((LVL UP)) Band Profile and Upcoming SXSW Concerts - Oh My Rockness

Written by Patrick McNamara

LVL UP is a joyously raucous lo-fi punk pop (not to be confused with pop punk) band from Purchase, NY (i recently wrote about Sirs who are also from that town and do a similarly raucous thing - but this seems neither the time nor the place to get into all that - focus, Suckness - focus).

These four dudes (Mike! Dave! Greg! Nick!) write songs that jingle and jingle and sometimes shred something most crunchy. LVL UP kind of remind me of early Built to Spill (all the answers you seek as to why shall be found within their guitar solos). But they might kind of remind you of somebody else. Like early Modest Mouse, maybe? Perhaps I’m putting band comparisons in your mouth. Perhaps I should just mind my own business. Perhaps we should stop fighting and start loving LVL UP. Yeah. Let’s do that.

I’m going to go ahead and say that listening to LVL UP will put you in a better mood. I’m going to just go ahead and put myself out there like that. And if you’re already in a good mood before you even listen to LVL UP - what’s your secret? It’s exercise and diet, isn’t it. Damn. Why does it always have to be exercise and diet!!! It’s nevvvvver nachos and Netflix. Life just ain’t right.

You know what would be a good tour? LVL UP + Titus Andronicus + Cymbals Eat Guitars. Those three bands would flow nicely with each other. So somebody with power (unlike a muzik blobber) make that happen, please. But if I finish my time machine first, nevermind. Because I’ll be taking these dudes back to 1994 and try and set up a tour with Built to Spill and Modest Mouse. I will also do my damndest to talk my younger self out of parting my hair down the middle and rocking that butt cut. The pictures have never let me forget and they haunt my dreams.

I’m really close with that machine, by the way. A good thing too - because I’m running out of time. Mom says she can’t have me blowing stuff up in the basement anymore. But she just doesn’t understand the significance of my work down there. More on that later. Mommy just said my din-din is ready upstairs and it’s fish sticks night!!!

Published December 16, 2013
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