The Growlers gave us at the Echoplex a taste of what Monday’s in August are going to be like at the Echo residency. On target as ever, The Echo’s having the Growlers in for a residency before they BLOW UP just like Fool’s Gold and the Muslims before them, and just like Avi Buffalo’s about to do. But back to the Echoplex show. It was only my third Growlers show (and there were 6 months in between the first and second time) but I was completely and utterly bowled over and converted to Growlerism. I could talk for a million miles about why the Growlers are great, but I’m going to TRY to be succinct.
1. They play some really amazing jams that sit somewhere between Louisiana-swamp blues and surf-psych California rock. And if you ask me, it’s the perfect amalgamation of genres.
2. Lead singer Brooks Neilsen has some really incredible pipes (gruff, syrupy and smooth at the same time), but the restraint to use them sparingly, which is really impressive. He does that thing I love, with the distant, almost removed style of vocals (see: The Muslims, Hatcham Social and XX Teens) and it works really well for him. He also wears women’s t-shirts and shoes with holes in the toes.
3. They are very young and very prolific. They already have numerous singles out and a greatest hits compilation.
4. They are from Long Beach/Costa Mesa yet they don’t suck. This is the biggest achievement of all.
But really, you can’t go wrong with the Growlers. They are really wonderful live and their lead guitarist has a mermaid tail on his guitar. They win.
View the rest of my Growlers photos OVER HERE AT MY FLICKR, okay?
mp3 | KILLED MY WOMAN by the GROWLERS
Tags: the growlers
