Although Monobloc only has a six-track self-titled EP to their name, which was released earlier this year in February, that hasn’t stopped the New York City-based indie rock band from making waves on the road, overseas, and online.
Founded by Timothy Waldron (vocals) and Michael Silverglade (bass), their name hints at their past. During the early days of the pandemic, they created Block by Blockwest, a virtual music festival on Minecraft that hosted everyone from Pussy Riot to Magdalena Bay. But after the pandemic, they decided to focus on their own musical project, soon including Zack Pockrose (drums), Ben Scofield (guitar), and Nina Lüders (guitar) in what would become Monobloc.
Similar to “I’m Just Trying to Love You,” their most well-known coming-of-age anthem to date, their song “Take Me” is what would happen if a new wave band were born in the bodies of garage rockers, balancing themselves between their softer interior and amped up tendencies.
Before Waldron’s croons evoke the same blurry nostalgia as the instruments, drums that kick the song off wait for the right moment to intensify in a moment of catharsis. In the build-up to that moment, the guitar and synth at the beginning set the tone for what’s a largely meditative track, with the lyrics capturing the speaker’s last-ditch effort to get a person back in their life—and, in extension, bring back a bygone era.
Near its conclusion, the rubber band of suspense on “Take Me” snaps, letting the band members wreak havoc, even for a brief climax that raises the energy without distracting or drastically shifting the emotions at the song’s core. Bringing it all together is Waldron, who cries out the track’s title as he fades into the background of the instruments filtered through clean reverb.
Despite Monobloc just getting started, they were booked and busy throughout 2024, ranging from gigs in their native NYC to a date booked at Permanent Records Roadhouse earlier this year in Los Angeles (the show was postponed due to the LA fires). Their live show has crossed oceans to perform in Europe, Japan, Mexico, and more. And through their first few singles alone, it’s easy to see why the band has become such an in-demand live act.
And with just an EP, Monobloc proves they occupy a unique space between influences, ranging from post-punk to new wave and bedroom pop, that allows them to garner a broad audience before they’ve even released a full-length album.
Monobloc is in town and will perform at Permanent Records Roadhouse this Saturday, August 23. The show is free to attend. Orange County also has a chance to catch Monobloc live when they play the Constellation Room in Santa Ana on Friday, August 22.
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Fans of indie and garage rock, and bands like The Strokes and Talking Heads, should not miss out on catching this pretty dope band in their infancy.
For more on new music and tickets to future tour dates, follow Monobloc on Instagram and their website.
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