Based out of Silverlake, CA Shapes of Race Cars is a local favorite. The heart of SRC is the best friend duo, singer/songwriter Dylan Champion and bass player Dale Zyla. The two mid-western transplants became pals on the East side music scene around the turn of the millennium. With their drummer Kaumyar they just completed their stunning new record Beauty Beat – the follow up to their critically lauded indie rock debut, Power, in ’07. Beauty Beat takes Champion’s established knack for hooks and melodies beyond the garage rock thump of Power to a more open, sweepingly emotive sound. Shapes still have irresistible fun with tube amp party tracks like “Get Melted!” and “The Dirty Girls”, but they’ve brought in piano and strings and cleared away layered distorted guitars to reveal the simple power of great bass lines, beats and melodies. Songs like the heartbreaking “Boring Villains”, the mini-epic “World’s End” and the hypnotically spare “Bigger Than Sin” deal in triumph and fragility – grandeur and vulnerability. “We’ve never tried to fit into a scene just to be popular,” says Champion of the Shapes of Race Cars sound. “We’ve let the songs lead us to who we are as a band. You have to be a little brave, I guess, cuz sometimes it’s easier to copy what seems hot at the moment, but the reward is so much greater.” The reward for Shapes has included lots of great ink, a fearsomely loyal international fan base and seeing their music featured in dozens of TV shows, films, video games and national ad campaigns. While SRC’s music is singular, you can hear the diverse array of influences that define Zyla and Champion’s love for music – from ’70 punk and glam heroes like Bowie and The Dead Boys to modern indie acts like Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, White Rabbits and Vampire Weekend. “I love great songwriters more than hip trends,” says Champion. “I’ve always done this for the joy of a song that makes life more vivid, not for red carpets, vip parties and limousines… Although, if I’m in a limousine, I’m not gonna mind it, as long as there’s great music.” |
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