Concert Review in Revue Magazine (www.revuewm.com)
A while back, if I said a band was "college rock," I meant it as a
compliment. Then, sometime later, the reference became an insult. Now,
"college rock" is back to being a compliment again. The Mines
definitely have that college rock feel, with a dash of synth. (I mean,
come on, they had a Mac hooked up to their keyboards!)
The band was reminiscent of pre-bug-sunglasses U2. I'm talking old U2. At the same time, they also entertained an Arcade Fire/ Interpol
mix, of sorts. Such comparisons, however, only provide a taste of what
to expect. The Mines delivered a solid and distinct sound, which sets
them apart from their influences.
Lead singer/bass player, Ethan Nickerson, both embraced and
distanced himself from the standard comparisons, while perhaps jokingly
describing the band's sound as "big tempo couples rock." "You want to
try and be forward-thinking," Nickerson said. But he still understands
the importance of labels, and added, "we're epic, indie-rock pop."
Although there might have been a Detroit Tigers game on the tube,
and $2.50 pints of Oberon to compete with, The Mines still stole the
show, delivering a solid performance.
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