This week I'm bringing to you Tacoma's quintessential ambient-pop group, Not From Brooklyn. Aptly named, members Tyler Johnson (vocals, guitar), Josh Thompson (drums) and Jesse Rohwer (guitar, keys) are creating something that lands very high on the y-axis between the South Sound and deep outer space.
Not From Brooklyn sprouted from casual jamming between drummer Thompson and a friend - with little intention of forming a band. When Johnson and Rohwer joined the duo in December 2011, they became the four piece heard on the group's EP, Tuesday Is The New Wednesday.
The opening track, "Boys & Girls," is a spacy-yet-cohesive song just as visual as it is sonic. Its lucid synth and trippy vocals provide the perfect way to intrigue the listener. The EP smoothly transitions into the band's catchier side with "It Cuts." When Johnson sings, "She spilled my blood on the dance floor," the band introduces the EP's first chorus. The EP continues in this pleasing manner with the songs "Party Bus" and "Drive." "When I Fall" effectively brings the EP to a close with soothing melodies and a steady groove.
Though the band's influences are detectable, I find it difficult to relate Not From Brooklyn too closely to any particular group. With influences from Tame Impala to Radiohead, the band has forged an undeniably distinctive sound.
I spoke with drummer Josh Thompson about the origins of the band's sound and how it has developed into what it is today. When questioned about what it sounds like, the band finds difficulty in coming up with an appropriate response.
"It's a burden and a gift," Thompson said. "People have a hard time putting their finger on us."
A bit more exclusive these days, the now three-piece Not From Brooklyn has a new EP in the works - a six-song release that you can expect out in the next two months. The group also has a number of upcoming local shows, including an appearance at house venue The Dwell Hole June 15 and Tacoma's Art on the Ave street fair July 14, where it will perform on the Dirty Oscar's Annex stage alongside fellow Tacoma band THE FAME RIOT. Seattle shows are also on the band's horizon, with shows scheduled at The Crocodile, El Corazon and The Comet.
