Being students is one thing, but finding time to make an indie rock EP is another thing, yet, Little Slicer found the time to produce a perfect debut EP. From bouncing around house shows and local venues, they released their debut EP on May 31st, 2024, finally coming to fruition after many students waited eagerly.
Spawning from the small college town of Ithaca, Little Slicer is the child of headman Wallace Petruziello, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band. The band has had people come and go, but the other main members are bassist Jas Rodriguez, guitarist Zach Ryan, and drummer Dave Meriney.
Little Slicer College Beginnings
The band all came together at Ithaca College, a smallish liberal arts college on the opposite end of the hill from the gargantuan Cornell University. The music scene up on the South Hill has been flourishing as of late, with other bands like Microbes Mostly, Viscous Fishes, and the emerging Lost Mary’s starting an Ithaca College music comeback.
Little Slicer started performing around the start of the 2022 fall semester, and after a full year of performing and songwriting, their first single was released the following fall, with “Heart Like a Road”.
Like many college bands, Little Slicer got started playing in apartments and houses but eventually grew to play in Ithaca staples like Deep Dive, Sacred Root Kava Lounge & Tea Bar, and The Rest Gallery.
Other singles would come along and accompany “Heart Like a Road”, including “Worthit” and “Hourglass”, all included in Little Slicer’s debut project, “EP 1”.
Little Slicer Not Just Being Indie Rock
The overall sound of the record is distinct and grimy, just like it was played in the basement of a random student apartment. Mixing and mastering by Peter Jensen, Justin Lindsay, and Joey Salit really push this record in all of the best directions, from harsher rock to soft indie rock, it is all executed nicely.
This is, of course, helped by the playing of Little Slicer themselves. “So Bad” is a great track that exemplifies this. The track opens with Petruziello’s low and soft vocals before Meriney’s bopping drums come in to pick up the tempo. Rodriguez’s simple and low bass may be overlooked, but her bass truly rounds out the sound.
This is all before a huge and intoxicating drum and guitar break comes in. Meriney diversifies his drumming a bit and gets more wild. Bryan fully lets loose with heavy distortion. This all creates a truly grandiose end to the song.
“Mold” has more moody vocals, whirring guitars, and crash-heavy drumming that leaves the listener swaying and getting lost. As a small college band, Little Slicer does a great job at creating a vivid musical landscape in their songs.
The singles released prior are obviously amazing as well, with the strained and more forefronted sound of “Heart Like a Road” being powerful. The short but swinging and driving sound of “Worhit” sounds like the coolest 90s demo from a basement show.
“Hourglass” is the stand-out single for me. The falling sound of the guitar in the intro immediately gets the listener hooked and continues to carry once the drums are introduced. There is a windy sound operating in the background that completes the sound, reminiscent of a certain Radiohead, that Little Slicer gets a lot of inspiration from.
The last track for Little Slicer’s “EP 1”, “Senses”, is a perfect way to end this debut. The waltz pattern creates a dreamy landscape before the crashing drum comes in. The calming waltz sound is blown up by a perfect guitar pattern and flying drums before a cymbal crash completely shifts the track.
Once again, I am in a basement, crashing into people, getting lost in the music, before it fades into a soft, intimate outro. A soft keyboard plays out the track, and Littler Slicer’s debut ends.
Little Slicer continues to perform in New York and New Jersey when they can, as they aspire to be more than just a passing college band, but the impact they have had at Ithaca College cannot be understated, and hopefully, they have inspired a bubbling music scene to burst.
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