The Glow

Following the dissolution of his long-running band Lvl Up, songwriter Michael Caridi moved swiftly into solo work under the moniker the Glow and wrapped up a debut album mere months after the group’s final performances. The Glow operated within the same fuzz-heavy organic territory as Caridi’s former outfit, yet he brought greater experimental production and instrumentation to his first album, the 2019 release Am I.

As a founding member of the New York band Lvl Up, guitarist/singer/songwriter Michael Caridi helped shape the group’s signature sound, built from layers of distorted lo-fi production applied to achingly melodic indie rock songs. Between 2011 and 2018 the band issued multiple albums and built a devoted following around its overblown, often existentially themed material. After the 2018 breakup, Caridi began the first the Glow album, drawing on songs originally written for a never-realized future Lvl Up album as well as other pieces the band had never developed. With assistance from Lvl Up drummer Greg Rutkin and several friends, Caridi recorded the debut the Glow LP, Am I, issued on his Double Double Whammy label in May 2019.