Los Angeles band the Dead Ships practice an untamed brand of melodic indie rock inspired in part by the Pixies. Singer/guitarist Devlin McCluskey and drummer Christopher Spindelilus self-released an LP titled Electric Ahab in early 2012 that drew comparisons to the White Stripes. They added bass player Alex Moore and grew a fan base via energetic live shows and the support of California alt-rock radio before returning with EP 1 in 2015. It was produced by Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning, who expressed interest in working with the Dead Ships after seeing them live. The group's major-label debut, Citycide, arrived in June 2016 on Nevado Records. ~ Marcy Donelson