I’m gonna go ahead and call it – Rivals will be a common name among the West Congress Street music scene.
I saw them play for the first time last night at Hang Fireire and I wasn’t at all disappointed. Their 90s-esq gritty pop sound was simple but charming. I felt like I was watching my best buds from high school imitate anything from Sonic Youth to the Unicorns – equipedp with fuzzy guitar shreds and slacker vocal harmonies (sometimes without mics but instead sing-shouting notes into the crowd). Oh, and I should mention keys. It’s about time someone in this city added some keys to a college rock band without it being completely overwhelming.
Their overall style was a bit scattered and at times messy but I think these guys have great potential. It’s going to be interesting to see Rivals clean up and progress as musicians and evolve into a sound that is more definite.