{GROUPLOVE plays at the Tractor Tavern Monday night, with Walk the Moon and People Eating People. 21+, $10 ADV, $12 DOS; tickets available here.}
It all started back in January with a tweet from @loserboy:
Well now, just found one of my favorite releases so far this year. The band is Grouplove. Brilliant!
I give tweets like this from @loserboy a lot of credence. @loserboy, otherwise known as John in the Morning, is the #1 DJ at my favorite radio station in the world, KEXP. I donate regularly to the station, and that is because it is the main source of new music I listen to. Which leads us back to GROUPLOVE, which I first heard because of John’s tweet.
If I had read about a band named GROUPLOVE in any place other than a tweet from John in the Morning, I probably would have avoided them. The band’s name is actively pushing me away from listening to them — it evokes scenes of 1960s hippies dancing in a circle of daisies. And to top it off, not only is the name itself a bit stomach churning, but they choose to write their name in all caps as well. This is music’s equivalent to “don’t judge a book by it‘s cover.”
The band’s only recorded work is their eponymous EP from last year, which the video above for the fantastic song “Colours” is from. Sounding a little like the second coming of Modest Mouse, this quintet is hitting the road for a short tour in preparation for their full-length debut to be released later this year. The six songs on the EP are strong enough to allow me to assume they’ll put on a good show, but I’m hoping to hear enough new songs during their set to get a sense of how they’re going to make their own corner in this crowded room known as indie rock.
So, to recap: essentially an unknown band with a terrible name, with only six recorded songs (and one kick-ass video), performing on a Monday night. But, consider yourself warned: this is one of those rare opportunities. Come join me at the Tractor on Monday and you, too, could one day be saying “I was there when…”
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Hi Royal-
color me curious…..
but am I reading you correctly?…..
a band’s name turns you off?
I have seen GROUPLOVE live
on several occasions and have been impressed.
I eagerly await your review after you see them.
Don’t forget your Shakespeare….. you know –
something about a rose by any other name…..
Stay well & enjoy the show
Ha, yes! In my experience, a band’s name goes a long way in either drawing you in for a closer listen or pushing you away to avoidance. Look at Death Cab for Cutie — what did you think they would sound like before you heard them? Or Metallica — don’t you automatically expect them to play metal?
So when a band named GROUPLOVE comes along, the name evokes a specific sound even before you’ve heard them play.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the show.
Good Morning Royal-
So, how did it go last night at the Tractor? Are you a fan of GROUPLOVE or should they change their name? Please post your thoughts.
Take care -
CF
Hi Royal -
Read your review of GROUPLOVE ………I guess their name works for you now. Glad you enjoyed the show. I’ll be seeing them at the Brooklyn Bowl in NY on the 18th. Can’t wait for their album which is due in September.
BTW – I love your name.
Take care.
CF
Thanks, and I like your name, too.
And fwiw, I still don’t care for the band’s name, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them.
Thanks, Curious Fellow. I like your name, too.
And fwiw, I still don’t care for the band’s name, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying them.