Le Loup! There it is...

Time for another sporadic update from Austin. Since I last checked in I've seen Bad Veins, The Dustys, Brazos, White Denim, and Future of the Left. None disappointed and a few were outstanding. A quick recap of White Denim and FOTL:

White Denim solidified their position as my favorite Austin band with a searing and breathless set featuring many songs off their new album, Fits. Halfway through, Lou Barlow and his band made their way to the very front of the stage. They must have walked over immediately after finishing their set at Stubb's. Lou looked blown away by White Denim and could be seen excitedly talking with the band after the show. While that celebrity sighting was pretty cool it didn't compare to the VIP at the Dirty Projector's show earlier this week: Ron Jeremy. I'm serious. The Hedgehog was in the house.

The Future of the Left delivered exactly what I expected. Their set was raucous, headbanging, and hysterical. By the end they had completely dismantled the drum set and were playing what instruments were left out in the crowd. There wasn't a lot of people at the show, but those there had a shitload of fun.

After those bands I decided to stay in this weekend. However, I'm heading to Mohawk tonight to see Le Loup. They're touring in support of the new album, Family and I don't want to miss a chance to see them perform their haunting and infectious music. Here's one of the singles off of Family:


"Beach Town" by Le Loup

I wasn't a fan of Le Loup right off the bat but each time I listened to their first album I found more to love. The second album is more accessible on first listen and every bit as good, if not better. If the live show comes close to the quality of the records, we're in for a treat tonight.

Concert Preview: Bad Veins

There are a bunch of very, very good shows going on this weekend in Austin. Let's work backwards, shall we? Sunday night Art Brut comes to town. Tomorrow night Dinosaur Jr., Built To Spill, White Denim, Brazos, and Future of the Left are all playing within 3 blocks of each other. I'm planning to catch both Future of the Left and White Denim. I've been a huge Dinosaur Jr. fan for many years and have yet to see them live, but they drew the proverbial short straw. Better luck next time Mr. Mascis.

I kick off the weekend tonight at Emo's. There are a plethora of bands on the bill. The inside stage features The Subjects, Bad Veins, and MoTel Aviv while the outside stage has The Bravery, Crash Kings, and DC's own The Dustys. Seeing The Dustys and Bad Veins are my priority. After that we'll see what happens. I'm interested in The Subjects but I can't say I have much desire to see The Bravery.

In case you aren't aware of Bad Veins, they're a duo from Cincinnati that are known for their "irresistible hooks, propulsive beats and inventive use of vintage electronics, such as megaphones, telephones and a reel-to-reel tape machine." Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz are also known for their dynamic live shows which have garnered praise up and down the east coast. For those in DC, you can check them out on Wednesday night:

Bad Veins and The Subjects
Wednesday, Oct. 28th
DC9

Here's Bad Veins ode to the golden shower, "Gold and Warm". It gives you a sense of their fuzzed out anthemic indie rock and their sexual perversions:

Runnin' with White Denim

The new album from White Denim is called Fits. As with past albums, it's being released in Europe first (on June 22nd). I'm not sure when it comes out in the US. Anyone out there have that info? Or perhaps a copy of the album you could just send me? Thanks.

Here's the video for their new single "I Start To Run":

Upcoming Austin Shows

I've recovered enough from SXSW to plan my upcoming shows. Here are some bands I hope to review over the next few months:

April
Friday, April 17 - The Parish - White Denim
Tuesday, April 21 - Red Scoot Inn - Spoon
Thursday, April 23 - The Parish - Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
Friday, April 24 - The Mohawk - The War on Drugs
Friday, April 24 - Emo's - The Kills

May
Wednesday, May 6 - The Mohawk - Wye Oak
Saturday, May 9 - The Mohawk - Screaming Females
Friday, May 15 - The Mohawk - Loxsly
Saturday, May 16th - Emo's - Chain & The Gang
Saturday, May 16th - Stubb's - TV On The Radio

June
Friday, June 5 - The Mohawk - Bonnie Prince Billy
Thursday, June 11 - The Mohawk - Holy Fuck
Tuesday, June 16 - The Parish - Grizzly Bear
Friday, June 19 - The Mohawk - St. Vincent

I'm most excited for The Kills and Bonnie "Prince" Billy. I missed The Kills at Austin City Limits but I loved their 2008 release Midnight Boom. Bonnie "Prince" Billy just released yet another great record called Beware. He isn't known to do a lot of touring so I'm anxious to see him this go around. Here's "I Am Goodbye" off the new record. I ask you, how awesome is this song? Answer: Very.

White Denim at ATX Converge

The ATX Converge show at Mohawk was the place to be on Friday night. The evening featured an eclectic lineup of some of Austin's best acts: Belaire, Black Joe Lewis, Freshmillions, and my favorite live band, White Denim. When I arrived the place was packed and there was a line down the block to get in. I was worried I'd get shut out so I quickly started formulating ways to sneak into the club. Fortunately, I got in and met up with my friend Callie (aka Show Lush) as Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears finished up their set.

Belaire took the main stage next and did what they do best: melodic synth pop. The biggest compliment I can give them is they're both catchy and unique. I was doing my dorky head bob to each song but never thought "Oh! they remind me of so and so." Usually within 5 minutes of listening to a band I can name 3 or 4 other bands that share their sound. Not with Belaire.

While Belaire put on a good show I was really just counting the minutes until White Denim went on. I assumed they'd play the main stage but towards the end of the Belaire set, a friend texted us to hustle to the indoor stage. It's a good thing because it filled up fast (Thanks Amber!).

After a quick soundcheck the lead singer, James Petralli, just looked at the other guys, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Ready?" Then they launched into their set at 100 mph. The first 20 minutes were the most fun I've had at any show this year. Rolling Stone says "the band combines the Stooges' raw power, Hendrix's psychedelic flourishes and the White Stripes' stripped-down blues rock". Yeah, that's about right. As they play you're compelled to do a little hip shake and ass wiggle. I bounced up and down so much that my calves were killing me the next day. Here's a bit of the show. The video quality is pretty bad but you get a sense of what it's like at a White Denim show.

As you can see, this power trio plays raucous blues-rock, rattling garage rock, whatever you want to call it. Songs such as "Shake, Shake, Shake", "Darksided Computer Mouth", and "All You Really Have To Do" make for an explosive live show. My only complaint is they didn't play "Let's Talk About It". Maybe it'll make it onto the set list this weekend at Austin City Limits. Other than that, it was another fantastic show. After being blown away by them last month I was prepared for a letdown. Nothing would compare to that first show, right? Actually, this show was as good as the first. They displayed the same raw power and the smaller setting worked well. There was a mutual symbiosis going on. The band fed off the fan's energy and vice versa, like Clownfish and Sea Anemones.

White Denim and fans

Interesting tidbit: During the show I took note of the cool Minnesota Twins shirt James Petralli was wearing. I later learned the band has a lot of ties to professional baseball. Petralli had a grandfather that played for the Washington Senators, as did Josh Block, the drummer. Weird, huh? Plus, Petralli's father was a catcher in the Major Leagues for 12 years. I wonder if George Brett ever told him any funny poop stories. Bassist Steve Terebecki apparently has no relations to professional athletes, but word is he's a killer on the hand ball court.

Finally, I tried for a witty title, a funny pun, something. I came up with nothing. All I had was "White Power" but the last thing we need need is people thinking we support skinheads. If I missed an obvious title, please let me know.

Let's Talk About It: White Denim

In a little over two years Rock Club has seen roughly 300 bands (no, My Morning Jacket is not one of them). Some good, some bad, a lot in between. I always wondered if I'd head out one night and be completely blown away by a band. You think it'll happen but it doesn't. Maybe I've become cynical. The more likely answer is that while yes, there are a lot of good bands out there, you rarely see a band that unexpectedly melts your face. We've seen some amazing shows. Sleater-Kinney, LCD Soundsystem, and The Dismemberment Plan reunions shows come to mind. But I expected as much going into those shows. The only band that truly caught me off guard was The Gossip. Well, on Thursday night in Austin I saw a band that even topped The Gossip. That band is White Denim.

I hadn't planned on going out until we received an email suggesting I go see Peel at Mohawk. I'm always up for seeing Peel. I love those guys (and girl). Peel, Zookeeper, and White Denim were all opening for Brazos.

Peel was up first and were great. I never get tired of their first album and the songs off their new EP, August Exhaust Pipes (go download it for free!), are just as good, if not better. The set was much better than when I saw them open for Oxford Collapse and Frightened Rabbit. After they finished I debated whether to call it night. I decided to stick around since the place was packed and hopping. The crowd seemed anxious for the next band to begin so I settled in on the railing overlooking what I thought was Zookeeper.

The first thing that came into my mind when they launched into their set: MC5. They had a bristling energy from the get go. I was dumbfounded. I turned to the girl next to me, Olivia, and asked if she had seen Zookeeper before. She replied, "That's not Zookeeper, that's White Denim!". Over the next few songs Olivia brought me up to speed on the history of the band, including their devasting performances at this year's SXSW which landed them on the cover of the Arts Section of The New York Times.

The band is an explosive mix of punk and blues rock. That mix of punk, blues and soul is tough to pull off but when you do, it's a something to behold (think early White Stripes). It makes for great rock and roll, the kind I've been dying to hear since the onslaught of beardy bands started a little over a year ago.

Josh Block on drums sets the tone for the band. He beats the drums like they sassed his momma. James Petralli on guitar and lead vocals has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. He produces a myriad of sounds from the guitar, from funky riffs to sonic distortion. When singing he utilizes two microphones. The extra one distorts the vocals with a sampler (as best as I could tell). Also, while onstage he has the perfect rock persona, which doesn't hurt.

The real star though is the bassist, Steve Terebeki. He lays down the sweet beats. His fast, funky riffs and amazing skills aren't what you'd expect from a tiny man who has the boyish looks of a 7th grader. Seeing him jam away and clearly love every moment only got the crowd more into the show. You can't help but like these guys.

The set seemed short and before I knew it they thanked the packed crowd and started packing up their gear. In my mind I was thinking, "What? That's it?! NOOOO! KEEP PLAYING!!!" But it wasn't to be. There was no encore. I'm forced to wait until their set at ACL. You can be sure I'll be up close for that.

After the show I was speechless. I had never been so blown away by a band. I wasn't prepared for it at all. Inside Mohawk I ran into my friend Callie (a.k.a. Show Lush). She's seen White Denim a few times and said my reaction was fairly typical. The band simply crushes.

I feel like this is my Jon Landau moment. In 1974, the influential music critic went to see a 25-year-old singer-songwriter. Amazed by what he heard, Landau wrote the famous line, "I saw my rock and roll past flash before my eyes. I saw something else: I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen." Now, I'm not saying that White Denim is the next Bruce Springsteen (who is?) but I know one thing for sure. They're one band I'll be following for years to come (or as long as they're together) and I'll go see them live every chance I get.

"Let's Talk About It" by White Denim