Music Snapshots: Voxtrot CD Release Party @ Emo's

Every few months Austin media outlets have a little love fest with a "local" indie band. Past flames include: Okkervil River, Ghostland Observatory, Spoon, Trail of the Dead, etc.

If you don't like Voxtrot then just wait another month or two, the honeymoon will be over, and you won't have to hear about them again.

As the photographer, I apologize for the overexposure. I promise to get a better diffuser for my flash.

i like the EPs well enough but I'm not in a hurry to buy the full length release. I haven't seen them perform live either. On Fri night, I knew Emo's would be packed and I didn't mind missing their show. I happened to enjoy seeing a modestly attended show at Ruta Maya (w/The Alice Rose, Household Names, and A Few Nice Things). There was plenty of room and it was only $5. I like those bands and they'll probably never get reviewed by Pitchfork ;-).

Oh Voxtrot . . . if Ramesh wansn't such an asshole.

Here I am 4 years earlier hearing Voxtrot at a local party, murmer through the crowd, who are they and all of that buzz. Turns out they are from my old high school. Even better when their music isn't half bad. They seemed pretty cool until Ramesh opened this mouth. Turns out I think he has been high on himself before they had the overexposure (I don't understand this, as todays "Gorrila Celebutantes" hadn't evolved yet).

Fast forward to today, going through the LAist, looks like they're playing at El Rey. It's here where I find my "support Local music" roots conflict with the fact that the band attitude that leaves little to be desired.

It's not about supporting Austin creativity, it's not that their sound is even half bad,

Perhaps it's more than the music that can turn a fan off.

There's nothing wrong with liking Voxtrot and/or SoundTeam (well, actually, there is but that's just my musical opinion) -- but to defend them blindly because they're Austin based is ridiculous. Local bands, even great local bands, sometimes aren't (great, good, or even decent) national bands. That's reality.

Well, of course that's ridiculous, but that's not why I defend them -- I genuinely like the band, and at least some of that backlash seems to be coming from people who liked the EPs and were, inexplicably, expecting the full-length to be the second coming of Christ or whatever. That's what seems silly to me. Believe me, if you've hated the band since day one, then by all means continue with your criticism and/or scorn.

But when that backlash is more about Voxtrot being totally inescapable or whatever, as opposed to anything having to do with the music, well, that's kind of silly.

How can anyone say the guy in the top picture is over-exposed? He has his shirt buttoned almost all the way to the top. Someone that cute should be exposing way more - I'm talking 1980's Marky Mark, pants around the ankles exposure.

Oh yeah, and Octopus Project has always sucked ever since I saw them play to maybe 5 people at Emos before a Tahawny Troof show 5 years ago.

Maybe not. Maybe that was another band. But it takes more than a friggin' keyboard and a gawky girl-woman in glasses to make a good band.

Oh, and here are some other options for why people have this backlash and it has nothing to do with the band not being obscure enough to like anymore:

1. Said people thought the band sucked years ago and figured they're break up before there was even a reason to tell people "Hey, these guys really aren't very good." When there was no outlet because there was no media coverage of the band, there was no way to tell people how you felt. Now there are blog entries to respond to, so it's a lot easier to say "These guys suck."

2. Said people listened to some other albums, perhaps even after liking Voxtrot, and said to themselves "you know what? These other albums are actually way better than Voxtrot." Perhaps those other albums were exposed to listeners in reviews of Voxtrot as albums that critics said were better or influences. It happens all the time. I'm sure it'll happen with Voxtrot too.

Anyway, why would everyone want to be supportive and like the same damned thing when it comes to music? Criticism isn't such a horrible thing for a band. Maybe it'll result in the drums sounding better or the hooks being tighter. Or maybe it'll result in a band breaking up. But wouldn't it all be goddamned boring if we were all standing at Emo's nodding our heads thinking Voxtrot really is that exciting?

I can't have a Coke since I am not a hipster and therefore cannot score some nor do I have the expendable trust fund to spend on said Coke.

I was making fun of Hatin' Haters anyway so score one for me.

Patrick,

Both SoundTeam and Voxtrot got mediocre reviews on their debut albums from the national, non-blog, press. In the case of SoundTeam, this wasn't limited to the harsh Pitchfork review and I suspect it won't be in the case of Voxtrot either. Neither band is doing something all that original and unless you craft a perfect record, it's going to happen.

You know who else had a shitty first couple of albums, were dropped from their first label, and probably were a record or so away from throwing it in before turning the corner? Spoon. That's who. Spoon managed to craft a great album (Girls Can Tell) after a bunch of mediocre derivative Pixies wannabe albums.

There's nothing wrong with liking Voxtrot and/or SoundTeam (well, actually, there is but that's just my musical opinion) -- but to defend them blindly because they're Austin based is ridiculous. Local bands, even great local bands, sometimes aren't (great, good, or even decent) national bands. That's reality.

I think it's a stretch to call Voxtrot overexposed -- a Chronicle and an XLent cover do not an over hyped band make. Yes, you hear a lot about Voxtrot -- if you read Pitchfork, surf MP3 blogs, peruse the Onion's AV Club, and listen to 91.7 KVRX... which covers maybe one percent of the population. Don't go ragging on the band's media exposure just because they're no longer sufficiently obscure to be cool or whatever... if you're that hung up about it, go back to listening to your White Denim or whatever.

The preceding was not meant to be a knock against White Denim. I love White Denim.

Personally, I think what we've got going on is the typical Austin-scenesters-backlash-against-something-that's-no-longer-super-super-niche. I think it happened last year with Sound Team, who were very popular to rag on for a while even though, just like Voxtrot, their debut LP was good stuff. It'll probably happen to the Octopus Project, too. How Spoon has managed to dodge the bullet is beyond me.

Ol Pappy, that was beyond incoherent. Go have a Coke and a smile and STFU, indeed.

What I'd personally like to see is a moratorium on idiots that think that people are "jealous crybabies from other bands and scene haters in general" whining all over the internet whenever a local band is making the news (although I myself am now officially whining). Voxtrot have a their first full-length album out as of last week (even though they've been a band for 20 years) and just kicked off their tour here in town; why on earth WOULDN'T the local press make note of this after they've been ignoring them for the past 50 years? Get over your hipper than thou attitudes already and be happy that anyone actually gives a damn about local music beyond Spoon, okay

I guess, guys, what I'm saying, guys, is that if, guys, you have an opinion that's not in line with mine, guys, you can just stfu and let me cry online myself, guys.

blah blah. everyone hates everyone who's anyone in austin. old news, i get it. but tiring of this dude's smiling face and blonde-streaked head on the cover of the chronicle one week, xl the next, and 1001 blogs daily isn't about a "hipper than thou" attitude, it's a matter of being observant. even if the band is worthy of the attention or not, overexposure exists, and right now Voxtrot is floating down a river of it.

"plastered all over everywhere?" In the Real World, probably about .1% of all Americans have ever heard of Voxtrot. I guess if you live in Pitchfork World, it might seem as though Voxtrot is overexposed. Get back to me when they're appearing in tv commercials, the cover of Rolling Stone, top 40 radio charts, Motorola ringtone ads, etc.

Meanwhile, in the Real World, a local band that's going somewhere has a record release party for its debut album, and Austinist is one of the few local outfits to mention it. Oh. The humanity.

What I'd personally like to see is a moratorium on jealous crybabies from other bands and scene haters in general whining all over the internet whenever a local band is making the news. Voxtrot have a their first full-length album out as of last week and just kicked off their tour here in town; why on earth WOULDN'T the local press make note of this? Get over your hipper than thou attitudes already and be happy that anyone actually gives a damn about local music beyond Willie and Los Lonely Boys, okay?

Tru Dat UNCLE!!! I am really tired of seeing that name...and I know this is only MY opinion...but I find it kinda weak.

Please! Uncle! I'd love to make it through a day or two without seeing these faces plastered all over everywhere. The overexposure is making me barf. Somebody please pop the Voxtrot bubble.

that boy is sweeeeeet!