Trade in an ampersand and take out ‘the,’ and Melon and the Mayhem could easily pass for the name of a trendy new localvore restaurant somewhere in The Gulch, instead of an indie-pop band strongly influenced by jazz and Big Band swing. Mary Ellen “Melon” Klein leads her band The Mayhem through vintage numbers that are smooth enough to flirt with the boundaries of easy listening. The band is kicking off their East Coast tour in support of their second EP, “Bluerise” with a show at The End this Wednesday. “Cinnamon Eyes” is the first song off the album; it definitely hits its stride when the saxophone enters the picture during the bridge, but, face it, few things do not benefit from a sax solo. –Terra James-Jura
