Live Review by: Molly Free
Photos by: Taylor Magill
I was really looking forward to heading down to the Earl on a chilly Tuesday night to catch the Mowgli’s and Family of the Year play. I saw Family of the Year play last year, and I was looking forward to seeing them again, but I was even more excited to see what Los Angeles band the Mowgli’s had to offer. I had been keeping up with the Mowgli’s since their single “San Francisco” was released.
The Mowgli’s are an 8-member band made up of friends who just honestly have a great love for music and each other. The Mowgli’s show honestly made me feel like I just left an amazing yoga class with live music. The band is very peace, love, and happiness in all of their messages in their music as well as their presence on stage. The Mowgli’s show reminded me of a modern day “jam band” with multiple instruments being passed around including tambourines, keyboard, guitars, and even a kazoo miniature keyboard! Their unique sound combines blends of folk and quirkiness that accompanies indie pop. A highlight besides their single “San Francisco” was the song “Carry Your Will” in which the band was very intimate singing from the crowd.
Carrying on the “jam band” theme Family of the Year took the stage shortly thereafter the Mowgli’s. Also based in Los Angeles, this multi-member band joins brothers and friends together. While I was listening and watching the band’s interaction with one another on stage, they reminded me of a mash up of Fleetwood Mac and No Doubt. The band with one female member, find a nice blend of male and female voices with a heavy folk influence. The band members were great storytellers introducing every song with a story behind it, including tales about their neighbors and the feeling of being buried alive.
Both bands had different shows and sounds, but both of these bands came together on their passion for one another as band mates, and with their music with a message. At the end of the day people enjoy music for their own personal messages they find in a song, and both bands take that into strong consideration.
Both bands ware heavily touring throughout the spring. Family of the Year’s current album Loma Vista, and the Mowgli’s EP Love’s Not Dead are both out now
