Two North County bands round out the end of the month

By Logan Broyles | SDUN Reporter

Stained Glass Windows

The great psychedelic surf-rock bands of yesteryear are long gone, yet their spirit remains alive in Encinitas, Calif.-based Stained Glass Windows.

Formed in 2010, Stained Glass Windows will be playing their first show ever at Soda Bar in North Park on Tuesday, May 28 at 8:30 p.m.

The group is comprised mainly of San Diego natives who grew up in the North County area, with Colin Mills on bass, Elan Saltman and Cary Ladd on guitar, and all three providing vocals. Josh Adams mans the drums.

“We all came together not so long ago in the … Encinitas area,” Mills said. “Music was always in the back of my mind growing up, interwoven with the usual things you do as a child in Southern California. Elan and I have been friends since junior high and we played music all through high school together.”

The group has a style reminiscent of the great surf-rock groups of the “free love” era, with steady pop-like rhythms and layers of guitar riffs.

“Our music is like a daydream away from reality,” Mills said. “The idea came from just our mutual love for pop music [and] music that our parents played in the house: bands like the Beach Boys, Lovin’ Spoonful and the Byrds.”

That love for a bygone era of music has stayed with Mills and all of the group’s members since their youth, and deeply affects the music that they make to this day.

“I grew up listening to everything but the stuff that really stayed is the music I heard as a young child around 5 or 6, the stuff from the ’50s and ’60s especially. Our sound is really just us reflecting on those memories.”

Mills says priority number one for the band is spreading their love of music and bringing more happiness to people’s lives, and they bring that approach to every one of their live performances.

“People can expect to have fun and feel like dancing and having a good time at our shows,” he said. “We’re kind of hoping to bring a sense of fun back into rock n roll like they did in the ’60s.”

The group hopes to hit the recording studio next month to lay down tracks for their first full-length album, which they have almost completely written. Mills said they were currently cutting demos that will most likely end up on the album.

“We’ll probably go into the studio in June and then get a few shows lined up for the rest of the summer,” he said.

Soda Bar is located at 3615 El Cajon Blvd. and tickets are $5. For more information visit sodabarmusic.com or call 619-255-7224.

Trouble in the Wind

There’s nothing like a great jam band, especially one that isn’t afraid to branch out and constantly try new styles and genres of music. Trouble in the Wind is a raw rock and folk band with an acoustic and electric sound using unique instrumentation and songwriting.

Their style can be difficult for even members of the band to describe. With the band’s versatility, they are able to do many different styles from one song to the next, blending rock music with folk instruments, or adding surf and country elements.

“The music of Trouble in the Wind has often been described as folk rock or alternative folk music, mostly because of the first sight of the instrumentation of acoustic guitar, upright bass, banjo, accordion and a drum set with brushes, but using that term can be misleading,” explained drummer Larry Doran. “Although there are many folk stylings in the music, our songs mesh multiple genres that go beyond folk rock.”

Trouble in the Wind consists of Doran on drums and vocals, Robby Gira playing acoustic guitar and vocals, Kyle Merritt taking turns playing electric guitar, accordion, banjo, pedal steel and piano, and Trevor Mulvey on electric guitar and upright bass.

The original band members grew up together in Carlsbad, Calif. and went to Carlsbad High School, while Doran hails from Orange County and joined the band two years ago. The idea to form came from after-school jam sessions between Gira, Mulvey and original drummer Ryan Fox while backing Carlsbad rock star Saffron James and the Apples.

“From there, the original members briefly became alternative country trio Cactus Bob, where we would have their first nervous gigs at the E Street Cafe in Encinitas,” Gira said. “Multi-instrumentalist Kyle Merritt joined us as we changed into Trouble in the Wind.”

The band’s influences are diverse, from David Bowie to Willie Nelson, Leonard Cohen to Prince, and Iggy Pop to Roy Orbison, just to name a few.

“Trouble in the Wind is a band which continually evolves and changes, which we believe keeps the music fresh,” Merritt said. “The way we make music is very organic, and the band prides itself on keeping the music loose and open to changing the songs.”

The group has an upcoming headlining show at the Belly Up on Wednesday, May 29 with opening performances by Eve Selis and Lee Koch. Although this isn’t Trouble in the Wind’s first show at the North County establishment, this will be their first show as a headliner.

The Belly Up is located at 143 Cedros Ave. in Solana Beach, Calif. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show start at $8, and can be found at bellyup.com or by calling 858-481-8140.