This trio of Detroit natives sadly pay homage to their hometown through their band name. Thanks to the auto-manufacturing crisis, the poisoned-water crisis, the housing crisis, the employment crisis, The Detroit Lions crisis (ooh sick burn!), the bankruptcy crisis, and recently the education crisis, we have a Motor City band named “Empty Houses”… womp womp. Back in 1940, FDR gave a famous speech where he included Detroit in what was known as the “arsenal of democracy” (a group of industrial cities that were key in the manufacture of weapons in support of the Allies during WWII). Detroit was once the wealthiest city in America and the fourth largest (currently in a population decline free-fall); now an example of how everything can go down the toilet real fast if we let it. Some say a leopard cannot change its spots. Well maybe it’s time for this (Detroit) Tiger to take note of some fellow pop-punkers and change their stripes. Empty Houses is comprised of a couple members of the pop punk outfit Fireworks after they went on hiatus last year who have evolved in to something wonderfully new, while at the same time, old and fresh: a poppy retro-soul indie Motown feel. Basically they did exactly what Sonny Moore did when he evolved (like Squirtle to Blastoise) from punk outfit From First To Last and became Skrillex – although Empty Houses went to a lively and airy Motown sound while Skrillex became the audible version of assault and battery.

Empty Houses has their debut album Daydream out now and it’s really nice. Here’s some examples.