Danny Moriarty’s musical influences have been known to impact his life beyond his local rock band, Transoceana. “I went through two periods,” confesses the singer, guitarist and songwriter. “I borrowed Bono’s mullet look from the ’80s for a while, and then I dressed like I was from the ’70s and had big hair like Jimmy Page.” Bono and Page are also symbolic of Transoceana’s evolution as a band during their three years together.
Early songs, including their first EP, released in 2011, were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin, but their latest and eponymous 2012 record sounds more like U2 and Oasis—another influence—than anything Led Zeppelin made. “Diving into new sounds and influences definitely played a part in that,” Moriarty says. “I’ve always liked the sound of reverberated guitars, so those were featured more prominently on this release. We tried to take a more dream pop approach and aimed for a more alternative vibe on this record, so this album was us moving in a more progressive direction.” The string rock song “Strangers and Angels” employs a hypnotic violin riff early on and would have fit in well on Oasis’ What’s the Story (Morning Glory)?, whereas the modern rock sound of “Other Side of Town” is reminiscent of something you would hear on U2’s Joshua Tree. Regardless of what genre the band fits into, Moriarty just wants to produce music that makes listeners feel something. “Music really colors my life,” he explains. “Whatever’s going on in my day, my week, my life, it colors it. It’s the greatest drug of all. It just makes everything better.”
INFO: 9 p.m. Thursday, May 23. Crepe Place, 1134 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. $8. 429-6994.
