Headcases, Riddle of Steel

It's not every day one stumbles across a French band that sounds plucked straight from the Midwest—specifically, the mid-'90s Midwest and its thriving post-rock scene. But that era's melodic throttling and anti-grunge angst spring to mind when listening to the Headcases and the trio's 2007 album Castaway But Blessed. Recorded...

By Annie Zaleski

September 6, 2007

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

It's not every day one stumbles across a French band that sounds plucked straight from the Midwest—specifically, the mid-'90s Midwest and its thriving post-rock scene. But that era's melodic throttling and anti-grunge angst spring to mind when listening to the Headcases and the trio's 2007 album Castaway But Blessed. Recorded at Chicago's Electrical Audio studios with the Paper Chase's John Congleton, Blessed echoes the rusty-metal dissonance and feedback clouds of Hum, Shiner and the Life and Times. The album is being distributed in the U.S. by Ascetic Records—coincidentally, the label home of Riddle of Steel, which is also playing this show.

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.