My First Earthquake

My First Earthquake's bold, synth-riddled indie pop, rooted in Mates of State's angularity and Of Montreal's multi-instrumental jumpiness, places them in the same musical territory as the Kills, the Sounds, and the Blow. Vocalist Rebecca Bortman (formerly of Ice Queen) and bassist/keyboardist Chad Thornton (who had previously played in a few bands with We Are Scientists' Keith Murray) first met while they were students at Carnegie Mellon. They started collaborating on some songs in the fall of 2006, and came up with the band's name when an earthquake hit during their first rehearsal (it was Bortman's first earthquake, evidently). Drummer Andre Salcido was brought into the fold via Craigslist around that time, and guitarist David Lean was brought on board just as the group was gearing up to lay down the tracks for their first EP. That disc, the appropriately named Tremors, came out in 2008. My First Earthquake's debut full-length, Downstairs, was slated for release in the summer of 2009.