Plug in your phone, put your music on shuffle and start the pattern of skipping through every song until you find the music that fits your mood.
At that point, why bother shuffling?
Sometimes, the underlining issue is that all the songs on your playlist have been thoroughly listened to. It’s time to recognize that you need new music in your life. This intrepid endeavor is not for the faint of heart, it’s time to look past the roulette that Spotify’s Discover Weekly has been spinning your ears through. It’s time to look in your own backyard.
Luckily, Rhode Island is known for having astounding local bands. To find these bands, however, will require more of a delicate touch. Going to live shows in coffee shops, at small music venues and bar shows will offer an introduction to this unique noise. Here are a few local bands to keep your eyes and ears open for.
A female vocally fronted band, grizzlies., play with an alternative rock sound, a smooth and soulful rhythm that is easy to bop to. They are hailed from Providence and frequently play at the URI Kingston campus during open mics and band nights. Their sound feels like something you would find in a romance movie where the two focal characters lock eyes for the first time in a warm, dimly lit dive bar and begin to flirt with little motions like slight head nods and fluttering eye lashes.
Check out the grizzlies.’s Bandcamp here.
Literally making their way downtown, I first heard FINE. playing at the venue AS220 and never left their Bandcamp, waiting impatiently for more recordings. A queer duo, their stage presence pulls an audience in and delivers warm welcoming moments, giving a personal feeling to their music. This is because they take the time between songs to talk to the listeners, establishing a connection.
Check out the FINE.’s Bandcamp here.
Sun Gangs is a four person personification of the end of summer and late night runs to coffee shops. Electronic pop and a sound that gradually builds, their lyrics drift from car speakers. If the movie “Drive” (2011) had come out a few years later, then this band would be perfectly in synch with the soundtrack. With four recorded songs as of 2017, Sun Gangs seems ready to deliver more in the future.
Check out Sun Gangs’ Bandcamp here.
With serious psychedelic vibes and folk origins, The Sensitive Ferns have a whopping five person ensemble. Encouraging a leisurely enjoyment of their tunes, The Ferns draw their listeners out from the crowd and deliver a tuneage to drift with. Relaxing days outside in spring weather or organizing a room as your life slowly falls together is the perfect listening time.
Check out The Sensitive Ferns’ Bandcamp here.
Local bands deliver a unique opportunity for fans or casual listeners to experience their sound as it develops. Their music is volatile and the feeling from one song may not carry easily into the next EP (extended play). They are evolving alongside their fellow musicians and bouncing ideas off of each other as they cultivate the core tenets of their music.