MEET THE BAND: Zen Master Phe (vocals), Diamond Dezjuan (vocals), Dusky Dog (vocals), Valeria Ward (vocals), Tucker Jones (bass), Brandon Bowe (drums), Ben Walsh (guitar), Matthew Herold (keyboard)
STRAIGHT OUTTA SANDUSKY: The Sandusky-based band formed back in 2011 and evolved over time. The group originally started releasing mix tapes, but in 2013, Herold, who previously knew Bowe, contacted him about helping the act become "an original band with original content." That lineup came to fruition in late 2013 and early 2014.
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: The band wrote the song "Hold Me Down" about a year ago and it was a work in progress until the group started finalizing tracks for its new album, Channel Surfing. "We were stuck on one or two songs for a while," says Herold, who adds that his mother helped them by letting them use an empty office space in a building she owns. They rehearsed a couple of days week, and the album started to come together. "The drummer was at the space three to four times a week jamming by himself," says Herold. Earlier this year, the band finished the Flying Lotus-inspired "Lucy" and realized it could complete the album. It recorded at Whiteout Audio in Cleveland. The disc commences with a prelude that features a jazzy piano riff before the intro gives way to the rambunctious "Dr. Fate," a song that features rapid-fire raps that contrast with the song's undulating keyboards. The vocals in "Hold Me Down" have a manic quality as the guys rap about trying to achieve their goals. "The album features a lot of different sounds in one and that's why went with that title," says Herold. "You skip to different genres just like you might be changing channels on the TV."
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: facebook.com/Car2nhooligans
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Car2n Hooligans performs with Wrecking Crew Red Panda Bears and the Sunday Post at 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5, at the 5 O'Clock in Lakewood.
