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SXSW review: Brass Bed
Thank you Lafayette, Louisiana. Thank you, Park the Van Records. For serving as home to Brass Bed, who lit up Sixth Street Friday night like the Fourth, you both rock. And thank you Brass Bed for not being weak. You probably know this already, but a lot of bands who dabble in your chosen genre of rootsy rock influenced by the likes of Big Star and the Band are mediocre. The songs are bad. They think they are doing a good job, but they aren’t. That’s not you guys. Your songwriting works. You take pop rock and make it explode with thunder of keys and guitar.
The quintet, made up of Jonny Campos, Peter DeHart, Christiaan Mader and Andrew Toups, released their second album, “Melt White” in the fall. It was recorded at Austin-based Cacophony Records. Maybe being in Austin gave them good mojo. Last night, in the walk-in closet that is Mi Casa Cantina on East Sixth, the band delivered from beginning to end. There were the all out, everything in your face moments, where organ, guitars and drums unleashed in unison. There were more subtle touches, too. Mader held his own on lead vocals. The bouncy, piano driven moments would have made Wilco fans smile. Those moments never last too long though, before the band’s grittier side fought back.
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