The Rewinds
09.27.06
Sin-e (New York)
words: Amy Wagner
photos: Edwina Hay

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The Rewinds, a four-piece from Birmingham, Alabama, rolled into New York City on a balmy evening to support their self-titled debut which dropped back in June via Livewire Recordings. The place wasn’t exactly packed (hey - it was a Wednesday) but by the time they finished up, the band had won over the room. Taking a page from Tom Petty’s laid-back vocal delivery and their own Southern roots, lead singer/guitarist Michael Shackelford kept his band on pace and the music cruising nice and easy. It’s always good to find a singer who, for once, doesn’t slur his vocals. Shackelford has the kind of pipes and the band’s tunes have the kind of lyrics that you want to be able to hear.

Lately, the Rewinds have been getting a lot of attention from various mags and zines who are tripping over themselves to anoint the band as the next “big thing” – whatever that “thing” may be. From their Sin-e gig, it is obvious that the guys probably aren’t going to be spending a lot of time in Birmingham anymore. Their brand of power pop is hitting at just the right time to hook a nationwide audience.

Bolstered by the jangly riffs from their two guitarists Shackelford and Glen Drennen, the Rewinds showed off a good amount songs – some even have “hit” written all over them. “Ghostriders” is the kind of tune you want to come blasting out of your speakers as you go cruising down the highway with the pedal to the metal. In fact, the band kind of specializes in melodic playful tunes that have just enough of an indie pop groove to help them avoid having “Freebird” shouted at them during every show.

If you like want to get your groove on without too much shaking, then check out the Rewinds while the band is still out on the road. They’ll make sure you have a good time and, they’re probably fun to hang with after the show as well. Near the end of their gig, Drennen said, “The men’s bathroom smells like weed so if you’ve got it – please share it.”

We like bands who say “please!”