The Los Angeles trio treats its refusal to settle on one sound as a foundation, not a flaw. Across two albums, MindFree lets each song’s mood decide which influences come forward.
The Los Angeles trio MindFree runs into a familiar problem for independent bands: their music resists the single-tag logic of playlists and festival lineups. Formed in 2018 by guitarist and lead vocalist Mark Anthony Abbruzzese, with drummer Ric Rosario and Curtis Ortega on bass, keyboards, and backing vocals, the band moves between indie rock, psych-prog, funk, shoegaze, metal, and pop — sometimes within one track.
Instead of forcing those influences into one sound, MindFree lets each song keep its own personality. The band calls the result Wizard-Rock: built on melody, never locked to style. Their two albums show the range. The 2021 self-titled record is broader, while 2024’s StarDust leans into psychedelic and funk textures. “Navigation” pulls toward metal and pop. Layered vocals, analog pedals, heavy bass, atmospheric keys, and driving drums give each song room to land where its mood takes it.
The band’s cover choices follow the same
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