"try to sleep, I'm sure you told the truth, just in a minor key..."
Those of you who read my reviews here at American Pancake might know that one of the highest compliments I could give an artist or band is that their sound feels like 90's American college indie radio. College radio has always been the bell weather reflecting the kind of indie music that will shape future music and for some reason 90's college radio seemed to be especially impactful in that way. Maybe it was because that era was full of people going back to move forward, revisionist rock dipping into 60's psychedelic, 70's proto punk, 80's new wave / post punk / grunge and even overlapping into western country and all iterations of folk.
As soon as I stepped into the potent sounds of "Sun Also Rises" by Berlin based three piece lo-fi indie rockers Grief Scene it screamed 90's American college indie radio to me. Their sound pushes splinters of jubilation / desperation and sadness into our skin with wonderful melodies and jangle pop-esque guitar and like an amalgam of bands like Dinosaur Jr / R.E.M. / Sonic Youth / Hüsker Dü, Grief Scene reflects youth in abandon. I love guitarist Ian Tilling's voice, artful, full of character and with Sally Brown on bass / vocals and Brandon Walsh on drums, Grief Scene is a tightly wound emotional, artful creation.
Press notes reveal:
"Sun Also Rises" is from the band's EP "Night Owls". The song is inspired by the 1926 Hemingway novel of the same name reflecting on themes of artistic insecurity and self-doubt, and building from these quiet moments of contemplation into a fuzzy singalong chorus. "Night Owls" is inspired by ideas of love, friendship and community. It was this, together with the band's shared love of karaoke, that sparked the idea for the video, a playful collage of karaoke versions of the song, by the band and their friends, directed by Giulio Rasi. Filmed in an underground haze of smoke and glitterballs, the video features bandmembers Ian Tilling, Sally Brown and Brandon Walsh singing their hearts out along with an unruly cast of characters from the local DIY scene.
Enjoy Grief Scene.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5jrEWAStN1xMQwMHDR1mnl
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI6g9jVS5x-yVsiHzPUpLeA
https://griefscene.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/griefscene/
Grief Scene are a three-piece lo-fi indie rock band based in Berlin. They play loud, heartfelt songs about love, friendship and climate anxiety, Formed in 2020 by Ian Tilling (Trapped Mice, Leoprrrds), the band started as a solo project which saw the release of debut album Bad Times in November 2020. He was soon joined by drummer Brandon Walsh, who in turn invited his friend and bandmate Sally Brown to contribute bass and vocals. This intense musical partnership, forged on stage with Berlin bands Gurr and Plattenbau, proved the perfect foil to Tilling's breathless guitar, while Brown's soaring vocal harmonies can be heard to spine-tingling effect on singles R U Still in 2 It, Crossing Wires and Wedding Planner.
Building on a recent coming-of-age support slot opening for Porridge Radio at Festsaal Kreuzberg in December 2022, the band celebrate their debut physical release, Night Owls EP, available on tape and digital download February 17th.
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