Ceramic Animal and Modern Aquatic: It's a Match at MOTR

An uber driver recently told me that ever since he became a dad, he hasn’t had much time to go to shows, but that he still has a profound love for the indie rock and roll scene. So, naturally, I told him about INHAILER and the kind of tunes we cover at the station. I also told him about the upcoming show at MOTR where the super-dope Philly native’s Ceramic Animal will be joined by local favorite Modern Aquatic on February 25th.

While listening to Ceramic Animals’ album The Cart images of college kids sneaking beers onto Ferris wheels with their lovers in the ‘70s come to mind. Maybe it’s the (very heavy) The Doors vibe, maybe it’s the picture seen here, but it surely isn’t something to be upset about. Wouldn’t you like to be riding a Ferris wheel in the ‘70s? I would. The group hones in on a pretty psychedelic world where everything is whirling, strumming, intermittently weird, but all the while gifted and cunning. Their synthy, groovy, and brilliantly clever lyrics cover an array of poeticism mainly filled with talk of love and loss. Philadelphia’s The Key reviewed Ceramic Animal’s album and said “from the droning keys to the double bouncing snare, The Cart, all comes to head and ends just as quick as it began.” They also dubbed the musicians keen on Dad-rock, and I definitely agree. The band is as upbeat as they are lowkey; their tunes are diverse. You go from heavy jams in one moment to swaying with more melodic, sweet notes the next. The synth and the guitar persevere, never fading. On Ceramic Animal’s facebook page the genre is listed as “slick tunes;” I can dig it ‘cause its true! The group, which consists of: Warren, Dallas, Elliot, and Erik, just released a new single “So Familiar.” A little slower than the previous releases, “So Familiar” mimics an Artic Monkeys meets My Morning Jacket feel.

Ceramic Animal pairs extremely well with local flavor Modern Aquatic. Modern Aquatic feeds an endless summer soul; while their sound is wavy and upbeat, their lyrics are romantic and memorable. The band features five contributing members: Geovanny Esquivel, Kyle Kubiak, Max Maley, Anthony Maley, and Chase Stephens. The group has been collectively influenced by a number of different names including Cage the Elephant, The Strokes, and Vampire Weekend. It doesn’t take much time before you find yourself singing along to their charismatic tunes and partaking gleefully in the buoyant melodies. Now you have an opportunity to do that all in person! (If you missed their Soul Step vinyl release at Rhinegeist, read about it here!) I want to give a quick shout out to that uber driver dad. Rock. On. If you’re out there reading this, well, I’m proud of you, but I’ll be even more proud if I see you down at MOTR to check out these awesome bands. By doing so, dadhood should become less stressful. Maybe the kids will pick up on the tunes, too. Who knows, maybe one day you can get the whole family out to a show and realize what music can truly do for the soul. In the meantime INHAILER would like to thank you for being the proper dadrocker you are, and to all the dadrockers out there, we salute you! 

When: Sunday, February 25, 8:00 PM

Where: MOTR Pub

How much: Free! 21+