Rising Savannah indie rockers Calico MD open for Crumbsnatcher at El Rocko Lounge

Savannah’s Calico MD have been springing up at several shows the last few months including a Savannah Stopover set, and at the Lodge of Sorrows with Buzzards of Fuzz and Bastardane. But just as they are beginning to generate some buzz, Calico MD are preparing to take a short break while guitarist Tanner Hamilton embarks on a tour with his other band, Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir.

Their opening slot for Crumbsnatcher and Teal Peel at El Rocko Lounge on June 10 will be the last chance to check out this heavy hitting indie rock band.

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Led by singer/guitarist Kevin Block, Calico MD rose from the ashes of Too Much, his former band with Calico MD bassist Bradford Shields. Like many current bands in Savannah’s relatively small, but tight indie rock scene, Calico MD shares personnel with other local acts. For example, while Hamilton drums for Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir, guitarist Jake Givens plays bass in math-rock metal band Hot Plate.

Each member brings their own unique flavor to Calico MD’s sound which has been described as a “mix of metallic and melodic tones, giving an atmospheric quality while backed by a driving rhythm section.”

“With our band I’ve noticed an interesting Nirvana-esque approach to songwriting, because I know Kevin is into expansion and contraction,” said Shields. “Like you have a quieter part and then you have a loud chorus. With Tanner coming in on lead guitar, Tanner plays a lot of metal, so it has a hard edge to his guitar playing. And Jake was in Hot Plate and they’re an amazing math rock metal band. He’s a beast.”

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Block, who moved back to Savannah recently after living in Philadelphia for a few years, writes most of the songs, but not without colorful input from his bandmates.

“I’ve more kind of directed stuff,” explained Block. “Everybody adds their own things. We have two songs in our set that we’ve made from Calico’s time, and I took a couple from my Philly set. I like what everyone brings. Everyone has a different style, so I feel really comfortable. I find the right people at the right places.”

As far as influences Block says that he has been listening to a lot of 80s music, particularly “Johnny and Mary” by Robert Palmer. Block’s own songs are often about the places he’s lived—Florida, Savannah, and (for better or for worse) Philadelphia.

“I didn’t really like Philadelphia,” said Block. “That was a f***ed up time. I wrote about a dude who pulled up on the side of the street f***ed on heroin who almost ran me off the road.”

Calico MD have been been receiving lots of support from Dog Days Presents, who have been on tear lately booking shows and promoting Savannah’s indie rock community, but Block is happy for Calico MD to be casual outsiders while they develop and refine their sound.

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“I kind of try not to play all the time,” said Block. “I feel like we’re kind of on the outside looking in which is really nice. We’re going to take some time, we’re going to refigure out our set, and we’re going to come out with something new in a couple months.”

Check out Calico MD as they open for Nashville’s Crumbsnatcher. Founded by frontman Samuel “Guetts” Guetterman, Crumbsnatcher is named after a derogatory term he picked up during a yearlong stint in a brutal faith-based juvenile detention camp when he was 16 years old.

Fortunately, the nightmarish experience didn’t break Guetterman’s spirit or dull his sense of humor. Crumbsnatcher sound like Pixies and Talking Heads played with the irreverent energy of the Beastie Boys. They describe their music as “contagiously immersive” with “a habit of crushing your inhibitions into a fine paste and then painting the word ‘Party’ on your brain with it.”

Jacksonville’s Teal Peel play with the loose jangle of Pavement, but fleshed out with horns and pedal steel. Savannah’s pop-punk alien super spies the Manarovs are still riding the wave of their excellent debut self-titled album.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA music: Indie rock band Calico MD with Dog Days Presents