Band names are usually last-minute creations slapped together moments before the big first gig; in the case of Mitch Fiction & the Shits, though, the name of the band existed even before the actual lineup did. The moniker is a throwback to the 1950s (when band names like Buddy Holly & the Crickets were common) blended with tongue-in-cheek wit (there is no real Mitch) and some outright profanity (bassist Andrew Jones censors the name on phone calls with his mother). It’s a creation so, well, creative that the credit for its inception is a debated: Jones credits guitarist Rory Connell with the idea, but guitarist Rick Flom attributes it to former member Doug Kirby.

But even though the originator of the band’s name is debated, the source of its members is not; the members of Mitch Fiction have spent time in some of Philadelphia’s most successful rock acts. Both Connell and Jones played in Raccoon; Connell later joined Rifle Nice and Jones spent some time with Dr. Dog. Flom is currently involved with National Eye, and he joins drummer Josh Newman in playing with Adam Arcuragi. But Mitch Fiction is not a second-thought side project created by bored and slightly over-industrious rockers. As Flom puts it: “It’s a chance to play rock and roll every night of the week.”

The band describes this nightly rock and roll creation with the key phrase “mountains of delay,” a reference to the heavy use of the delay pedal in its songs. But Mitch Fiction’s sound goes far beyond the influence of guitar pedals. The band cites influences like Harry Nilsson and Neil Young (specifically the album Zuma), but Mitch Fiction’s sound also reaches into a much bigger bag of classic greats than what might be present in the band’s collective record collection. There’s a hint at some true power pop sensibilities reminiscent of Big Star and a bit of a grunge-y film left from scouring away the gritty remnants of 1990s alt-rock acts like Dinosaur Jr. and Pavement. It’s a diversity that could be because the band boasts three equally-as-good-as-the-next-guy songwriters (Connell, Jones and Flom) who drop verses, replace them with nonsense syllables and croon until their little hearts bleed.

For now, the only problems the members of Mitch Fiction’s extra curriculars have created is an issue of practice space: National Eye and Mitch Fiction both practice in Flom’s basement. These shared quarters have created a sort of rivalry between the two bands, culminating in various stolen items on both sides. But despite these minor problems, Mitch Fiction proves that a little divided attention can sometimes draw a lot of attention from Philadelphia show goers.

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