Bella Russia (Dan)

I first wrote about Washington, DC’s Bella Russia when they played our SXSW party, DC vs. Austin. They were out on their first tour, and for a relatively new band, they were incredibly impressive. The talented trio is comprised of brothers Josh (drums) and Alex Braden (guitar), with Nathan Mitchell on bass. They are an avant-indie instrumental band that pushes boundaries and experiments with sound in a variety of ways. The end result is progressive music that’s not prog rock.

The group recently released a new four song EP, Epaulet (available now on Bandcamp). They celebrated the event by playing an eight-hour endurance performance at a DC art gallery. The new EP is very rhythmic, but not quite dance rock. It’s music you’ll want to listen to while running or at the gym. Or while at work. It’s just good stuff. As a fan of the DC music scene I was bummed when two of the city’s more experimental and gifted bands, Hume and Imperial China, called it quits. So, I’m happy to see Bella Russia is filling the void by creating its own brand of inventive art rock.

:Bella Russia – Marfa: