Le Diamant Brut: The Marked Men & Jets Under Fire
What’s the Deal: It’s common practice for members of bands, especially punk bands, to spread themselves out and play in many different projects at once. It’s a great way to exercise musical muscles that don’t get enough attention in your current project, and it keeps you busy, prolific and growing. But, with the amount of talent, energy and irresistible punk rock pouring out of this foursome from Denton, it’s almost a crime they don’t concentrate solely on the project. It didn’t take them long at all to become an appreciated addition to Texas punk and rock and roll scenes, especially in Austin. But, maybe we’ve horded them for too long. The Marked Men released their fourth record, Ghosts, this year in their usual DIY, record, produce and mix themselves fashion. The 15, two-minute or so, speedy and somewhat poppy punk tracks on the record earned them high marks with critics as usual.
One of the most instantly grabbing tunes on the Ghosts is “Fortune”. It lays into you from the very beginning some of their sharpest hooks, enabling the jangled distortion, repetitive chorus equipped with “ah”s, and quick approach to create converts. “Doctor Dan” from 2004’s On the Outside is a great example of the band at their poppiest. It’s short and sweet and makes it no easy task to tear that chorus from your immediate memory.
Something Interesting: At least one of the members of the Marked Men plays in High Tension Wires as well, which is fronted by Mike Wiebe from The Riverboat Gamblers.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Ditch” and “A Little Time”
The Marked Men [MySpace]
What’s the Deal: The band came to Austin on the back of Jason Poe as his solo project away from his regular gig in The Professional Americans in 2005. However, within a year of relocating The Americans went their separate ways, and Poe shifted his complete attention to Jets Under Fire. Poe brought on three new members to round out the band, and what began to emerge was a melodic pop rock sound with spacey, dreamy guitars and keys and plenty of emotion and harmony.
The first track on their recently released EP2, “Halo(s)”, has an anthemic, drifting and bursting in outer space feel that radiates thick, solid harmonies. “Like Waves, Like Sea” softens things up a bit with hushed instrumentation and whispered vocals which barely rise above inside voices and begin with a feeling of drifting solemnly and endlessly on the current.
Something Interesting: Jets Under Fire are releasing a series of EPs available for free download on their website. The first two are up already, and the third and fourth will be ready in September and December of this year.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Emerald Eyes” and “The End”
Jets Under Fire [Official] [MySpace]
