If last year’s Lottery League taught us anything about Cleveland’s music scene, it’s that it’s a close-knit community where hybridization can be successful. Maybe it has to do with Cleveland’s geographical location, well removed from cultural hubs like New York and Los Angeles, so trends are often thankfully ignored.
It’s this environment that’s spawned Little Sister, a band formed on
friendship, not scene prerequisites. It features members of Cleveland
bands like Cheap Tragedies, Vietnam Werewolf, Karate for Kids and
Jackknife Powerbombs. The result is a four-piece that blends punk, hard
rock and hardcore into a raw and confrontational sound.
“We all have equal input when it comes to writing,” says singer
Patrick Carter. “And since we all listen to such different styles of
music, it makes for a really interesting sound when we come
together.”
“It’s funny because [guitarist] Ron [Jabicki] and I still have our
pop-punk influences,” adds drummer Dandy Merrill. “They are present in
the songs, but with [bassist] Max [Monter] and Patrick there to keep it
faster and harder, the songs come out with a cool mix.”
The band’s demo is a five-song barrage of sound that clocks in at
less than 15 minutes. But it’s more than just a “cool mix” of sounds.
Recorded in the basement of local shredder Josh Durocher-Jones’ house,
Little Sister’s first go at recording is like a documentary of the
history of aggressive music compressed into a single, speedy montage.
Carter shrieks like he spent time with a vocal coach from screamo label
Gravity, while Jabicki’s riffs morph from monstrous Black Sabbath
homage to blurring Minor Threat blasts. The rhythm section features two
dudes who attack their instruments with the violent precision of
sculptors on a tight deadline. In keeping with the band’s communal
spirit, the demo features appearances by members of other local bands
like Durocher-Jones’ Sun God, Insurrect and the Merkurs.
“Collaboration is natural when it comes to music,” says Carter. “I
come from a very musical family that plays together at holidays and
birthdays, so it has always been important to me to get other people
involved. Plus, the more people involved, the better the drugs.”
While all the talk of collaborations and friendships might make
Little Sister sound like it’s simply a bro-down with instruments or an
exercise in rock ‘n’ roll excess, the four members approach the project
with a strong sense of professionalism. Most bands spend their initial
months simply trying to pick a moniker, but Little Sister has already
written more than half a dozen songs, recorded a demo and clocked some
serious onstage hours.
“The attitude and goals of this band are a bit more serious than
bands I’ve played with in the past,” says Merrill. “Sure, Ron shows up
to practice with wine all over his shirt sometimes, but we definitely
have a ‘let’s make it happen’ attitude.”
“You gotta get out and play, or there’s really not much point to
being in a band,” says Monter. “I love being on stage and hate the end
of the set list. The day after a show is depressing, but when there’s
another date on the calendar, I can manage to keep my head up.”
One look at Little Sister’s MySpace page (myspace.com/littlesistercleveland),
and it’s clear that Monter has plenty of reasons to keep his head up.
The group has upcoming gigs with a diverse set of bands that rock
everything from pop-punk and post-hardcore to indie-pop and Americana.
And while it may seem like someone in the band just went crazy booking
shows, it’s Little Sister’s attempt to bring fans of different genres
together.
“We aren’t part of a niche scene,” says Merrill. “But we do have
people who keep coming out show after show. So either we’re doing
something right or we’re just really charming. And I know I’m not that
charming.”
This article appears in Jun 3-9, 2009.