Kevin Bronson on June 17th, 2013

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Don’t be deceived by the band photo: Irontom is as serious as a sledgehammer, and its riffs land like one. The quintet of singer Harry Hayes, guitarist Zach Irons, bassist Dane Sandborg, keyboardist Daniel Saslow and drummer Dylan Williams returned last week with their second EP in a five-month span. The band calls their sound “a direct repudiation of lo-fi skuzz littering the indie scene,” which, if you’re drowning in skuzz or want to imagine what Zep would sound like as a really good ’90s indie-rock band, could be a breath of fresh air. When Irontom first surfaced in 2011, they were delightfully rough around the edges. But the band’s bloodlines are good – Irons is the son and Williams the nephew of Jack Irons (who has drummed for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, et al), and guitar god John Frusciante gave young Irons his lessons. With February’s “The Loose” EP and now with “The Nitro” – both produced by Alain Johannes (Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures) – Irontom has tightened up considerably, losing nary an ounce of muscle in the process. They have something to say too; it’s worth noting that their new single “What Will Happen to All the Indie Stars” does not end with a question mark.

||| Stream: “What Will Happen to All the Indie Stars” and, off their previous EP, “Mind My Halo” (an early version of which we posted back in ’11:

||| Live: Irontom plays July 1 at the Satellite.

Photo by Tamarind Free Jones