Savannah Stopover

Dent May’s homemade pop music is a pre-packaged timelessly trendy party suitable for fans of good vibes and youthful sentiments. Although he has abandoned the croons of his Magnificent Ukulele, pumping out funky synthesized melodies has elevated his positivity with a new energy. A ringleader of southern hipster gatherings, Dent resides in Oxford, Mississippi, at the “Cats Purring Dude Ranch”, a renovated space that once housed a Boys and Girls Club, where he currently and notoriously hosts DIY shows and parties. The Dude Ranch is also the headquarters of his self-founded record label / booking agency, Cats Purring.

Dent May playfully but accurately describes his most recent album Do Things as, “Pet Sounds for the Smirnoff Ice generation.” Released in June 2012 and recorded on Paw Tracks, the label founded by indie all-stars Animal Collective, Do Things is a handcrafted work of Dent May’s solo talents. The synth, drums, and guitar for the tracks were recorded in shifts and mixed by Dent at the Dude Ranch, and resemble wholesome Brian Wilson –esque sing-a-longs after a few doses of acid. In essence of the lazy title, Dent prefers to “kick back with major chords and party” according to the Pitchfork review. Dent May utilizes a formula consisting of ”relentlessly optimistic” core pop music combined with a dash of experimental psychedelic funk that pairs perfectly with a summer night at the beach, and perhaps a few of those Smirnoff Ices.