I Contracted the Syndrome

The Deadly Syndrome, that is.

When I told my friends I would be trekking out to Anaheim’s own Chain Reaction last Tuesday night, most assumed I was excited to catch Silverlake darlings Monsters Are Waiting. They were partially correct (though no partial credit was given), as I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to see the headlining act for a mere ten bucks. But really, I was giddy to see my latest obsession: The Deadly Syndrome.

This quartet of lads may appear your typical skinny-jean fad-loving pack of Indie Rock boys, but thirty seconds into their set it is apparent that their sound is anything but. What some may call pop-ish, others might classify as folky. Whatever you want to call it, The Deadly Syndrome’s catchy guitar hooks mixed with decisive beats and nimble piano lines leave you little chance of standing still when they are on stage. If lovers wear their hearts on their sleeves, singer/bassist Chris Richard bottles the essence of his soul and sells it by the glass when he performs. His haunting falsetto and utter sincerity throughout "I Hope I Become a Ghost" reminded me why I fell in love with music at the tender age of nine.

The venue's staff was clearly incapable of keeping track of time, as the show was already running late when The Deadly Syndrome took the stage. They were forced to cut their set short before having a chance to play crowd favorite "Eucalyptus," which often warrants all four members gathered around the drum kit in an all out free-for-all. Still, broken drumsticks or not, once again these boys proved why they were picked up by L.A.'s Dim Mak Records.

Word on the street is their debut album will be released in the fall, likely followed by a tour which will only help spread the Syndrome. In fact, get ready for an epidemic.