Artist to Watch: Flaamingos

The term post-punk gets thrown around when bands decide to emphasize a bleak, austere expression amidst grooves that are hard to shake. It’s a blanket term to describe a sound that’s brimming with possibilities. Echo Park’s Flaamingos are almost a reincarnated form of many of that era’s perennial influences, exploring its jagged rhythms and obscure vocal abrasions with a naturality that’s never forced or overly academic. Their latest reveal off their upcoming debut certainly attests to that fact – enveloped in a wash of vaporous synths and arresting bass lines, "Walk a Wire" is driven by a danceable beat that never wavers or dims, made the more urgent with Jerry Narrow’s breathy vocal stylings and Daniel Koontz’s clean, wistful guitars. The tinny drum machine and undeviating tempo is certainly evocative of Factory Records staples the Wake, which is certainly not a comparison to scoff at. Flaamingos currently don’t have a set gig, but something is sure to turn up once they release their self-titled on August 27th.