The Deadly Syndrome: more fun than scary

There's nothing contrived about the chaos that prevails onstage when the L.A. quartet the Deadly Syndrome gets unhinged. "Our whole thing is not to choreograph — we just want it to be pure," says drummer Jesse Hoy, whose kit is encircled by pounding band mates Will Etling, Chris Richard and Mike Hughes at the climax of many sets.

That unbridled euphoria — and wry touches such as onstage cutouts of ghosts — helped the Deadly Syndrome go from zero to signed in a few short months. Well, that and explosive, unaffected songs right out of the Arcade Fire/Modest Mouse/Wolf Parade playbook.

The party crowd the quartet has won over is liable to see another side of the Deadly Syndrome when its debut album, "The Ortolan," comes out this summer on Dim Mak Records. It was recorded in a Laurel Canyon house with first-time producers Nico Aglietti and Aaron Older. "When you play the gigs we have [as opening acts] it's a bit of a risk to go with your softer side," Hoys says, assuring you that there is one. "Our strategy has been to kind of attack the audience."

The results are quite theatrical — even humorous. Hoy, after all, came to L.A. with UC Santa Barbara mate Etling after the drummer landed a job working on "Jackass 2." They met Hughes and Richard through friends, and after the foursome found they shared a lot of the "indie-centric tastes," Hoy says, "the chemistry between the four of us led us to get more serious."

Or as serious as a band that hands out ghost figurines on popsicle sticks gets. “When you have bands filing through every hour at clubs,” Hoy says, “it helps to have aesthetics you can put into a stage show.”

||| Live: The Deadly Syndrome play tonight at Boardner's as part of Let's Independent, presented by Radio Free Silver Lake.

||| Download: the band's demos here. Or "Eucalyptus" and others here.

Photo by Ellei Johndro.

Comments

[Joe Fielder]

I like and endorse this product.

[frank rizz]

Get there early for March 20th Deadly Syndrome show @The GlassHouse.;First band kix a**

Please download and play Horrors of Toledo "Empty Eyes" and announce show.: Local band with singer from Norco
Horrors Of Toledo have just been added to this show on MArch 20th at the Glass House in Pomona and they play at 7:30 pm.....Its an all ages event .

Horrors Of Toledo are an Orange County band that play their own energetic Indie Punk Western and rock brand of angst music kind of like Interpol meets Wall Of Voodoo meets The Clash meets Giant Sand..to hear them and to see their different styles of songs Please go to http://www.myspace.com/horrorsoftoledo and listen to"Devils Eyes "and then "Empty Eyes". Well please listen to them all.. They are a very young band and full of energy and paying their dues along the way playing many local clubs and opening for Mike Watts 50th Birthday Party and David Lovering's "Unholy 3" they have been finishing up their not yet titled debut to come out on VAmped Records http:// www.myspace.com/vampedrecords..

Headlining the show on March 20th is Los Angeles's own Dim MAk www.dimmak.com recording artist The Deadly Syndrome http://www.thedeadlysyndrome.com
and Dusty Rhodes and the River Band ...And just added Phoenix and the Turtle.

This is an eclectic can’t miss event.
I love shows when all of the bands are different sounding..
This is an all ages event being held at the GLASSHOUSE http://www.theglasshouse.us
200 West 2nd Street
Pomona , CA 91766 info 909-865-380
$10 Pre sale $12 day of the show..