Tiny Stills Are Power Pop Pros

The '90s rock-influenced band hits up Trunk Space on Wednesday, August 15.

August 8, 2018

L.A. power pop act, Tiny Stills Megan Thompson

Audio By Carbonatix

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If you like your rock and roll framed with a pop edge and hooky riffs, topped with a thick ’n’ gooey layer of sugary vocals, give Tiny Stills from Los Angeles a listen. The power-pop band lists ’90s rock and intrepid indie singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett as a couple of their influences. The latter is more evident in the Stills’ lyrical content than their sound. Their words don’t immediately hit hard like Barnett’s loaded missives, but they’re frank, nonetheless. As far as how the sounds of the 1990s fit in, it’d be a true surprise if singer Kailynn West didn’t have some Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo CDs in her collection. The band’s first release Falling is Like Flying happened in 2014 and through its sticky-sweet vocals, the songs explore the anxiety West experienced after being held up at gunpoint. The title track and songs like “Starting Over is a Lot Like Giving Up” explore life after picking up the pieces. With West as the constant, the group went through some lineup changes and now West has a solid crew in Harry Foster (bass), Zach Comtois (guitar), and Tony Thaxton (drums) as they tour to promote their most recent offering, Laughing Into the Void.

Tiny Stills. 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 15, at Trunk Space, 1124 North Third Street; thetrunkspace.com. Tickets are $8 to $10 via Ticketfly.

Amy Young is the Music Editor at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in May 2025 after more than a decade of covering arts and music for the publication. In her role, Amy writes about music, searches for compelling news and works with writers who are also dedicated to bringing quality music and music-related stories to readers across the Valley and beyond. Previously, Amy worked for the Arizona Republic, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and Newsbreak.

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