Audio By Carbonatix
Before 1999, the riddle “What is the sound of young punks making new wave?” lay somewhere on the unspeakable scale between “Does anyone really think Julia Roberts can act?” and “Will Nader actually run for president?” The proof proved to be not as insincere as the latter nor as impious as the former thanks to a burst of early-’90s noisemakers shirking a head-pound beat in favor of a slippery pace that’s better suited to a laid-back limbo.
The most convincing change of face was Antioch Arrow getting X-Ray Spex-tacular as the Get Hustle. Combining cabaret with naïve Casio conniptions and borrowing more than a bit from Combustible Edison and the Coctails, last year’s Earth Odyssey found Arrow archers Ron A. and Mac Mann laying down an ebony-and-ivory, drum-and-piano magic groove that lives together in perfect harmony with singer Valentine’s velvety voice. This chanteuse tiptoes between lust and lollygag, settling on providing the kittenish Eartha Kitt kicks that float like a cloud over the nervous noodlings of “Oceola,” the Kurt Weill-ish “Song for the Little Ones” and the sexy sass of “Tropic of Capricorn.”
Live, it’ll be interesting to see how this latest batch of West Coast cool stands up to the similarly inspired East Coast contrivance drummed up by the Flux Information Sciences. Of course, if all the young punks start trying to turn their thrift-store chic into downtown performance art, it’ll raise an entirely new Riddle of the Sphinx: If an emo kid makes art rock in the woods, does he in fact make a noise?
We’re thankful for you. Are you thankful for us?
We feel thankful for our staff and for the privilege of fulfilling our mission to be an unparalleled source of information and insight in Dallas. We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community.
Help us continue giving back to Dallas.
