Epperly

(Triple X)
by Rich Romaine

This self-titled full-length stands apart from the rest of the I-want-to-be-signed-too alternarock scene for a few very good reasons. Epperly know their Pixies, Lemonheads, Pavement, and Jane’s Addiction roots, and don’t mind letting ’em hang out every now and then. They have a sense of humor – about the world, about “the scene,” about their talent, and about other stuff too, probably. They can write a damn song. (Maybe that should’ve gone first, but maybe not.) In a world of passionate vocalists, it’s kinda nice to have a tone-deaf singer who really tries and usually succeeds. It’s refreshing to hear a crack in the voice left in anyway. Remember that Cobain guy? So does Epperly. Musically, they like to keep it simple and pure. Start with a solid riff, repeat it a whole bunch (drone on it, if you will), and sing a nice little melody with, perhaps, a harmony or two in the chorus, and then repeat the process. That’s a song. It sounds a helluva lot easier than it is. Epperly’s debut may be kinda thin in studio tricks, but the self-produced sound actually works and adds to the band-that-rehearses-in-the-garage-next-door intimacy.