OTS: Sunflower Bean (USA), The Diagon Alley (Modernsky Lab 18.08.2016)

A few days before Split Works hosted Brooklyn neo-psych rock trio Sunflower Bean (a warm up to their immensely impressive Concrete & Grass Festival going down in Shanghai during the Mid Autumn holiday) at Modernsky Lab I decided to give the band a spin on the ol’ xiami. Cue two hours later, the band’s debut album had repeated probably three times on my computer and right there and then I knew I was going to have to see these kids in the flesh. And am I glad – Sunflower Bean is the real deal – seamlessly veering from dreamy lush melodies to psychedelic doom riffs, the band’s tight musicianship and ability to crank up their sound to 11 left me very much satisfied. Opening duties were given to britrock band The Diagon Alley, whose sound could not even come close to matching that of the headliners (and perhaps belonged in a different show altogether) nevertheless proved themselves worthy. Check out some more pictures below the jump.