Robert Hicks sees the letter “M” everywhere he goes-on street signs, on the side of tugboats-as if it’s patiently stalking him.
“The M’s” was originally the name of Hicks’ solo recording project until his nascent garage-glam live act garnered its first show and needed a last-minute moniker. The other members of that band – guitarist Josh Chicoine, bassist Joey King and drummer Steve Versaw – agreed on the name, and The M’s were born.
Nearly five years, hundreds of songs and dozens of concerts later, The M’s are armed with a new record, a new label and a promising national tour alternating with indie-rock heroes Archer Prewitt (Coctails, the Sea and Cake) and Of Montreal.
Hicks, one of three singer-guitarists in The M’s, doesn’t mind that he sees his band’s name everywhere. He just hopes the strength of The M’s forthcoming debut on Polyvinyl Records, “Future Women,” will make it pervasive with the public, too.
But with the crush of retro acts cluttering the scene, how will The M’s melodic, fuzzy hybrid of ’60s garage rock and T. Rex-influenced glam-pop stand out from the rest?
“We really put a lot of emphasis on songwriting,” Hicks insisted over the phone from his Chicago apartment. “It’s rare for a band to not have a frontman or a leader, but I think sometimes when there’s only one person (writing) there’s a redundancy of melodic or rhythmic ideas. Everyone in this band writes songs.”
As proof, Hicks notes the “Future Women” track “Trucker Speed,” written and recorded mostly by drummer Versaw in their home studio, where members often spend 12 or more hours alone patiently layering instruments for demos. Though the tunes may never see the light of day, The M’s recorded more than 100 songs when they first started out, honing their Kinks-like harmonies and rumbling guitar interplay.
“To be honest. I’ve lost a lot of the stuff,” Hicks said sheepishly. “Hopefully we’ll just always have new songs to work on.”
Young and relatively unknown, The M’s have still gathered an armload of glowing press from national magazines like Spin and Rolling Stone. They have appeared at the CMJ and South by Southwest music festivals, and they boast a who’s-who list of admirers. Their hipster pedigree could hardly get more pure when acts like Wilco, Broken Social Scene and Ambulance Ltd. request them for opening slots on their tours.
The M’s also played last year’s inaugural Intonation festival in Chicago, curated by the tastemaking music website Pitchfork Media.
“The benefits of playing shows like that are even bigger than the actual show itself – just having your name associated with the festival,” Hicks said.
Certainly there’s little on The M’s “Future Women” that breaks new musical ground, but the songs ooze far more energy than the toothless “lifestyle” music of bands like Coldplay, for which the same criticism could be leveled. “Shauna Dupree” bristles with wiry guitar chords and breakneck urgency.
Retro as they are, The M’s influences extend as much to recent indie rockers Pavement and Spoon as British glam-era bands. Songs like “Holding Up” follow a bass-heavy, Flaming Lips path of distorted drums and wailing, singalong vocals.
Hicks knows The M’s aren’t reinventing guitar rock. They just want to write solid, memorable songs that connect with audiences. It’s the same with his band’s name.
“There’s almost no meaning to it,” he said. “I think we just wanted something that was easy to pronounce.”
Certainly there are more unattainable goals to aspire to than that.
Staff writer John Wenzel can be reached at 303-820-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com.
The M’s
GARAGE ROCK|Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St.; 9 p.m., Saturday, with Archer Prewitt, Mi and L’au, and Josephine Foster| $8|bigmarkstickets.com, larimerlounge.com or 303-291-1007
5more
THE DEAD KENNY GS The spacey ambient freak-out trio with a great name plays tonight at the Bluebird. Curious what the music sounds like? Yes you are. Check out thedeadkennygs.com for a preview. It’s out there.
DE LA SOUL The seminal old-school hip-hop trio takes over the Fox on Monday, still supporting last year’s “The Grind Date.”
REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT Don’t approach Reggie frontman James DeWees on Tuesday at the Hi-Dive and call him Reggie. Or do it and see what he does.
STARS The Canadian dream pop band brings its fire to the Fox on Tuesday in support of its excellent “Set Yourself on Fire.”
JEFF TWEEDY You love Wilco. And so does everybody else, apparently. The band’s smart frontman Tweedy plays two sold-out nights in Colorado, Wednesday at the Boulder Theater and Thursday at the Gothic.
– Ricardo Baca
