Carrying on in the tradition of 70’s lo-fi garage rock, Rider is carrying the torch for this brand of raw and soulful music. Lead by former Lez Zeppelin (that’s a female Led Zeppelin cover band) Brooke Gengras, Rider gives the underground indie kids something to cheer about on their latest album The March. Formed in early 2005, this new band is just starting to carve out their piece in the musical landscape.

In a very do-it-yourself move, the 13 song album from the band is self-produced and self-released. The band’s influences bounce back and forth between 60’s and 70’s rock, and blues material.

Songs like the title track and Not My Fault display the gritty guitar sound from guitarist Ian (sorry, no last name given) gives off a heavily distorted sound. The band does have a little bit of local Michigan flavor, Ian is originally from Ann Arbor, but moved to New York in order for a chance at bigger success.

Tracks like Mean Old Man Blues mixes a grunge sound with hints of blues and even a little bit of lounge style music as it makes for a very interest mixes of influences. Their stoner rock sensibilities are shown on the song King Snake, where the grainy sound makes it sound like a old track from Kyuss.

But one thing that makes Rider different from those bands is Gengras’ voice, which shows a mixture of influences from 70’s soul to modern alt-rock groups such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Her vocals shine on Elephant, which showcases her voice more than she ever could in a Led Zeppelin cover band.

Rider is currently preparing to head out on the road, but no dates are set as yet. Make sure to check their website for upcoming dates and news.