Between Seattle’s KEXP sessions and NPR’s live sessions, my Midpoint planning is a breeze. Their production quality is excellent, and the bands that they feature provide a reasonable sample of what their live performance will be like. Granted, I think the small studio performance doesn’t exactly match the vibe the band will give off with lots of screaming fans in front of them, but it does tell me if they are in command of their instruments and well rehearsed.

The Drowners are jangly guitar rock that smells a little like The Smiths. The guitar hooks grab attention similar to Johnny Marr’s work on The Smiths’ albums. In an article in Vogue, the singer lists The Smiths and other post-punk bands as influences. The vocals are less Morrisey, and more garage rock. They will play at The Christian Moerlein stage on Friday September 26th, as part of Midpoint Music Festival.