Mattiel

Mattiel is ambiguously the stage name for singer-songwriter Mattiel Brown, and also the name of the duo or the four-piece she formed with guitarist and producer Jonah Swilley. At any rate. Mattiel's indie rock has retro qualities in that it references some of the off-center musical styles of the '60s and the '70s that were there but did not quite define the period. There is the classic garage rock, the sound of the pop used in some of the Italian and French movies of the era (including the Ennio Morricone western sound), occasional boogaloo, some rockabilly, and the list goes on. There are also not too subtle references to Patti Smith and Velvet Underground in some songs. All of these are put together in an uptempo, fun way. Brown herself has a confident alto that is fairly distinct, while Randy Michael and Jonah Swilley, the duo that handles all the instruments in their first two albums, build a fully fleshed out world that lets her go wild in.