Tickets available at Temblor Brewing Company and online at Eventbrite.com
Sounds Like: The harmony-heavy, guitar-fueled house band at a Big Pink keg party in 1968
For Fans of: Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, Little Feat’s Dixie Chicken, Dawes’ North Hills
Why You Should Pay Attention: Already cult favorites in Nashville, Cordovas have built honorary home bases across the globe, thanks to recurring shows in Todos Santos, Mexico – where ringleader Joe Firstman runs the yearly Tropic of Cancer Concert Series – and a touring schedule that recently including headlining gigs in Sweden and a stateside run alongside the Turnpike Troubadours. The band’s sound, though, is decidedly American. Caught halfway between Duane Allman’s Telecaster twang, the Dead’s hazy harmonies and the stoned swoon of California’s folk-rock heyday, Cordovas wring new life from older influences, hoisting their freak flag high on their upcoming album, That Santa Fe Channel.
They Say: “We did everything live,” Firstman says of That Santa Fe Channel, which was produced by the Milk Carton Kids’ Kenneth Pattengale. “Even the harmonies were recorded together, with all three of us singing. We probably did 15 takes of the first song, ‘This Town’s a Drag.’ Kenneth wanted it to sound as real and authentic as possible, and when I listen back, it gets better and better every time.”
Hear for Yourself: “I’m the One Who Needs You Tonight” is rich with harmonies and Grateful Dead inspiration. R.C.