Welcome once again to Three Songs To The Head, and welcome to what we believe to be the perfect soundtrack to accompany our exile from winter to the crisp sunny days of spring. Heads up everyone, this is a group of bands that are just showing us the beginning of what we expect to see out of them this year.

–Dominic Cortese

“Viejo” – Smokey Brights 

In what is just another gem from the Smokey Brights camp, “Viejo” fires off with a rhythmic march that commands the listener’s attention and showcases the more aggressive style of playing that has come to define the band’s energetic live show. Once captivated, singer Ryan Devlin’s voice drives listeners through the dynamic song with a charismatic timbre and signature hooks such as, “If you really wanna, really wanna, really really want to tango…” And as if he nevered played a guitar with such emotion before, guitarist Mike Kalnoky delivers a solo that screams in a blaze  and illuminates the middle of the track. Along with a mix thats sparkles through the speakers, it’s a great gift to hold us over until the band starts releasing tracks off their upcoming full-length later this year. Find the song streaming on their soundcloud and see the band live on May 16th at Fishermans’s Village Music Festival. 

Listen To “Viejo” here

“Northern Line” – Tangerine

It’s 9 PM, dusk, on one of these amazing, “almost summer” days in Seattle that we’ve been having lately. Stop everything you’re doing, go outside with a pair of headphones and enjoy your jaunt  into the instant nostalgia that Tangerine’s “Northern Line” creates. Element by element, the song builds from the simple coupling of singer Marika Justad’s glittering voice and the wave-like flow of Toby Kuhn’s guitar into a tribal  anthem that takes shape toward the end of the song and accelerates listeners into visions of the summer to come. This rogue track from the Seattle four piece is just a carrot of what they do regularly both on record and live.  Listen to “Northern Line” on Tangerine’s soundcloud and see them at this years Capitol Hill Block Party!

Listen To “Northern Line”

“Stop That Train” – We Are Traitors

Alright, time to get dirty. It’s not like I’ve never heard blues rock before, but when it’s done this well and with such catchy phrasing, it’s hard not set We Are Traitor’s “Stop That Train” apart from it’s peers. The Long Beach native three piece released the song along with batch of others that make up the band’s first public showing into the music world. This particular track is a rolling thundercloud of a bass line coupled with a vocal style reminiscent of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and a guitar whose equivalent might be the “energy of the sun” laser beam that Superman emits from his eyes. Listen to the “Stop That Train” and We Are Traitors other tunes on soundcloud – more importantly though, see them live at The Sunset Tavern in Seattle on July 2nd!

Listen To “Stop That Train”