Tag Archives: 13th Floor Elevators

Poetic Memory: Rumspringa (List)

MP3: Rumspringa – “Criminal Love”

L.A.’s Rumspringa just released Sway, their debut full-length. Produced by Mannie Nieto (The Breeders, Los Lobos), the album works well to showcase the band’s brand of psychedelic-surf-garage-punk. And though Sway is reminiscent of David Bowie, T-Rex, and the Stones — with a little bit of The White Stripes thrown in for good measure — Rumspringa’s sound is wholly their own. With an abundance of original melodies, great lyrics, and solid musicianship, they are clearly going places.

MTV News has called Rumspringa “One of the best LA bands […] in a really long time,” and RCRD LBL has commended them for “running feverish, fast-paced rock-n-roll trails in our head.” We saw them at The Rumble back in August and had a hell of a good time.

Rumspringa will play the Soda Bar on 11/15, and Bar Pink on 12/4. In anticipation of the shows, lead singer Joey Stevens sent us a list of influences. Check it out below.

Poetic Memory: Matthew Specktor (List)

Matthew Specktor

The 19-year-old narrator of Matthew Specktor’s novel That Summertime Sound has two options: return home to L.A. and a family that hardly notices him; or travel to the Heart of the Heart of the Country—Columbus, Ohio—and come of age.

The novel is set against the Columbus music scene of the 1980s, and Specktor is looking to connect with his favorite band. That Summertime Sound reads like an ’80s music encyclopedia, with references to The Feelies, Hüsker Du, Pere Ubu, and others.

To accompany the novel’s release, Specktor’s website features readings by Morgan Freeman (MP3), Jeremy Irons, Gwyneth Paltrow, and other Hollywood icons. Matthew Specktor’s Poetic Memory is below.

Poetic Memory is a regular Owl and Bear feature in which musicians disclose their influences—whether it’s albums, songs, artists, or something random. If you’re interested in being featured here, send us an email. Continue reading