Posts tagged howler
Despite living so close to Austin since 2002, I’m ashamed to admit that this was my first South by Southwest. But now that I’m here, I had no excuse. So I forked over the cash for a wristband, which came in handy, but is by no means necessary – there’s plenty of free/unofficial stuff to keep you busy all weekend. I also learned that your bike is your best friend, you should plan ahead but be flexible, and when you have to decide between the Counting Crows show that all your peeps are going to versus flying solo to see a band none of your friends have heard of, always go with the latter. That’s what I did, and here’s why it was awesome.
Sunday March 11 – The Precursor
10pm: Delta Spirit
Nevermind that this show was officially part of the SXSW’s Interactive Week. A buddy of mine has been raving about Delta Spirit for a while now, and after hearing frontman Matt Vasquez’s soulful contribution to the Middle Brother album, I was definitely intrigued. The band put on an energetic show at Maggie Mae’s, mixing the folk rock of past albums with the indie rock of their new self-titled release. Now I can’t wait to go back through their catalog to hear the studio version of “People C’mon” and others.
Thursday, March 14 – A Slow (in a good way) Start
11:15pm: Sheepdogs
Travelling for work put a bit of a damper in my schedule, but I made it back in time kickoff Music Week late Thursday night. Not wanting to fight the downtown crowds just yet, I opted for the eastside (Kenny Dorham’s Backyard Park) to see these guys on a whim after watching a SXSW video of “Laid Back.” They’ve got a great sound that bridges contemporary rock with classic rock, all the while maintaining a chill vibe. Their vocal harmonies and guitar chops prove that Canada does have something to offer besides universal healthcare and winter.
Friday, March 15 – Blues, Rock, Celebrity Bull and Young Promise
5pm: Gary Clark Jr.
I clocked out a tad early to walk on over to Waterloo Records to begin the weekend revelry with some good ole Texas blues. In an age of tightly constructed 3-minute songs, it’s refreshing to watch a band that can fill a 45-minute set with just 5 tracks. Gary Clark Jr. and company did just that, giving each song the full band jam treatment. As always, Gary shredded it on guitar. At one point he did an amazing effect that made me look for a DJ hiding somewhere on stage scratching vinyls. Get ready, kids – this dude is about to blow up.
7pm: Bass Drum of Death
After catching only 5 minutes of Alabama Shakes – who looked like they’d put on a killer show – I hauled ass via bike over to try to make it to Bass Drum of Death at Peckerheads. I got there just in time to catch their 30-minute set, which was exactly the adrenaline-fueled, head-banging, sweat-inducing garage/doowop I was expecting. Even though frontman John Barrett sings with his hair in his face the whole time, their music is so damn engaging that you don’t even care.
Bass Drum of Death performing “Leaves” — You can’t see me, but I was there!
I then headed to the Stage at Sixth to see PUJOL play, but got turned away because they had reached capacity and were only allowing badgeholders in. WTF, I thought. No way this is happening for PUJOL. Then I peaked inside and saw John C. Reilly on stage. Now, I’m all for actors cross over into music, but I was pretty pissed that Dewey Cox got in between me and my PUJOL. (The last part of that sentence sounds terrible when read aloud.) I know the dude has a voice, but shouldn’t you have to record an album before people start lining up in droves to see you, or are we so celebrity-obsessed that we draw a crowd just to hear a famous face sing? I digress.
1am: Howler
Leery of not getting into the next show, I showed up an hour and a half early to Latitude 30 got to catch the tail end of Kindness, a nice funky dance band, and Big Deal, a guy/girl duo that’s so chill they almost put me to sleep. Finally, Howler took the stage. Frontman/boy Jordan Gatesmith began by nervously telling the audience how terrified he was of SXSW. Then, to my surprise, the band played one of the tightest sets I’ve ever seen. Drummer Brent Mayes pounded away on the drums with impressive skill, and the rest of Howler kept up in supreme fashion. Glad to see these kids had lived up to all the hype, I biked home and called it a night.
Saturday, March 16: All-Out Rock-Out
2pm: J Roddy Walston and the Business
If there’s one band I recommend seeing, it’s these dudes. They don’t have an off switch – or even a low switch – so they just bring full-on rock’n’roll with no holds barred. I was ecstatic that even though it was just 2 in the afternoon, they still went balls to the wall. J Roddy bounced all over his piano bench in his signature style, and the rest of the band brought it hard to Hotel Vegas with scorching guitars and pulsing drums. The band even previewed a handful of new tracks from their upcoming album, which sounds like it will trump the sophomore slump. Their live show aside, J Roddy Walston & the Business are hands-down the best straight-up rock’n’roll band out there today.
5pm: Bass Drum of Death – Again
Sorry; I can’t get enough of these guys. This time around I got much closer to the stage, where I was thankful to find a handful of kids rocking out. At a too-cool-for-school place like SXSW where some people show little-to-zero enthusiasm at shows, it was nice to see these fools not giving a s***. (After all, when you’re at a concert, aren’t you supposed to dance like no one is watching? Yes, yes you are.) Bass Drum of Death put on another fiery set that was so great the audience at Beerland demanded an encore. The band obliged, but the sound guy had already cut John Barrett’s microphone, so without missing a beat and in true the-show-must-go-on style, they jammed through the entire last song with no vocals. F****** rock’n’roll!
Sidenote: Next, I was hoping to see Andrew W.K. play I Get Wet in its entirety at Emo’s East, but his start time got pushed so late that I had to cut his show from my schedule or else I wouldn’t make it to Sleigh Bells. Bummer.
9pm: Sleigh Bells
After hearing reports that this pair had struggled with replicating their sound on the road – which is no surprise considering the complexity and volume of their albums – I kept my expectations to a very low minimum, only to be completely blown away. Derek Miller and another fellow shredder each had 6 giant Marshall amps, creating a wall of ear-piercing electric guitar behind them. Vocalist Alexis Krauss brought plenty of rock’n’roll energy to Moody Theater, sending the audience into a frenzy right from the start. They played all the classics from Treats and the new hits from Reign of Terror before Alexis ended the show in grand style, crowdsurfing atop the audience for most of their last song.
All in all, it was an freakin’ awesome first SXSW experience. I got to see some of my favorite bands, and I got introduced to a few new ones by chance and word of mouth. The weather was perfect, the food was free, and the beer was freer. I can’t wait for next year, when hopefully each of these bands has a new album out that we’ve reviewed for your reading pleasure.
There’s only one thing you need to know about Howler: they’re talented beyond their years. Based in Minneapolis, they are Jordan Gatesmith (vocals/guitar), Ian Nygaard (guitar), France Camp (bass), Max Petrek (keyboard) and Brent Mayes (drums), and their ages range from 19 to 24, respectively. While there’s “nothing really serious about his band,” they somehow nonchalantly create sludgy surf rock that’s definitely worth hearing. And like sand at the beach, America Give Up’s catchy jams will stay stuck in your ears for days.
The album opens with “Beach Sluts,” a title that lets you know exactly what kind of music Howler makes — sarcastic, occasionally foul-mouthed “surf thrash.” With fuzzed-out vocals, withdrawn verses and howling choruses, Gatesmith’s delivery sounds a lot like Julian Casablancas’ early style. The jam itself follows suit, jumping from slow, melodic verses to frantic, thrashing pre-choruses to amped-up, anthemic choruses. Hand claps add a touch of humor, and the guitar melody mirrors the vocal one to almost beat you over the head with its catchiness.
Sounds Like:
The Jesus and Mary Chain meet The Strokes in Cali for a surfing contest
Next up is “Back to the Grave,” a short, upbeat jam which Gatesmith admits was intentionally written in the vein of The Jesus and Mary Chain, only without a chorus. “Where will you be / in 2023? / In someone else’s arms / and not with me” he croons in a deep, almost comical tone that subliminally tells you these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. The off-the-wall yet right-on-cue antics continue with sludgy power chords set against falsetto woo-hoos and wailing harmonies that get the muted treatment. The catchy, almost-raucous affair ends in a heavily affected, whirring burnout.
“This One’s Different” is a title of deliberate irony, in that the song was the impetus for the Howler’s sound as a band (see the link above for more on that). Presumably it’s about a girl Gatesmith wants, but the bigger picture is likely about that youthful impatience for something beyond one’s sheltered, boring existence. A driving, cymbals-crashing and guitar-wielding jam, the track is the first on the album to spotlight Nygaard’s scorching lead guitar work, and there’s plenty more where that came from later on. Appropriately, the song’s breakneck speed makes it feel as urgent as its sentiment.
Then there’s the purposely confusing title track, “America.” Howler knows full and well that this album is anything but political, but they like being assholes. Granted the song has a stance, it’s more cultural than political. “Shotgun wedding at a quarter to five / I shot the husband, and I sleep with the bride,” Gatesmith sings, shunning planning ahead in favor of spontaneously living in the now. With plenty of jangly, frenetic guitars and layered background vocals throughout, the song takes an interesting staccato turn at the end for a nice change-up.
Music video for “Back of Your Neck”
“Too Much Blood” suitably opens sounding like a funeral dirge with only organ and drums. Those two are quickly joined by slow, grungy guitar and soft backing croons and the track takes its form with a distant, spacey, almost-creepy-yet-addictive vibe. Howler again stirs up sounds similar to The Jesus and Mary Chain as Gatesmith provides disaffected vocals and Nygaard brings out screeching echoes from his electric guitar. Very weird but very cool.
“Wailing (Making Out)” is a standout track that made it from Howler’s EP to America Give Up. The punk-pop gem’s carnival-esque keyboards, staccato strumming and guitar-and-drums break is all youthful angst at its finest. With sarcastic lines like “I wanna die young as a star / Is that too much, is that so hard?,” the track’s tone reminds me of MGMT’s “Time to Pretend.” Gatesmith aptly wails the closing chorus/bridge as if everyday life really is a living hell. Burning bright like that star mentioned earlier, the track’s brilliance is only dimmed by it s brevity, clocking in at just 2:02.
Headbangers, get your necks ready. Sounding like the soundtrack to a fast-forwarded surf video, “Pythagorean Fearem” brings a breakneck bass line, screeching guitars, cymbal-heavy drums and more super-deep, almost laughable vocals with the occasional shriek. It’s got a killer crescendo halfway through, followed by a breakdown that politely lets you catch your breath before it all builds up again for an almost-as-strong guitar-heavy ending.
Key Tracks:
Beach Sluts, Wailing (Making Out), Pythagorean Fearem, Told You Once, Back of Your Neck, Free Drunk
“Told You Once” is an instant hit that’ll get your lip curling and your foot tapping. Its jangly, acoustic guitar backing carries a bouncy feel throughout, well punctuated by hand claps and snare hits. Then its super-catchy surf rock guitar hook comes riding in, soon followed by a wave of sludge guitar as the solo deftly maneuvers through its ominous force. Forget the downer lyrics like “I hate myself more than I hate you” and enjoy this jam for the mini-masterpiece it is.
Another sand-infused tune follows right after, as the opening guitar hook and Beach Boys-ish backing vocals open up “Back of Your Neck.” The song’s jumpy, nervous feel is comprised of staccato guitars and drums, a West Coast guitar solo, and falsettos so high, someone must be squeezing their balls. It all slowly falls away before coming crashing back in like a 60s beach blanket party.
“Free Drunk” blends a chill vibe with shoegaze stylings. Apathetic lyrics, popping drums and spacey keyboard effects create a swaying, almost seasick track. Plenty of catchy backing vocals and understated guitars add to the motion, until this smooth, soft jam is over before you know it.
Best Lyric:
“I think you’re mid-July/ Smoky, wet and hot as a crack pipe” - “Back of Your Neck”
With its staccato pulsing and chanting, “Black Lagoon” sounds like a Bass Drum of Death B-side. Nygaard’s antsy guitar work rears its wily head again, over surf chord strums and crashing cymbals. Gatesmith’s vocals spell out the song’s title and cleverly turn the O’s into extend oohs. Its sarcastic flair definitely turns a beachy feel into a more dark, dangerous lagoon, as the lyrics recount a story similar to the plot of old-school horror film Creature from the Black Lagoon.
“Pale Skin” rounds out the album with breathy vocals and chug-along drums. Signing off in Howler’s signature style, the song takes fuzzed out guitars to another level, delivers couldn’t-care-less vocals, and clocks in at just under 2 minutes as the record’s shortest song. Still, it makes great use of instrumental layering and lack thereof to build interesing tension throughout.
Overall Rating:
America Give Up is a seriously strong effort for a first album by such a young band. It’s a lot of surf, a lot of sludge, a lot of sarcasm and a lot of simplicity. These kids are clearly still impersonating their idols, but they’re also making some interesting choices along the way that give Howler its own sound most of the time. All five of these guys are skilled musicians despite their young age, and they’re showing promise as a good young band that will likely mature to be great. So if you like guitar rock with a surf sound that’s fuzzy at the fringes, don’t give up on Howler.
