White Bed
Super XX Man, 2010
Mining Neil Young’s “Harvest,” Eels’ “Electroshock Blues,” and a wealth of indie rockers, Super XX Man creates an alloy of fine instrumentation and catchy pop melodies to memorialize lead singer Scott Garred’s father on “White Bed.”
Garred ’95 sings lead vocals and plays several instruments, with drummer Adam Mack and bassist Daren Claymon, on deeply personal songs recounting Garred’s dad’s life and eventual battle with cancer. Reflecting on the pain of loss and the weight of memories from the elder Garred’s life as a father and longtime Clarkston grocer, the tunes draw a compelling tribute with deceptively simple pop phrasing.
Garred’s no stranger to independent rock. After singing and playing guitar in Austin-based pop trio Silver Scooter, Garred moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2001, where he works as a music therapist and performs with his band Super XX Man.
Super XX Man, Garred’s 15-year project beginning during his time at WSU, represents do-it-yourself, independent rock with 13 albums. Anyone interested in the band’s catalog can now purchase the albums through digital online retailers.
Check out Double XX Man on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.