Radar Brothers, Leatherbag at Mohawk Tonight

Radar Bros.
Wednesday, July 21
Mohawk (912 Red River Street)
10pm
[info]

L.A.-based Radar Brothers have been around for a while now, having established themselves over the course of five releases with soaring sonic landscapes, horizontally-unwinding melodies and lead singer Jim Putnam's soft vocals, all infused with a kind of mellow California vibe. You wouldn't fault them not changing it up, but change it up they did: for Illustrated Garden, released earlier this year, Putnam (who is the son of Bill Putnam, inventor of the modern recording console) recruited bassist Be Hussey and drummer Stevie Treichel to replace the band's original rhythm section. The newcomers push the band in a different direction, resulting in a punchier, more immediate feel to the well-worked Radar Bros. sound.

The newly-formed trio will take the stage at the Mohawk tonight, following local rock'n'rollers Leatherbag. Led by Randy Reynolds, Leatherbag are hot on the heels of their latest release, Hey Day, produced by Michael Crow of Grand Champeen.

The album's sound is typical Leatherbag: Americana-flecked classic rock that wears its influences on its sleeves - The Replacements, Big Star, even Blonde on Blonde Dylan - but does enough with them to not sound like a retread (you can read our full review here).Reynolds' songwriting is malleable with a solid core, and with band members Geoff Dupree, Drew Emmons and Kory Cook, Leatherbag can do soft piano ballads just as well as churning guitar-rock.

Also playing is local guitar goddess Pink Nasty. She's been on a bit of a hiatus since 2006's Mold the Gold, but tonight she'll likely preview songs from her forthcoming self-titled release. PN and her band play an infectious bubblegum brand of "neurotic pop," marrying late '90s/early aughts slacker influences such as Stephan Malkmus, Weezer and The Strokes.

Radar Bros: [MySpace] [Official]
Leatherbag: [MySpace] [Official]
Pink Nasty: [MySpace] [Official]

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