# 5 DIY Bands to Watch, Vol. VI – Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation, Controller, The Gallery, Daybreak Gentlemen, False Pterodactyl

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/5-diy-bands-to-watch-to-2013-vol-vi-jim-platts-rhythm-section-controller-the-gallery-daybreak-gentlemen-false-pterodactyl/
- Published: 2013-07-03T05:39:50-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

The [5 DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/)
series has had a pretty solid response from readers and listeners, so we’re going
to keep rolling them out. These are bands that we have picked up on somewhere or
another (usually from music submissions), and that we’ve been listening to more 
than a couple of times, and each time we do, the more convinced we have become that
they should be included in this DIY Bands to Watch series.

In fact, almost all of the bands in the [5 DIY Bands to Watch](https://indierockcafe.com/category/diy-bands-to-watch/)
series are otherwise pretty much unknown (even to indie music enthusiasts), ‘under
the radar,’ and most have never been featured on a major indie rock blog or website,
which makes them all that more appealing to us as well as many of our regular readers
who return to IRC again and again – some since we started in 2008 – exactly for 
that reason: to hear great songs from artists and bands that they’ve never heard
of before and will unlikely hear of anywhere else.

![jimplattsalbumart](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/jimplattsalbumart.
jpg "jimplattsalbumart")

#### Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation – Greensburg, Pennsylvania

It’s almost hard to believe that a band with such a well-honed, mature sound as 
that of **Greensburg**, Pennsylvania DIY band **Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation** 
only officially formed last year. Last summer, singer/songwriter **Jim Platt**‘s
collaborator and guitarist **Scott Ruffner** brought in a studio drummer and bass
player to help them record a batch of songs Platt had been working on for months.
They quickly decided on a band name, and immediately began bringing Platt’s songs
to live for the debut EP, _Moving Through The Ages_, officially released last November.
Ever since we started listening to the EP in early May, we knew they were going 
to be one of our DIY Bands to Watch in 2013.

Platt’s keen pop sensibilities in his songwriting style and the quirky nature of
his lyrics and themes are brought to life wonderfully thanks to his impressive made-
to-sing vocals and the professional interpretations of his band mates, who master
their instruments in one song after another. In fact, we like every track on Platt’s
EP, and posthumously, _Moving Through The Ages_ is one of our favorite DIY EP’s 
of 2012.

From the sense of isolation and irony of “All Alone in My Dreams,” to the radio-
ready 70s pop zeal of “Cherry Blossom Girl,” to the off-colored silliness of “Drama
Queen,” Jim Platt and the Rhythm Innovation show great promise for fans of finely
structured music that mixes elements of pop, rock and folk with a range of themes
that give the music a light-hearted quality about it. Platt named **The Beatles,
Pink Floyd, The Smiths, The Who,** and **Oasis** as major musical influences, which
is completely apparent in his songs.

Related Post:  5 Bands to Watch in 2011, Vol. II - Alcoholic Faith Mission, The 
Luyas, Elsinore, California Wives, Dada Trash Collage

In reference to the genre of indie rock, which allows artists to explore so many
types of sounds and styles in their own unique way, Platt said that indie rock is“
music that is better then the mainstream music of now – [it has] more feeling, more
heart, more soul; something current music lacks.” It’s amazing how many definitions
of indie rock are appropriate, which is what allows it to be the genre of just about
anything that is not on the Billboard Top 10 or MTV.

“All Alone In My Dreams” – **Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation** from _Moving Through
The Ages_

“Cherry Blossom Girl” – **Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation** from _Moving Through The
Ages_

“Drama Queen” – **Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation** from _Moving Through The Ages_

Jim Platt’s Rhythm Innovation official website

![controllerep](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/controllerep-
549x584.jpg "controllerep")

#### Controller – Brooklyn, New York

**Controller** is a new four piece band from **Brooklyn** that delivers propulsive
pop rock songs with new wave tendencies via densely layered guitars, impassioned
post-punk rhythms and catchy melodic hooks, generating a sound designed for maximum
impact on stage and on record. Vocalist **Jonathan Bellinger**, guitarist **Josh
Shabtai**, bassist **Brian Dell** and drummer **Keith Gordon** have each spent years
separately writing and performing in different bands that spanned the spectrum of
genres from punk, country, pop, metal, and rock.

In 2012, these four musician friends decided to meld their disparate influences 
to counter what they perceive to be a “lack of real feeling and passion” in mainstream
pop music and the NYC indie rock scene (one exception being a recent IRC Artist 
of the Week from NYC, [The Rotaries](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/05/artist-of-the-week-new-york-city-diy-band-the-rotaries/)).
From their earliest rehearsals in a storage space in **Queens**, Controller honed
a massive sound, focused around anthemic, surging songs designed to be played for
live audiences. Their live shows are sweaty, ferocious affairs, where the band plays
with fearless conviction and total commitment.

Earlier this year, the band took to the studio to capture the frenzied energy of
their live shows on a three-song, self-titled debut EP. The band has previously 
opened for **No TV Tonight** and **Nude Beach,** among others, and their top musical
influences are **Wire, Buzzcocks, Nirvana, Katy Perry, Scott Walker, David Bowie**,
and **Louder Than War**.

“Kicking and Screaming” – **Controller** from _Controller_ EP – Feb. 2nd

“Make it Up” – **Controller** from _Controller_ EP

Check out [Controller’s Facebook page](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/wearecontroller)

_“Indie rock isn’t just a style of music or production or band or business. Every
band has, at some point, been an indie band. Bands that stay indie bands are the
ones that focus on their relationships with their audiences above all other parties(
e.g., labels, lawyers, brands, etc.)” _– Jonathan Bellinger, Controller

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Drift Wood Miracle, Sensual Harassment

![thegalleryband](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/thegallery.
jpg "thegalleryband")

#### The Gallery – Los Angeles, California

Originally formed in 2008, **The Gallery** is an up-and-coming unsigned band based
in **Los Angeles** whose music can be described as a modern take on classic rock
with Top 40 hooks and melodies. In fact, the band, originally from Massachusetts(
a continent away from California) was selected in 2012 as contestants for a high
visibility contest, ‘Do You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star?’, by the editors of _Rolling
Stone _magazine. The special edition’s goal was to pick a promising, unsigned band
to be on the cover of _Rolling Stone_. While they did not win the contest, just 
having been considered by the editors of America’s premiere rock magazine is a huge
compliment for any band or artist, let alone an unsigned band that most people have
never heard of.

The band features **Brendan Cooney** (vocals/guitar), **Ben Lozano** (guitar), **
Dave Mozdzanowski** (bass, vocals), and **Ryan Cooney** (drums). The band released
their new album, _Restless_, in February. The album was recorded with producer **
Warren Huart** (Augustana, The Fray, Aerosmith), who also produced the band’s 2011
EP, _Come Alive_. That’s a damn big score for the band to work with a producer of
that caliber, not once, but twice! The Gallery has toured throughout the U.S., performing
in more than 30 states.

“Restless Soul” – **The Gallery** from _Restless_ – Feb. 26th

“Catalyst” – **The Gallery** from _Restless_

The Gallery have opened for artists such as **Minus The Bear, Rooney** and **Sam
Roberts**, to name a few, and consider among their top musical influences **Tom 
Petty, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Oasis**, and **Coldplay**. Get more info at [The Gallery’s official website](https://indierockcafe.com/2013/07/5-diy-bands-to-watch-to-2013-vol-vi-jim-platts-rhythm-section-controller-the-gallery-daybreak-gentlemen-false-pterodactyl/ thegallerymusic.com).

![BeechwoodDemos](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BeechwoodDemos.
jpg "BeechwoodDemos")

#### Daybreak Gentlemen – Toronto, Canada

After two years of highs and lows since forming in 2011, **Toronto** unsigned indie
rock band **Daybreak Gentlemen** have established themselves in the city’s music
scene and are now poised to go nationwide. The band’s new release, _The Beachwood
Demos_, dropped back in February, and the band’s energetic live shows, have helped
fuel the band’s popularity, lead by the lively, **Strokes**-sounding single, “Dead
Teenagers,” complete with catchy guitar hooks and great vocals. Local radio station
102.1 FM, nicked-named, “The Edge Toronto,” tagged the band as “one of the top indie
bands to watch” following the release of Daybreak Gentlemen’s 2012 self-titled debut
EP.

The band is made up of brothers **Josh Niven** and **Zack Niven**, **Ryan Fyfe, 
Ryan Salvatore**, and “the enigmatic” **Bingo Pyjama**. The Niven brothers’ vocals
split between Josh’s cool and collective style, and Zack’s more brash and chaotic
delivery. The band has played all over Toronto during the past 18 months, and also
performed buzz-worthy sets at the **NXNE** and **KOI** music festivals last summer.

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Sictor Valdana and The Check This Outs

Now that their most recent tour has ended, Zack and Bingo are writing new material
and vetting it with the other band members. They plan to start recording a new master
tape this fall. Josh said that the band will evolve their sound, and are currently
writing songs using primarily synthesizers as an attempt to move away from their
mostly guitar-driven songs. We’d recommend, based on songs like “Dead Teenagers”
and “Belles,” that they don’t give up too much on their guitar sound. The band elaborates
by describing their music this way: “Indie dance rock to the U.K. romantic era with
infectious melodies, heavily layered guitar riffs, and fun ‘dancey synth’ elements
tightly intertwined. Our ‘mid-fi’ approach, allows for a professional sound with
the tie loosened.”

Daybreak Gentlemen has opened for bands like **July Talk, Beliefs, Decades, Secret
Broadcast**, and **The Danger Bees**, and their major music influences include **
The Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foals**, and **MGMT**.

“Dead Teenagers” – **Daybreak Gentlemen** from _The Beechwood Demos_ – Feb. 12th

“Belles” – **Daybreak Gentlemen** from _The Beechwood Demos_

The Daybreak Gentlemen Official website

“Indie rock to us, is simply music without limitation. It it the freedom and ability
to create music that is not polished, or set to fit a specific model. It is music
that plays off raw emotion and real feelings, it fosters artistic honesty, love,
and creativeness.” – Josh Niven, guitarist

![falsepterodactyl](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/falsepterodactyl-
584x584.jpg "falsepterodactyl")

#### False Pterodactyl – Morgantown, West Virginia

**False Pterodactyl **was incarnated in 2012 following a jam session in **Flatwoods**,
West Virginia among friends and musicians **John Jacob** and **Josh Ratliff**. Soon
after, Jacob moved to Ratliff’s homebase of **Morgantown**, WV last summer, and 
the newly-formed duo began working tirelessly on songs for their debut EP, _Shanghaied_,
released on January 20th.

Jacob is the duo’s multi-instrumentalist, playing baritone, acoustic and electric
guitar, harmonica, drums and vocals, with Ratliff on drums and guitar. According
to Jacob the duo write “lean songs with a focus on rhythm, groove, and melody.” 
We were immediately won-over after listening to the blistering rocker, “Heavy Bop,”
and the more chill “Hi-Top Fade” a few times back-to-back, making False Pterodactyl
not only a band that rocks, but also a duo to watch in 2013 and beyond. Their musical
influences include the **Pixies, Nirvana, Flat Duo Jets, Drive By Truckers, The 
Stooges**, and **Nicki Minaj**.

“Heavy Bop” – **False Pterodactyl** from _Shanghaied_ EP – Jan. 20th

“Hi-Top Fade” – **False Pterodactyl** from _Shanghaied_ EP