Tangled Up In Wires

The first week in January is not traditionally a particularly exciting time for concerts so here in Austin, a few clever concert promoters came up with the idea to liven up business by hosting a week of free music with local and developing bands. So we here at the Tangled Up in Wires Austin office (which is most certainly not my apartment with a piece of notebook paper taped to the door that says Tangled Up in Wires Austin Office) decided to go check out some of the free music. Since I had not really heard of too many of these bands going in, I decided to just wing it and see what I could find, and I actually found a few bands that I really enjoyed (and several that I did not).

Horse +Donkey: I started my Free Week experience at Emo’s on Tuesday (I didn’t get back to Austin until late Monday), with this band. Horse + Donkey didn’t leave too much of an impression on me, and I think they’re still working on their live show. It seemed like the kind of music that may work better on CD, but they have some potential.

The Gospel Truth: This band was not for me, but if you thought that Queens of the Stone Age needed more saxophone (A LOT more) then you might enjoy them.

No Mas Bodas: Now we’re getting somewhere. No Mas Bodas plays somewhat creepy, spacey punk music that bolsters synths and guitars with cello and (once again) sax. They were an interesting band with some flashes of brilliance.

Pataphysics: Closing the night was the gonzo Pataphysics, who had an admirably manic energy. Their lyrics are a little too self-consciously quirky, but the energy was undeniable and they have a bouncy, psychadelic sound that somehow blends Brian Eno with the B-52s

Frantic Clam: On Wednesday, I wandered over to Red 7 to see the shows there. Frantic Clam plays meat-and-potatoes, post-Strokes indie that is catchy, but feels a little too been there, done that, especially on songs like the tired hipster-baiting “Hipster”. Still their life show’s pretty good and their profile is growing, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a lot more out of them in the future.

Orchestra of Antlers: Coming in from San Francisco, O of A and their tourmates Commissure were rare non-Austin bands who played Free Week, but I liked them quite a bit. They make dreamy, soaring songs that sound like Built to Spill or Band of Horses without the country influence.

Commissure: I also really liked Commissure, an instrumental postrock with debts to Do Make Say Think and Explosions in the Sky. They were very energetic and put on a really great show.

Haunting Oboe Music: On Thursday I went back to Emo’s for the showcase there. I really enjoyed what Haunting Oboe Music, but unfortunately I found out that this concert was one of their very last since the band is breaking up. Oh well.

Red Leaves: Red Leaves played synthy post-punk that’s dark but not too dark. It was very danceable stuff, and my only complaint is that they weren’t quite as good as the bands that surrounded them in the showcase.

Yellow Fever: Yellow Fever has actually been getting a decent amount of buzz, thanks to their recent move to Wild World (the Vivian Girls’ label) and they’re definitely worth it. They kind of reminded me of Beach House (although that could just be because I have Beach House on the brain right now) but with a little more muscle. Their atmospheric, minimalist pop is definitely worth checking out, and their profile is expanding at such a rate that you may not have much of a choice about it.

Moth Fight: My favorite band of the week, however, was Moth Fight – an experimental pop band with a unique approach to instrumentation and a panoply of crazy effects. The result was a gleefully energetic and noisy show that was definitely the highpoint of the week.

All My Friends: I’m not sure why anyone felt the need to make an LCD Soundsystem cover band, but that’s what All My Friends is. I didn’t hear them play anything from Sound of Silver (although I got there kind of late), but the singer had a pretty convincing James Murphy impression and the band itself did a good job of replicating “Tribulations” and “Daft Punk is Playing at My House.” But still, why?

Car Stereo Wars: I saw this guy at Fun Fun Fun Fest a little bit ago. If you forgot, he’s basically Austin’s Girl Talk, a mash-up DJ who makes a series of mini-songs that blend and flow together. Like last time it was a fun show (if a little too slow at times) and made for a nice dance party.