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.