Gayngs, St. Lucia, Sunless ’97 [monday Threesome]

This week’s Monday Threesome features artists who all depend on the epic sax solo. That’s right, y’all – the sax is back. Recently, we’ve noticed that instead of shying away from cheesy theatrics, some indie bands have embraced this instrument as a way to amp up the tension. The sight of a blaring sax under the spotlight used to induce eye rolls, but fans seem to have changed their tune about the jazz woodwind.

No Sweat – Gayngs // Buy

Simply given the grand size of Gayngs (@gayngs), at least one of the band members must embrace the sax, right? Well, they do. On “No Sweat”, not only are we treated to Justin Vernon non-falsetto (the dude is dynamic as funk), but we also receive a brilliant sax solo at the 2:48 mark. The solo perfectly fits the brooding mood of the track and leads into a vocal belt from Vernon himself – the fusion of jazz and hip hop perfectly exposited. If you dig Bon Iver but are looking for something more funky, you will certainly enjoy Gayngs. Featuring members of Bon Iver, Megafaun, The Rosebuds, Solid Gold, Doomtree, and more, they have something for everybody.

St. Lucia (@stlucianewyork) has been one of our buzz bands on the rise since 2011. The first time we saw them perform live, we wondered whether or not the sax solo in “All Eyes On You” would actually use natural instrumentation. While they used samples (disappointment) for that particular show, more recent performances have featured a saxophonist for this epic breakdown. Surprisingly, the crowd went absolutely wild when the dude popped up to the side of the stage, spotlight on. Who knew? The power of the sax is undeniable. Check out their self-titled EP, out now via Columbia/Neon Gold, and look for more sax (hopefully) on their debut full length, out this fall.

Sunless ’97 (@sunless97) are a UK trio we recently featured for their new single “Body Weather”. Not only does this track remind us of both Cults and Grimes, with a dash of Youth Lagoon’s haze, but the song employs sax instrumentation when you least expect it. During a vocal breakdown similar to Grimes’ “Genesis”, whistles heard earlier in the song return along with ol’ daddy sax around the 4:00 minute mark. Here, the woodwind winds down the fast pace of the track perfectly. Keep this group on your radar and grab their debut on June 18.