Motel Beds

For Record Store Day 2014, Dayton, Ohio's Misra Records released a 7" record with a new song by Torres on side A and one from Dayton's own Motel Beds on side B.

Torres is currently working on the follow-up to her eponymous 2013 debut, and "The Harshest Light" is a song both new to this 7" and unavailable digitally anywhere. The first thing one notices about the record, when the needle touches down, is that the vinyl pressing is fantastic. The sound is magnificent, like Torres is whispering right into your ear. And the track builds upon everything that made Torres' debut so marvelous. As she delivers her heart-wrenching, introspective lyrics, the track envelops, then fades away, over and again. Torres' voice remains the focal point around which everything revolves, occasionally dipping down into its lower register, barely hitting the desired note, as if scraping her soul's deepest bottom, before rising like a phoenix and railing against the instrumental backdrop before the track wraps. The emotion in the lyrics, the vocals, and their delivery makes the track one that demands repeated listens.

Motel Beds' "Tropics of the Sand" is equally great, if nowhere near as intense. The song is taken from the band's forthcoming These Are the Days Gone By, an album that reintroduces the band in many respects, with 12 songs culled from previous recordings recorded with new parts, and including a sparse acoustic cover of Matthew Sweet's "I've Been Waiting." Featuring Kelley Deal singing harmonies, "Tropics of the Sand" is lo-fi brilliance that's perfectly befitting of Dayton, perhaps the birthplace of lo-fi brilliance. Subdued melodies and lazy harmony hypnotize, almost (and I said almost) allowing the track's perfect pop melodies to go unnoticed. The instrumentation is spare, providing fuzzy guitar backdrop for the vocal innocence of the singing. When Deal sings out, the track is made. (www.misrarecords.com)

Author rating: 8/10 - Under The Radar

Dumb Gold is the fourth full length album by The Motel Beds, and they'll probably have another in the can by the time I'm done writing this. Following closely on the heels of last year's Tango Boys, which included the run away hit, Tropics of the Sand (a duet with local legend and ex-Breeder, Kelley Deal), this may be the album that finally sees another Dayton band pack the van and hit the road for bigger and better things.

Dayton rock bands have never gone by the rules - they don't know what decade it is, let alone what year, or just how many records they may have made and released in the last few years. They work fast, they work hard, and they leave some loose edges. Catch it while you can, because it won't last forever. This tradition began back in the last century when then school teacher Robert Pollard decided he's had enough of higher education and elementary school kids, and headed off to indie rock superstardom with Guided By Voices (and some few dozen sundry other bands, projects, and guises) - did I mention that Cheap Trick's Rick Neilsen branded them "Guided By Beer"? There's something in the water in this part of Ohio that has young rockers swilling more hootch than mother's milk, but it never seems to get in the way of the productivity - Pollard has recorded probably 2,000 songs in the last twenty years and some 100 full length albums, and The Motel Beds seem to be sticking with this method of madness.

Dumb Gold will have you listing influences and signposts of rock pretty rapidly. In the first few spins I caught Pollard's act, T. Rex, The Flaming Groovies, Pink Floyd, Graham Parker & The Rumour, and The New York Dolls, to name a few. They wear these influences on their sleeves as they whack out melody after melody, semi-arbitrarily tossed off genius guitar fills, and the psycho-kinetic flailing of drummer Ian Kaplan. Lead singer P. J. Paslosky sounds as if he never let the transistor radio leave his ear as a child, and is helplessly and hopelessly lost in A.M. radio pop reverie. Tommy Cooper's churning rhythm guitars keep things in finely honed focus, while Darryl Robbins unleashes torrent after torrent of guitar leads and fills that suggest he's either too smart for the riff, or he's pulling our legs with his subtle six string sophistry. Then there's bassist/background vocalist Tod Weidner - he came late to the band, and his fluid playing, and pop informed harmonies have elevated the band significantly in terms of professionalism and focus. If you blink with this bunch you're liable to miss another growth spurt.

I mentioned earlier that the rock bands of Dayton, Ohio like to leave some rough edges - well, that's certainly true with this bunch. There's a fine line with this bunch between genius and not wishing to appear to give too much of a shit about either their performances, or their tunes. They don't take themselves too seriously as they toss back cold beers and casually pop out pop nuggets that have you shaking your head and wondering how they do it. I'd love to see what they could do with an actual budget and some serious homework. This record sounds like they threw up the microphones and had at it - there's not a lot of high science going on here. This is set them up and knock them out power pop.

Every song on the record delivers something new and different. I'm not going to give a track by track play by play - I'm going to let you do that. The quality ratio is uniformly high enough for me to say that when you buy this record, you will be finely rewarded, and you will realize that if every rock band out there delivered the goods like this, we wouldn't be buying tracks one at a time. This is complicated pop at its indie best. Nearly the entire album suggests an intriguing blend of childhood innocence and adult themes that will have you wondering what dark alleys of the soul these guys navigate when the ply their trade. There is an almost calliope kind of happy-go-lucky, whimsical nature to many of Paslosky's lyrics and melodies, but then things always seems to go a bit David Lynch. Fascinating stuff.

Dumb Gold is another large leap forward for this group of Midwestern malcontents, and if they can continue to get invited to shindigs like SXSW, and CMJ, and get out of Dayton and do some serious gigging, they might end up succeeding in the race to rock stardom. - Rock Guitar Daily

It may have surprised some people when last year's Motel Beds release, Tango Boys, made our Top 50 after only being out several days but with the release of their brand new full length, Dumb Gold, you will realize we were spot on. This record not only carries forward the same energy of Tango but makes their tight song structures and execution even tighter.

From the opening rocker "Smoke Your Homework" the band grabs your attention with the double guitar attack of Darryl Robbins and Tommy Cooper leading this complex but clean indie approach as frontman Paul John Paslosky cries out "So come on, come on, come onnnn!" It is this type of controlled urgency that boosts the Motel Beds tracks to the next level and leaves the listener wanting more. More is exactly what you get as "Valentimes" starts off with the strong rhythmic pattern drumming of Ian Kaplan that serves as the songs backbone before its swaying and swirling instruments take over and the band call out "Take take take take your money" will have you singing along instantly. The Motel Beds definitely showcase their ability to turn the volume knob up here but their ability to shift gears down is a true high mark for Dumb Gold.

On songs like "Oh Me, Oh My" you get to hear a softer side to Paslosky's voice that comes across even more confident and clear while the vocal support of bassist Tod Weidner gives the song a memorable depth. The dreamy surf tone of the title track once again offers up a diversity to the band that highlights their uniqueness without sounding out of place. The Motel Beds have once again given their audience a quality mix of genres that not only gives them an instant likability factor but showcases their potential. Their blended style of British Invasion hi-fi meets Midwestern lo-fi works throughout Dumb Gold and I believe just pushes the album past Tango Boys as their now best release to date. Here is hoping that others take the time to listen because Dumb Gold absolutely does not disappoint and gets better every time you give it a rotation! - The Fire Note

(5 out of 5) Motel Beds are the bad boys at the sock hop who’ve
spiked the punch. The musical equivalent of Eddie Haskell, they charm your parents and then spend the evening with you smoking funny smelling cigarettes behind the bleachers. While they spent 2009 through 2011 honing a sound that recalled the powerhouse arena acts of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as England’s ‘90s modern rock exports, Dumb Gold is a time warp to when the radio dial was set to airwaves delivering Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Four Seasons.
There is a fist-pumping rock undercurrent here too. Think The Strokes, but without daddy’s money. If you haven’t yet scooped up the band’s previous output – Feelings, Sunfried Dreams, and Tango Boys especially – the breadth and scope of the Bed’s capabilities won’t
be fully appreciated. So just trust me, if your childhood friends ask who would win in a fight between Mighty Mouse and Superman, bet your allowance on the Beds. They’ve brought busted Coke bottles, brass
knuckles and switchblades, and they’re swinging their hips to make the girls swoon. - Tim Anderl - Ghettoblaster

(5 out of 5) Motel Beds are the bad boys at the sock hop who’ve
spiked the punch. The musical equivalent of Eddie Haskell, they charm your parents and then spend the evening with you smoking funny smelling cigarettes behind the bleachers. While they spent 2009 through 2011 honing a sound that recalled the powerhouse arena acts of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as England’s ‘90s modern rock exports, Dumb Gold is a time warp to when the radio dial was set to airwaves delivering Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Four Seasons.
There is a fist-pumping rock undercurrent here too. Think The Strokes, but without daddy’s money. If you haven’t yet scooped up the band’s previous output – Feelings, Sunfried Dreams, and Tango Boys especially – the breadth and scope of the Bed’s capabilities won’t
be fully appreciated. So just trust me, if your childhood friends ask who would win in a fight between Mighty Mouse and Superman, bet your allowance on the Beds. They’ve brought busted Coke bottles, brass
knuckles and switchblades, and they’re swinging their hips to make the girls swoon. - Tim Anderl - Ghettoblaster

(5 out of 5) Motel Beds are the bad boys at the sock hop who’ve
spiked the punch. The musical equivalent of Eddie Haskell, they charm your parents and then spend the evening with you smoking funny smelling cigarettes behind the bleachers. While they spent 2009 through 2011 honing a sound that recalled the powerhouse arena acts of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as England’s ‘90s modern rock exports, Dumb Gold is a time warp to when the radio dial was set to airwaves delivering Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Four Seasons.
There is a fist-pumping rock undercurrent here too. Think The Strokes, but without daddy’s money. If you haven’t yet scooped up the band’s previous output – Feelings, Sunfried Dreams, and Tango Boys especially – the breadth and scope of the Bed’s capabilities won’t
be fully appreciated. So just trust me, if your childhood friends ask who would win in a fight between Mighty Mouse and Superman, bet your allowance on the Beds. They’ve brought busted Coke bottles, brass
knuckles and switchblades, and they’re swinging their hips to make the girls swoon. - Tim Anderl - Ghettoblaster

(5 out of 5) Motel Beds are the bad boys at the sock hop who’ve
spiked the punch. The musical equivalent of Eddie Haskell, they charm your parents and then spend the evening with you smoking funny smelling cigarettes behind the bleachers. While they spent 2009 through 2011 honing a sound that recalled the powerhouse arena acts of the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as England’s ‘90s modern rock exports, Dumb Gold is a time warp to when the radio dial was set to airwaves delivering Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Four Seasons.
There is a fist-pumping rock undercurrent here too. Think The Strokes, but without daddy’s money. If you haven’t yet scooped up the band’s previous output – Feelings, Sunfried Dreams, and Tango Boys especially – the breadth and scope of the Bed’s capabilities won’t
be fully appreciated. So just trust me, if your childhood friends ask who would win in a fight between Mighty Mouse and Superman, bet your allowance on the Beds. They’ve brought busted Coke bottles, brass
knuckles and switchblades, and they’re swinging their hips to make the girls swoon. - Tim Anderl - Ghettoblaster

Another year, another record from another Dayton band that I adore. Maybe it’s too simplistic to say that Motel Beds are a combination of The Ventures and T. Rex, but that’s not too far off, either. If they make a record next year, I’m sure it’ll be in my year-end list then, as well. - Radio Free Raytown

"Pop-rock’s historical current runs through the fast-moving first half of the album, from the tumbling boogie of “Valentimes” to the riff-driven “Rattle, Rattle,” which would have had ’70s Midwestern kids pumping their stoned fists. Singer PJ Paslosky’s voice has also never sounded more confident and limber, and guitarist Daryl Robbins — an occasional GBV collaborator — brings a warm touch to the production and mixing.

“Runnin’ for Nothin’” sounds like a teenaged Thin Lizzy hanging around the basement and downing beers — tasty leads and all. It’s good-times music for hazy days, even when melancholy creeps into songs like “Oh My, Oh My.” But it’s got a certain adherence to melody and forward motion that seems to define Dayton rock bands of all stripes. That said, Motel Beds’ rhythm section is a cut above most, as the band proves on the propulsive “Dreams of Sleep” and the title track, an updated version of a ’50s young-love tear-jerker (same with second-to-last song “Better”)." - Hey Reverb

"..Opening track “Smoke Your Homework” rollicks along with a fiery rock n’ roll intensity, complete with a catchy falsetto “ooh-woo-ooh-ah-oh –ooh-ooh-ah-oooh-woo” part and Paslosky yelling for you to “come on” over and over again. Second track “Valentimes” is the perfect anthem for a surfer-turned-bank-robber – you know, the kind of track that makes you not only want to rob a bank, but do it in a bathing suit while wearing a pork pie hat and holding a boogie board. “Rattle Rattle” has a thick Bonham-esque drum groove that begs you to shut the fuck up and listen – in a nice way..." - Dayton City Paper

"Motel Beds call to mind a simpler time when rock music was rock music, before there were subgenres and offshoots. A time when punk was still a few years distant and metal was still an experimental prototype in the gleaming eyes of mad guitar-scientists. The opening track, “Smoke Your Homework,” is a fast and punchy track, establishing the tone of the album. It’s a warm, fuzzy tone, both in the band’s riffs, and in the overall recorded sound..." - Razorcake

Right from the cool indie swagger of the opening minute long intro, "Theme From Tango", you get the sense that Dayton, Ohio's Motel Beds are coming at you with something solid. This track transitions into "Milquetoast Discovery", which greets the listener with frontman Paul John Paslosky's slightly fuzzed up croon that keeps the track swaying and makes it instantly memorable. Over the last year, the Motel Beds have been quickly propelling themselves forward with several stellar CMJ appearances, signing with the North Carolina-based indie label No More Fake Labels and collaborating with fellow Daytonian Kelley Deal (Breeders). This has the band clearly focused on success, which can be heard as it all comes together on Tango Boys. Kelley Deal makes her presence known on album highlight "Tropics Of The Sand", as her instantly recognizable vocals mirror Paslosky's line for line during its smooth tempo which creates an indie duet that has real buzz. "Hopeless" takes you to someplace warm with its Beach Boys type vocals and classic surf guitar vibe while the entire band shines on the catchy "Fake Army" with the stellar drumming of Ian Kaplan leading the charge. Stylistically, Tango Boys blends different genres with its unique mix of lo-fi, hi-fi and classic British Invasion indie rock that combined with its neat 34 minute running time, this release turns into a can't miss from the Motel Beds! - The Fire Note

Similarly, the smokey, warm and fully satisfying, Motel Beds’ latest LP, Tango Boys, is a great pairing for the recipe. And it’s also the band’s most mature and thoughtful album to date. It opens with the simmering and smokey “Milquetoast Discovery” in which Motel Beds’ frontman P.J. Paslosky sings: “Sometimes you are patiently waiting / sometimes you want it right now.” Those lyrics are as good a summary for the album as any I could come up with. Throughout Tango Boys, Motel Beds alternate between slow-burning grooves that unfurl upon repeated listens and more direct, concise rockers. For example, the concise “Tarzan Sings The Blues” is a study in effective, lean songwriting. It’s not even a minute and a half in length, but the catchy melody led by a brightly ringing guitar hook is irresistibly sweet. “Hopeless” is slightly more flowery, but just as immediate in impact with it’s throwback melody built upon a bed of blinking guitars and a rolling rhythm. The album’s title track is a swaying ballad that slowly works it’s pace, swirling through a gentle groove as Paslosky slowly, distinctly intones: “We just want to waste your time.”

A sign of the band’s increasing prominence in the Dayton-music scene, Paslosky is joined for a duet with Kelley Deal of the Breeders in the album’s four spot, “Tropics of the Sand.” Other highlights include the rubbery and lackadaisical “Fake Army,” the revving and rhythmic “Lit Eyes,” the clopping, old-school rock ‘n roll themed “These Are The Days Gone By,” and the album’s penultimate track is the shimmering and nearly lethargic “Say Goodnight.” If you hadn’t discovered the band with their fantastic Sunfried Dreams or the TK-released “Western Son” / “UK Surfjerk” single, Tango Boys is a great place to make their introduction. Obviously if you’re already a fan, you’ll want to get on this as soon as possible. It may not be specifically a “Winter album” but it will definitely keep you warm and cozy on the colder nights ahead. - Turntable Kitchen

Dayton’s Motel Beds have developed exponentially on the heels of their bustling 29-track Moondazed collection, which found prime movers Tommy Cooper and PJ Paslosky reveling in the same fractured, lo-fi bedroom pop as a certain local luminary that shall remain nameless. Ushered into a bona fide studio for the construction of Feelings, the Beds are bestowed with a seemingly new lease on life, wherein tone, texture, and a lucid-as-the-bright-blue-sky modus operandi are extolled upon to the utmost extent. This is a strummy, blissed out, and just plain crackling affair with, signposts pointing to A.C. Newman and Built to Spill (love those noodly fretboard runs)! - The Big Takeover

We featured the Dayton-based indie quintette Motel Beds and their contribution to the indie compilation The Artist Den, Volume One (Digital Version). The gentlemen, refreshed as Derl (guitar), John Vaughn Bon (bass, vocals), Kaplan (drums, percussion), Tommy (guitar), and Paul John (guitar, vocals), have since completed their 29-song debut. It's raw and electric-filled. Enjoy 36 seconds of your life with "Theme From Darryl," from The Motel Beds' 2010 release Moondazed. - Huffington Post

In true Motel Beds fashion, the melodies on all these tracks are undeniable and hooktastic. Be prepared to have these little EPs burrow their way into yr mind for weeks. What makes this batch a little different than previous Beds offerings is the range in fidelity; typically a glossy sheen coats all Beds releases, but these EPs range from scratchy, intimate acoustic ditties to full-blown mindbenders. All we can do is recommend you dig in immediately. Enjoy…. - The Buddha Den

Stacked high with 11 cuts of sunshiny, upbeat pop-rock ‘n roll goodness that grow on you with repeated listens, this album earns its spot in your rotation. It features excellent songwriting courtesy of the bands primary songwriters, PJ Paslosky and Tommy Cooper, which is once again forged into sonic-awesomeness with the assistance of guitarist Derl Robbins, drummer Ian Kaplan and bassist Tod Weidner. For example, on the track “Obey Your Lunch” resonant, tumbling guitar meets fiery, crashing percussion and a grimy, slacker bass line to buttress the tracks catchy, memorable lyrics: “I’ve been thinking about the high cost of living, yeah / got my thinking, sinking, bouncing off your ceilings, yeah / I’ve been dreaming about the low cost of living, yeah / got me thinking, sinking, bouncing off your pretty bed.” It’s perfect soundtrack for dreaming of sunny days. The track “Moondazed #9? has appeared in another incarnation on a previous collection of the bands demos, but has been reworked for the record and stands out as another highlight with it’s bright, upbeat melody,wet-surf guitar licks and banging rhythm section. Other highlights include the bouncing “SombreroShake,” the bright “Sunfried,” and the slow, creeping melody of “Western Son.” - Turntable Kitchen

Motel Beds are a midwestern indie rock powerhouse that harkens to the big slacker bands of the 90s, and then roars past them on wings of champion musical badassery. Each of the band’s members, who cut their teeth in a wide variety of the Gem City’s strongest groups, make athletic guitar runs, deliver serpentine rhythms, and drop clever, existential lyricism in a way that sounds completely effortless. “Mr. Salad Days” offers lurching and fleet-fingered guitar leads, but an even bigger treat are the vocal harmonies here, which really help the track to take flight. “Is This On” and “81 Sun” are congenial pop songs of the highest degree – sweet, catchy and breezy jangle that sticks to the eardrums and heart like honey. The soloing around the three minute mark of “81 Sun” shows just how good these guys are at adapting classic guitar playing for their own playbooks. “Bourbon Skies” is perhaps the band’s most moody and melancholy offering. But, even when the band is churning in stormier waters there is still an artful sparkle that is completely disarming. When PJ Paslosky sings, “I do my best world when my backs up against the wall,” and I have to believe “Pinkies” was penned during one of those times. The guitars duel in playful call and response to each other, the rhythm section is creative and skillful, and the vocals couldn’t sound more wide eyed or sincere. I was also completely psyched to see the return of “Suckerpunch The Odometer,” a song Paslosky resurrected from his Ohio Casket days, included here. The track features the timeless, “I’m gonna grow wings/so I can take a shit on your car,” which are among the most memorable lyrics any band has put to tape. Dayton tends to keep our rock heroes a well kept secret until they’re in or nearing their middle ages. Motel Beds are seasoned players, but they’re not so overconfident that it keeps them from pushing the limits of indie-rock/-pop songcraft. We don’t expect their Feelings will stay bottled up for long.

Recommended For Fans Of: Pavement, Modest Mouse, Archers of Loaf, Dismemberment Plan - You Indie