Denton's NX35 music festival is now less than two weeks away, and you know what that means: time for the annual deluge of "this is the year NX35 beats SXSW" articles. Don't look to me for one, though ... at least, until I see F***ed Up play a free midnight bridge show at NX35. The whole Denton vs. Austin argument is utterly played out and pointless. Trying to equate the two cities makes about as much sense as paying for SXSW. No, Denton isn't Austin. It never will be. Actually, Denton's an entirely different town with a music scene and identity of its own. Imagine that. Just reminds me of bands that associate 'authenticity' with a specific look or sound, when the 'realist' thing they could do is just be themselves. In celebration of Denton being Denton, this week's Dead Beat focuses on two Denton bands playing showcases at NX35.
Final Club
Showcase: Friday March 12 at Hailey's with Woven Bones (Austin), Pure Ecstasy (Austin), and Fergus & Geronimo
New release: Hot Gaze EP
Final Club's members have only been together for a few months, having only played a handful of shows. But the group's recently released debut, Hot Gaze EP, positions the crew near the top of Denton's guitar-rock heap. And apparently, people are already taking notice. The band played to a sold-out house when it opened the Meme Gallery a few weeks ago. The basic formula is currently well-worn territory: Jesus and Mary Chain muddy, lo-fi production, distant, shout-from-the-back-of-the-stage vocals, and bright, reverb-heavy riffs. But where most bands using these elements ride the current beach-vibe, 's**t gaze' trend and tend towards one-dimensional novelty, Final Club have found their own shimmering wave.
The tunes on Hot Gaze are basement-rockers built to sound big anywhere. The mono-quality production lends itself well to Final Club's skillfully layered guitar textures and psychedelic, college-stoner ethos. Songs like "Runaway Bay" exhale the muddled confusion of young adulthood, interspersed with moments of clarity. The guitars are slinky and spry, going for broke with every riff. Especially during the band's enthralling, starry-eyed finales, every note lingers in the air, basking in the smoke as it floats skyward, pausing just long enough to take everything in. But the band also knows restraint, pulling back just as often to reveal a single melody or section. When the tremendous rock-outs hit, admittedly, I have a hard time not screaming, cheering them on.
Local audiophiles Weekly Tape Deck recently posted the EP for free download on its blog, check it out here.
The Timeline Post
Showcase: Thursday March 11, Gutterth Showcase at Andy's: The Timeline Post, History At Our Disposal, Nervous Curtains (Dallas), New Science Projects, The Great Tyrant
New release: Slow Descent (The Timeline Post also plays tonight at Hailey's.)
It's not often a band's press release is worth regurgitating when writing about the band's music. However, this is a special case. Meet the Timeline Post.
Excerpts of press release via Gutterth Records:
"When truth is buried by greed and when trust has been overdrawn, what can be done? The Timeline Post does not have an answer. Instead, the band provides a bookmark in time where future listeners can hopefully look back and see how far they have come."
Now, I'm not here to discuss the finer points of writing press releases (I already spent two years doing that at SMU). However, stating an album essentially has nothing to say, other than standing as a document of current cultural woes, might not be the best marketing strategy. On another note, though -- timely!
If the press release doesn't make much of a case for why you should listen to the Timeline Post, the fault doesn't lie with the band. However, when the band's own album can't hold your attention, well ...
The production is solid. The playing is competent. But everything just feels soulless and stale. The guitars, vocals, the rhythm section -- everything feels bled dry of personality or conviction. Virtually all the songs are in standard 4x4 time, most often coming off like extended jam sessions, almost always heading in the most expected direction and only occasionally veering into adventurous territory. The structures are, for the most part, standard hard rock fare, and easily cascade into clichéd, sing-songy melodies. Much of the record sounds like the Christian '90s alternative and rock of Tooth and Nail Records and similar acts ("Kill The Girl" seems to echo Pedro The Lion's Control).
The band is a decent enough hard rock group. But the weaknesses of Slow Descent have nothing to do with talent, and everything to do with a lack of tact or ambition. Tracks like "Devil's Alamo", "Caldera" and "Wild" have some inspired moments, but overall, the band just sounds bored. Documenting the apocalypse should be much more exciting than this. Unless you're still jamming Anberlin regularly, re-think your Thursday.
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