UNCAPPED 020: READING RAINBOW

By Ezra Morris

It’s pretty vomit-inducingly cute to see some indie rockers making a case for the joys of matrimonial love. Lo-fi dream-poppers Reading Rainbow inspired a roomful of dimples and winks and sweet nothings when we caught them at Johnny Brenda’s. It was disgusting. But the soundtrack, sugary-sweet lo-fi dream-pop (hyphens!), was fantastic

The band is fronted by Sarah and Rob. They’re married. They recently took on a guitar-strumming third wheel by the name of Al Creedon. We don't know if he’s married or not. The trio is the latest in a parade of emerging talent to come out of Philadelphia. They don’t walk the same walk as their neighbors in Free Energy or Kurt Vile, but they share a dogged drive that doesn’t have time for snotty pretension.

In a musical landscape too often plumped with saccharine garbage, Reading Rainbow crafts bursts of sweetness that are startlingly genuine. Look at the Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles or Eternal Summers for a comparable approach. These bands reach back to the golden oldies of decades past for a simplistic framework, but update it with fuzzed-out garage, shogaze, and grunge. Reading Rainbow sounds like the sun came out on the Vaselines and My Bloody Valentine and everyone lived happily ever after.

These guys are DIY warriors, for real. They self-produce and release their own records, ‘zines, limited edition cassettes, and whatever else they throw in the van pre-tour. They’ve become ambassadors for the thriving communal warehouse/co-op scene popping off in Philly right now, where house parties, all ages venues (see the Little Bar and the First Unitarian Church), and a supportive community of diverse bands are making people think differently about the city of Brotherly Love.