Chicago sextet Suns rose from the ashes of local favorites Wax On Radio last year when singer/guitarist Mikey Russell finally nailed down a lasting lineup for his new project and hit the ground running. Confession: I always thought Wax On Radio kinda sounded like an admirable group of Sunny Day Real Estate wannabes who possessed ample chops, but didn't yet have the experience and vision to fill the shoes they were trying to woodshed their way into.
Fortunately, Suns have managed to tone down the self-conscious grandiosity of Russell's first outfit for a nuanced brand of earthy, semi-acoustic post-rock that bottles all of the intensity while filtering out the bluster and needless shred. Whereas Wax On Radio often came off like a bunch of talented kids falling in love with the fact that their music sounded "grown-up," Suns seem much more outwardly focused, trading navel-gazing fuss for instinctive musical interplay. To my ears, Russell also traded most of his SDRE and Mineral fixation for shades of Bright Eyes, Local Natives and Grizzly Bear — a mix that suits his distinctive throaty wail just fine.
Suns are currently offering a free double EP over at their Myspace, which you should probably pick up before someone decides to turn the two into a full-length and, y'know, charge you for it. As for live performances, Suns will take the stage during the 2010 iteration of Bash on Wabash on Sunday, September 5, along with Asobi Seksu, The Detroit Cobras and, uh, Cracker. Suns play at 4 p.m., so if you stick around long enough for Cracker, you should be more than buzzed enough to enjoy "Low."
Suns @ Bash on Wabash — Sunday, 9/5 at 4 p.m. w/ Cracker, Detroit Cobras, Asobi Seksu (Wabash Ave between 13th & 14th Streets)
this band is really f*cking great.
Posted by: luc | 09/07/2010 at 07:08 PM