By John Michael Cassetta • Jul 8th, 2008 • Category: Music, Show Previews
It’s midweek, and if your Fourth of July was anything like mine wasn’t (ie full of fireworks and America), you’re hurting for some excitement come midweek. Obviously, that’s where Ringo Deathstarr and The Watermarks come in. They’ll both be playing tonight at the Beauty Bar over on E 7th, and I highly recommend checking it out.
We interviewed Ringo Deathstarr over on Austin Sound a while ago. Here’s a little of what we had to say about the Deathstarr:
It’s difficult to listen to Ringo Deathstarr without recalling the likes of My Bloody Valentine or the Jesus and Mary Chain, which nearly everyone that has tangled with the quartet’s debut EP has noted. And that’s just fine with us. For while that influence pervades their sound, the group has brought some power to bear on Austin’s resurgent shoegaze scene. The narcotic haze that lulled locally with the Trance Syndicate/ Texas version of the genre (Bedhead, American Analogue Set, and more recently For Those Who Know, the Swells/Seaholm Electric) still lingers, but Ringo Deathstarr unleashes a wave of ear-ringing reverb and distortion that is anything but subdued (and why we assume they answered below in all CAPS.) The Beaumont-bred band is the project of Elliott Frazier, and has in the past year steadied its lineup to tour and produce their excellent eponymous debut EP.
Houston based The Watermarks may be the perfect addition to this bill. Heavy synths layer the songs, which though catchy at times also veer toward the same dark rawness of Joy Division/New Order. Don’t mistake my comparisons for imitations though, as The Watermarks have an original spirit of their own.
The band seems to have found the perfect middle ground combining cheesy synths and hooks of pop music (which the band can do quite well) with less predictable elements of originality. A lot of people are into the synth-pop revival these days, and few do it right. One of those few: The Watermarks. Listen to “Remember To Forget” below, which is less synth heavy, but still great.
Show Info:
Ringo Deathstarr and The Watermarks
at The Beauty Bar
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
Tunes:
Ringo Deathstarr:
Ringo Deathstarr - “Down on You”
The Watermarks
