Press
“Ambitious folk-tinged rock from D.C. Rootsy, with a lot of interesting layers. This first full-length effort is impressive, with harmonies and harmonicas keeping a listener on his toes. Some tracks remind one of Blues Traveler, but this quartet is their own beast, and when all cylinders fire, it’s a fine result. A nice change of pace from typical recycled shoe-gazing tripe out there.”
“Not that critical praise, respectable record sales and an expanding fan base would be enough to lure Melodime from home. After all, the group’s debut album, “Memories in the Form of Sound,” features a song called “NoVa Love” and another with lyrics extolling the musical inspiration the band members get from making “sweet Virginia” their base. But when a band this good starts attracting attention, it doesn’t pay for those who want to say, “I saw them way back when,” to procrastinate.”
“Seeing Melodime, a local alternative rock band, gave me the feeling of being in a smoky bar in the south, like the kind from The Blues Brothers movies.”
“Memories in the Form of Sound” often expands on its gentler passages, from the hard rock of “The Orphan Song” to the gospel of “When I’m 63.” The latter is more characteristic of the band, which draws heavily from traditional African American styles. “I don’t classify as a Southerner,” cautions Rhodes in “Orange People,” and the group offers two versions of “NoVa Love,” a song that puts its origins right in the title. Still, Southern-rooted styles are integral to Melodime, which owes something to Charlottesville’s Dave Matthews Band and more to Memphis, Nashville and New Orleans. With their New Agey lyrics and intricate production, tunes such as “Twisted Fairytale” are up-to-date. But there’s a lot of musical history in them, too.
“Last night I went to Jammin’ Java in Vienna with Snot Season for a project she had to do for her History of Rock and Roll class. Jammin’ Java, we decided, is the ideal hang-out for the poser suburban hipster and I’m at least two of those things. Playing last night were Green River Ordinance from Texas and Melodime from right here in Virginia. Both were pretty good. Snot and I agreed that G.R.O. had a very Fray-like tone to them. They exemplified that “nice guy rock” that had several girls whoo-ing in the audience. For the $10 cover charge, I was content with just listening to them, but then Melodime got on stage and quickly made clear who the main act was. Their drummer, for one, was really good, in my opinion and their attitude was fun, witty, and lively. The music defied labeling…it’s definitely country/bluegrass influenced, but it has some indie rock elements in it. We had to leave before they were done, but they were serious business…I really liked them.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
| Date | Time | Venue | Location |
| 02/22/12 | 8:00pm | MELODIME in O’Brien’s | Boston, MA |
| 02/23/12 | 9:30pm | MELODIME in The Loft @ Tommy Doyle’s Harvard Square | Boston, MA |
| 02/24/12 | 9:00pm | MELODIME in Lumberyard Pub | Redding, CT |
| 02/25/12 | 7:00pm | MELODIME in Piano’s NYC: Upstairs | New York, NY |
| 03/09/12 - 03/10/12 | 8:00pm | MELODIME in Breakaway (Private Event) | Goshen, VA |