Rockin' Our Turntable: Netherfriends
By Veronica Murtagh in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 30, 2009 8:40PM
Chicago's musical landscape is ripe with indie bands who've built their careers and found success and acceptance on the city's streets and stages. There's a certain charm involved in watching a band blossom from obscurity, finding new fans in the faces populating your favorite local haunts and hangouts. Formed in 2007, and with a recent Daytrotter session and a new EP titled Calling You Out to their credit, Chicago indie folk pop act the Netherfriends are one step from full blown notoriety, savoring an endearing balance of critical praise and humble show hustling.
The Netherfriends jokingly list, "Animal who?" under their influences on their MySpace page, well aware of their similarities to noise pop act. Animal Collective craft psychedelic, atmospheric sound expertly, and the Netherfriends embrace the same naturalistic, glowing rhythmic sensibility throughout Calling You Out. The EP's lead single, Nunya, is particularly adoptive of Animal Collective's style. The Netherfriends are good at many of the same things as Animal Collective, but they are also better at just as many. While Animal Collective have the tendency to veer away from melody, dissolving into their own soundscapes, the Netherfriends rely just as heavily on vocalization as instrumentation in their songs. The band has a keen ear for knowing when to let their voices reign and their guitar lull.
Vocal melodies are the Netherfriends biggest selling point. Shawn Roseblatt's voice brings a touch of unexpected folk Americana to the band's compositions. Fans of Wilco will find Roseblatt's slight twang appealing and it lends an unexpected, fireside warmth to the EP's melodies, particularly when mingled with the band's signature bright, chirping choruses. Roseblatt's tone contributes a necessary maturity to Calling You Out, breaking up the boyish pop medleys and adding complexity from start to finish. Mom Cop is the most vocal-heavy of the EP's tracks and illustrates that the Netherfriends are as comfortable rocking out as they are drifting away.
If you like Animal Collective and Wilco you will probably like the Netherfriends, but if you hate Animal Collective and Wilco you will probably still like the Netherfriends. Approachable, accessible and gleaming, Calling You Out is one of the strongest local releases of 2009 and a launchpad for the widespread success that is soon to whisk away Chicago's best-kept indie pop secret.
Netherfriends play alongside Bengal Lancer and The Yearbooks tonight, September 30, at Schubas, 3159 N Southport, 9 p.m., $5, 18+.