L.A. Unheard: Manhattan Murder Mystery offers raw, whiskey-soaked emotion

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Editor’s note: Every week, our colleagues at Brand X’s L.A. Unheard column unearth one of L.A.’s best undiscovered acts.

The band: Manhattan Murder Mystery, a live-wire trio driven by Virginian-turned-Angeleno Matthew Teardrop.

The sound: Perhaps some pathos is to be expected from a band that took its name from a Woody Allen movie, and Teardrop’s songwriting is a blast of raw, whiskey-soaked emotion, driving rock rhythms and post-punk riffs. Drawing from his experiences working bad jobs, living in a new city, Teardrop taps into the anger and longing found at the bottom of a bottle, but his riffing, along with the rest of the band, keeps tracks like “I Always Think About Dying” rolling along.

The details: Manhattan Murder Mystery will open for Seasons at Casey’s Irish Pub downtown Friday. The band’s self-titled debut album can be purchased in L.A. at Origami Vinyl, Vacation Vinyl and Amoeba Music.

The rest: Download a new track from the band on Brand X.

-- Daniel Siegal