Empty Bones

The Growlers emerged from Orange County, California with a sound they called "beach goth" — reverb-drenched surf rock, country, and psychedelia that sounded like Southern California beaches populated by figures from an Edward Gorey illustration.

Empty Bones is characteristic Growlers: Brooks Nielsen's baritone voice swimming in reverb, guitars warm and slightly sinister, the rhythm section loose-limbed. The song has the quality of a slow-motion hallucination in the best possible way.

The Growlers have continued touring and releasing records, building a devoted cult following. Their sound is immediately recognizable — the rare case of a band that invented something genuinely their own.