Strange Lot

It would make sense that a band from Phoenix might sound a bit expansive. On this track from Strange Lot’s upcoming debut LP, Another Mind (on their own Strange Records imprint), a dry echo on the vocals and guitar leads feel like dust hitting you as your drive top-down outta that desert town. Of course Phoenix has long ceased to be some desert town, and as L.A. ex-pats and monied Midwesterners come in to build McMansions, it’s a good bet young psych-rock bands get itchy and nervous, and that’s in Strange Lot’s sound too.

The trio will in fact actually be heading out of Phoenix for a California tour in June, but the dates are still being set. So for now, catch some rays with the track premiere, below. - CMJ

Dominic Mena began recording material under the name Strange Lot while playing full-time in a band made up of Craigslisters. After that outfit broke up, he decided to move forward with his side project, putting together 2014’s Walk of the Sun EP. However, making Strange Lot a real thing meant recruiting a real band. He started with former bandmate Tim Lormor on drums, and the pair turned once again to Craigslist to find bassist David Dennis. Fully formed, the trio has readied their debut LP, Another Mind, for a May 15th release through their very own Strange Records.

As a fresh listen at the first joint effort from the Phoenix-based outfit, they’ve shared new single “Into the Night”. The ’60s surf rock influences are evident in the short jabs of guitar and grooving bass line. It all comes out in a heavy psych haze, baked under the Arizona sun. But there’s also a harder edge to the track, a bit of post-punk stomp that seamlessly transitions those six-string punches into something much more dangerous. - Consequence of Sound

Phoenix psych trio Strange Lot will release their debut LP, Another Mind, on May 15th through their own Strange Records. Previously, they shared “Into the Night”, and now they’ve returned with new single “Right With Your Pain”.

Once again, the track demonstrates the band’s knack for surf pop baked under the desert sun. The song jitters along on distorted guitar jangles and a hopping bass line. Frontman Dominic Mena sends his voice through an echoing cavern, cracking and hazy like the heat rising from chapped, split earth. It’s the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon by the dried out pool, stretched out on the lounge chair with your button-up flower print shirt open and dangling, cool beer in hand. Take a listen below. - Consequence of Sound

The distortion-heavy garage pop of newcomers Strange Lot had me hooked right away, but I’m a sucker for beach-revival psychedelia filtered through the lens (speaker?) of a post-punk modernity. That being said, “Upside Dwners” is my current summer single. Hats off to Dominic Mena, the man behind the music, on this one. Listen to “Upside Dwners” here and check out the first single from Strange Lot – “Walk of the Sun” – while you’re there. - YabYum

The vibes that pour forth from the “Walk of the Sun EP” are a heady mixture of distorted garage pop, psychedelic distortion, beach side sunshine and a subtle dose of darkness.

Why we still rely on beach-y as an adjective to describe music that seems right at home in the oppressive sunshine of Arizona is beyond me, but it works. Strange Lot, though, is appropriate whether you’re soaking up rays alongside pink flamingo lawn ornaments or actually within the vicinity of a beach.

State Press reporter Zachariah Webb chatted with front man Dominic Mena about the group’s influences, Cornish Pasty and Strange Lot’s show at the Trunk Space on Friday, Sept. 12.

The State Press: Obligatory question: So how did Strange Lot come about? Who’s in the band? How did y’all wind up together?

Dominic Mena: Strange Lot came about as a solo recording project I had while playing bass for another band. I didn’t plan on sharing the music but once the other band broke up I decided to go forward with it. It has now grown into a full collaborative band with Tim Lormor on drums, David Dennis on bass and myself on guitar and vocals. We all essentially know each other through Craigslist.

SP: So you guys all synced up over Craigslist? Did one of you post “Wanted: Musicians for Post-Punk Psychedelic Band?” How did that come about?

DM: Haha, well Tim was the drummer for the last band I was in (which also met through Craigslist), and I later posted an ad seeking a bassist with some of my influences. Dave responded among a few others, but he was the best fit in the end.

SP: What inspires your music both with regards to other music acts/sounds/vibes/etc. as well as other, non-musical elements of life on planet Earth?

DM: Bands that take the extra step to go a little further with their music like Grizzly Bear and The Flaming Lips are major inspiration. Visions of people moving to music or anything that makes them “feel” also influences our music.

SP: Quick: name your favorite Flaming Lips song and/or album? Can also be one of your favorites — I’d hate to narrow you down to one choice.

DM: Favorite album has to be “The Soft Bulletin,” and favorite song in general is “The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine”



SP: You literally just released your first EP, “Walk of the Sun.” It sounds pretty damn good. I’m a big fan of the song “Upside Dwners.” What was putting the EP together like?

DM: Thank you very much! Putting it together was stressful at times but always worth it. Considering I was in another band at the time, I recorded all the parts myself. It was a great experience, but I’m excited to work on our full-length with each of us recording on our instruments and collaborating on parts.



SP: Whoa, whoa. You’re working on a full-length album? How’s that coming along? Any idea when it might hit the World Wide Web?

DM: Yeah we’re about to start recording our full length within the next week or so. Our sound is coming together quickly, so it’s been fun to work on the new songs and work as a team to make them great. We decided on a tentative release date, but it’s hard to say since it’s still early in the process. We’re excited to get the tracks down, so it shouldn’t be too long…

SP: Who did the rad album artwork?

DM: My rad sister Amanda painted it in high school, and I always thought it’d make a sweet album cover.

SP: If you had to pick the ideal visual accompaniment to your sound, what would it be?

DM: Driving away from the scene of a crime while clouds of green and orange swirl above you.



SP: Where in Tempe should the dear readers of The State Press be eating?

DM: Le Cornish of Pasties.

SP: When you’re on the Internet, what do you typically wander through/where do you normally wind up?

DM: I wander through YouTube listening to new music, though I usually end up on Protools working on something.

SP: So, who and/or what are you listening to at the moment?

DM: Currently listening to Mac Demarco, Tame Impala — and a washing machine rumbling in the distance.

SP: Try to pin down your sound with a long string of genre-y adjectives.

DM: I believe the editors of YabYum said it best with: “Beach-revival psychedelia filtered through the lens (speaker?) of a post-punk modernity.”

SP: Heard y’all were on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series? What was that like? What did Steve Goldstein chat with you guys about?

DM: That was a surreal experience. It was a first for each of us to be in a real radio station like that so we were all excited and honored to have been asked to play for them. Steve asked us about the psychedelic sound, our lyrics, and other curiosities about the band. Everyone was extremely nice and we had a great time.

SP: You’ve got a show Friday, Sept. 12 at the Trunk Space. People should go that, right?

DM: If you’re looking to escape the realities of this world then this show is for you! It’s $7, all ages and starts at 7:30 p.m.

You heard it from him first, dear reader. So go forth, download Strange Lot’s “Walk of the Sun EP” on Bandcamp. Or better yet, go to its show at the Trunk Space and investigate their rad sound for yourself — it’ll be jamming with Tele Novella, Psywave and Del Funland. - State Press

KJZZ has been taking a listen to local bands across the Valley for our Tiny Desert Concert series. This week we hear from Strange Lot, a three-piece psychedelic band with a hint of garage rock based in Phoenix.

Strange Lot came to the KJZZ studios to chat about their music and play a few songs, "Walk of the Sun" and "Fiction."

We spoke to bassist Dave Dennis, singer and guitarist Dominic Mena, and drummer Tim Lormor.

Strange Lot will be playing Friday night at the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe. - NPR KJZZ

True story: Strange Lot has been a band for under 365 days. They formed in July 2014 after Dominic Mena decided to turn his bedroom project into a full-fledged psych rock outfit with the addition of drummer Tim Lormor and bassist David Dennis. It wasn’t long before they were garnering lots of local love behind their Walk of the Sun EP, released just a month after forming. Now, they’re sending psychedelic waves out from their Phoenix home to the rest of the world with their debut full-length, Another Mind.

Preceded by singles “Right With Your Pain” and “Into the Night”, the 10-track effort comes baked and crispy from the Arizona climate. Mena covers his vocals in dusty reverb, the kind that brings to mind hot, sandy roads rising up in ripples towards blue and yellow skies. Dennis’ bass lines span the gamut of altered states, from the pleasant amble of “Supremium” to the spiraling insanity of “Erthqke”. Thanks to Lormor’s loose wrists, the cymbal-heavy drum sections pummel the brain without ever battering it, softening it just enough to accept the reverberation of the swirling guitars.

With hints of early Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco’s nonchalance, the record encapsulates a young band discovering their sound in a pressure-free environment. The three musicians allow themselves to take it easy on their songs, giving moods the time and space to roll along in their natural way.

Another Mind drops May 15th via the band’s own Strange Records, but it’s streaming early in its entirety below. Slap on those sunglasses and tune in. - Consequence of Sound