Tip Sheet: Young Coyotes

Who: Young Coyotes Dossier: Zach Tipton formed Young Coyotes with Adam Halferty (the Axe That Chopped the Cherry Tree and the Chain Gang of 1974) after Tipton's previous band, Moros Eros, who was signed to Victory Records, folded this past spring. Formerly based in Marietta, Georgia, Tipton reportedly moved to...

By Dave Herrera

August 11, 2008

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Who: Young Coyotes

Dossier: Zach Tipton formed Young Coyotes with Adam Halferty (the Axe That Chopped the Cherry Tree and the Chain Gang of 1974) after Tipton's previous band, Moros Eros, who was signed to Victory Records, folded this past spring. Formerly based in Marietta, Georgia, Tipton reportedly moved to Denver specifically to work with Halferty, who is moving on from his current stint playing drums live with Chain Gang to focus on Young Coyotes.

Sounds Like: Akron/Family channeling the best moments of the Shins (or vintage Beach Boys -- listen to Tipton's vocals during the opening strains of "Momentary Drowning") with the vitality and conviction of Arcade Fire.

Our Take: Young Coyotes is an acoustic-based three-piece (with Matt Wilcox rounding out the line-up on percussion and glockenspiel), led by Tipton's throaty howl and bolstered by vibrant backing vocals from Halferty. And while, yes, the instrumentation and arrangements are generally sparse, the sheer amount of musicality that emanates from this group is stunning. Besides having a stellar voice, Tipton has a masterful sense of melody that is matched by Halferty's command of dynamics. The band has only played a handful of shows -- including a breakout set at the UMS and an impressive early evening performance this past weekend at Lifespot -- but the buzz is already significant, and deservedly so. Look for full-length within the next few months.

Presumably thanks to Tipton's past ties to Moros Eros, the outfit is being booked by the Fata Agency, which leads us to believe that once the ship is ready to sail, these guys will be out to sea for a while. In the meantime, the band is slated to play at the hi-dive with Langhorne Slim this Wednesday, August 13, followed by an appearance at the Meadowlark on Thursday, August 28, in addition to garnering a slot at Monolith's VIP party next month.

Download

"Hell Is,"

, or stream the track below.

-- Dave Herrera

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