Sometimes on cold, rainy nights, I used to sit around and wonder if Wilmington, Delaware would ever be known for anything other than credit card companies. Then, I picked up an album by The Spinto Band, and saw the state in a whole new light. I unfortunately had to think of something new to ponder on cold, rainy nights.

I moved on to “What does Spinto mean? Have I heard this word before? Is it an obscure literary reference?” Drawing a blank, I did what any self-respecting writer would do and checked dictionary.com. Nothing! After listening to The Spinto Band several times, I just made up my own definition: Spinto, a musical state where Of Montreal meets the Beach Boys. I’m still not sure if it’s a noun or a verb; maybe it’s a bit of both.

Actually, you won’t much care about noun or verb after you see this band live. And see them live you must. Promise me. Don’t let me down. Ok, if you absolutely can’t see them live any time soon, I’ll settle for a promise of your undivided attention as you listen to their 2008 album Moonwink until you can figure out how to swing that show. At their recent performance at The Bell House (an amazing venue, for any NY music fan who hasn’t been yet), the six band members snaked around the stage like rocker Muppets, jumping up and down, shaking their shaggy heads and animating their every sound. The energy is infectious, and that’s from someone who usually finds “high energy” more annoying than infectious. I felt like I drank a Red Bull after watching them perform just one song. The encore, performed with the equally electric opener The Moneynotes, was unforgettable, as the stage exploded into raw heat with a fiery rendition of Shake Rattle and Roll.

‘Summer Grof’ is a great example of what The Spinto Band can create. Drums, guitar, keyboards and bass are battling each other, with old-fashioned hand claps accentuating the composition. At 100 mph of pure intense fun, ‘Summer Grof’ careens around corners, passes the old lady driving ahead and throws a middle finger at the cop hiding in the trees. What is a Grof? Let’s not even get started.

Please note: While I do love my definition of Spinto, I don’t want to be one-upped in the comments section by some knowledgeable Indieball reader. So the truth is that Spinto was actually the last name of a band member’s musically-inclined relative, whose lyrics were found scribbled on cracker-jack wrappers. Satisfied?

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» Meaningless labels: Big Sound • Catchy • Clever Lyrics • Concert Review • Danceable • Driven • Male vocal • Rollicking

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