Stop, Rock & Roll

Stop, Rock n Roll is back! While we’re still a few days away from Thanksgiving, it doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful for five new tunes from local Rhode Island bands!

Marou – “Love Her Like You Do” The second of two beautiful songs Marou has released recently, “Love Her Like You Do” features the singer/songwriter’s trademark gossamer vocals over wide expanses of acoustic guitars, with chemtrails of electric guitar sprinkled over everything. The song showcases Marou’s growing musical capabilities as she manages to make the song sound full yet sparse at the same time.

Dusty and the Brakes – “Stoop – November Woods” Dusty and The Brakes’ debut album is very unconventional: For one, it was recorded live at Askew, and secondly, the album is made up of three tracks, each containing multiple songs and reaching into double-digit minutes. However, this is all fitting, as the songs fit so well together that linking them makes perfect sense. Case in point, “Stoop – November Woods,” which features a slow-burning opening before exploding into bluesy noise, a drum solo, and a psychedelic jam complete with flute. Truly a barnstorming introduction to the band.

Moss Boy – “Accessory”

Part of a split with Massachusetts band Minikin, Moss Boy continues to showcase their crushing, lofi take on emo and shoegaze. Elements of Teenage Fanclub join hands with My Bloody Valentine, Title Fight, and Fugazi, all draped in a layer of haze that makes the track feel five times heavier, save for when the detuned guitar is given the opportunity to cut through in an act of sonic vulnerability. The song is quick and to the point, ending as soon as it starts.

The Jake Wasson Malpractice – “Whispers (ft. Beth Killian)”

Their second single showcases a love for the best that old music has to offer, including falsetto vocals that nearly call The Bee Gees to mind over guitars that sound as rough as a bed of sandpaper. The minor key of the song harkens back to classic R’n’B, and the groovy bassline weaves between funk and reggae. All of this is combined into a heady brew that never gets old.

Servicecenter – “It’s All Good”

Servicecenter’s debut single “It’s All Good” was recorded in a camper van, a mental image that fits the dusky melancholia of the track nicely. Wisps of vocals float behind chugging acoustic guitars like ghosts. The drums build and recede like waves as electric guitars cascade around them. In the final thirty seconds, however, the song dramatically changes course, becoming a cacophony of sound before once again subsiding. The dynamic push and pull helps the song stand out from other tracks. •