CHERRY AMES – Bailey // self-released

From Promoter: “Cherry Ames is a Washington, DC-based indie rock trio that welds psychedelia, shoegaze and noise into a melodic, loud, gorgeous, sonic pigpile. The heart of their sound is the distorted, alternate-tuned guitars of Matt Vandenbroek and Jamie Darken and Trae Tomko’s propulsive, lyrical drumming. Founded in 2017, and after the usual growing pains of lineup shifts, Bailey is the recorded debut of the solidified Vandenbroek/ Darken/ Tomko lineup. The sweeping title track recalls the exhilaration and heartbreak of teenage romance; Darken draws from a place of both pain and empowerment as he recounts summers spent exploring his identity as an LGBTQ person. These earnest lyrics along with jangly guitars and driving drums make for a  late-summer anthem. The Vandenbroek-penned B-side “It’s a Long Way to the Middle (If You Wanna [Indie] Rock N’ Roll) repurposes an AC/DC title onto more relatable turf for every upstart band playing for audiences made up entirely of other musicians, family members, and coerced coworkers and classmates.”

Label: self-released

Start w/: 1,2,3

RIYL: Swervedriver, Ride, Milly, LVL UP,  DIIV

FCC: Clean