Of all the sounds currently coming out of Los Angeles, you wouldn’t expect folk to be as prevalent as it is. When the success of bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers is taken into account, it does make some sense.
But when you add the shimmering musical traits that seem to be the common thread between a lot of Los Angeles’ indie bands, you get something different. You get Milo Greene.
No, Milo Greene isn’t a person — it’s a hell of a band. Taking on the name of a fictional band manager used to book the band’s earliest gigs, Milo Greene came into being only three short years ago, and it has been moving steadily forward since.
“We’re just trying to write the best songs we possibly can, and whatever has that sonic quality of other bands up-and-coming around us, those are all just products to attract fans,” said vocalist and instrumentalist Graham Fink, after returning from a promotional visit to Big Sur, Calif.
Fink’s role in the band may seem complicated, because it is. The members of Milo Greene switch roles of musicianship with a fluidity and grace that’s truly the product of a group of multi-instrumentalists coming together. That fluidity is present all throughout the band’s eponymous debut that dropped this past July. While the record does move from point A to point B without skipping a beat, its cohesiveness isn’t that intentional.
“It’s hardly a narrative — each song kind of speaks for itself, though there’s a general mission statement throughout,” Fink said.
That mission is to break down walls. Though the band would much rather be classified as dream pop in lieu of association with its folkier counterparts, Milo Greene’s ability to blend into most musical situations sets it apart. Having just come off tour with The Walkmen, and finding success while opening for The Civil Wars, it could be said that Milo Greene exhibits a chameleon-like musicality that fits any bill.
“It’s not about finding a niche as it is so much being able to kind of surpass those niches,” said Fink. “We can touch on a lot of areas and genres.”
That might be what also saves Milo Greene. In as saturated an area as Los Angeles, it’s refreshing to see a band using its musicality to fuel its ascent, rather than employing social media tactics or relying on video production to bring hits its way.
The band has invested into its music, and it seems to be paying dividends. The critical response to Milo Greene’s debut has been exceptionally positive, and as for the near future, Milo Greene just plans to tour behind the album for the next year.
“We’re really just happy that it’s out and that people are enjoying it,” Fink said. “That’s what it’s really about — breaking down those niches.”
Milo Greene, with guests He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister, play Club Congress tonight at 7:30 p.m.
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