The British Invasion

“Just remember one thing: We are loved in Belgium and in Italy,” Matt Dillon bragged in Cameron Crowe’s seminal Seattle-music-scene flick Singles. Lots of bands will tell you the same thing: When stateside airplay doesn’t materialize, they turn to Europe, where apparently rock-starved fans gobble up their warmed-up sonic leftovers. In most cases (as with Dillon’s fictional outfit, Citizen Dick), the band isn’t making it in the States for a reason. But we are pleased to report this certainly isn’t the case with locally based group Nothing Rhymes with Orange. These guys are actually talented. And it makes sense the band is finding success in Glasgow; with musical influences including Oasis, David Bowie, the Smiths, and the Stone Roses, NRWO’s sound evokes the gray skies and rain-slicked cobblestone streets you’d expect to find across the pond.

“We’re doing a lot in England right now…. We’re about to release our third single in the UK. So this is actually one of few Miami gigs,” guitarist Rich Coccaro says. After they play The Vagabond at 11 p.m., it’s off to West Palm Beach, next to New York, and then to the UK, where the fan base is growing. So, does NRWO expect to do what so many British bands have done — make it big in the UK and then come back to conquer the USA? Stranger things have happened. Visit www.nrwo.net, and make sure you watch the band’s animated video for its new single, “Hospital.”
Fri., July 18, 2008