Filmstrip will be bringing their wholly pleasant brand of alt-Americana to Mohawk Place tonight. The Cleveland-based band evokes a laid-back vibe reminiscent of The Life and Times, Pedro the Lion, and just the slightest touch of Father John Misty. My personal recommendation is the upbeat, guitar driven “Dollar Store.” Support tonight comes from the ever-fuzzy Fredonians in Zealot and Buffalo’s answer to alt-Americana, American Stores. The show starts at 8pm for $5.
American Stories is an interesting band. Their new album Horse Beard is a mashup of genres, namely psychedelic, folk, punk, americana, and emo. The opening track, and perhaps Horse Beard‘s strongest, is “Programmed.” The song is reminiscent of something Beck would have written in the late 90s, or even blissful indie rock like Built to Spill. At times, it dips into something 60s influenced, but it maintains the sort of loose slacker vibe you would expect from a musician like Beck, or the fuzzy warmth from a jangly BTS jam. “All The Same” takes these already strong sensibilities and wraps them in a shroud of the kind of emo you’d come to expect from Sunny Day Real Estate. I’m only two songs in but if you’re guessing you might find a pattern here, you’re right. American Stories are genre hoppers, and typically, it would make an album sound like it lacks direction. That[...]