New York three-piece indie rock outfit Dead Waves like things loud, kinetic and more than a tad bit angry. As singer Teddy Panapoulos explains, “We want everything and everyone to come together and settle their differences…There is that bittersweet beauty and self-enlightenment of love that arrives by breaking away and freeing your mind from most man-made nonsense.” But it’s when these ideals are left unresolved and cast aside that Panopoulos, along with brother Nick on guitar and drummer Fabien Streit, let their frustrations loose. Dense, searing guitar licks and pounding percussion highlight the band’s resolute determination in exploring brotherly affection, as well as their own disillusionment with the world around them. It’s this dichotomy of hopefulness and hostility that keeps them from ever feeling musically staid or barren. And on their latest collection of songs, the Take Me Away EP, Dead Waves really flesh out these split musical personalities and find the center of their own layered aesthetic.
The band’s latest single, “Over Me,” finds the trio running a gauntlet of thick, viscous guitar riffs, jackknife drumming, and Panapoulos’ feral vocals. The tracks sounds as though it has more in common with 80’s rock juggernauts The Pixies and grunge icons Nirvana than it does with any clear-cut modern indie rock group. Everything is shaded slightly dark here, with a wealth of fuzz added to the guitars and reverb dripping from the lyrics. But even with the song sounding as though it was recorded at the bottom of a well — at the bottom of the sea – it still has enough sting that you’ll not likely forget its resounding melodies and cacophonous wash of sound any time soon. Further blurring the line between the past and present, inspiration and original thought, Dead Waves want you to feel their music in your marrow. And just give it a second, you’ll feel it soon enough.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere the latest single, “Over Me,” from Dead Waves’ forthcoming EP, Take Me Away.
