Membership in a rock band can be unstable at the best of times, but power-pop quintet Roxy Monoxide seems to be having worse luck than most. There have been notable successes, including appearances at the International Pop Festival in Los Angeles, but after six years the group finds itself in search of its fourth lead singer.
Working as a quartet, Roxy Monoxide will perform at Riley’s Music Lounge on March 1.The first 40 fans through the door will receive a free copy of the band’s new EP, “Intuition.”
The band came together in 2002, with its roots in several other successful local acts. Founder Scott Samuels (singer/guitarist/songwriter) was a member of Kitten’s Pharmacy in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, guitarist Micheal Rennie is a former member of A.M. Vibe and moonlights in Inigo. Bassist Darko Petrovic and drummer Scott Southwood round out the group.
Over the years the quartet has also featured a female vocalist, but they currently haven’t found a suitable replacement for recently departed Laura Roppe. Their first singer, Tracy Dezenzo, is now fronting her own band, Pick Up Girl. The second vocalist, Diana Sun, was with the group for two years but left because of a job overseas.
“She was actually flying back to the U.S. for bigger gigs at the Belly Up and Adams Avenue Street Fair,” Rennie said, “which was an amazing display of commitment. But we really need someone who is here year-round.”
In the meantime they’ll continue to perform as a four-piece.
“Like any band that’s been together for any period of time, members come and go,” said Rennie. “I’m sure people would love a juicier story, but truth is our latest singer was our third. We’ve played with some great women, but we just can’t seem to keep them.”
The band played most of 2007 as a four-piece “but the vision has always been to have a strong, charismatic frontwoman sharing lead vocals with Scott. So we’re still looking for our soulmate,” said Rennie.
Roxy Monoxide wears it’s power-pop and glam influences proudly on their sleeves.
“We love British glam like Slade, T. Rex, Sweet, and American Power Pop like Cheap Trick and the Raspberries,” Rennie said.
Music fans will also hear echoes of 1960s Brit-pop, especially the Kinks and post-punk skin to the Plimsouls and The Pretenders. With female vocals there are often major Blondie overtones as well.
Samuels is the main songwriter in the group, but the group is not adverse to throwing in the occasional cover tune for fun.
“We definitely want to keep the focus on originals, but when you have four guys in the room with more than 100 collective years of playing, it’s inevitable that someone is going to launch into a cover,” Rennie said.
He admits the band once included an atypical song, Grand Funk’s “American Band,” in their set list simply because the drummer knew the intro.
“He’d play it and we couldn’t help but join in. Sometimes it’s just fun to play something big and dumb,” Rennie said.
Though Rennie enjoys playing live with the band, he’s more pragmatic about his motivation to continue playing.
“It gives me an excuse to buy more gear,” he said.
After six years Rennie sees the bonds of the band getting stronger.
“I know there are times when all four of us are singing together and it’s dead-on and we’ll sort of look at each other as if to say, “Damn, we rock,” Rennie said.
Rennie said the interaction with the band’s audience is the best part.
Roxy Monoxide performs at Riley’s Music Lounge, 2901 Nimitz Blvd. in Point Loma, on Saturday, March 1 at 9 p.m. 21 and up. For information, visit www.rileysmusiclounge.com.