Nice to Meet You: Solar Powered People
If solar powered people were real, would they sound like this? We hope so.
Solar Powered People came
forth from sunny California, emerging from a previous band Apollo Trigger. Some
run of the risk of becoming too much like their past experiences, but Solar
Powered People escape this by adding a warm, almost intimate layer to their
music. The band's past history in the Bay area music scene gave them a
steady base to start their new venture in the music world. Being in other
bands has only perfected their art of music making, but has not set it in stone
- and after the addition of another member to the band, Solar Powered People's
sound only flourish from then on. The band has grown leaps and bounds
since becoming this new incarnation. Despite being from the
good ol' U.S. of A, the band has been gaining more international attention by
recently signed to the Japanese label Quince
Records and has gained the recognition of Jason Lytle of the great Modesto
band Grandaddy.
When the shoegaze genre comes to mind, I always think of skinny white boys in
Converse Hi-Tops shuffling to slow but delicate rock music. But I don't know
what to think after watching Solar Powered People's music video for "Commercial
Flight," off of their 2007 album Hibernation. That slow, sultry style that makes shoegaze
the contemplative genre that it is is still present on "Commercial
Flight." However that feeling of relaxation and sometimes
despondency that can be present isn't even there in Solar Powered People's
music. This is something that really caught my attention about the
band. As incredible as bands like Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine
are, their music when listened to in the wrong mood can make a person fall into
that deep grey sadness that sticks around all day. That problem doesn't
exist with Solar Powered People's Hibernation and their 2009 release Living Through the Low. "Commercial Flight" takes you
soaring through the soundscape of Solar Powered People, which is characterised
by their sudden yet unabrupt tempo changes and knack for interesting
arrangement. Their other single "Melting Ice and Snow" off of Living
Through the Low is a
culmination of all of these elements, rushing together to create an explosion
of sound and style. Their songs have this certain exuberance than
intertwines with the intricate layering of guitars and the rhythm section,
setting themselves apart from their California predecessors.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Oct 13, 2009 @ 10:00 am