Every so often I think about why the OC has such a multitude of great bands, and as soon as I do, another one pops up. I’ve been a fan of TRMRS for a while, which led me to start enjoying dummer Wyatt Blair‘s solo project (check that out here), and then that led me to his side project Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel. I guess it’s hard to dodge the “60s influenced” bullet when you take your name from a Donovan song, but there’s something about the way that Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel bend the sounds that are such obvious 60 references but they make them sound spooky and fresh. Comparisons to the Doors aren’t that far off the mark, I guess, but they don’t suck as much, that’s for sure. I Want You sounds like a dumbed down version of the Dylan song, with a harder-lined keyboard and (if you can even imagine) more howling vocals. That’s probably the highest compliment I’ve paid a band in a long time. Their whole album is filled with really relevant and modern takes on 60s sounds, drug hazes, and just really primal, kickass rock and roll. You can pick up a copy via their Bandcamp.
mp3: Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel – I Want You
