Monobloc is an exciting project formed by two friends with a shared ear for merging pop sensibilities, with a distinctly metropolis post-punk attitude.

With Timothy Waldron on vocals and Michael ‘Mop’ Silverglade on bass, the two compile the nuclear beginning that is Monobloc. Ben Scofield and Nina Lüders on guitars, and Zack Pockrose on drums merge their collective musical inspirations ranged from 80s superstars to Steve Reich.

Monobloc is a perfect visual manifestation of the DIY rock scene in New York. Originally from the city, this band falls under my self-proclaimed category of ‘posh rock’- an organized and orderly sense of sound with usages of nasty riffs, reverb, and instrumental interludes that stop traffic. Other bands I’d include in this subgenre include Quarters of Change, Arctic Monkeys and King Krule.

“Where Is My Garden,” a top song from the bands discography and the 2nd song played at the show, a perfect example of this definition. The emphasis on creating this industrial grunge sound with the mixture of ‘male yearning’ through the lyrics is a recipe for the perfect song in my books.

Monobloc’s most recent and only self titled EP was released just two weeks before their stop in Carrboro. Waldron shared that it had been in the vault for nearly 2 years prior to its release and originally began to develop and cultivate before the band even begun; so I look forward to more music from the full band as they take time to marinate together.

Despite just having one released project, the band has a keen sense of their sound and their vision. I feel lucky to discover what a hidden gem, as they have the potential of being an overnight sensation. With such a short, but perfectly mastered and cultivated discography, I’m left begging for more from this group.

Throughout the show, I came to notice the effectiveness of subtlety; from the attitude from the lead vocalist, to slight movement and interaction from his bandmates. One of the first things I noticed about the band was their stage plot only consisting of red XLR; it is unclear if this was intentional but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. All being said, the last song played showcased almost a completely different band. The energy went from zero to one hundred, with different levels of depth and height based on member placement on the small stage they had to work with.

Monobloc was joined by both Catcher and Sid Simons. I unfortunately had to miss Catcher’s set, but Sid Simons was a treat. With an excellent Arctic Monkeys instrumental style and a 70’s swagger, I was pleasantly surprised at the groove of the crowd.

Although this tour is quite short, with just 7 stops including South By Southwest festival in Texas, they are still rounding the East side of the United States. I really look forward to catching Monobloc on their next run through with a more developed discography and more chances to experiment with their set.