Voting Home / The Maldives
Nominated for: BEST Local Bands
The Maldives are the best unsigned band in Seattle. They play the kind of country music that would exist today if Garth Brooks never happened. Years ago it would've been called alt-country or country rock or some other amalgamation, but today we can call it country and love it for that. Bandleader Jason Dodson has a voice and delivery you believe in; he sings songs of dead relatives and growing up and moving away. They played in full form yesterday, nine pieces strong, including full-time fiddle and lap steel, percussion, banjo/accordion, acoustic and electric guitar, keys, bass, and drums, with plenty of backup vocal harmonizing. Even with all that sound there was room in the music. It breathed. It sounded like old records from a thrift store basement in Bakersfield. They're currently at work at the album that will break them to the rest of the world this winter. Don't sleep.
