Hot off signing to Rounder Records just last month, Delta Spirit are swinging through Austin for, by my count, the third time in the past year. I saw them open for Dr. Dog last fall, and then again at SXSW somewhere amid another thousand bands. A certain folk soul drives the band, but it’s dressed up in bin-loads of eclectic auxiliary percussion, lively piano and organ lines, and melancholy (and sometimes sentimental/sappy) melodies.

Admittedly, Delta Spirit aren’t too many steps away from shallow, SoCal pretty-boy rock, but they perform with such energy, soul and originality that there’s no need to worry about damaging your indie-cred. In the same way that it’s hard not to throw your rock-fist up to the guitar riffs of the Hold Steady, it’s hard not to shake your hips and tap your foot along to Delta Spirit. Even Daytrotter had good things to say about their 2007 album Ode to Sunshine, which they placed 9th in the 15 Best Albums of 2007 (get some free Daytrotter tracks here).

Matt Costa, who recently released his new album Unfamiliar Faces, is headlining the show. Like Delta Spirit, Costa has a way of making otherwise simple pop songs “cool”. While his songs hardly standout as complex or intricate, the better tracks on the album have immediately likable qualities: simple and effective instrumentation, enjoyable (if not memorable) lyrics wrapped up in smart melodies, but also themes of everyday love that are hard not to relate to, if only for an hour or two.

From a critical perspective, it may take more ingenuity for both bands to fully harness the best moments on their respective albums, but from a show-going perspective, it’s hard to ask for a more perfect lineup for a summer night at The Parish.

Show Info:

Matt Costa (with Delta Spirit)
at The Parish
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
Doors: 8pm
Tickets: $15/$17 at the door

Tunes:

Delta Spirit:

Matt Costa