Mister Loveless

MySpace (listen to "Port of Oakland," "Scatterplot")
Label site
Hometown: Walnut Creek
Next local show: 3/17, The Red Hat, Concord
Upcoming release: Two Words EP, Spring 2008

By Dasha Bulatov

Despite hailing from a suburban outlier, Walnut Creek-based Mister Loveless possesses a sound that is casually and darkly urban. Initially established by morose and reluctantly melodic guitars, the vibe is heightened by guitarist/singer Rob Miller's Interpol-ish vocals and the sharp outfits that the band often wears onstage. Yes, the undeniable Interpol resemblance had to be mentioned immediately. Just listen, you'll hear it. More derivative in earlier recordings, their sound has since grown and expanded its range. The tracks on Mister Loveless' debut full-length album, My Share of Losing, are catchy and dynamic, exhibiting a maturity that previous releases seemed to lack. (more >>)

Either way, it is heartless to dismiss Mister Loveless on the principle of imitation. Like all bands, even those who vehemently deny it, Mister Loveless falls into a number of closely related genres: post-punk, new wave, indie, and plain old rock 'n' roll. If you're into those styles, or just willing to give them a chance, there is a high probability that Mister Loveless will become a regular on your playlists.

In September of 2006, after the first album had been recorded, principle songwriters Rob and Charlie Koliha (bass) announced a separation from their drummer, which resulted in a nine-month hiatus. During this time, two new members -- Sean Gaffney on guitar and Rachael Travers on drums -- were added. Work on a second full-length was planned to follow the band's last show of 2007 on October 27th. However, singer Rob suffered a serious head injury after leaping off the stage and hitting a pipe. Despite postponing the album, the incident seemed to revitalize the band and unify its fans. Now the band is back, playing gigs all over the Bay. And, if they continue to exhibit the same energy (in a safe way, we hope), then the shows are definitely worth attending.

MORE REASONS TO LOVE MISTER LOVELESS:
-Consistently cool and mellow indie rock. You really can't go wrong with that.
-Members don equally rad threads that seem to pay homage to the mod era (a refreshing break from American Apparel).
-They were so kind as to release the tracklist for their upcoming EP to us: 1) "Hardly Young;" 2) "Good Story;" 3) "Just Thoughts;" and 4) "It's Missing."
-Hear them on the radio! Mister Loveless performed live on 90.1 KZSU and has appeared as a guest DJ on Live 105.