Top
music
Stories
Blogs
Your Baseball Season Guide to Pre- and Post-Game Eats and Drinks in Arlington
By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Hailing from Cincinnati, this eccentric but muscular quartet features ex-Afghan Whigs bassist John Curley, but the soul of the group is singing guitarist Austin Brown. Brown's jittery personality, fiery lead work and darkly impressionistic lyrics make All of This and More, the band's sophomore effort, more than a sum of its classic alt-rock influences.
"I swear I'll take care of all of this tomorrow," Brown sings on "New Vocation," conveying the slacker mentality of Pavement, yet the music is informed by a harder muse, as if Television or Yo La Tengo was tackling the early songbook of The Who. Distinctly original, songs such as "We Celebrate Your Mistakes" and "Underneath the Carpet" reflect a Midwestern, urban malaise that is as claustrophobic as it is propulsive, intense commentary on the confines of concrete and occupation. "Embrace your decay," Brown sneers on the song of the same name as Curley and drummer Joe King provide raucous support--the song itself a microcosm for the entire effort, observations of cracking roadways and shards of glass raining down from dilapidated skyscrapers. "No one tries to stall the progress of these mistakes," Brown concludes as the band festers on, celebratory in their cage, still optimistic in the uplifting power of noise.
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
