Band to Watch: Pickwick

Great music requires feeling.  It inspires.  It’s turns good days into great days, and bad ones into livable ones.  But the greatest music is timeless.  The sounds of American music grew up in the bayous of Louisiana and traveled up the Mississippi River with different styles of jazz.  As it continued its journey north into Chicago and Detroit, it morphed its way to the great rhythm, blues, and soul era of the 1950s.  Everything after, whether it be disco or rock and roll, is rooted in the great American sounds of Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, and the countless other acts and personalities whose sound has and will continue to be listened to and admired.

What has been compelling over these past few years is the resurgence in this old sound, not only interested listeners amongst the twenty something crowd, but also in new acts looking to create their space and style in the indiesphere.  But I don’t believe for a second that it’s come about by chance.  With the economy still dragging a good majority of us through the gutter, people need something to be happy about.  The backbone of Jazz and Soul music was the daily struggle and the need to have something make everything better.  Something that got the feet moving and for lack of a better way to explain it, made people feel alive.  And while our country still seems to be in a five-year hangover at this point, this type of music is needed now again more than ever.

“Hacienda Motel”

Seattle based six-piece Pickwick is the latest soulful pop project that seems destined for big things over this coming year.  Led by the voice of Galen Disston, the band jives modern day soul with a paintbrush from 1950’s Motown.  I say modern day soul because while it’s certainly clear there are some heavy influences from all the greats, it sounds like more of a pop project.  More in the line of a band like Fitz & The Tantrums, Pickwick is really creating something new with some classic styles.  Full of catchy hooks and emotion, it’s a sound that is unmistakably good.  While we all await a full length LP, you can purchase their EP Myths HERE.  Enjoy.

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Written by Greg Dahman