Best Of CLE: Ma Holos, Cleveland Indie Band

Musical genres are a dime a dozen. But Robert Joyce, guitarist and lead singer for Cleveland-based rockers Ma Holos, might have one of our favorite descriptions for his band’s sound. “It is like flower-punk,” he says. “Kind of high energy, but it’s also pretty paisley.” While the band’s sound started out more psychedelic than punk when it started nine years ago, the ratio is pretty even now, as evidenced on its 2018 album Bee on a Rose. Songs such as “Fast Money”  and “Object of Affection” are short, kinetic and impactful, perfect for audiences itching to dance along.

“You can see everyone reacting in their own way, but generally a lot of people tend to move in some way or another,” says Joyce. This summer, Joyce and band mates Marty Brass (lead guitar), Pat Richey (bass) and Joey Nix (drums) recorded a forthcoming album with RA Washington serving as producer. “The mix sounds a little closer to how I feel it sounds when we play live,” Joyce says. facebook.com/maholos

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