Track Stars

With an impressive list of bands on his musical resume, John Davis is no stranger to the DC music scene. Whether it was the melodic post-hardcore sounds of Q and not U or the sugar-coated songs of Georgie James, John Davis has always possessed an ear for well-written and interesting music that has helped to define DC.

When the band known as Georgie James ended there was no time for mourning. Davis quickly sought to put the right people together to create a new band, Title Tracks. On November 10^th at the Black Cat, Title Tracks took the stage to officially introduce itself to DC. The Backstage was packed, and one could easily forget that it was a weekday night. The songs flowed easily into one another as Davis’ voice floated along with cleverness and buoyancy.

Davis’ extensive musical library is in part responsible for Title Track’s effortlessly eclectic and immediately catchy sound. However, digging through crates for hard to find records is more than just a hobby for Davis—he also moonlights as a DJ on Woxy.com. Even after surrounding himself with all of these inspiring musical influences, he still needed to pull the right people into the band to complete his vision. Together with Andrew Black (drums), Michael Cotterman (bass) and Nick Anderson (guitar), Davis assembles nimble arrangements and intelligent musical ideas into a collection of memorable songs. One listen to the band’s first single “Every little bit hurts,” and you will be humming the song all day. Beyond the song’s catchy phrasing, Davis’ retrospective lyrics offer listeners a peek into the sudden last days of Georgie James.

You can tell that Davis is having fun with a guitar-driven sound. On tracks like “What makes you run,” he melds old soul sounds with the angst of classic punk. The guitar compositions are methodical and loose, while at the same time able to give an effortless feel. One of the highlights of the show was the band’s rousing performance of “Found Out,” which takes a speedy approach to the classic pop song. The driving bass line during the verse compliments Davis’ rapid-fire lyrics only to explode into a full-out melodic chorus. For the final song of the night the band closed with the Merseybeats song “I Stand Accused,” which aroused the music geek in all of us.

Title Tracks is getting ready to roll out plans for a big year in 2010. With a new album set to be released and a slew of tour dates that are bound to follow—I wouldn’t be surprised if they quickly gain national attention. In the meantime check out their single here. http://www.myspace.com/titletracksdc.