KC’s Music Monday: Diamond

Last week, Kanye West went on this huge, late night two-hour spree on Twitter talking about his next venture, which in theory is to take the masterminds of every perceivable industry, put them in a room and pay them to brainstorm cool shit. OK Kanye, take over the world. In the meantime, there’s a group of musicians taking a page out of Kanye’s book, but putting it into practice. Scattered musicians from bands based out of Baltimore, Chicago and Richmond (including members from Trapped Under Ice, who we featured a couple weeks back), have gotten together to form the band Diamond.

The four-piece explains that this side-project-turned-animal-of-its-own-breed was the result of extensive video chatting and garage band recordings. Two years after the initial brainstorm began, they have released their first E.P., Don’t Lose Your Cool, which is currently available for free on their bandcamp page here.

A couple weeks back I got the chance to see Diamond play live, at the Chance down in Poughkeepsie, alongside Transit, Balance and Composure, Set Your Goals and Four Year Strong. Bonus: Check out our review of FYS from back in October.

I found that the venue, The Chance Theatre, (as it was my first time visiting) has some pretty quaint details in its furnishing, as well as has a history as a performing arts venue dating back to its year of origin in 1912, and the option to view the show from above in the balcony (always opt for a birdseye view). Sidenote: If you haven’t been to the Chance for a show, finding one that’s worth the 90-minute drive shouldn’t be too hard, as they have a pretty diverse schedule upcoming.

Diamond has a Rooney-esque, Jimmy Eat World alternative pop vibe to their sound, but the members manage to build a sound that still sounds uniquely their own without sticking to the confines of any genre. The harmonies of the vocalist are songs to sway and daydream to but without feeling like a total cheeseball. It’s feel-good music that can be broken down into layers revealing masterful song composition. All members pitch in vocally, while never over-shining one another with their own individual instrumentation. I felt as though this band truly builds their sound together in a way that is refreshing; in other words this band has its act together, while still having some edge. I’m a big fan of bands that are able to convey genuine emotion without trying too hard.

There’s a subtlety in the Diamond flavor of rock that is really tasty and worth checking out.

KAB picks: “Sunburn,” “Keep On Dreamin'”, and “Fix Of Mine.” Their remix of Paper Diamond’s “Sandcastle” is a nice seasoning to the showcase of their collective and diverse talents as well.