Wavves at the 9:30 Club

Last week I went to the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. to see two bands play. Best Coast was the headliner. Best Coast is an indie darling from California, fronted by a female lead singer and had recently performed on Late Night with David Letterman. Best Coast plays solid indie-rock. They are rarely controversial and had me bobbing my head most of the night in appreciation of their laid back California style.

But I’m not here to talk about Best Coast. I’m here to talk about the band that opened for Best Coast, A band called Wavves. Wavves is a California punk/indie rock band founded by Nathan Williams, who sings and plays guitar and recorded the first album in his mom’s garage. Wavves found fame on the indie music scene in 2008, but almost threw it all away when a very inebriated Nathan got booed off-stage a music festival in Europe for berating fans, and generally being a giant prick. Many music insiders thought Wavves had thrown away their chances at becoming “big”.

Nathan responded by hiring a rhythm section who had formerly dealt with a troubled/unpredictable lead singer (Jay Reatard) and released the bands second full length album, “Wavvves” to smashing indie reviews. Because of this I had actually heard of Wavves before the show, but had never heard a Wavves song.

The very first thing I noticed about Wavves is that they were loud. I mean, really loud. Just a few songs into their set and my sternum was rumbling from the fuzzed out bass and heavy drums.

Despite being soaked in reverb, Nathans voice was still raw, and full of punk attitude. His snarl sounded almost like a young Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day fame. The harmonies of bass player Stephen Pope added extra layers to the sound, and the songs were undeniably catchy. I couldn't help but bob my head in appreciation for the tunes Wavves was sending my way. Wavves sounded about as poppy as a lo-fi band is allowed to sound.

Right after the show I Tweeted my first impression of Wavves: I thought their show seemed like how a very early Nirvana concert would have sounded. Distortion abound, a plucky lead singer who snarled and slashed his way through the show, fast guitar licks, bouncy bass lines and a drummer who could pound the kit with the best of them. They sure aren't Nirvana re-incarnated, but the attitude of the band and the punkish yet poppy tunes made me think immediately of Nirvana.

While Wavves probably won’t be burning up the music charts anytime soon, they are definitely worth a listen if you ever wondered what would happen if the Beach Boys somehow got mashed up with very early Nirvana. It sounds a bit odd, but its catchy as hell.

Download these: “King of the Beach” “Post Acid”