While at the CMJ Music Festival a few weeks back I met an interesting woman who was singing the praises of the new Detroit rock scene. I did listen to her probably because she was pretty hot and let her drag me to a Brooklyn show full of Detroit bred bands. The variety of bands was great and as I spoke to them I noticed one common theme. They were all very passionate about their hometown and regaining its notoriety. Weeks later another band from Detroit reached out to me and started the love affair all over again. Let me introduce you to the Mike Leslie Band.
The threesome formed in downtown Detroit just this past summer but the chemistry was just about instant. The band consists of Mike Leslie on guitar, Mike Parrott on Bass, and Mike Swain on drums. Each has been around the Detroit music scene for a while in an assortment of other bands. They got together by chance and started jamming on cover songs. This led to them truly clicking and the original songs began flowing out of the group. The output is fun rock music with pop sensibilities that already seem ready for mainstream radio. There are many influences that jump right out and make themselves known. From song to song you can hear The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and even Nirvana showing that they left an impression on Mike Leslie Band.
Although only together a short while the band is on the right track and has already released the Mike Leslie Band EP. It is 5 songs full of singable hooks, chilling melodies, and lyrics that can relate to every listener. The record opens with ‘Notice’, a haunting song with all the necessities; strong vocals, a great guitar solo, and powerful drumming to push it along. ‘Nothing To Lose’ is a sultry track with a Sam Cooke or Maroon 5 feel to it that lets Leslie really show off his voice and sex appeal while the rest of the band provides a backdrop to keep the girls swaying their hips. There is an ode to the radio friendly alt-pop of the mid 90’s with the song ‘Sickness’. The production values seem well beyond a band that has been around for half a year and I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t do the research myself.
Mike Leslie Band is definitely one to keep an eye on. Go get some at: