Sitting by the Brook and River, listening
Brook and River, playing live Friday (Sept. 30) and Saturday (Oct. 1) in the South Bay.
It’s obvious that Saint Rocke and Brixton have a pretty strong hold over the local live music scene in the South Bay; but in truth there’s good music all over. Smaller venues like the Side Door, VFW, Hermosa Saloon, Suzy’s, and Prince O’ Whales, all consistently offer live music entertainment. It seems that just about every nook and cranny throughout the Bay does – including comic shops, coffee shops, clothing stores, and art galleries. This weekend, locally-born band Brook and River performs both at Saint Rocke Friday night and acoustically Saturday night at The Seventh Sense art gallery in Redondo Beach.
Brook and River is a burgeoning rock and roll band with strong South Bay roots. Their sound has evolved over a couple short years from a drippy, psych-tinged acoustic folk, based around harmonized vocals, to a full-fledged pop-psych rock and roll. They were originally formed in Santa Cruz in 2009 by two Mira Costa graduates, Grady Bell (bass, guitar, songwriter, MCHS class of ’08) and Michael Hiller (guitar, bass, songwriter, MCHS ’07).
“Grady and I moved up there [Santa Cruz] with the intentions of getting out of LA and writing a shitload of songs and playing shows five times a week,” says Hiller. “We started playing acoustic stuff, based around simple chord changes and catchy melodies… it was just Grady and myself and two acoustic guitars and a shaker sometimes. Grady and I wanted to try more, add more… We both had drums in mind, and since we didn’t know anyone there yet we put out a Craigslist ad and our first response was Sean.”
Sean Erickson expanded Brook and River’s sound with drums, and the acoustic-folk base began to give way to a more developed, although simple rock and roll.
“We practiced once and it worked out so well,” recalls Hiller. “I remember asking Sean [originally from Tacoma, Washington] if he would ever move to LA if things got more serious, and he said ‘Never.’ Now we’re all living in the same house on 27th and Normandie – can’t get much more L.A. than that! We have been growing ever since.”
Brook and River’s simple rock and roll, still suffused with vestiges of their folk roots, soon grew into a full rockin’ sound.
Hiller continues, “It soon just turned into rock and roll and there was nothing we could do to stop it. And now we have what you (Jeff) have described as a psych-pop sound, which is the best way to describe it I think.”
Well gosh, I’m blushing. To be sure, the band has always maintained a psych-washed sound with a lackadaisical approach to vocals, and wandering, picking guitar jams; but with the release of their brand new EP, “Walk and Roll,” Brook and River seems to have perfected an eclectic pop-psych sound that is considerably catchy without being cheesy or shallow. Organs, brief but pronounced sharp guitar leads, Beatle-esque backup vocals… all the elements are there. Their live lineup also features MCHS graduate James Watson on organs, and Dave Joseph on trumpet and trombone – both are USC students.
“Overall, I think the special thing with our music is that we do what we want,” says Hiller. “We’re not afraid to try things… We just have fun, and it shows.”
Brook and River’s preceding (debut) LP, “Inside Voices” (2010), showcases the band’s simple rock and roll sound with folk elements, while their original demo recordings (2009) demonstrate the soft, jammy beauty of their early acoustic-folk-psych days. The boys are currently writing their next full-length album, hopefully due out by mid-2012.
All of Brook and River’s recordings can be heard and downloaded on DirtyHippieRadio.com. The band itself can be heard live and electric tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 30, at 9 p.m., at Saint Rocke, and acoustic the following night, Saturday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m., at The Seventh Sense. These two sets provide a unique opportunity to experience this dynamic band both ways.Brook and River play with Sweet & Tender Hooligans, and The Companies at Saint Rocke, Fri Sept 30 at 9 p.m. They play acoustic at The Seventh Sense’s installment of MID (Multiple Introspective Disorder), Sat., Oct 1, at 6:30 p.m. Seventh Sense gallery is located at 2301 Artesia Blvd., Unit 3, in Redondo Beach.