It's Actually All About You
Gentrification is Theft (Spade Kitty)
The Me Decade
Imagine Michael Stipe as the songwriter and singer for Credence Clearwater Revival. Scares you, doesn't it? Well, in Chicago, not Athens or the swamp, Larry O. Dean leads this five-piece band called The Me Decade, and that's my take on what they sound like.
What distinguishes The Me Decade from a thousand (well, many) other rock bands is the sound of the viola, as played by Derek Walvoord. That sound evokes memories of Dylan's Desire album and the plentiful violin of Scarlett Rivera. That could seem out of place, but it works great. Dean deserves credit for balancing his music far enough into the mainstream to be accessible and far enough out of it to be a bit different.
Lyrically, Dean has his clever moments and is brave enough to reveal himself (or someone else) with lines like, "If I wasn't so damn sensitive/ I might be able to live/ in a world of stabbed backs / and minor heart attacks." Strange as it might seem, when you hear that it sounds good. He sings of reflection in the face of change, with "They Tore Up the Street Where the Street Used to Be." This includes lines like, "I can't remember/ from day to day / What's around the corner / and what's been taken away" and "Memories are all I have left / gentrification is theft."
While based in Chicago, The Me Decade is playing around these parts and is interested in playing Louisville. When you see an ad for them, they'd love to see you in the audience. How wrong can you go with a band that plays a song called "The Boy Who Fell Too Far From the Tree?"
Find out more at www.larryodean.com