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| DOUBLE
NAUGHT SPIES
Beerland, September 19, 2003
Naught? Knot? Not? Billy the Beerland doorman tried to explain
this band name, even drawing a picture of it, which looked
like the male-female symbol for neither-nor. Some kind of
double-negative. Guess that means if they're not totally lame
and not totally gay, they must be OK. Upbeat garage rock with
steady-driving rhythms, kind of Ramones but sub-Ramones-genius
in the chord progression department. They did a Mummies cover.
Wendy liked it.
Then just as the girl-talk turned on my particular taste for
barbarians, the band pushed my buttons with a song called
"Caveman Stomp". The hip-looking, decent raspy-voiced
singer made the most of what he's got by hanging on his best
note and letting the band rock around it. The highlight was
a buffed female drummer who just bashed away at her kit with
no signs of wearing down. Someone compared her to a happy
dog trotting along, all pigtails and spunk. Good, highenergy
band, not breaking any new ground, but definitely breaking
some strings.
-Beky Hayes |
| HACKBERRIES
/ SAN SABA COUNTY
Beerland, September 18, 2003
When no one when signs up to review a show and somehow you
get stuck with the assignment, you should ask yourself why.
Could it perhaps be an evening of blue grass music? The members
of the band San Saba County need to rise up and overthrow
their intolerable singer. Please do him and the rest of us
all a favor and save our ears. It really is a shame that they
don't have a better vocalist because the actual band is quite
good. The drummer and fiddle player put on an excellent performance,
making me not totally dismiss this band and genre of music
altogether.
Perhaps they should play a completely instrumental set. Then
the singer doesn't totally have to leave the band. His guitar
playing suits the group, so he can stay. Just get him away
from a microphone and don't let him open his mouth. Let the
revolution of San Saba County begin.
Next
up was the Hackberries. Yet another in the blue grass field.
At least this singer had skill in his music style. This band
not all together bad, just not my cup of tea. I really tried
to sit through their entire set, but after awhile this music
gives me a headache. If you like blue grass music check these
bands out, you just might have a different take on their performances
than I did. Hey, you can't like everything out there. You
have to have some discrimination.
-Misty Sweet
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| PRETTY
BEAT UP
Beerland, September 2, 2003
Pretty Beat Up: I say Pretty Bad Ass. Groovy-lookin' band
playing groovy slowride rock, at first sounding like a Motown
Steve Miller with a Melvins twang in the vocals. Steady-driving
3-41 progressions, shifting to happy-moody day-dream rock
with lead singer fashionably off-key.
The
singer is some kind of androgynous Iggy Pop character playing
percussion and a giant kazoo. Modern Lovers style keyboards
add to the bop-in-your-chair carny feel. Next a cover: Starfucker,
sung by the androgyn. If that's a chick, it's one of the coolest
chicks in town. She has a wicked cool voice and dammit she
looks like Patty Smith, Chrissie Hynde and Joey Ramone. Lately
I'm tired of all the chick-worship in rock, but here's one
tuff baby who deserves some. Now a 1-2-4 Stones-riff, OK now
I'm getting bored. Hey tune up faster, guys, I'm bored. By
the way, can we have a Red River "Wet Cool-Chick Contest"?
-Beky Hayes
all photos this page: beth sams |
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