Drummer Phil Fasulo is very confident in his statement that “they don’t want to be compared to other bands” and consider their own signature sound “radio rock.”
by Janelle Engle
credit John Stars
While you can easily think One Direction and The Wanted with that kind of description, Case Closed is more along the lines of pop/rock/pop punk than strictly bubble gum pop. They cite their main music influences as Taking Back Sunday, Brand New and Manchester Orchestra. This influence is found in some of their more dramatic tracks but most of the music is more along the lines of playful. It makes you want to dance around your room in your underwear. With their melodic pop hooks and upbeat vocals mixed with interesting guitar riffs, I recommend them for listeners of Cartel, The Maine and Hit the Lights. Yet the band likes to mix it up on every single so the inspiration jumps all over the place. For example, the unexpected catchy stand out track “A Tribute to a Man and his Orange” where an upbeat voice sings about being forgotten and alone. It’s a track that personally reminds me of Saves the Day for it’s ironic mix of a depressing subject and a happy chorus.
The band formed two years ago in high school when the four guys (Curt, Dave, Dan and Phil) decided to get a band together. However, they really started when they played their very first show six years ago at a Battle of the Bands. While they did not win at their first gig, they are doing pretty well and keeping busy since then. After receiving buzz for their three song EP This is Bad. That was Terrible., they went on to work with Jesse Cannon in 2011 on a full length album titled Clouds. Case Closed continued to work with Cannon on their latest EP Basements.
“Working with Jesse was amazing, he’s produced so many big bands and he gave us so much input. He was very hands on,” says bass player Dan Huesser. Anything else on Basements is right now very top secret. In comparing their previous release Clouds with Basements newer sound, all Huesser says is “ they worked on developing their sound more and are coming into a more distinct sound as a band. “
credit John Stars
To get fans excited about the upcoming Basements release, Case Closed is encouraging fans to be directly involved by sending in any basement related photo in order to make a collage of fan pictures on the back cover of the EP. “When Instagram got popular, for us, it was when we were going in the studio. We thought it’d be a great way to get the fans really involved and be part of the album featuring photos of anything basement related,” drummer, Phil Fasulo, explains. “We’re excited to see the entries we get. “
While the origin of the name of Basements is not revealed, I got a hint it has to do with the amount of times the band has played some crazy shows that were held in the basement. Especially because the band claims on their Twitter bio that they will play anywhere for anyone, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation. “Everywhere from backyards to barns in the middle of Amish countries and bars where not even the bartender was there,” laughs Huesser.
So what can fans expect at a Case Closed show, besides it likely held in a basement or some other sort of unique venue? They can expect a lot of jumping around, dancing and catchy pop punk singalongs and…. blood? “It’s not uncommon for someone to be bleeding,” Fasulo says of their live performances, citing the time when he ended a show completely in blood thanks to a mishap with the guitar. “You just have to keep playing, no stopping in between songs. It didn’t look that bad until I finished the set covered in blood,” Huesser says of the experience. It becomes clear that Case Closed are dedicated to the music and putting on the best live performance they can for their fans.
Case Closed will be performing this Saturday in Love Park, as part of the Fall Fest.
