[rating=3.50]
The title of this compilation comes from rearranging the letters in “live music capital,” and that capital deemed to be Austin, Texas, home of the annual South By Southwest and that still incredibly consistent weekly PBS music program highlighting its city limits. But despite those accolades, the music scene is great judging by this impressive collection. From the garage rock feel of Follow That Bird! On “The Ghosts That Wake You” which sounds like Debbie Harry fronting The New Pornographers to the dirty, sludge-like, Arcade Fire-ish “Blister” by The Young, this album has a lot for everybody.
Garage-y guitar driven for the most part, bands such as Woven Bones (“Spirits Roam”) and Dikes Of Holland’s “Little City Girl” would give Band Of Skulls a run for the money in the near future. Meanwhile Tre Orsi delivers “The Engineer” sounding like Robert Pollard’s bastard child. But the first real stellar tune is Kingdom Of Suicide Lover’s “Hoboken Snow,” a cross between Lou Reed and The Smiths.
Elvis’ “Mommy’s Little Soldiers” falls flat quite quickly and Love Collector’s “First 48” isn’t shining, yet they’re the exception to what is a high quality norm including The ‘Mats-like Wild America, The Persimmons and The Golden Boys.
