The Deslondes, The Lostines - 9/26/26 - Fresno, CA - Strummer's

The Lostines are a duo, or maybe a sextet, I’m not exactly sure (I clarified this after the show, the backing band is a rotating cast, but there are five regular members). But there are two ladies with great voices trading off the singing duties. And sometimes harmonizing, which is when they sound best. But honestly, doesn't everyone sound best when they're harmonizing? Either way, they sound great. In addition to trading off lead vocals, they also trade off an acoustic guitar and a tambourine, just handing them back and forth to each other in between songs. 

They said they are from New Orleans, and honestly I don’t think of The Big Easy when I hear them. Instead I think of that kind of soulful rock and roll from the ‘50s or ‘60s, like Earth Angel in Back to the Future. Which, now that I write that out, also makes me think of Orville Peck’s first album, Pony. It’s slower and atmospheric, but still easy music to dance to (mostly). 

The Deslondes (pronounced des-londs) have an Americana sound. Sometimes bluegrassy, sometimes country-y, sometimes with more soul, sometimes more R&B. One song could have been on an Alabama Shakes album and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. And sometimes like Grateful Dead or The Band, which totally makes sense because they have those same diverse Americana influences. And then, 30 minutes into the show they hit us with something that sounded like it was straight out of a Honky Tonk 60 years ago. Also some Neil Young vibes, probably because of all the acoustic guitar, steel guitar, and harmonica. 

The grooves are slower but great, the kind that you can’t help but sway back and forth to as the music burrows its way into your body and totally bypasses your conscious mind, taking control of your nervous system and moving you according to its will. 

They also trade off the vocals, everyone except for one of the guitarists. Sometimes one of them sings, sometimes it’s multiple harmonizing together. One of them has a raspy Ryan Bingham voice. 

What stands out the most though is the multiple instruments that they’re playing. I think everyone of them except the drummer played a different instrument at some point.