RUBBLEBUCKET TAKES OVER NYC - PART 1

Stylish and groundbreaking Rubblebucket is one of the handful of bands in all of the US that is just as awe-inspiring live as they are on their albums. Rubblebucket, a blend of good-feel melodies and explosive multitude of instrumentals with a New-Wave/Southern Psychedelic aesthetic has recently played at the Mercury Lounge and Rough Trade in NY to kick off their newest album “Survival Sounds”.

Just the fourth day of their tour and Rubblebucket is already promising breakthrough success. The combination of the lead singer Kalmia Traver informal yet soulful voice and the Rubblebucket’s blaring horns and implosive drums has your whole body reverberating and your soul expanding – the kind of music that leaves you pleading for more. The show reminded me of a high school play on acid. The music took me all over the place- from happiness to child-like curiosity and at the exposition of the performance; brought me to a philosophical vantage point where I questioned where we were in space and time in that particular moment and how Rubblebucket could ever exist on this plane and I how I had never heard of them before this night.

For those like myself who are just learning of the bombastic entity that is “Rubblebucket” here are a few details: The band was formed after Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth met while attending The University of Vermont. Following graduation, the two were joined by Adam Dotson (trombone, euphonium, vocals), David Cole (Drums) and Ian Hersey (electric guitar) and released their self-titled debut in 2009. The group’s second full-length, Omega La La was produced and mixed by Eric Broucek (Hercules and Love Affair, Classixx, Holy Ghost) and its single “Came Out of A Lady” was chosen as one of the Top 50 Songs of 2011 by Paste.

Survival Sounds was produced and mixed by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Modest Mouse, David Byrne) and recorded at Mission Sound Studio in Brooklyn. in Vice’s interview with the band Traver stated: “This is by far the longest project we’ve ever worked on. For various reasons we were able to hit our stride as a group and settle into functional creative roles…We pushed ourselves creatively, really worked to create lyrics that were the most meaningful, arrangements that hit the hardest and sounds that were the most clarion.”

Favorite songs of mine included: “On The Ground”, “Rewind”, and “My Life”. Make sure you read more about Rubblebucket who played a sizzling rooftop set a few nights later here

Article by: Marissa Mireles

Photos by: Nicholas Fallon