“Up Next” Artist Review- Sports

By Roxy Augeri

Self proclaimed “band of wizards from Oklahoma” Sports is the indie band to watch if you’re looking to be transported into your 80s lofi indie blend fantasy. There seems to be no other way to describe this almost psychedelic group consisting of brothers Christian and Jacob Theriot and longtime friend Christian Chronister. 

If you’re someone who is looking for the quintessential underground indie sound this band could not be more perfect. This is the type of music that you know is produced in some crazy fit of genius in some random guy’s basement at three in the morning: and, as Christian admits, most of their early stuff was created in their bedroom in their hometown in Oklahoma. This band is heavily committed to incorporating their unique sound as an homage to their hometown, as is apparent on all of the cover art throughout their albums of the past five years. 

The reason I appreciate this band is because I feel as if their music has evolved since the beginning of their career while still maintaining the sound that made them distinctly unique. Oftentimes when a band takes off and gets the funding and team to be able to produce higher quality music, they lose that “made in a bedroom” uniqueness which made them appealing in the first place. 

My one critique of the music is I find that including cheap sounding electronic noises waters down the quality of the track for me. As someone who appreciates a more acoustic approach to indie, I find those types of noises distracting to the overall integrity of the sounds. I can appreciate why they are used, but don’t personally find them appealing. 

My personal favorite is the song “Crime” which was released as a stand alone single in 2017. This song appeals to me because I find it showcases Jacob’s voice more than any other track and features a more traditional indie backtrack that makes the song feel really approachable. This song has minimal electronic sound effects, which I found strengthened the sound quality overall. This is something I would play doing my makeup and getting dressed to go out to feel really hyped up and confident. Some honorable mentions are “Gotta Know Better (I’m Crazy)” for long car rides, “Autopilot” for a chill psychedelic song to vibe out late at night, and “Panama” for a classic indie beach or picnic song. 

Overall, I think this band has tapped into something unique in the indie market by staying true to their sound and providing a wide variety of indie sounds for any mood. If you are easily irritated by weird electronic background noise, this isn’t the band for you. If you’re looking to feel nostalgic and calm, check out Sports for a nice break on a chaotic day. 4.2 stars out of 5. 

Sources: Sports Band Website |Complex |Facebook |Spotify