LVL UP

New York quartet LVL UP emerged in 2011 when its four members were enrolled at SUNY Purchase, channeling the raw edges of 1990s lo-fi and indie rock into a genuinely gritty yet tuneful sound. Guitarist-vocalists Mike Caridi and Dave Benton, together with drummer Ben Smith, first planned their opening cassette as a split with bassist Nick Corbo and his separate solo venture. Extensive joint work prompted Corbo to become a full member, so the completed project, Space Brothers, appeared exclusively under the LVL UP banner on Evil Weevil Records. Because the tracks were laid down piecemeal and written individually by Caridi, Benton, and Corbo—each in a distinct style—the record felt uneven at the time and was later regarded by the group itself as closer to a compilation or mixtape, though its distinctive approach still drew notice from independent outlets.

The follow-up, the widely praised Hoodwink’d issued in 2014 on the band’s own Double Double Whammy imprint, displayed a clear debt to the 1990s lo-fi touchstones Sebadoh and Guided by Voices. Smith departed shortly before the album surfaced and was succeeded by Greg Rutkin. Strong reviews and modest sales for Hoodwink’d broadened the quartet’s profile, leading two years afterward to a deal with Sub Pop for the third LP, Return to Love. Longtime associate Mike Ditrio handled production, resulting in a palette that echoed Eric’s Trip, Pavement, and Built to Spill and therefore aligned naturally with the new label.