Anglo Inferno

posted in: Artist FeaturesRock

white light riot

Clockwise from left: Deer, White Light Riot

After spending a couple of years studying in the UK, signer-guitarist Mike Schwandt returned stateside with a raging case of Britpop, then passed it on to his brother, drummer Mark Schwandt. Two more infected members later (guitarist Joe Christenson and bassist Dan Larsen) and White Light Riot was born, lighting up the Minneapolis music scene like a champagne supernova. Though their gorgeous track Forever in the West glistens with epic, Oasis-quality melodicism, WLR’s other songs have more in common with older English varietals, namely the Kinks. In A Shotgun Whirlwind with its handclaps and shuddering guitars is absolute mod, while Out of Sight is a curt little garage rocker that blisters and burns. WLR sometimes skitter up to the brink of campiness, but it’s hard to think about fine lines when the songs are so contagious. Let’s hope their anglophilia keeps flaring up.

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