Running their way into the Quiet Storm

By Adam Rauf

Vocal harmonies are one of the most underrated elements in music. Everyone from pop singers… Vocal harmonies are one of the most underrated elements in music. Everyone from pop singers to indie rockers use harmonizing to their advantage, and nothing makes the music better. One of the most famous forms of vocal harmonization came from Simon ‘amp; Garfunkel, but has made its way finally into some excellent music. The Joggers, a harmonizing four-piece — think Barbershop Quartet gone indie rock — will be playing at the Quiet Storm Cafe Tuesday night.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Also on the bill will be The Dirty Projectors and ((VVRRSSNN)), pronounced ‘version.’ Most of the time, when indie rock makes its way to the cafe, it’s usually of the more mellow type.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Joggers transcend this with a breed of dance rock and, of course, the aforementioned vocal harmonies. Guitars complement harmonies, but at the same time, notes work together that you wouldn’t expect to. Their recently released album, Solid Guild, received rave reviews, including the ever-pretentious e-zine Pitchforkmedia.com.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The album does a fairly decent job slithering under the radar of mainstream media, yet it still finds indie rock success. The 40-minute effort starts off rather ethereal and slow-paced. The four-part harmony in the first track acts as a preview of things to come, and by the second track you’ll be groovin’ in your seat.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Dirty Projectors feature the songwriting work of Dave Longstreth, who worked with Adam Forkner of ((VVRRSSNN)). Forkner was also the founding father of space-rock sensations Yume Bitsu and Surface of Eceon. ((VVRRSSNN)) tends to explore the ends of the electronica spectrum, while The Dirty Projectors focus on the rock end. ((VVRRSSNN)) incorporates electronica that starts off as if it belongs on your eight-bit Nintendo, but then fills the air with its vocal melodies and guitar.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Put on your dancing shoes and turn off that Nintendo, because it’s time to rock! All in all, it should be a fairly decent show with a few bands you may not have heard of yet.

The Joggers, The Dirty Projectors and ((VVRRSSNN)) will play at the Quiet Storm in Friendship on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7 in advance. For more information, call (412) 661-9355.