MSC Town Hall’s annual Battle of the Bands competition will feature the four groups seen below. The finalists will perform at 6 p.m. Feb. 12 in Rudder Plaza.
LUCA, College Station, TX; Genre: Indie Rock
LUCA takes it back to the 90s, providing a sound similar to that of Death Cab for Cutie or Ben Folds. The indie band builds its own instruments and records everything itself, trying to be what guitarist and lead vocalist Josh Willis describes as “self-reliant as possible.”
two, College Station, TX; Genre: Singer Songwriter
Communication junior Graham Thompson and business sophomore Tara Schickedanz sat next to each other in class one day and later became an acoustic duo. The couple already has a song called “kinda love you” on iTunes. Thompson said what sets the duo apart from other bands is the story, and how they communicate with each other on stage with their music. Using only one acoustic guitar and vocals, “two” will provide a mellow sound with a sentimental feel.
King and Nation, College Station, TX; Genre: Indie Rock
Self described as “indie groove rock,” King and Nation likes to push the limits when writing new songs and have distinctive energy when performing. The band relies heavily on electric guitar and experimentation with new songs to try something new every time. King and Nation just released a song on Spotify earlier this month titled “Leave You Behind,” which accompanies a five-song album released last year.
Ottoman Turks, Dallas, TX; Genres: Neo-outlaw Country, Blues, Garage Rock
The Ottoman Turks are a band with members of all musical backgrounds from indie-pop to classic country to form a sound that is described by bassist Will Latham as, “Waylon Jennings with Jack White as his guitarist.” The Ottoman Turks will probably be the most southern sounding of all the bands in the competition and have claimed to be the noisiest.