Speaking of Music: Solid State Radio

Solid State Radio is an Atlanta band specializing in “cinematic pop,” as described by member Randy Michael. He calls the music “very romantic” but with “a lot of dissonances.” Cinematic themes often come up in his musings on the band’s work, as he cites singer and actor-on-the-side David Bowie as an inspiration and describes listening to his records and imagining each song as a set and the singer as the star.

The featured song “Ready, Steady, Go” gets a charmingly self-deprecating description from its composer. Michael says, “You stay at the pub way too long in the daytime, and you come home, and you’re hammered, and you watch ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’ and you write this little poetic drivel, and you get your two-minute or three-minute pop song out of it.” The song pulls heartstrings with a winsome melody over heavy ’80s reverb and chiming electric guitars, with lyrics urging, “Don’t let a good thing die.”

Solid State Radio is performing at The EARL in East Atlanta on June 11 with The Sweet Things, and the band expects to release a new record as soon as August. Their upcoming show and other projects can be tracked via their Instagram, @theofficialsolidstateradio.