When it comes to being artistic in rock and roll, these days it usually equates to pretentious garbage that nobody has time for. Rarely do you find a band that melds the artistic sense of music with raw rock to become something real and authentic. Providence quintet Pixels find a niche where the exemplified human emotion blends into lo-fi audial excellence, and that’s evident with their new EP Hello, which we are premiering today via their Bandcamp. The five-song effort possesses a sound quality — recorded last Valentine’s Day on multiple four track cassette recorders in their rehearsal space — that would make Robert Pollard proud, meeting a soulful brand of vintage alternative rock that soars through your ears. It’s an uncanny style of guitar driven music that clicks in numerous ways.
A few tracks will have you shakin’ the night away while others have a punk angst that hits your system with a vengeance. There are a few overdubs but everything is left being organic, there’s no mish mash of production nonsense. A genuine impression of the music they’re creating is evident right when you press play. Andy Davis, Izzie Dungan, Althea Shaheen, Chris Faulkner and French Kicks bassist Lawrence Stumpf combine to make unapologetic rock music that echoes to the alienated and the heartbroken. It’s honest music that’ll never let you down.
“Memory Boy”, a self-reflective track crooned by Davis, is about feeling alone and fearing that you’re on the verge of destroying yourself. There’s also a bit of rage and passion expressed in certain parts within the heartfelt melodies; a groovy bass line from Dungan invades “Nitro Apollo”, the chorus is catchy while the rhythms take you over and make you dance. A rockabilly vibe is exuberant in “I Made A Career (of Losing
Tonight at Dusk on Harris Avenue in Providence, Pixels will be celebrating their release of Hello with drum fueled punks Little Tomb, the noir blues of Von Donovan and New York City indie pop act Future Generations. There’s a lot of stuff going on in Providence on Friday night but make this rad show at Dusk one of your prime stops during your fun filled evening out and about. As if it needs to be said, you better get your hands on Pixels’ new EP while you’re there.
