The Informed Drinker: In the Beginning, There Was Rum
Why We Don't Like You: Texas A&M Aggies
![Weekend Music Preview: Woven Bones Tour Kick-Off [Beerland / Friday]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/11/beerland_27nov2009_250-thumb-110x110-460924.jpg)
Weekend Music Preview: Woven Bones Tour Kick-Off [Beerland / Friday]
Thief Nabs $10K Flagship Trek Bike From Mellow Johnny's
![Turkey Time Means Focusing on Football, Film, and Food! [Extra Extra]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/11/4118824456_b29afe8992_m-thumb-110x110-461242.jpg)
Turkey Time Means Focusing on Football, Film, and Food! [Extra Extra]
What’s the Deal: One half of The Gentle Guest’s songs sound like an American hobo ho-down that might go on in the very latest hours of the night after they’ve abandoned their stoops and street corners and headed down to the old railroad tracks. The songs are full of clamoring drums, tambourines, plucked and bowed stringed instruments, eerie horns, and shanty-esque group singing that sounds like a dark and folky good time. The other half of the songs are moody, acoustic pieces featuring just Eric Rykal, his voice and a guitar.
“Down At The Still” from their debut full-length, We Are Bound To Save Some Souls Tonight, is one of those gypsy folk collective type tunes. It features a fast and percussive strum, dance-around-the-fire horn blasts, whiskey-fueled groans from a background rabble and on-point traveling minstrel vocals. It’s an all around good time. “Darlin Darla” is similar in elements but the execution is slower and more haunting.
Something Interesting: Did we mention there’s a slight Christian rock going on here? But, instead of being overbearing or preachy, it just helps the story telling.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Long Long Dead”
The Gentle Guest [MySpace]
What’s the Deal: They’re an Austin-by-way-of-Orlando indie rock group who either by coincidence or plan happen to share a name with Camper Van Beethoven’s 2004 album, which was released just five days before the band established their MySpace account. They released their debut, International Affairs, back in aught five, and now their sophomore release, On The Sleeve, is slated for release July 14th on New Granada Records. Right out of the gate the band started hanging with the cool kids, opening for bands like Death Cab For Cutie and Cursive, and if the few songs off the new record floating around out there in cyberland are any indication, the band is in for more of the same this go around.
“Smoke in Your Disguise” is full of airy, fluent and soaring rock that treads lightly but walks with a wallop of a melody and an equally formidable chorus. The guitars twinkle and space out a little while the rhythm section and whispery background vocals keep you warm, making for a gorgeous arrangement. “VCR” puts listeners in a gloomy dance trance while still holding fast to the musical style shared in “Smoke in Your Disguise”.
Something Interesting: Stick around after the Bonnie Prince Billy set at Mohawk Friday night. The band is playing inside afterwards.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “21st Century LTD” and “On The Sleeve”
New Roman Times [Official]
New Roman Times [MySpace]
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