Motel Beds Playing North Manchester this Weekend
About a month ago I received an email from a particularly personable publicist with an offer to download an upcoming album from the band Motel Beds – an act I was not acquainted with.
So, I downloaded “These Are the Days Gone By,” and popped it in my car’s CD player. The songs that began flowing out of my speakers were really impressive. They were garage-y, a bit southern fried, but catchy, edgy and clearly pulled from a wealth of influences.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1289008518 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3916005632]
It turns out “These Are the Days Gone By” is a collection of singles, outtakes, rarities and live tracks. All the songs were remastered by Carl Saff, who’s worked with Dinosaur Jr. and Guided by Voices, and recorded by Guided by Voices engineer Derl Robbins (also the guitar player in the band). Kelley Deal of the Breeders even makes an appearance on “Tropics of the Sand.”
I liked the record a lot. Admittedly, it was one of my favorite discoveries from the last few months. Fast-forward a few weeks, and I’m opening another email from Motel Beds’ publicist. It included tour dates.
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1289008518 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=2438707054]
As I usually do, I scanned the list for the magic letters “IN.” They popped out, but not for a stop in Indianapolis, as is usually the case, but for a concert just down the road in North Manchester.
That show is this weekend. The band is playing at the Firehouse in North Manchester on Sunday, Aug. 31. For those of you who are into jangly, garage-y, indie rock with a touch of attitude, I highly recommend you check it out.
If nothing else, check out “These Are the Days Gone By,” released Aug. 26 from Misra Records. It’s currently streaming on bandcamp.