This Week In Austin Part I: Monday to Thursday

In the past, I have been letting you in on who is playing where around Austin, from the big boys to the guys from just up the road and giving a one line blip of what to expect, if even that. Time to shake things up a bit. I will still mention what is worthy (in my opinion) of seeing, but I will also take a few of the locals playing during the week that, from what I heard and read, impressed me and fill in a little more detail about them.

There is way too much going on this week for me to cover in one post, so I am splitting it up. This one will be Monday-Thursday. The weekend post will be coming later.

Starting off the week, a Monday (that's right) at Emo's featuring the British act Art Brut and their, shall I say, eclectic sound, the lyrics half rapped over pop-punk guitars. Co-headlining is We Are Scientists from Brooklyn. Along for the ride is The Spinto Band, a sextet based out of Wilmington, Delaware.

Hit Emo's again on Tuesday for legends The Queers, playing punk for the fun of it since 1982. Joining them are Australia punkers The Hard-Ons, who have toured with The Ramones and the Foo Fighters, among others and Toys That Kill from California. Check out their Myspace picture, getting props from The Stooges.

I guess it is the place to be this week. Emo's again! Thursday has five bands, three inside, two out. Outside, the electronic beats and synth of Ratatat pulsate into the night, supported by Swedish outfit Envelopes and Portland based Panther, who is anything but predictable, throwing out so many styles, you just can't label him. Inside is one of our favorites, Maritime, , some members formerly of The Promise Ring. They are supported by locals Ghost of the Russian Empire.

Just Guns

That's the approved "roadshow" artists. Now its time for the locals to shine. If punk is not your thing on Tuesday, I highly recommend going north on Red River to Beerland. Four bands are playing that night, but one really sticks out to me, Just Guns. They take everything the Austin music scene has to offer and blend it into their own unique sound. You hear one song and label them a country band, yet you hear another and can put them on the college radio along with Death Cab and Interpol. There is a definte country twang to the guitars in almost every song (thanks to a pedal steel that is ever present), but the vocals vary from what you hear coming out of the honky-tonk on the side of a country road to the plaintive shoe-gaze you hear on your local college radio show. If you want more info, check out the article from ATX Magazine. They have been around for about 5 years and have a handful of Cd's, so grab yourself a copy. If you miss them on Tuesday, catch them on Friday at Trophy's.

Wednesday is kind of light for the music scene. There is one act that may be worth checking out. Forget Last Friday is bringing back the synth pop and new wave of the early 80s to Trophy's. I haven't heard music like this in ages. If you remember The Buggles, then you can get some idea what the sound is like. Some of the melodies sound like they come directly from the soundtracks to old NES games. If you want something old made new again, go and see them.

The Bellfuries

If you aren't checking our Maritime and Ratatat, head on down south across the river to Trophy's to catch two local bands, The Alice Rose and The Bellfuries. The Alice Rose formed 5 years ago, but recently became a five piece last year. They play 60's pop, with jaunty guitars, simple backing beats, and great harmonies. Very Beatles and Beach Boys-esque. It is like taking a step back in time musically. Playing with them, The Bellfuries grabbed my attention when I first heard them. I could have sworn the song I heard had Elvis Costello singing lead. They too have a definte 60s pop vibe, with a mix of country for good measure. A CD release is scheduled for November. After listening to both bands, I can safely say it will be a good time south of the river Thursday night.

Art Brut - Good Weekend
We Are Scientists - Human Technology Will Render You Obsolete
The Spinto Band - Trust vs. Mistrust
The Queers - Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter
Toys That Kill - Run Away
Ratatat - Wildcat
Envelope - It Is The Law
Panther - You Don't Want Your Nails Done
Maritime - Tearing Up The Oxygen
Ghost of the Russian Empire - August 1914
Just Guns - Waiting To Be
Forget Last Friday - Don't Care
The Alice Rose - I Know Your Ghost
The Bellfuries - Give It Get It

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