You ever encounter a song that just keeps bombarding your brain unprompted? In the four years since I first heard “Leona” by Portland/Philly/New York indie rockers Strange Ranger, it won’t leave me alone. The tune is incredibly simple, never deviating from its two-chord structure and Third Eye Blind-esque “bad-da-da”s, but — as far as I’m concerned — the lyrics are a perfect, diaristic encapsulation of what it feels like to be a teenager who’s confused about everything except for the person you have a crush on. Meandering through lines like “I miss the morning before it comes to me” and “I can still taste your kisses/ Never wanna do my dishes” will make you long for the time in your life when you were on the cusp of adulthood, stuck between accidental profundity and proud childishness.
For just 10 bucks, you can catch Strange Ranger on their drive back from SXSW at Stickyz Rock ’n’ Roll Chicken Shack on Sunday, March 19. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and you can get tickets here. Puppy Angst and Rock Eupora are set to open.
