Link: http://www.myspace.com/indiancityweather

At the venerable age of 26, I’m consistently reminded of my age by creaky joints, a receding hairline, and the age of those I consider my peers. The mid-twenties are not an awkward age for sports fans, movie enthusiasts. or really… the vast majority of ways we choose to classify ourselves by our recreations. I am, however, at a point in my life where most cats my age are no longer quite as tickled by the concept of dancing on the floor until 3am just to go to work with a limp a few hours later. Not a pimp-limp, just the “Wow, my knees and hip hurt…” style.

The dance itself is reason enough to engage in such foolishness but a secondary factor that keeps this self destructive behavior fresh is… the company. I find myself consistently spending time with people that find enjoyment by challenging convention but with purpose. No pretentious posturing or overt concerns about attention. The dance is hard enough to weed out those that aren’t hungry pretty quickly.

I find the inherent ideology to be charming. Doing something that shows very little reward just because you believe in it and in some way… need it.

Not charming in a condescending way. Not “How charming, a chihuahua wearing a sweater.” Charming like when a pretty girl quotes Thundercats or a cup of hot chocolate on the porch while watching an autumn sunset.

I use this long-winded(typed?) intro to try to explain why I’m writing about Indian City Weather. These kids are nice. Talent, creativity, all that. I’m not known for handing down praise for young men in skinny jeans but there’s something different in their game. It’s sincerity. They’re doing something sufficiently different from their peers that I can’t imagine  they are chasing understanding and acceptance, even though it’s not different enough to really challenge convention. There’s no crime in that. They’re still young and have time to explore the full range of what’s possible within their combined talents.

I heard their MC describe them as an “Indie Hip-hop band.” It’s kind of a vague description but truthful in that they essentially combine indie rock with Hip-Hop: two guitars, bass, drums, a lead singer, and an MC (who might rock the tambourine on a song or two). My rock phase was back when the stuff on the radio was referred to as “Alternative” so Indie Rock is not my area of expertise. I was probably a teenager when I first heard bands which were pursuing the successful hybridization of rap and rock on national radio but these guys don’t really sound like any of them.

Their five-song Leather Lungs EP (currently available for streaming on their Myspace page) opens with “More Like Memphis” which has heavy jam-band influences to my ear based on the rhythm section with guitar playing on the bluesier side.

They follow up with “Wilson & the Waves.” This track gives their lead vocalist a little more room to shine than the first song. The guitar has a little more bluegrass flavor on this cut which is amazing when done well like it is here. This is, according to the play count, their most popular song and I can understand why. It’s composed well and has an effective arrangement.

By the middle of the of the EP, we come to “Dreamcatcher.” This track sounds nearly like a a solo effort with Niq (the Lyricist) spitting some fairly cynical spoken-word with an articulate delivery that owes more to technical freestyle raps than Gil Scott-Heron or the Last Poets. The background is a washed out lo-fi soundscape with occasional random sounds that border on industrial. An acquired taste but a statement, nonetheless. It’s also one of the few times we get the opportunity to hear his words with absolute clarity. There’s poetry to his flow and the lyrics grow stronger with each play.

The second to last song is definitely my favorite. “Galaxies” is probably the closest to straightforward Hip-Hop that you’ll hear on this EP, but that’s not necessarily why I like this one the best. I feel like it’s the most balanced because each person in the line-up gets wreck shop at some point. The drums are a lovely downtempo breakbeat and the bass lines are hugging the percussion like they are about to elope. The two guitar parts are gorgeous yet interwoven with enough subtlety that both vocalists have room to tear shit up (which they do). There is also more done with effects pedals and/or processing with reverb and delay galore. A fun track.

Last is “State Avenue.” This is probably the most pleasant song musically with it being an upbeat, acoustic folk song at its core. It puts a smile on my face. The lyrical content is as drastic as before, but it’s delivered in a gentler way that works really well with the overall tone of the song.

Now, I have no idea how the instruments/vocals were tracked and every band has a different agreement with their producers and engineers about how creative control over various aspects of a record are to be distributed. The EP was produced and engineered by Tyler Watkins from Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. I know nothing about him, his work, or his band but I know that their name carries weight in the rock scene here. It’s entirely possible that the band said “We don’t want this to sound overproduced.” Like I said, I have no idea … but in general (there are exceptions), I like a little more polish on the music I listen to. I’ve listened to this EP on my laptop as well as my reference monitors, and I felt like it could have been a little cleaner. This in no way changes the fact that each person who reads this review should go to their EP release, listen to them wreck shop, and then buy a copy of the Leather Lungs EP. Throw it in your CD player and inwardly smile about what the kids are getting into these days.

Upcoming Shows:

Leather Lungs EP Release w/ Rugged Russian Bear

Saturday, November 13, 2010 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM EST
LUNA music
5202 N College Ave.
Indianapolis, IN, 46220

Afterparty!

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 7:00 PM

The ES Jungle
6151 N. Central Ave.
Indianapolis, IN, 46220

Super Fun Show Tiiiiime! w/Caelume, This Is Me, Pessoa, and Olympians

Friday, November 19, 2010 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM
The DOJO
2207 N. College Ave.
Indianapolis, IN, 46205