Mellowdrone

Even for an indie band, Mellowdrone is sexy. And so is its music. Following the grand tradition of Boston and Whitesnake (though the similarity stops here), this band comes from the musical genius of a single mind, that of Jonathan Bates, a guitar prodigy who dropped out of music school at age 20 to fire up Mellowdrone in Los Angeles. With the April 5 release of its first full-length album, Box, this psychedelic musical act tightens its consistently sharp sound, an aesthetic based not only on its range of instrumental experimentation but also on Bates’ wicked sense of humor —that crops up slyly but persistently throughout his lyrics. From moody tunes rippling with otherworldliness to sharp synth pop and processed guitar, Mellowdrone’s songs pulsate with promise, introspective intensity and a keen sense for both epic and bite-sized sounds.