live show.
The last band to play were the Young Fangs, whose melodic alternative rock style provides something for everyone. They appeal to people who enjoy lots of melody in their music just as much as they appeal to people who like loud electric guitars. The band features both Joshua and Brennan LaBuda on guitar, bass, and vocals and Joel Fagre on drums. Their sound reflects their influences of modern alternative rock bands, such as Kings of Leon, Tokyo Police Club, and Manchester Orchestra, as well as classic rock groups, such as Led Zeppelin and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Songs like “Before My Eyes,” “Show Me The Way” and “Run Red” reflect a rock sound, but with pop melodies. Check these guys out if you like rock with lots of melody.