The members of the rock band the Tyde pride themselves on their
distinctly California sound. But so far, the band has been spending
a lot more time in Europe than in the Golden state that inspires
their music.
The Tyde will be playing in the United States for the third time
this Sunday at the Clean Needles Now Benefit at Spaceland in
Silverlake. The show will give southern California listeners a rare
chance to hear the band’s mix of guitar-driven psychedelia
and indie pop.
Though rarely heard in the States, the Tyde have already toured
Europe twice and gained a substantial following overseas. The band
has also generated plenty of buzz in the British press, with their
debut album, “˜Once’ being named one of NME’s top
50 albums of 2001.
Darren Rademaker, the singer and founder of the Tyde, sees his
band’s overseas touring as a chance to give outsiders a sense
of life on the West Coast.
“We try to represent California when we play
overseas,” Rademaker said. “When people hear our music
they can imagine what it’s like to get in the car and go to
the beach.”
Besides their beach-inspired name, the band’s easy-going
sound evokes images of a California sunset or an aimless walk along
the coast.
The Tyde’s music embraces the psychedelic sound of the
’60s and ’70s, with luscious guitar-playing and humming
keyboards that are reminiscent of The Byrds or Buffalo Springfield.
When the Tyde first formed, three of the band’s members were
also members of the neo-psychedelic band Beachwood Sparks.
But, in addition to their vintage California sound, the band
also draws on a number of other influences, from punk to glam
rock.
“We try not to be exclusively hippie-ish,” said
Rademaker jokingly.
Both Rademaker and his brother Brent (who plays bass) were
formerly part of the alt-rock band Further. It had a more punk-rock
sound that was rooted in the southern California indie music scene.
When the group called it quits in 1998, Darren began putting
together the Tyde.
The band plans to spend more time in its own country in upcoming
months. Currently in the studio, the Tyde expects to release its
second full-length album in April, followed by a promotional tour
around the United States.
The second album will also mark the band’s move to a
larger label. Rough Trade, the label that has released albums for
the Smiths, the Pixies and, most recently, the Strokes, will be
backing the Tyde’s newest effort.
Besides sharing a label with those bands, the Tyde seems to be
following a similar career pattern. Like those indie rockers, the
Tyde has begun its career by getting more attention in Europe and
the U.K. than its native country. Rademaker hopes that U.S. support
will grow after the new album comes out.
But for Californians who do not want to wait until April,
Sunday’s show will be a good chance to check out the Tyde and
see what Americans have so far been missing.
The Tyde will perform Sunday in the Clean Needles Now Benefit at
Spaceland with Keith Morris, Midget Handjob, Nebula and Elliott
Smith. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.