Once I left that other show, I was unsure if I would be able to catch Nothing More over at Hailey’s or not, and finally got a text back from Matt “WhiskeyBoy” who said the band had not started yet.

I had missed a few great bands that were opening for them, like Admiral Grey, but at least I could work Nothing More into my Denton excursion.

Nothing More was setting up when I got there, and shortly after 12:30, they were ready to go…

Guitarist, Mark Vollelunga , bassist, Daniel Oliver, and drummer, Paul O’Brien, took to the stage first, and started rocking out, while their sample intro track played over them. “…But if we are to be prepared for it, we must first shed our fear of it!” the track went, which I believe is a quote from one of the Matrix films. That was when Jonny Hawkins rushed onto the stage, and started fiercely beating on his few piece drum kit that set at center stage. That led them headfirst into the lead track from “The Few Not Fleeting”, “Gone”. It took Jonny a minute to really find his voice, but by the time they hit the chorus, he was in the swing of things, running about the stage and jumping up on the monitors and his drum set, while the fans sang every word right along with him. The instrumental, “Under The Eyes of Selene”, followed immediately after, during which Mark downright shreds on the notes, giving way to “Sixty Second Affair”. It shows how cohesive the band is and how well they work together, with Dan and Mark singing portions of the song, “I feel, I feel.”, with Jonny handling the lines in between. “Denton, it’s been too long…” said Johnny, once the song was over, a statement that their fans seemed to agree with. After mentioning how glad they were to be back this way, they tackled a few songs that will appear on their new album (whenever that comes out), like “First Punch”.  I think it’s a sign that you’ve seen a band a lot when you know the lyrics to a song that can only be heard at shows at the moment, but I was far from being the only one singing along to it. In fact, more than a few fans were helping out on the chorus, “I’ll throw the first punch, ‘cause I’ve kept my mouth shut for far too long…” Pretty much the same thing can be said of the following song, and after it was when things got real exciting. While Paul and Mark laid down some music, Jonny went and grabbed a stand that fits into the wrought iron case that his drums are secured in. Dan then placed his bass on the stand and swung it over so it faced the crowd. Dan stood on one side, holding down some of the strings, while Jonny played the bass with a pair of drumsticks. Eventually Mark got over by them, beginning a chant of, “HEY!”, until the little stunt was over. Even though I’ve seen these guys do that many times over now, that still remains one of the most original and downright coolest things I’ve ever seen a band do. After another new song, they got back to some stuff from their current album, with the slightly slower, “It Seems…”.  They still throw in a part of The Beatles classic, “Eleanor Rigby”, blending it right in after the second chorus, with Jonny singing, “Look at all the lonely people, where do they all come from?” It’s an appropriate cover to work in, since a line from their song is, “…He said he wants to die. He wonders how anyone survives being overlooked and trite…” Thus far, it had been the same setlist the band has been using for awhile (not that, that’s a bad thing), but next came something I had never heard them do before. It was a cover song, I believe by the band, Thrice. And if that is correct, than it was the song, “Firebreather”. It was a standout rendition of it, better than the original in my humble opinion, and lyrically it really fit with some of Nothing More’s other material. Afterwards, Jonny asked for some help on another new song they had to do. “…It’s called Ballast…” he said, which was greeted with a roar from the fans. It’s certainly the best new song they’ve done (at least out of the small handful that have been played), and easily the most intense. It’s just one of those songs that you know is special, and one a band could spend their entire carrier trying to write, and still never come up with it. I got a pleasant surprise with the next song, which was my favorite of the bands, “Bullets And Blue Eyes”, though it’s not always a staple at shows. That said, to say I was ecstatic when Mark launched them into the song would be an understatement, and I relished every single second of that killer tune. Once it was done, Dan had a few words for the crowd, and it made me a little sad when he mentioned that this might be the final time he says this in Denton. He went into his “I Have a Dream Speech”, which begins with that line, and he proceeds to run through several funny things, which correspond to the next song, “Fat Kid”. He ends it with, “…I had a dream, where beef was always what’s for dinner!”, tearing into the song at that point. At this point in the show, they made mention of a big tour they had been wanting to be a part of for awhile, and, according to Jonny, all they had to secure a spot on it was have Mark “…perform a sexual favor…” None of them could keep from laughing once that had been said. They mentioned the tour will begin on the East Coast, and that Dallas will be one of the stops on it. With that, they were ready to bring their 55-minute long set to a close, and did that with what else, but “Salem”. It’s during that song that they do another nifty trick. Both Dan and Mark picked up a drum (a tom to be specific), with Dan eventually ending up with each of them, one on either shoulder. He stood a little closer to the full drum kit, while both Jonny and Mark started making rounds, one playing a few beats on the smaller drum set, while the other knocked out a few on the ones Dan was holding. Moments later, he ditched them, leaving the drums laying on the stage, as they all returned to their normal positions, and with the audiences help, wrapped up the song.

Usually, that’s it, because the band doesn’t make a real habit out of doing encores. Evidently, several people thought it was over with that, and retreated to the bar area, while some holdouts stayed gathered around the stage, chanting for one more.

It became undeniable, and soon they returned. “Okay, okay. We’ll do one more.” Said Mark. The last one left in the chamber was “Love?”, and it was the perfect way to conclude the night.

I mentioned they followed the same basic setlist as the past several times I’ve seen them, and while most times that can get repetitive to me, Nothing More is one of the rare exceptions to that. I guess it simply has to do with how much I enjoy their music, and even if there isn’t a whole lot of anticipation for over what they might play, I still love hearing and singing along to these songs just as much as I did the first time I heard them. You couple that with their live show, which is filled with an overabundance of energy and a ton of stage presence, and you have something that can be enjoyed many times over.

The tour they have hopped on is with the band, Adrenaline Mob, and will run from March through early April. Go HERE to see all the tour dates. It will lead them through several parts of the country, and if ends up coming to a town near you, you need to go. If for no other reason than just to see Nothing More. Also, check out their album, “The Few Not Fleeting”, and, sometime in the future, they will be releasing their long awaited follow-up album to it.

This had been quite the night in Denton, and I got to see not one, but two amazing rock shows. And really, how can you beat that?

Nothing More

I don’t get up to Denton too often these days, but there’s at least one night a month when there’s a show up there I want to see. And for this was the night for this month.

There were actually a couple of shows I wanted to see here this night, but the one at Dan’s Silverleaf took priority in my opinion. Centro-matic was doing a rarer string of shows in Texas this weekend, and it began with a hometown gig at that fine venue, which was presented by Spune Productions.

The only opening act was Tony Ferraro & the Satans of Soft Rock, who also reside in Denton, and are a collective effort of several notable area musicians, led by, of course, Tony Ferraro.

Beginning their 38-minute long set was a song, “Children In Fur Coats”, from their first official EP, “Friend of Man and Beast Alike”. It definitely held true to the “soft rock” portion of the band’s name, at least for the most part. It was rock music, but nothing too intense, at least not until the end, when Justin Collins drumming picked up, becoming something you could really bang your head to. Afterwards, Tony stated what an honor it was to be on this bill. “…Up next are the people… The people who I can’t say enough nice things about without saying too many nice things…” he said, obviously filled with glee that he was opening for the iconic, Centro-matic. They did another couple, one of which I think was “I Am The Engine”, which was a very catchy number, and stands out as my favorite from their set. The song titles got a little more creative with their next one, “Assemble the Bitch Wolves”. It was a slower one, a bit somber is some ways, and featured an outstanding guitar riff/solo from lead guitarist, Ryan Becker. Mr. Becker is certainly one of the most prolific musicians in D/FW scene, and while the bands he fronts are some of the best around, it’s also something to see him as just a guitar player. Not having to do all the singing means he can focus all of his attention to playing the guitar. It’s something to marvel at, you quickly realize, as an instrumentalist, he is one of the best. Not just in the local scene here, either, but in general. They kept the final notes of the song going, while Tony, Ryan and Justin presumably discussed how to go into the next song, which Justin soon transitioned them into with some beats, while bassist, David Howard, laid down some heavy riffs, too. That segued them into “Diaspora”, an incredible song that made great use of the keyboard, which was manned by Chris Gomez. Four more songs came next in the setlist, none of which I knew, and on the first of those Tony and Ryan pulled off some gorgeous harmonies as they crooned. After that slew of songs, they were left with enough time to do one more. In case you don’t know, Tony plays bass in one of Ryan Becker’s bands, Last Joke, and the EP that band has released features one of Tony’s songs, “No, We Can’t Be Friends”. That was the one that brought this show to a close, and again found both Tony and Ryan doing some co-singing.

I expected I’d enjoy their show, but not to the extent that I did. Tony has several recordings available to download, many of which are more demo quality, and it’s hard to gauge how a band will sound based on that. That’s not to say I hadn’t enjoyed said recordings, though. They [the songs] sounded so much more impressive live and took the Satans from being a band I had never seen live, to one I’d like to see many times over.

The few glimpses I’ve caught of Tony’s voice, I’ve enjoyed it, and this night I was shown that he definitely has the chops to front a band. There’s a real folk quality to his singing voice, which sounds excellent on the slower songs, but he’s able to push it enough to where it also works on their more rock numbers.

They were very polished, and it was evident that they had put in a lot of work in rehearsing for this show, making them a worthy act to open for Centro-matic. As far as Satans’ shows go, I don’t think they play too terribly often. But to keep up to date with everything, just keep a check on their FACEBOOK PAGE. You can also check out all of their recordings on their BANDCAMP page, all of which are FREE to download (though you can pay for them if you want.)

It was only barely after ten, and already the members of Centro-matic were setting up their gear. It made me think that this may indeed be an earlier night, which would be great, because it would allow me to squeeze in one last band while here in Denton.

A little after 10:30, Will Johnson, Mark Hedman, Matt Pence and Scott Danbom stepped on stage. They hadn’t sold the place out like I thought they might, but there was a very healthy crowd there for a Thursday night, and everyone packed in tight around the stage, as they guys set to work…

“Flashes & Cables” opened up their set, as Will began softly singing the first few lines of it, “If we found the time, if we found the merriment. If we found the words, we’d scratch them in new cement…” They found their footing once they hit the chorus, when it swelled to a powerful rock number, due largely to the driving beats Matt was banging out. Upon finishing it, Will took a moment to thank Tony Ferraro. “…I salute your golden souls…” he said, speaking of the band. He genuinely seemed taken by their talent, and went on to say that they would take them to their next two gigs the following nights in Austin and Fort Worth, “…Somehow…”, Will added. After swooning over them for a few minutes, they continued on with the show. “…This next one is Fountains of Fire…” Will stated, as they tackled the song from 2001’s, “Distance and Clime” album. It seemed a bit too slow to me, at least too slow for so early on in the set. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, though, and plenty of people seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. The fans really didn’t get a chance to applaud that one, though, as Will played some notes on his guitar, winding it right into “Against the Line”. It was one of a few they did from their current record, “Candidate Waltz”, and it shows the unique knack Mr. Johnson has for penning songs, as there is no real chorus to it, yet it stands out as one of the strongest in both their catalog and live show. A brief break occurred afterwards, which lightened the mood as Will proceeded to talk about the “fun” they had been having in Denton earlier in the day. He mentioned that they had been hanging out, I believe on the east side of the square, where the “…Swords, gas masks and helmets…” were. The conversation lasted for a few minutes, and he mentioned how “exotic” the shop was. “…The trick is trying to figure out to write off swords, gas masks and helmets on your taxes…” he finished, before moving on, saying the next song was called “Iso-Residue”. That made for two of their most recent songs getting played back-to-back, and threw one more in there, segueing it into “All the Talkers”. I think they extended the break that happens about halfway through, to the point it made you think the song was over, before they started building it back up. That finished up the “Candidate Waltz” record, at least for the time being, but the band had another trick up their sleeve. Will casually mentioned that they had started working on a new record within the last month. He even dropped the title of it, which will be “Take Pride in Your Long Odds”, and they cranked out a tune that will appear on it. It sounded quite good, and now has me very intrigued about this forthcoming album. Sometime during the song, it hit a lull, during which Scott stood up from the keyboards he had been manning, walked over to center stage and got the bass from Mark, who in turn went and grabbed his guitar, giving them a fuller rock sound as they closed out that new track. (At least I assume that was all part of the same song.) Getting all that new stuff out of the way now meant it was time for the “hits”, or perhaps fan favorites is a better word to use, like “The Mighty Midshipman”, which Matt started them off on. Some more small talk was made once they finished it, and Will pointed out the unusual “…balance of people by the bar…” There was a cluster of them over in that direction, while the stage right section of the audience was pretty bare. “…There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said, “It’s just different…” He also set up the next song, another from the same album as their previous one, “Argonne Limit Co”. “…It’s about deep, dark holes… Lined with crystals…” he said. It was another softer one, but this far into the set, they had already established their rock dominance, so it was nice hearing them switch it up a bit. “Calling Thermatico” followed, which was a fitting one, as it brought things back up a little bit, but still had a similar flow as the one they had just done. Perhaps the best part of that song was near the end, when Will began clapping his hands rather rapidly, as he repeatedly crooned into the mic, “Oooooohh…”. They had something else in store from the nearly seven-year-old “Fort Recovery”, and it was my personal favorite Centro-matic song, “Patience For The Ride”. “…You can’t touch the forces of our hurricane, the forces of our hurricane hearts…” sang Will, changing up the first verse slightly from how it is on the recording, while Scott occasionally added some backing vocals to the mix. They raced through the barely over a minute-long, “The Connections Not so Civilized”, before getting to “Mandatory On the Attack”, which is off their earliest album. Its fast paced beats, and quick plucking of the strings on the guitars and bass, make it an insanely catchy tune. Well, that and the fact that Will manages to keep up with it all effortlessly, with the lyrics spewing from his mouth with ease. Upon finishing it, Scott relinquished his bass duties, giving it back to Mark, while he returned to the keys. That took them into “Huge In Every City”, where the keys were very prevalent, and one of the best things about the song. With the exception of the lengthy instrumental outro, where all four of them really let their musicianship take over, showing what pros they really are. At one point during all of that, Will even proceeded to jump up and down. Next, they cranked out “Rock And Roll Eyes”, which is one of their truest rock songs, and I’m glad it’s still a mainstay in their live sets, despite it being one of their oldest songs. Matt/patched the end of it right into the next song, which was the only other one I didn’t know this night. It sounded quite good, though. They took another break, while they welcomed an additional guitarist on stage, giving him time to set up. “Brent Best, everybody!” Will exclaimed, as the man walked on stage. He stuck around for their last few songs, which included the first single from “Candidate Waltz”, “Only In My Double Mind”. The beats at the beginning were very rhythmic, to the point of being hypnotic, and you knew right away you were about to hear something special. They really cut loose during the instrumental break in the middle of it, showing that Brent brought a lot to the table, and, if only for a few songs, helped elevate the bands performance to an even higher level than before (who knew that was possible.) It was Will who really rocked out, though, dropping to his knees as he just shred on his guitar for a bit. That could have been an excellent note to end on, but they had one last thing planned, and that was the shorter, “Fidgeting Wildly”, which capped off a 71-minute long set.

You would think an encore would be imminent, but after a minute or so passed, I started to wonder. After all, that had been quite a show, and anything they might have had left would be icing on the cake. Then, just when I was about to give up and leave, the four guys walked back on the stage, Will sans his guitar.

I had no clue what to expect, and Will prefaced it by saying it was going to be a love song. It was indeed, and a damn fine one at that. It was called “Love Has Found Me Somehow”, and was a sweet love song, without being too mushy, and Will even got almost everyone in the crowd to join him on a whistling part, which was a pretty cool moment, but not the best. First off, let me say that the beard Mr. Johnson was sporting makes him appear rather prophetic, like he could be some spiritual guru who could tell what the meaning of life is. Hell, the music he writes is so smart it kind of attests to that, and all of that served to make what happened next that much funnier in my opinion. Scott, Matt and Mark lightened the music, as Will announced he had invented a new dance. “…It might not be good,” he warned, “but it’s new…” He had dubbed it the “Belgian Waffle Maker”, saying it came from the free breakfast that the Hampton Inn offers, where you can make your own waffles. Catch is, it ends at ten in the morning. “…Now, ten’s a little too early. But okay, I’ll be there…” he said, and that joke received lots of laughs. He was very detailed with it all, saying when you get to the breakfast bar, there’s a line, “…of every single other person who waited until nine fifty-one to get up…”. Here’s where the dance came in, as he was talking about having to watch everyone make their waffle, and flip it over and over and over again. While he was talking about flipping them, he mimicked the motion with his hands, which he had pressed together, flipping from one side to the other. You really had to be there to fully get it, and it was damn near one of the funniest things I’ve seen at a show. But best of all, that wasn’t the only new dance he had created, and he said he had also done one with his daughter a few days before. I think he said something like, “I’m not sure if it traumatized her or not…”, before he began randomly placing his hands all over his body, then moved them elsewhere, and he picked up speed the longer he did it. By the time that ended, I was near tears from laughing so hard, so it was a good thing they resumed the song and closed it out. That wasn’t the end of the show, though. No, they had one final song for everybody, and closing out their 11-minute encore was “Tied to the Trailer”, during which they again enlisted some help from Brent Best.

I haven’t seen many concerts so far this year, but this was the best one yet. And I have a strong feeling it’ll be one of the best ones I see all year.

Very few bands make it to see their sixteenth year, and all the time they’ve spent together is obvious at their live show. Despite the fact that they all live in different cities now, and they don’t play too often, they are still tighter than most bands could ever hope to be, and while they are seasoned veterans, they can give even the youngest, most energetic bands a run for their money in terms of performance.

Centro-matic really is an institution when it comes to Texas music, and are hands down one of the best acts in the state. I just hate that I didn’t really come across them until late 2011.

They have a bounty of records you can buy, all of which can be purchased HERE. And while they don’t have any shows at the moment, they will no doubt be back out sometime later in the year. Hopefully they’ll get back to the Dallas area for another gig before they release the record they’re currently working on, too.

That may have been the end of this show, but my night in Denton wasn’t quite over with yet…

Note for next year: Keep track of all the albums I get throughout the year AS I get them. Don’t wait until the end of the year to a list of all of them and then go through the list to figure out a “Top 10”.

Ha. Lesson learned, I guess.

Anyway, here’s my rundown of the best stuff from 2012. I’ll start with the albums of 2012, and if you don’t know, I split this list in two sections; LP’s and EP’s.

I’ll begin with the former, and after my top ten picks, I’ll have every single other record I bought mentioned, too. After all, the whole reason I do this blog in the first place is to spread the word about great, independent music, and that can’t be done effectively if I only promote ten of albums I purchased during the last twelve months.

I was able to narrow my picks down to a “Sweet 16”, and having to cut out six stellar records proved to be harder than I thought. But in the end, this is what I came up with…

 TOP 10 LP’s of 2012

1.) Artist: Toadies

Album: Play.Rock.Music.

Must Listen Song: “We Burned the City Down”

Purchase on iTunes

2.) Artist: Delta Spirit

Album: Delta Spirit

Must Listen Song: “Empty House”

Purchase on iTunes

3.) Artist: Somebody’s Darling

Album: Jank City Shakedown

Must Listen Song: “Weight of the Fear”

Purchase on iTunes

4.) Artist: The Opium Symphony

Album: Blame It On the Radio

Must Listen Song: “Jukebox Junkie”

Purchase on iTunes

5.) Artist: Dovetail

Album: Mount Karma

Must Listen Song: “Julie”

Purchase on iTunes

6.) Artist: of Verona

Album: The White Apple

Must Listen Song: “Unique In its Madness”

Purchase on iTunes

7.) Artist: The Virgin Wolves

Album: Pretty Evil Thing

Must Listen Song: “End of the Line”

Purchase at a live show

8.) Artist: Milo Greene

Album: Milo Greene

Must Listen Song: “Cutty Love”

Purchase on iTunes

9.) Artist: Ronnie Fauss

Album: I Am The Man You Know I’m Not

Must Listen Song: “A Pretty Nice Night for Houston”

Purchase on iTunes

10.) Artist: The Phuss

Album: The Phuss

Must Listen Song: “The Romantic”

Purchase on iTunes

Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order)

Artist: 12 Gauge Warning

Album: What Have I Done?

Must Listen Song: “Subside”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: A Silent Film

Album: Sand & Snow

Must Listen Song: “Harbour Lights”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Aerosmith

Album: Music From Another Dimension!

Must Listen Song: “Lover Alot”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Ambassadors

Album: Litost

Must Listen Song: “Falls”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Anthony Green

Album: Beautiful Things

Must Listen Song: “Right Outside” (On Deluxe Version ONLY)

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Arkells

Album: Michigan Left

Must Listen Song: “Michigan Left”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Band of Skulls

Album: Sweet Sour

Must Listen Song: “Wanderluster”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Barcelona

Album: Not Quite Yours

Must Listen Song: “Slipping Away”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Ben Kweller

Album: Go Fly a Kite

Must Listen Song: “Jealous Girl”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Best Coast

Album: The Only Place

Must Listen Song: “Better Girl”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Black Taxi

Album: We Don’t Know Any Better

Must Listen Song: “Tightrope”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Breakfast Machine

Album: A Pitch to the Wind

Must Listen Song: “Mayoween”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Album: Wrecking Ball

Must Listen Song: “Death to My Hometown”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Burning Slow

Album: Diversity

Must Listen Song: “Walls of Glass”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Butterfly Boucher

Album: Butterfly Boucher

Must Listen Song: “Not Fooling Around”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Chloes

Album: Vanish

Must Listen Song: “Put it Away”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Circa Survive

Album: Violent Waves

Must Listen Song: “Sharp Practice”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Classic Crime

Album: Phoenix

Must Listen Song: “Young Again”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Clepto

Album: Kebab: Live off the Grill

Must Listen Song: “Cry Me a River”

Purchase at a live show

Artist: Clint Niosi

Album: For Pleasure and Spite

Must Listen Song: “Shark In Your Water”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Dead Sara

Album: Dead Sara

Must Listen Song: “Timed Blues”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Deadbeat Darling

Album: The Angel’s Share

Must Listen Song: “Insomnia Salvation”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Diesel & Dixie

Album: Short Wave Rodeo

Must Listen Song: “Iron Herd”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Delta Rae

Album: Carry the Fire

Must Listen Song: “Bottom of the River”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Driver Friendly

Album: Bury A Dream

Must Listen Song: “Messidona”

Artist: Eleven Hundred Springs

Album: Midway

Must Listen Song: “Hard Working Just Ain’t Working Anymore”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Evans Blue

Album: Graveyard of Empires

Must Listen Song: “Crawl Inside”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Gaslight Anthem

Album: Handwritten

Must Listen Song: “Mulholland Drive”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Ghost Hotel

Album: Do You Feel It?

Must Listen Song: “Simple Fiction”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Goodnight Ned

Album: Smoke From the Sails

Must Listen Song: “Papa Jack’s Bag”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: J. Charles and the Trainrobbers

Album: Upon Leaving

Must Listen Song: “Something Wrong”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Jana Kramer

Album: Jana Kramer

Must Listen Song: “I Hope it Rains”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Jason Eady

Album: AM Country Heaven

Must Listen Song: “A.M. Country Heaven”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: JJAMZ

Album: Suicide Pact

Must Listen Song: “Suicide Pact”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Katie Carroll

Album: Desperada

Must Listen Song: Tie between “If I’m Still Falling” and “Dreams” (Stevie Nicks cover)

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Koniac Net

Album: One Last Monsoon

Must Listen Song: “This Time Around”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Lauren Mann And The Fairly Odd Folk

Album: Over Land And Sea

Must Listen Song: “Love, I Lost”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Lindby

Album: Erikson

Must Listen Song: “Here We Are Now”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Long Sword Spectacular

Album: Long Sword Spectacular

Must Listen Song: “Firewalk”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Madisons

Album: Desgraciados

Must Listen Song: “El Paso”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Midnight Empire

Album: Everything And Nothing

Must Listen Song: “Misery”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Minus the Bear

Album: Infinity Overhead

Must Listen Song: “Lies and Eyes”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Missy Higgins

Album: The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle

Must Listen Song: “Tricks”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Mon Julien

Album: Mon Julien

Must Listen Song: “Punchline”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Moonlight Social

Album: Heading South

Must Listen Song: “Neither Are You”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Mothership

Album: Mothership

Must Listen Song: “City Nights”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Neckties

Album: Chop And Change

Must Listen Song: “Lies”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Neon Trees

Album: Picture Show

Must Listen Song: “Hooray for Hollywood”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Nervous Curtains

Album: Fake Infinity

Must Listen Song: “Cats In the Dark”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Night Gallery

Album: Loud As The Sun

Must Listen Song: “Separation Anxiety”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Parabelle

Album: Your Starry Eyes Will Never Make Us Even

Must Listen Song: “Whisper”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Pebaluna

Album: Carny Life

Must Listen Song: “Honey”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Public Love Affair

Album: Soul Shaker

Must Listen Song: “Won’t Ever Be Defeated”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Riverboat Gamblers

Album: The Wolf You Feed

Must Listen Song: “Bite My Tongue”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Riversyde

Album: See Us Now

Must Listen Song: “What’s Love About”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Roomsounds

Album: We’re #1

Must Listen Song: “Kinks”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Royality

Album: Lovers

Must Listen Song: “Mr. Hyde”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: RTB2

Album: 2

Must Listen Song: “Wire to the Walls”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Said Kelley

Album: Cupcake

Must Listen Song: “Make Me Up”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sara Radle

Album: Same Sun Shines

Must Listen Song: “The Pins”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sarah Jaffe

Album: The Body Wins

Must Listen Song: “Glorfied High”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Silvergun & Spleen

Album: Semi Truck

Must Listen Song: “An Eye for an Eye”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sleeper Agent

Album: Calebrasion

Must Listen Song: “Be My Monster”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sleigh Bells

Album: Reign of Terror

Must Listen Song: “Demons”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Smile Empty Soul

Album: 3’s

Must Listen Song: “Warning”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Smile Smile

Album: Marry A Stranger

Must Listen Song: “Fatal Flaw”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sonar Lights

Album: Here We Are

Must Listen Song:  “Oversaturated”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Spook Easy

Album: Faux Show

Must Listen Song: “Arrive Alive”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Stars

Album: The North

Must Listen Song: “Backlines”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Steven Graves

Album: Matter of Time

Must Listen Song: “Right From My Heart”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sucre

Album: A Minor Bird

Must Listen Song: “When We Were Young”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Sword

Album: Apocryphon

Must Listen Song: “The Veil of Isis”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Taylor Marie

Album: Breaking Points & Sleepless Nights

Must Listen Song: “Imprint”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Trebuchet

Album: Said A to B

Must Listen Song: “Sing of the Times”

Purchase at a live show

Artist: Turnpike Troubadours

Album: Goodbye Normal Street

Must Listen Song: “Before the Devil Knows We’re Dead”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Vespers

Album: The Fourth Wall

Must Listen Song: “Footprints in the Snow”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Wedding

Album: No Direction

Must Listen Song: “Kill Any Excuse”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Will Johnson

Album: Scorpion

Must Listen Song: “Winter Screen Four”

Purchase on iTunes

TOP 10 EPs of 2012

1.) Artist: Always The Alibi

Album: We Are Waiting

Must Listen Song: “We Are Waiting”

Purchase on iTunes

2.) Artist: SpaceCamp

Album: The Daydreamers Guide to: Wasting Time

Must Listen Song: “Before You Die”

Purchase on iTunes

3.) Artist: Admiral Grey

Album: Long Road

Must Listen Song: “Pulling Strings”

Purchase on their online merch store

4.) Artist: The Soldier Thread

Album: The Bull EP

Must Listen Song: “Pretty Bones”

Purchase on iTunes

5.) Artist: April Kry

Album: Music Speaks

Must Listen Song: “Symphony of Misery”

Purchase on iTunes

6.) Artist: Meridian

Album: Meridian

Must Listen Song: “Nights Like This”

Purchase on iTunes

7.) Artist: Serosia

Album: Variables

Must Listen Song: “Superposition”

Purchase on iTunes

8.) Artist: We the Ghost

Album: My Mixtape Summer

Must Listen Song: “Swallow the Key”

Purchase on iTunes

9.) Artist: Ifs and Buts

Album: Ifs and Buts

Must Listen Song: “Little Bit”

Listen to it on Soundcloud

10.) Artist: People On Vacation

Album: The Summer and The Fall (NOTE: This is technically an LP, though some of the songs are from their debut EP. Hence, why I’m putting it in the EP category.)

Must Listen Song: “Because Of The Sun”

Purchase on iTunes

Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order)

Artist: Abacu5

Album: Sandwich Squad

Must Listen Song: “Say What You Want”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Alyssa Sease

Album: Lay Rest Your Soul

Must Listen Song: “Lay Rest Your Soul”

Free download on Noisetrade.com

Artist: The American Tragedy

Album: The Flame

Must Listen Song: “Blood On the Stage”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Anydoll

Album: Anydoll

Must Listen Song: “You Are Amazing”

Artist: Aprilemade

Album: Bright

Must Listen Song: “Come On”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Beat Dolls

Album: Death of the Party

Must Listen Song: “We’ll See”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Beta Wolf

Album: Just Before Morning

Must Listen Song: “Just Before Morning”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Bethan

Album: Chapter 1:

Must Listen Song: “Pyewacket”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Bravo Delta

Album: Sunset Wasteland

Must Listen Song: “Loose Cannon”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Cozy Hawks

Album: No Blues

Must Listen Song: “Water Wings”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Daylight Industries

Album: Future of an Illusion

Must Listen Song: “Something’s Wrong”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Eisley

Album: Deep Space

Must Listen Song: “Lights Out”

Purchase on iTunes 

Artist: Flatworld

Album: Contradictions

Must Listen Song: “Dark”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Kelsey Schneider

Album: Brother

Must Listen Song: “Something’s Got to Give”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Loyal Sally

Album: Things From Thoughts

Must Listen Song: “Stereo”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Loyal Sally

Album: Pleased to Meet You!

Must Listen Song: “The Ride”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Merriment

Album: Through the Rough

Must Listen Song: “Rewind”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Nikki Jensen

Album: Under The Rain Tree:

Must Listen Song: “Hypotheticals”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Oddlot

Album: Oddlot

Must Listen Song: “Howl”

Free download on Reverbnation

Artist: Pistol Whippin’ Ike

Album: Dying The Dream

Must Listen Song: “Last Cigarette”

Purchase at live shows

Artist: Red Angel Theory

Album: When the Dust Settles

Must Listen Song: “Inception”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Roses & Revolutions

Album: Earth & Everything

Must Listen Song: “Fall Away”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Signs of Reason

Album: One Bullet Away

Must Listen Song: “Where Rockstars Go to Die”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: The Soldier Thread

Album: Matador - Single

Must Listen Song: “Anybody”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Steven Graves

Album: Let it Ride

Must Listen Song: “Take a Stand”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Sunward

Album: A Magical Display of Lights and Rays

Must Listen Song: “Wooden Birds”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Urizen

Album: Boxmakers

Must Listen Song: “Boxmakers”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Waking Alice

Album: Retribution - Single

Must Listen Song: “Treason”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: We the Ghost

Album: White Noise

Must Listen Song: “Wash These Sins Away”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: Windsor Drive

Album: Wanderlust

Must Listen Song: “Wide Eyed at Midnight”

Purchase on iTunes

Artist: You vs. Me

Album: The Book Of…

Must Listen Song: “Break”

Purchase on Bandcamp

Artist: Zoe Ann

Album: Zoe Ann - Single

Must Listen Song: “Better Than Revenge”

Purchase on iTunes

When it comes to shows, I had a much more difficult time at picking out a top ten list. Out of nearly 130 shows I attended this past year, I narrowed the list of potentials down to about 40. Cutting nearly 30 out took a lot of thought, but I did it. This is the result…

1.) The FEDS (Reunion show) at Dan’s Silverleaf on June 28*

2.) The FEDS (Reunion show) with Space Cadet (Reunion show) & Upside (Reunion show) at Friday Curtain Club  on January 13*

3.) Toadies with Quiet Company at Billy Bob’s Texas on October 13

4.) Blue October with A Silent Film & Barcelona at House of Blues on November 23

5.) Delta Spirit at House of Blues on November 4

6.) Bravo, Max! at Club Dada with Somebody’s Darling & Goodnight Ned on October 6

7.) Missy Higgins at Granada Theater with Katie Herzig & Butterfly Boucher on September 12

8.) Milo Greene at LaGrange with The Southern Renaissance on October 10

9.) Night Gallery at Curtain Club with Dark Horse Darling, Meridian & Daylight Industries on June 30

10.) Opium Symphony at Curtain Club with The Orange & The Breakfast Machine on June 8

(After three years since there farewell performance, it feels DAMN good to be able to again include The FEDS on this list… Even if it is a possible one-time only thing.)

Oddly enough, half of that list is national touring acts, and it was almost painful to leave out some astounding local shows. That’s why (unlike some other blogs) I don’t do some random “Top 59” lists or something like that, because top ten ones make it more of a challenge. I would however like to throw out a couple honorable mentions to two of the festivals I attended this year which barely missed the cut. One was Dia De Los Toadies, while the other was the Homegrown Music & Arts Festival.

2012 was an interesting year, in both positive and negative aspects.

On the good side, in December I marked my one year anniversary of podcasting, and there’s no denying I’ve come along way on that front. (There’s still PLENTY of room for improvement, mind you, but I’ve gotten much more comfortable and confident behind a mic.)

Speaking of that, my WhiskeyBoy Radio family put on a benefit concert in August where we raised $1,00 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. That was definitely a highlight of the year for me, knowing we were helping out a worthy cause.

On that note, Matt (of WhiskeyBoy Radio), another party and I formed RYA Entertainment and put on a few concerts. It was fun, though there were some, shall we say, circumstances, that resulted in a lot of grief. Still, it was fun times.

I think those are the highlights, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t add becoming closer friends with some musicians I already knew, and getting acquainted with some badass ones I did not previously know.

Oh, and of course I need to shout out the Granada Theater (specifically Tim and Gavin), both of whom have been kind enough to get me into some killer shows at the venue this past year. Go check out the place, as it is my second favorite venue in Dallas!

Those far out way the bad things of 2012 (at least in terms of music), like the debacle that was (and is) the band, Rains. That was, and will always be, the worst show I’ve ever seen, and I still regret the fact that money was spent to get into that one.

The only other thing I can think to add to this negative list is something I’ve been quite about since it happened, except for a brief reference on one of my podcasts. I feel compelled to get it out now, though.

Back in mid-October I went to see a show at the City Tavern in Dallas, and of course had to show my ID to gain entry to the venue. The door guy then looked at my driver’s license, held it up to the light from a street lamp and bent it every which way. He asked me what year I graduated high school, and when I answered him, told me that wasn’t right. He then told me, “…I can’t let you in with this…”, and when I responded with, “That’s funny, because it’s gotten me in practically every single club in Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth.” He responded with the ultimate asshole answer. “Doesn’t matter, it’s not getting you in this one.”

What incensed me the most about that incident wasn’t even the fact that I missed out on seeing a concert I had been anticipating for a couple months. It was the fact that Mr. Incompetent effectively called into question my entire character by accusing me of having a fake ID, and that is one thing I will never tolerate from anyone. My records spotless, in any and all aspects, and for the legitimacy of my state issued driver’s license, which plainly states that I am twenty-three, to be questioned made me irate.

I only mention this now as a cautionary tale to anyone who owns any type of establishment. Make sure you know the people you hire are competent enough to treat people with respect. In this case, make sure whoever you have working your door has a black light to use on all IDs so they can determine the real ones from the fakes. Better yet, make sure their intelligence level is high enough to tell the two apart. Because for better or worse, how an employ treats a (potential) customer reflects back on the company that hired them, and when you are treated the way I was, then you have absolutely no desire to ever even think about returning to the venue/restaurant/store/etc.

Oh, I forgot the kicker. Before trying to get in there I had left a show that was twenty-one and up only show that was sponsored by Jack Daniel’s which I got into no problem. And I had to pay $10 to park in a parking garage here, which meant I basically paid a guy $10 to park my car, then immediately go get it for me.

I guess that covers the big stuff of 2012. I hope you enjoyed this list, and I really encourage you to check out some of those bands you may not be familiar with when you have a chance to, as they will not disappoint.

So cheers, and here’s to a rockin’ 2013!

Nearly three years in to their career, The Virgin Wolves have accomplished more than most bands do, or even can in that time frame.

For starters, they expanded from a husband-and-wife duo of Chase and Jaimeson Robbins, to a well-rounded five-piece outfit that has the release of two EP’s under their belt. Both were crucial to capturing and subsequently growing their fan base, though the main draw to the band is probably what they are best known for; their fiery, brash live performance.

That has helped make them into an institution of the North Texas music scene, yet they’ve still lacked something that is key to any band, and that is a full-length record.

Well, they’re finally getting around to releasing one, and their debut full-length is titled, “Pretty Evil Thing”.

The record isn’t all brand spankin’ new material, nor is just the same old tracks from their previous EP’s added in as “filler”. Instead, they tweaked many older songs and peppered in some new offerings, too.

One song that has been tweaked is “Black Sheep”, which is not only the lead track on the record, but also the first single. A fury of drumbeats now begins the song, as some guitar feedback is laced over it and gradually swells, giving way to the series of chords that the fans should be all too familiar with. The big difference with them, though, is they bear a much slicker and more polished sound. Jaimeson’s voice also has more of a snarl to it and is loaded with attitude, which is more reflective of what the song has evolved into in the live setting. But one of the best revisions here is the instrumental bridge at around the 1:50 mark, which incorporates some more soulful notes, but done in a manner that only The Virgin Wolves can pull off.

“Crawl” is another song to receive a bit of a facelift, again beginning with some percussion, which is heavier on the bass drum now. The same can be said for it as the opening track, at least in the general sense that it, too, has been tightened up all the way around. But perhaps the best addition on this one is the layering of backing vocals, which are used at various points throughout and add a cool “echo” effect. That is at its best at the end of the second verse, on the line, “…Gave myself three cigarettes and whistled just like a bird.” It’s simply the way “bird” is enunciated, which sounds quite beautiful.

Your first glimpse (or rather, listen) of the bands new material comes with the next song, “End Of The Line”, which is intriguing to say the least. It’s a vast departure from the niche they’ve carved out for themselves, and, at times, has a certain Pop flare to it, which is something lacking in all of their other songs. There’s something to be said for a band that will push themselves and step out of their comfort zone a bit, though. The multiple vocals create an interesting dynamic that works surprisingly well, especially in the first half, which features a very simple guitar riff that will have you mesmerized. It’s also rather dark and moody, and occasionally makes the transition into an aggressive Rock that is sure to stick with you. All of that helps make it an exceptional song, and not just my personal favorite on this album, but any of the previous ones, too.

“What You Want To Hear” is another oldie that has undergone a drastic overhaul, and not just in the title change. The music bed is completely different and much slower on the verses, with more of a Classic Rock/Blues vibe to it. In contrast, the choruses are full of piss and vinegar, especially the way the lyrics, “No matter how hard I try, you see the guilty in my eye. And I tell you what you want to hear…”, are sung. It’s a beast of a song, and they managed to take something that was good and expand upon and transform it into something incredible.

Another completely new offering is “Same Familiar”. That’s an apt title in some ways, because it’s everything you have come to expect from the band. It’s unapologetic dirty, raw Rock ‘n’ Roll, which is no doubt what they specialize in, and is pulled off exceedingly well here. That’s all I’ve got on this one, because the song speaks for itself.

“Lies” has also gotten a few touch-ups, but nothing too major. The rhythm section isn’t quite as heavy on this new version (it’s certainly still there, though), but the most noticeable difference is the cleaner sound this one has. You can better hear the nuances of the bass and guitars, which does elevate the listening experience. Aside from that, it’s essentially the same song you already know, just with a more refined sound.

“Crooked Smile” is another new original, and is also the song where the album title comes from. It’s still gritty Rock, and on the surface it fits hand in hand with any of their other material. However, like the other new songs on the album, the bands growth is obvious upon close inspection. There’s just a subtle, more mature sound to it on every level. For example, take this line from the second verse, which, if I understand it correctly, is, “…Don’t break no lies, don’t fake no smiles, do only what you mean…”. It’s simple, yet unbelievably deep.

Another older song with a new sound and name is “Oh, Sugar”. The Blues sound has been poured on, even heavier than what it was, and what really jumped out at me are the guitars, which have a much crisper sound, and the stellar riffs are quite inspiring. There’s also a big difference on the vocals and how various parts are sung. It’s all for the better, as it complements the music much better now, and is another prime example of a decent song that they have turned into something that’s off the charts.

A lot of albums begin to lag around the ninth track or so, but not “Pretty Evil Thing”. At this point, you get to what is arguable their most powerful song live, “Virtue And Vice”. It’s also the one that benefits the most from being re-recorded, as they managed to perfectly capture the intensity and energy that you experience at a live performance. At two minutes and forty-five seconds, it is the shortest song on the record, but it’s also the most explosive. But what really makes this one is the edgy, in-your-face screaming, like on the chorus, “…But you better act real nice, I don’t want to tell you twice…”, which comes across more like a demand than anything, and one that you best heed.

The two remaining songs are also ones that have been revamped, one of which is “Vagabonds”. It’s very similar to the original version, but with a richer, fuller sound, and a little more incendiary, too.

“Bad” brings the record to a close, and it has a more well rounded sound this time around. There’s also a ton of ferocity in this version, and that brings this 39-minute long album to a sensational and powerful close.

I’m really astounded by “Pretty Evil Thing”, simply because it captures the bands spirit so well. For those who have yet to see the group, listening to this record will give you a spot on idea of what a show is like. And for those who have seen them, then you’ll finally have something to listen to that does the band justice.

I mean, really, how many albums have you listened to that you can say, “That captures that bands sound to the tee!” Personally, I’ve heard a small handful, but more often than not bands will use some “studio magic” here and there, which makes it where they can’t pull off a track live in the way their fans know it.

There’s nothing even remotely like that on this one, though. It’s simply The Virgin Wolves doing what they do best; rocking out.

Their more collected then before and even more mature sounding, which gives the impression that “Pretty Evil Thing” is the first real release from the band.

I think this has been of the more anticipated records of 2012, as far as the local music scene is concerned, and it lives up to both the hype and expectations. I can also see this album serving as a jumping off point for the band, (hopefully) taking them to a stage much larger than that of North Texas.

The Virgin Wolves is:
Chase Robbins - Lead guitar & backing vocals
Jaimeson Robbins - Lead Vocals
Kristin Leigh - Bass & backing vocals
Steve Phillips - Drums
Carson Coldiron - Guitar & backing vocals

Purchase the album on:
(I will update this when the album becomes available in digital format.)

Visit The Virgin Wolves’ websites:
Official Website / Facebook / Reverbnation / Twitter / Youtube

Current shows include:
December 31st they will be at Wit’s End (Formerly The Bone) in Dallas. / January 11th they will be at Club Dada in Dallas. / January 18th they will be at Andy’s Bar in Denton. / January 19th they will be at The Prophet Bar in Dallas. / For their full calendar of show dates, go HERE.

Photo credit: Will von Bolton

This was bound to be an awesome night at Rubber Gloves.

The best Metal band out of Austin, The Sword, recently released their new album, “Apocryphon”, and of course with a new album comes a new tour. And tonight, their tour was leading them to Denton, and seeing them was a perfect reason to make the drive up to Denton.

The first act of the night was an instrumental band from Austin, Eagle Claw. Now, I’ve said many times in the past, I am not a fan of instrumental music, so I wasn’t too excited about seeing them. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

By the time I made it up to Rubber Gloves the band had already done there thing and the next act, Gypsyhawk, was pretty much setup and raring to go.

I’ll be frank, personally, Gypsyhawk’s music didn’t appeal to me a whole lot. I wouldn’t say I disliked them, but music is supposed to ignite something within you. It’s supposed to get you excited and make you feel something, and that did not happen for me. Not with these guys.

However, I believe being impartial is a must, and just because I didn’t enjoy their music doesn’t mean I couldn’t or didn’t appreciate it.

When it comes down to music it’s always the voice that makes it or breaks it for me. And while I wasn’t too keen on vocalist and bassist, Eric Harris’s growl of a voice, it did fit well with the nostalgic Metal sounds they produced. And by that I mean they had a Classic, true Metal sound. Most of what they did this night came off their latest effort, “Revelry & Resilience”, such as the second song of their set, “The Fields”. “…This one’s about quantum physics…” Eric said before they started the tune. But some songs from an older EP were also performed this night. I believe one was “Commander of the High Forest”, and I know they did a song that bears the same name as the band, as Eric simply put it as a song about, “…Fucking girls and then leaving town…”.

Okay, those songs and everything else they fit into their 35 to 40-minute long set might not have been my cup of tea, but there’s no denying that these guys are excellent musicians. Guitarists, Erik Kluiber and Andrew Packer, did nothing but shred and rock out. Eric had a nice swagger as well, and knew how to play the bass with the right amount of force, yet also seemed gracefully in doing it. As for drummer, Ian Brown, I couldn’t see much of him, but what glimpses I caught, he was tearing it up.

I might not have become a real fan of Gypsyhawk’s, but they are a great band.

You can find both of their records right HERE in iTUNES. They will also be joining The Sword on all their show dates through December, and you can find all the cities they will be rocking HERE. They’ll also be in Dallas on December 17th at Trees.

After a seemingly short set change, everything was ready for The Sword to take the stage, and then came the waiting.

They didn’t leave the packed Rubber Gloves waiting too long, though. And shortly before 10:30, lead guitarist, Kyle Shutt, singer and guitarist, John Cronise, drummer, Santiago Vela III, and bassist, Bryan Richie, walked onto the stage, too much fanfare. They waved a bit and smiled at the fans as they got their instruments, and then it was on.

What better way to begin a show than with the lead track and single from the bands new album, “The Veil of Isis”. The intro itself got the fans fired up, and once Santiago started pounding away on the drums, a good portion of the people began banging their heads in synch to it. Then John opened his mouth to sing the first line, “As the night arrives the day concedes her crown…”. Sadly, this was were the only hindrance of their set came in to play, though it was certainly not the bands fault. The sound system at Rubber Gloves isn’t always the best, and such was the case tonight, and for the first few songs, it was next to impossible to understand what was being sung. Yes, it sucked, but there are some lengthy (and heavy) instrumental parts on that song, and at least those weren’t impacted. They fiddled with their instruments for a moment, and whether it was their intention or not, that little delay succeed in building anticipation for their next song. It was the only of their set that I didn’t know. Perhaps a cover, or maybe a song that has never made a record, either way, it was every bit as good as everything else they did this night. Santiago wound that song right into the next, “Hammer of Heaven”, before John and Kyle ripped into their guitars and Bryan started attacking his bass, truly getting it underway. I was slightly surprised, seeing as the song was released as a one-off single earlier this year, which gave me the impression it was more to get something new to the fans rather than one that would make its way into the live show. It was a beast of a song live, though, and Bryan and Kyle shouted the chorus, which is the song title, right along with John, giving it a lot of extra force. By this point, all of the technical kinks had been resolved, and the vocal were much clearer… And just in time, too. They soon busted into “Tres Brujas”, which got everyone worked into a frenzy, and a small mosh pit was born. It lasted throughout the show, though fizzled out here and there, and it did make it hard to fully watch the band, but that’s part of what comes with seeing a band like The Sword. Anyway, it was great getting to hear that song, seeing as it is my personal favorite of the bands, and it was the mythical lyrics like those in that tune that captivated me and made me a fan of theirs in the first place. The music was obviously the main focus of their performance, in the fact that they seldom spoke to the crowd, instead doing the songs as close together as they could, and next up they pulled out “Maiden, Mother & Crone”. After it, they did an older one from 2006’s “Age of Winters”, “The Horned Goddess”. The song has never stuck out to me on the recording, but life, it’s a whole different matter. While instrumental stuff isn’t my thing, it’s the instrumental portions that really make the song. Be it the full-band going with the flow of the music bed or the short, incendiary guitar solo Kyle goes into. It’s just thick, delectable Metal that will have you banging you head to the music at every possible chance. “We’re gonna play some new songs for you…” John said after that song concluded, as they geared up to do some more stuff from “Apocryphon”. “Cloak of Feathers” was song they did from it, while Bryan started them on the rhythm heavy, “The Hidden Masters”, with some light bass notes, which soon grew more thunderous. “This next song is called Seven Sisters.” John told the crowd. It’s a standout track from the album, and it’s every bit as good live as the recording would lead you to believe. I liked that tactic, start with mostly older stuff, then throw some new tunes in around the halfway mark, but they made sure not to overdo it, and next got back to their classics with the fan favorite, “Freya”. It was pure, in-your-face Metal complete with some killer guitar licks, proving that old-school Sword songs are sometimes the best. After “To Take The Black”, they did two final new songs, the first of which John dedicated to the East Coasters who had survived hurricane Sandy. “…Hopefully they aren’t in the Eyes of the Stormwitch…” he said, then added that was the title of their next song. It’s a good one, but I was more enthralled by the title track itself, “Apocryphon”, which was one of their best songs of the night, as it was one they seemed to be really into. They had been telling their fans for the last few songs they were nearing the end, and now came the final song of their 71-minute long set. They then lit into “The Chronomancer I: Hubris”, which gave the show a nice, finalized feeling, yet also left you wanting more.

And surely there would be more. Right?

Maybe thirty seconds passed from the time they disappeared backstage to the time one of their roadies walked on stage and to the center mic. “Are there any Sword fans here!?” he asked. The fans erupted, to which he said, “Well let ‘em know!”. After he finished and started to walk away, the band reemerged, took their spots, and got ready for a 9-minute encore.

They had in-store two fan favorites, both of which are my favorites by the band. First up was “Barael’s Blade”, and when they got to the part where John starts singing, they chose to instead repeat most of the intro again. When they got to the chorus of the song, they let the audience handle it, as almost everyone shouted out, “Behold! The bastard’s blade!” They quickly moved on to the next and last song, and with a few light taps on one of his cymbals, Santiago revealed it to be the song that everyone seemed to want to hear most, “Winter’s Wolves”. “Can’t you see what you have wrought here? Bloody battles will be fought here…” John soon sang, before getting to what is my favorite line from their songs, “…I would mount your head on bloody spears outside your palace gates, and watch as crows peck out your eyes, and your cities are laid to waste.” They then brought it to an end as most bands do, all striking their instruments a few times in unison, Bryan viciously so, allowing the sound to resonate a little in between, before stopping it all together.

Even with the technical difficulties at the start, this was still a spectacular performance. They brought their A game and left it all on the stage, and how many bands do you see these days that do that?

Really, The Sword is one of those bands that every other band could take lessons from. They’re phenomenal performers and incredible musicians who know how to make extraordinary music. Metal music that is. Anymore, (most) Metal bands have singers that scream incoherently, but just like the band that opened for them, The Sword is a band that pays homage to the classic sound of the genre, but with a definite modern influence. And John actually sings, not doing anything even close to screaming.

I was blown away by their set, and my third time seeing the band live was definitely the best.

The band will be touring the U.S. in support of “Apocryphon” until December 18th, with a European tour starting in early January. You can find all their tour dates HERE, and if they are coming to a city near you, believe me, you don’t want to miss out on them. Also, they will be back in the area on December 17th, performing at Tree’s in Dallas. Also be sure to check out their records in ITUNES.

When they finished, it wasn’t even midnight yet, making this a VERY early show by Denton standards. I was glad for that, though, because that meant I could get home at a decent hour, even with the hour long drive back.

Dallas or Denton? I was on the fence as to where to go and what show to see, at least until Matt “WhiskeyBoy” (shameless plug, check out the WhiskeyBoy Radio Network) asked if I was going to go to the one up in Denton at Andy’s Bar. “If you’re going I’ll try to go.” he said, and I told him I’d definitely be there if he was able to get away from his family life for a bit, because it’s always great to hang out with that guy. There were a lot of other friendly faces there, too. “Otter” from Night Gallery, Jeremy from SpaceCamp, Cody of the late, great Truffula Tree, and a handful of others. So not only was this going to be a great night of rock music, but good company, too.

I arrived as The Commotion was finishing sound check and just about ready to play. “I need another perspective, ‘cause this one’s trying to cage my mind…”, sang vocalist and guitarist, Micah Creel, starting them into the routine opener, “Carry On”. Guitarists, Josh Sanders and Justin Middleton, bassist, Justin Hold, and drummer, Ross Rubio, soon joined, and once the song picked up its pace, they let loose. The stage was a bit cramped with all five of them, and it did seem to hinder them as far as movement goes, specifically Justin H., though they didn’t let that stop them from rocking out, thrashing around to the beats. A sample track began to play, segueing them right into “Crim”, which has the ever so great chorus, “Your contagious smile spreads like wildfire, infecting everyone within sight.” They followed it with a cover of a HUM song, “Stars”, and then went into a couple new songs, one after the other. Both sounded great, and they seemed to have even more of a pure rock sound than what their older stuff does. Speaking of older material, they got back to it with “Just a Test”, another song that shows what a great writer Micah is, with the line, “…Nothing in life will ever come easy. No, not if it has such powerful meaning…”. With that, they were already at the final song of their 30 minute set, and they ended with the catchy, “Backseat Driver (Wash it Away)”.

It was a very good set, and these guys never disappoint. But as was discussed on the WBR Podcast a couple nights later (check it out HERE), The Commotion has never (to my knowledge) headlined a show. They are more than capable, and have several songs they no longer do but could if they had the time. It comes across more like the band is a fun project for them, and if that’s all they want out of it, then that’s fine. They certainly have their fan base (which obviously includes myself) and out on a good show… But they could be so much more. You can next see them on September 29th at The Curtain Club in Dallas.

Next up was Paco Estrada, who has been laying fairly low these days. Used to you could expect at least one show a month from him, but the last time I remember seeing one of his shows was when he played here back in May, with very few D-FW area shows since then. It wasn’t just him, though, as he had a band of sorts with him. One guy playing a bass, one on the drums, while Paco of course played an acoustic guitar. They, too got a 30 minute set, and fit various songs from Paco’s career into it. Up first where a couple songs from Paco’s latest album, “The Definite and Indefinite…”. “Been living my life like a ghost in the rain, slowly losing my mind slowly going insane, wandering around in the middle of the road, just another lost soul in another fishbowl…” sang Paco, beginning “The Damage That’s Done”. His band mates joined in after that, giving the song a little more rock vibe. The song is prime example of the prolific writer that Paco is, as is what followed, the beautiful, “All I’ll Ever Be”. “…I’ve tried so hard at loving me, but loving you comes so naturally…” he croons on the chorus, right after, “…The hardest part of letting go is knowing when to walk away…”. The first two tracks from that album were a good way to get the show going, but for the next few songs they had some surprises up their sleeves. “Reckless Love” is probably best known from the days of Paco Estrada & One Love (circa 2008-2010), and when he sang the first line, “Do you remember when, the day our love began?…”, I was pleasantly surprised. I mentioned Paco hasn’t done any shows in awhile. Well, he is a part of SpaceCamp, who did a show the previous month. And at that show the band covered a song which made it into Paco’s show this night. It was “Drive” by The Cars, and it sounded pretty good, though not as good as what was next. I saw several One Loves shows during the bands existence, and out of all of those I had heard them to practically all of “The Anatomy of Letting Go” live, sans one song (unless I just flat out don’t remember it). There shouldn’t be much question that “Let Love In” had the strongest message of all the songs on that album, and I really couldn’t believe they were playing it now. It’s truly a gorgeous song, speaking of how powerful love can be, and how we should treat everyone with a little bit of it. Their set had gone by far too quickly, and almost seemed like it was over now, as Paco did his standard, “Thank you for your time and your patience.” But fortunately they had time for one last song, “Breaking Down”, and at the end of it they had part of a cover song tacked on.

It was an incredible set, I just wish it hadn’t passed in the blink of an eye, which was how it seemed to me. He’s good enough as a solo musician, but there’s no doubt that the bass and drums added an extra depth to the songs that can’t be achieved solo. And as I say practically every time I see one of his shows, you will be hard pressed to find a better sing/songwriter. Not just here in the Dallas area, but the world.

You can catch him at Tree’s in Dallas on September 7th, then on the 29th he will be doing a very special show at the Curtain Club in Dallas. That night he will be fronting the band, The Last Romantica, who tragically lost their singer far too soon. A memorial show was held a few months ago for him, with various singers singing a song or two, but Paco and the band decided to work on some songs, create enough for an album and do a onetime only show where they play the entire thing live. Their full set will be recorded that night of the 29th and in due time will become the album. Don’t miss out on that. And do visit his BANDCAMP PAGE to find most of the music he has released.

The American Tragedy, a band from Louisiana, was next. I had seen them some time ago at a show in Dallas, like, two years or so ago, and remembered them being good, but aside from that my memory was incredible vague. They got their 40ish minute set going with an older song, and this four-piece group sprung to life, giving the impression that this was going to be a pretty great show. They followed it up with a tune from their new EP, “Blood On the Stage”, a high-energy song that had me thinking maybe there would be some blood on the stage, ‘cause at the pace they were moving around, accidents could happen. It has a catchy bridge, where the instruments are scaled back a bit, as singer and rhythm guitarist, Adam, sings, “Forgive me Jesus, for I have sinned. I’m listening to Rock ‘N’ Roll records again. I like my Sabbath black and my lizzy thin…”. Upon finishing it, Adam told everyone they could go buy “The Flame” in iTunes, and that the next song, which was “Everyone Will Finish”, was off it as well. Drummer, Trey started them into it, while the guitars and bass soon roared to life. The song has a real sense of urgency to it, and packs quite a punch. They then got into some older stuff, and I might not have know it, but they powered through each song, showing that they were merely warming up, because they just got better and better. Ryan tore it up on the bass, while both Jackie and Adam shredded on their axes, all getting very into the performance. Towards the end of their set they brought things down a bit with the title track of their latest release, “The Flame”, which still has a nice rock sound to it.

Damn, these guys were much better than I remembered. They know how to write some killer songs that will have no problem engaging you, the listener, as they have quite the knack for penning hard hitting and catchy songs. And when combined with a stellar live show, it makes for a live show that will definitely stick with you.

The band has a few albums for sale, and you can find all of them HERE. Also, be sure to keep tabs on their FACEBOOK PAGE for show updates. Speaking of which, they really need to get to the Dallas area more often.

Closing out the night were guys from San Antonio who are collectively known as Nothing More. They got all their stuff set up, and a little after 12:30, they were ready to roll.

After some killer rock music to get everyone’s adrenaline flowing, they tore into the first song of the night, “Gone”. I’m enjoying that song again being used as the opener, and after vocalist, Jonny Hawkins, banged out some beats on his small drum set before lead guitarist, Mark Vollelunga, tore off into the instrumental, “Under The Eyes of Selene”, which soon bled into “Sixty Second Affair”. “It’s been awhile, Denton.” Jonny remarked, saying they were going to do a few new songs. It might have also been at this point that he said their brand new record is getting closer to being done, and thanked everyone for bearing with them in this long process, but also pointing out that it should be well worth the wait. And with these morsels that they did and have been playing for a while now, I have no doubt it will be well worth the wait. “First Punch” was one of those songs, and you know you have a killer song and dedicated fans, who were already singing along to the chorus, “…I’ll throw the first punch, ‘cause I kept my mouth shut for far too long…”. Another heavy new one followed, during which Jonny knocked the chorus, “…Until you realize, you’re not Jesus Christ…”, out of the park. Their show only got more exciting afterwards when Daniel Oliver removed his bass, making it pretty clear what was coming next. Jonny picked up the rod that fits into the metal case that surrounds his drum kit, with Dan placing his bass into the slot of said rod. While he stood on stage right of it, holding down the strings, Jonny played it by hitting various strings with a pair of drumsticks. It livened up further when Mark finished riffing on his guitar, then walked over to his band mates and held down some strings on the neck, while drummer, Paul O’Brien, kept the beats going on the drums. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, seeing that never gets old. They got back down to business with another new(er) tune, then slowed things down a bit with “It Seems…”, which I’m very glad has found its way into regular rotation, and the addition of the chorus from The Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”, after the second chorus in their song really sets it off, being the piece de resistance. “Where going to do something different.” Jonny said when it was over, and I think had a lot of people wondering if “different” was going to be good or not. “I had a way then, losing it all on my own. I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown…” he began, revealing the song to be a very unexpected rendition of the Ellie Goulding song, “ Lights”. If you didn’t already know the song to some degree, you certainly wouldn’t have this night. It was very much a rock song, and louder and heavier than the original is, which made it all their own. It was very good in a weird way, but then again, I recall some shows a few years back where they covered “I Kissed a Girl”, so I guess taking a pop song sung by a female artist and then tweaking it to fit their style of music is nothing new. Fans didn’t have to long to recover from that, as the sample track for “Ballast” soon fired up. It’s another heavy hitter, and you could tell just how in tune these guys are with one another. Jonny was overlooking the crowd before the second verse, but began singing it at the precise moment Paul started back in on the drums, and it’s that tightness and key precision that will keep you coming back to see this band. For anyone who might remember, the band used to cover a song by the local Dallas outfit, SouthFM (which was fronted by Paco Estrada), but it has been some time since I’ve heard them do “Vesica Piscis”. They switched things up again, though, not doing that song per say, but rather the prelude to it. Dan got on a keyboard, which had a deeper sound, more like an organ, and they did something to change the tone of Jonnys’ voice, while the guitar and drums were barely played. “I, I left you to sway. It’s a shame we had to go this far, it’s a shame we had to go at all…” Jonny sang, getting the short minute and a half long song underway. As it approached the end, the guitar notes grew louder, and as Dan laid off the keys, Mark and Paul tore into their original, “Bullets And Blue Eyes”. It was fantastic getting to hear that one again, seeing as it was absent the last couple of shows of theirs I saw, and the same can be said for “Love?”, which followed it. Jonny said a few things to the crowd, then said he was going to give the mic to Dan, who he thought had something to say. He really didn’t at that time, though hinted at the next song. He was messing with his bass, and when he was done, he started with his introduction to “Fat Kid”, “Four score and seven meals ago…”, which ends with something like, “… I had a dream where beef is always what’s for dinner.” They breezed through the shorter song and had everyone singing along loudly to it, and that brought them to the final song of their 62 minute long set and another fan favorite, “Salem”. Their antics continued at the tail end of the tune, for the all percussion solo, which requires Dan holding a tom on each shoulder, while Jonny and Mark made continuous little circles, one beating on the toms, the other Jonnys’ drum kit, and vice versa. They then got some audience participation, on the final chorus, having the crowd shout along to, “BURN THE WITCH! HAHAHA!”

I think this was the best performance I’ve seen them do since the last time they played Andy’s a few months back. It was a high-energy, rip-roaring performance, and the little surprises they had to switch it up only made it more enjoyable. These guys never disappoint, but they were certainly on the top of their game this night.

They have only a couple shows booked at the moment, one will be September 21st at the Scout Bar in Houston, TX. The other is set for October 12th at Fitzgerald’s in San Antonio. And don’t forget, you can check out their album, “The Few Not Fleeting”, while you await the release of their next record.

It was a fantastic night, and hanging out with great people only made it better.

A great concert seldom happens on a Tuesday night, unless of course it’s some national band touring through the area. But tonight, Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton was hosting a fantastic line-up of all local talent.

Up first was Bethan, a band I had wanted to see for probably close to a year now. At this point, this is old news to those in the know, but the band is the latest project from Jessi James, formerly of Novaak, a band that was short-lived, but a great band nonetheless. From listening to Bethan’s music, though, it is in some ways better, as it has more of a unique approach, and I was eager to see what they were like live.

Most of their music has more of a minimalist sound, such as their opener, “Pyewacket”. The bass, drums, guitar and violin had their parts, but it was Jessi’s voice that was most prevalent on that catchy number. They followed it with “Vague”, and afterwards, guitarist, Kevin Howard, put down the ax and sit down at the keyboard, while Becki Howard started a brief violin intro/solo for “Breakable”. The song has a sound all its own, that does seem fitting of their self-described Alternative Noir music genre, as it has a nostalgic vibe in some ways. Most of their songs this night came from their debut EP, but next they pulled out a newer one, called “Greedy Song Bird”. They switched things up a bit for the next tune, as Kevin passed the guitar off to drummer, Daniel Hall. What they had in store was a cover song, “The World is Green” by Tom Waits. I can’t say I’ve ever heard the original version of the song, but their rendition of it was both gorgeous and chilling, and quite possible the best song of their set. “Bad Valentine” came next, and then Daniel grabbed the guitar again, as Jessi set up the next song by noting that he (Daniel) was her “mister”. It was a love song she said they co-wrote titled “In Our Paris”, and it’s sound fit the title perfectly. It had a sort of foreign, French sound to it, giving it a certain elegance. Their time was almost up, and they ended their 35 minute long set with “Katie K”, and Jessi pointed out that Katie was in attendance, “…Except her name is now Katie P.” she said, as they closed it out with a song that was equally as catchy as their first.

It was as good as I had hoped for, and their recorded music is a very fair representation of what you get life. That is to say, they pull it all off exactly as on the album, and probably even a little better. They’ve also found a style of music that is completely original and sets them apart from any other band here in the D-FW area, and frankly, I could see all of their songs being great tracks to use in films.

Keep tabs on their FACEBOOK PAGE to see when they will have another show, and you can purchase their 7 song EP, “Chapter 1:”, for $6 via their BANDCAMP STORE and it is also available in ITUNES.

Bravo, Max! was next, and while I did like all the bands on this bill tonight, it was these guys who really made me want to make that hour-long drive to Denton. The band was getting ready to head out on a little tour of the region, and this was the kickoff show.

The bands vocalist and guitarist, Johnny Beauford, also has a solo side project, and they worked in a few of those songs along with the traditional Bravo, Max! stuff, and because of that, there were some songs, like their first one, that I didn’t know. Next they did their newest single “Pills”, and it became evident early on that this show would not be a perfect one. Johnny was constantly having trouble with his guitar, which they tried numerous times to fix, but to no avail. They pressed on though, as he started the instrumental song, “Before The Party”, which is mesmerizing, and after awhile Jonathan Jackson began to edge his way into it with some drumbeats, signifying the start of their album title track, “Dog’s Light”. When listening to their music, either the album or at a show, there’s no denying that Johnny has sensation voice that will captivate your attention, and it does just that on this song better than any other, as he raised his voice and belted out, “…It’s too late to say goodbye. It’s too late to ask for more.” It’s the emotion he pours into that line, that is what makes it so wonderful and made me think to myself, “Wow!”. Garrett Padgett had been over on stage left playing the keys so far, but for the next song he got up to add a second guitar to the mix, as Jonathan started them into “Hotel Denalian”. I believe it was towards the end of that one that more guitar issues arose, causing Johnny to just put it down for a minute. You could tell he didn’t know quite what to do for a second, before grabbing the mic stand as he sang, but he deserves some props, because he made it look natural, like that was what was supposed to happen. They did another song I wasn’t entirely sure of, and while I don’t know where exactly they played it, I know of those songs from Johnny’s solo project was ““Empire State”. So, after the next song, Garrett went back to the keys as they took things down a little with “Take Your Fill”. At this point, the technical difficulties were still persisting, as they took a few minutes to try to fix them once more. “Play some Jazz…” Johnny asked his band mates, Jonathan, Garrett, and bassist, Ben Gastright, riffed a bit before suddenly stopping. “That wasn’t very long.” Johnny said, half joking. Jonathan said something like, “Well, that’s how Jazz is…” in response. It still wasn’t completely fixed, and eventually Johnny just used Garretts’ guitar, as they did “Kiss”, another song, and then really slowed things down with what I think was “All Your Grace”. Certainly not one I expected to hear, but it sounded pretty good. They had played a lot longer that I thought they would, which was a good thing, and for their last song of their 46 minute set, Garrett shredded on the guitar once more.

I don’t have much room to speak, because I was late getting on this bandwagon, too, but if you have not seen Bravo, Max! yet, then shame on you. There’s no question that they are one of the best bands in the area at the moment, especially if you like high-energy live performances. They will be at Club Dada in Dallas on Saturday, October 6th, and you can buy “Dog’s Light”, in iTunes. Or, if you want to preview their music first, you can listen to pretty much everything they’ve ever recorded HERE.

The two opening bands had been from Dallas, so it only made sense to have a local headliner on the show. And when you think of Denton bands, who comes to mind? Think duos. Yes, it was RTB2, whom I hadn’t seen in far too long.

Their 62 minute long set got off to a slower start as they did a cover of “Blind Love”. It was the most impressive song of their set, and Ryan Thomas Becker’s voice pulled off a very sullen tone to fit the story the song told. Then the real rock commenced as they got into some original material, and a newer song at that, “Hands Where Words Cannot Go”, which Grady Don Sandlin began with a brief drum solo. To be a two-piece that only use a drum set and a guitar, it’s amazing the full, lush sound they create, as they guitar chords mingle perfectly with the drums on that song, as well as soar all on their own. Grady wound that song right into the next, as they did an oldie but a goodie, “My Butterfly Collection”, and followed it with another newer one. I believe it was “Cool In The Dark”, a song that has a very intriguing instrumental bed. I was unsure about their next three songs, as Grady again brought one right into the next, and they followed it with another number. Tonight’s show had already featured a few songs from their record, “The Both of It”, and the good selection continued with “Wishy Waltz” and one of my favorites of the bands, “Bottle The Bees”. Afterwards, they decided to do another cover, this one originally by Teddy Thompson, and the song was “Psycho”. Wow. Both cover songs they had done sounded fantastic, in some ways even better than their original stuff. After it, Ryan had to take a minute to tune, and he began to chat with the crowd, saying something about how they were keeping everyone out. “…Well, I can’t do that. I’m keeping myself out, and on a work night, but I can’t force y’all to stay here.” The he suddenly said, “Do people still say that? Work night? Yeah. Yeah, I think people still use that.” It was pretty funny, and the laughs only continued as he and Grady tried to decide what to do next. Ryan said he didn’t think he could do the song Grady wanted to, but Grady said he could sing it. “Are you sure?” Ryan asked him. “Yeah.” he replied. Sure enough, he did, and Grady did a great job on the song. Ryan took back the lead for “32”, then, before their final song, he thanked the handful of people that remained for coming out. “…And happy birthday.” he added. “Hey, that’s a Boxcar thing!” someone in the audience yelled, referring to the band, Boxcar Bandits, which also happens to have Grady Don Sandlin as a member. “…I didn’t copy that from you guys. I heard it somewhere else…” Ryan told him as they playfully argued over if Ryan could even use that before beginning their last song.

It was an awesome set they did, and well worth staying to catch it all, even if it didn’t end until a little after one in the morning. And not only was it a stellar rock show the two delivered, but there was also a good bit of comedy, rather it was intentional or not, putting them in rare form this night.

They will soon be releasing a brand new record, “2”, which will be for sale at any of their upcoming shows from here on out, such as August 31st at The Doublewide in Dallas, or October 12th at LaGrange, also in Dallas. You can get “The Both of It” for free, while “In the Fleshed” and “In People” are very reasonable priced. You can also get a free download of their single, “Goon”, “Hands Where Words Can Not Go” and “Another Black Beauty” by clicking on each corresponding link.