For a long time, I was cynical about the music that was coming out of Southern California.
Having grown up in San Diego, where all music seems to sound the same and is followed blindly by a sea of high school scenesters, I like to think my attitude was justified. As I got older and my musical tastes expanded, Southern California’s lack of quality bands became more and more obvious. Chicago, New York, Portland, San Francisco ““ these were the hotspots, and they seemed a world away.
But, in the last month, all that’s changed. My hope has been restored, and it’s all thanks to two infinitely talented Los Angeles-based bands: The Parson Red Heads and Bodies of Water.
To put it simply, these bands do it right in my book. Both are heavily influenced by ’60s psych-folk and their attitudes prove it: They’re all about love, and not just love for the music, which is palpable when they play live. It’s also about love for each other and love for the audience.
The Parson Red Heads refer to themselves as “a musical family of sorts,” and when the number of members onstage during a show can get as high as 12, it’s easy to see why. Several of them do little more than play a tambourine and dance for the entire set, but still you get the sense that they’re as valuable as the lead singers, if not for the music then for the joy they’re unafraid to exude.
The Bodies of Water live experience is similar in spirit. Though the band is made up of only four core members, that number doubles for many of their live shows, adding even more voices to their gospel-inspired, four-part vocal harmonies. There are times when the group is so involved in a song that it seems they can barely resist leaving the microphone to jump around the stage.
But, more than anything, it is the special bond with the audience that makes The Parson Red Heads and Bodies of Water such joys to hear and be around.
Their devotion to the fans is always evident. While setting up the stage, The Parson Red Heads’ Raymond Richards is more than happy to pause for a few minutes to talk with an audience member about what kind of pedal steel guitar he plays. Sam Fowles and Evan Way, also from The Parson Red Heads, will shake hands with fans in the front row before leaving the stage. Bodies of Water’s Meredith Metcalf will gladly take a photo with anyone who asks. She also spends time dyeing and silk-screening all the band T-shirts by hand, which she then sells for only $5. Before and after the show, they’re more than happy to chat with whomever comes their way. In short, they are the embodiment of the love they sing of.
This sort of genuine approach ““ the dedication to the fans, the family aesthetic within the band, simple but meaningful lyrics, and music that’s a joy to listen to and experience live ““ is the kind of thing I thought local L.A. bands were missing. Rather than acting as musicians competing with other bands for an audience in the same city, these bands act simply as people seeking to share an experience with other people. Music, after all, is about people ““ and The Parson Red Heads and Bodies of Water know it.
For people living in Los Angeles, these bands are something you can (and should) get behind. They are both at exciting points in their careers ““ The Parson Red Heads released their first full-length a couple weeks ago and Bodies of Water’s debut will come out in the next few months ““ and, because they are bands that value intimacy with their fans, a live experience will never be more rewarding.
Duhamel promises that this column is straight from the heart. E-mail him at dduhamel@media.ucla.edu.