The Waxwings

The Detroit quartet the Waxwings have been sharpening their streamlined '60s pop since the mid-'90s, plucking other sounds from the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Zombies. Frontman/guitarist Dean Fertita, who used to play in the Motor City rock outfit Reigndance with fellow MTV's The Real World I cast member Andre Comeau, placates the band's retro-spiced sound with space rock elements and light melodies for a spiraling rock crash. He and Dominic Romano (guitar), Kevin Peyok (bass), and James Edmunds (percussion), signed with Bobsled Records, home to Adventures in Stereo and Velvet Crush, to release the Waxwings' debut Low to the Ground in May 2000. Shadows of the Waxwings appeared two years later. In June 2003, the band parted ways with Bobsled after a tumultuous relationship with owner Bob Salerno. They also headed into the studio in July with fellow Detroit native Brendan Benson to record a new album; two cuts from that session were slated to appear on an one-off Cass Records single before the summer's end.