So how does a band from behind the “Orange Curtain” get a residency at the Hollywood Hot Spot Silverlake Lounge? By being damn good, that’s how! The Steelwells are the first Artist of the Week for 2010. The truth is, there is a lot of good music coming out of Orange County & Long Beach, so much so that we here at Enter the Shell will be highlighting many of these bands in the coming weeks! With their residency and the release of their first Ep “Shallow on the Draft,” they are definitely turning some heads around the LA music scene.
Yorba Linda is the neighboring city to Fullerton, which is most known for being a college town, and for one of the best restaurants in the OC: The Summit House. But this is a music blog, not a restaurant review! Believe it or not there have been some pretty big names to come out of the Orange County music scene: No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris and Goldfinger to name a few. The Steelwells are the latest addition to the Indie scene. With a great live show and a new Ep, the Silverlake Lounge is a great start to their very promising future.
Shallow on the Draft is a 7 track Ep that was recently released, with some pretty catchy tunes. The Ep has a very “big” sound for being an Ep release. When I first heard the Ep, I immediately heard Coldplay, namely the X&Y album. This is not to say that they are Coldplay rip-offs, but the production value is big, especially for a band putting out their first record. Songs like Justin’s favorite, Boxes have a deep rich sound. The Eps lead off track “This Dance is Out of Your Hands” is a catchy little number. It is a great choice to lead off their Ep and get you pumped for the remainder of the Ep. Songs like Big Yellow Sky, Our Fabled Little Rabbits and Boxes are excellent tracks with great production and a “Big” sound! While those tracks might grab your attention from the outset, their track “El Capitan” is by far my favorite! It has a quirkiness and playfulness to it. While they are still a bit raw, this Ep shows some real promise. Joey Winter told the crew that the band is currently debating/planning to release another Ep or full-length album very soon!
But let’s face it, the mark of any good band is not their studio work, but their live shows! I happened to go to their first show at the Silverlake Lounge. They definitely have a nice following of fans. Their set is lively and they are very energetic. They are very entertaining to watch, and the best part was the show was FREE! Hey in a recession, we’re always trying to look out for our fans! This is where I saw “El Capitan” which was a real crowd pleaser! They still have two shows left in their residency, which is every Monday Night, so go check them out!
Like I’ve said many times before, I am an Indie Rocker at heart! I always try to lead our listeners towards the right path in good bands who have yet to be discovered by the masses! These bands need our support, so be sure to follow the links below and help Joey Winter make some money so he can throw away his Boston albums and get more Air music! I know I generally put a band’s “Top 5” songs here, but since there is only a 7 track Ep, I’ll just be listing their top 3 songs!
Top 3 Songs
1. El Capitan
2. Boxes
Useful Links