Immediately jumping to the forefront in the “best new band” category, the debut self-titled LP from San Francisco-based band Film School is a delicious mix of early-’90s shoegazer-meets-’80s Cure.
Delayed, distorted guitars ring out, while the bass and strong, passionate vocals propel the music away from some kind of retro fetish, and towards a unique, new sound.
“This is a collection of songs that we were working on for over two years,” said lead singer and guitarist Krayg Burton. “We recorded them at a couple of different places. We would put everything on one inch tape and then sync it to Pro Tools.”
As for the songwriting process: “It’s mainly collaborative,” Burton said. “Someone will bring an idea in and we will all kind of piece it together from there. Often, the vocal melodies will then help pull the song together.”
While the album moves in sonic waves, the band’s live show promises to be more of a full-on rock attack.
“We try and go for more of a ‘fill the room sound’ when we play shows,” Burton said. “On tape we tend to focus on what sounds good. But when we’re playing in front of people, we try and make it more of a rock experience. We’re really trying to build a career as more of a ‘fan band,’ a career based more on fans, people who are more turned on by the music, than by what we look like or whatever.”
Film School will play the Doug Fir with Dead Meadow tonight at 9 p.m.