The Dead Ships are playing a record release show at The Echo this coming Tuesday, for their first full length album Electric Ahab. The show is free, presented by The Echo and Buzzbands.LA. The band consists of drummer Christopher Spindelilus and guitarist/singer Devlin McCluskey, who hail from the midwest and the south but are now based in L.A., where they met in a true Hollywood fashion: working in television.
Influenced by garage-rock, blues, and pop, the duo have created a great sound that immediately drew me in. McCluskey has a direct voice that rockets through gratifying melodies – especially on the track “Bones Cracked” – over a bed of grungey guitar. His vocals are also changeable, breaking into an Eddie Vedder-like growl on “Amaze”, which otherwise calls to mind The Black Keys. “You Were Young” is billed as the single and has a folky melody with a catchy ‘woah-woah’ chorus. The songs are absorbing and hooky with bits of blues and folk throughout. I’m excited to hear them live.
The band has two EPs on their Bandcamp as well as the new album; according to their blog, the latter was recorded last July at San Francisco’s Center of the Mile Studios, “live, in 2 takes, in 2 days, all analog to 2” tape.” Also on the line-up Tuesday are The Ross Sea Party, Hello Echo and The Muddy Reds.
Images via The Dead Ships’ bandcamp
