Chrissy Hynde, Townshend and The Byrds?

The Trolleyvox are a modern rock band from Philadelphia that can be heard at local venues as well as on nationwide tours. At times, their music is reminiscent of girl-centric acts of the 1990s like The Cranberries or Sheryl Crow. On The Karaoke Meltdown they pull off ocasional Indie-rock flair that adds to their pop sound on songs like “I Am Annabelle” and “Onion is Missing,” however for the most part the band is terminally average. This is the fifth Trolleyvox release since 1999 and judging by the way it sounds, it should have come out in the year of the band’s debut. The Trolleyvox have clearly stuck with a formula successful for them, a questionable tactic for longevity considering the explosion of creativity coming out of the Indie-rock scene these days. The online press kit Sonicbids likens the band to Chrissy Hynde singing for The Byrds with Pete Townshend on guitar. That band would be incredible but it is definitely not The Trolleyvox.

ame The Trolleyvox could be playing in any bar, in any city, at any given time over the last 10 years, a categorization with as many upsides as downsides. Your average bar-rock band is going to have a singer that is practically spot-on, talented but unoriginal bass and guitar players, and a drummer who can keep good time while not adding too many abrasive fills. The Trolleyvox fit perfectly into this mold: They sound good but lack surprise-worthy originality.

ame If you’re looking for something that will astonish you with its musical depth and its thought-provoking lyrics, The Karaoke Meltdown is not for you. However, The Trolleyvox are a band that people would especially enjoy if it was dollar beer night.