Label: No Idea Records Released: May 9, 2007 A superficial listen to Bridge and Tunnel’s debut EP gives the impression that they’re just one of many bands out there now in the mold created by Hot Water Music, with passionate songs and a raw and catchy yet complex sound. So many bands have run with that and just taken a… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 14, 2007 I’ve always loved the Bangles. Even the big sellout of Different Light still had the sweet harmonies and sixties jangle that I loved in their days in the Paisley Underground. I don’t operate under the illusion that bands often recapture their prime when reuniting, but I did expect an energetic show and an… Read more »
Metal Mark was the first to respond with the correct answer regarding Austin’s unofficial motto, “Keep Austin Weird.” Enjoy that DVD, Mark.
UK-based Covert has been making their dark post-punk since 2006. In that relatively short time they’ve proven that they are capable of producing moody, edgy, moving music seemingly influenced by the better bands that followed the initial punk explosion of the 70s rather than the watered-down new wave that was digested by the masses and is now seeing quite a… Read more »
Label: Facedown Records Released: July 24, 2007 This is not an entirely new album, nor is it a re-issue. Rather, it’s a re-recording of War of Ages’ first album with a bonus track. I hadn’t heard the original recording, but the band felt it didn’t do the songs justice and opted to take another shot. If the recording quality was… Read more »
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Released: July 31, 2007 As the liner notes describe, all across the country on a Saturday night music and good times go hand in hand and always have. American roots music, from bluegrass to zydeco, has been an influence on modern music as well as a vital part of life for many, many people. It’s the… Read more »
Label: self-released Released: 2007 I first heard of Irritant at Rock of Ages. I was expecting Good Evening from the Machine to be a bit heavier, but it turns out to be more on the hard rock side of metal. It took a couple listens to adjust, but once beyond my preconception, I found the album to hold quite a… Read more »
Despite the poor review I gave it, I’m going to run a contest in which you can win a copy of the SXSW Live 2007 DVD. Hey, don’t complain, it’s free! And there are some good performances on it. So here’s the deal, the first person with the correct answer to the following question gets the DVD: In recent years,… Read more »
Label: Shout! Factory Released: August 21, 2007 John Lennon once said, “If there wasn’t a fight, it wasn’t a good gig.” So, what is it if no one even moves? Lennon was clearly arguing that a sterile show is never good and sterility is exactly the problem with SXSW Live 2007. The DVD is a collection of songs from shows… Read more »
Label: Team Science Records Released: July 24, 2007 Houston’s Papermoons, the duo that is Matt Clark and Daniel Hawkins, make music that is soft and gentle on the surface, but moves with subtle power. Their debut EP contains four songs (five on the CD) of indie folk beauty that mix layers electronic drone and traditional instrumentation. In just a single… Read more »