Relatively Speaking
Ten standouts from the current generation of “family bands.”
Women (Calgary, 2007-12)
Prairie-dwelling music appreciation dudes brightened the landscape with This Heat-styled analog art-rock before the tragic loss of guitarist Christopher Reimer.
Nephews (West Los Angeles, 2006-9)
Late late-aughts underaged mathy instrumentalists bridged the gap between American Don and American Football.
The Ladies (Sacramento, 2006)
On one-off LP They Mean Us, Rob Crow (Pinback) and Zach Hill (Hella) sounded exactly like the sum of their parts.
Sisters (Olympia, 2006-9)
Indie-rock trio’s heavy early Sonic Youth vibes birthed Broken Water‘s shoegazing and the now-defunct punk of H.P.P.
Drunk Dad (Portland, 2010-present)
The perfect name for such belligerent, crusty metallic noise. R.I.Y.L. KARP.
Total Bros (Portland, 2008-11)
Fuzz-punk two-piece were bros you’d want to chill with.
Aunts and Uncles (Vancouver, 2009-present)
Complex orchestral rock from the incestuous indie scene over the boundary.
Girls (San Francisco, 2007-12)
Christopher Owens, J.R. White and friends’ second, unexpectedly final LP Father, Son, Holy Ghost was a dream deferred for pure pop people.
Papa (Los Angeles, 2009-present)
A pitch-perfect reimagining of big (power-) poppa Nick Lowe‘s “(I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass” evidences this young Girls-related band knows its roots.
The Men (Brooklyn, 2008-present)
Following the Our Band Could Be Your Life-inspired Leave Home and Open Your Heart, bland new LP New Moon estranges these aspiring dads from the family.
