Mike Polizze, from Media, has played a central role in the excellent guitar bands that came out of the Philadelphia indie-rock scene, writes Dan DeLuca for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In 2004, Polizze played with Birds of Maya, establishing himself as an excellent guitar shredder.

Purling Hiss was his creation in 2009, playing all the instruments himself until it became an established garage rock band.

He was 39 when he debuted his first solo album, Long Lost Solace Find, with help from friend and admirer Kurt Vile.

“This record rips in a more sensitive way, but it still totally rips. He puts out this fried Purling Hiss stuff, which I love,” he said. “But he also does this sensitive stuff, which he delivers with as much as he does with the fry and sizzle.”

The album is a natural progression for Polizze, peeling back the layers of noise, and featuring acoustic guitar. Vile contributed to five songs on the album.

“It’s just clearing the smoke a little bit, making music in a more intimate, up-close sort of way” says Polizze.

Polizze was supposed to open for Vile on a tour of Europe this spring until the pandemic came along.

Read more about Mike Polizze here.