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Darling New Neighbors' Final Show and EP Release
Saturday, May 28
Skinny's Ballroom (115 San Jacinto, Austin, TX 78701)
10pm
[info]
The first track on Darling New Neighbors' new EP is "Mr. Ahmadinejad", a snarky address to the Iranian president that sends up everything from his penchant for donning sunglasses to his nuclear ambitions in a kind of tongue-in-cheek political ribbing. The track kicks off with a staccato drum beat before a trumpet pulls an Arabian melody across the song above a clipped accordion, played by frontwoman Elizabeth Jackson. Miss Jackson's virtuosic squeezeboxing is all over the Freakers on the Spazmonaut Train EP, as is that trumpet. The introduction of brass to the Darling New Neighbors' rough-hewn indie-pop grooves, bouncy basslines and general fun-loving eclecticism gives the band a sound that wouldn't be out of place on the Beulah end of the Elephant 6 spectrum.
Comparisons can't really peg the Darling New Neighbors, though: the band mash up styles both high and low with freewheeling aplomb, resulting in a listen that's spiritually akin to partying with smart people. In addition to being an avid accordionist, Jackson is a classically trained violinist, and guitarist Amy Moreland is classically trained in her instrument as well as being a bluegrass devotee. Drummer Karl Lundin, apparently, has an actual music degree, and provides the rhythmic backbone across a variety of time signatures and musical styles.
And there are many different styles here. "Hate" is an abrasive, electrified jam with the quiet-loud dynamics and fuzz of Dinosaur Jr., some dissonant saxophone and an edgy guitar solo in the bridge, while "Femme Fatale" is quirky lo-fi indie-pop at its best. "Fall Out" kicks off with an immediately head-bobbing bass groove and lyrical rounds that confront the end of a friendship, before lifting off into a bright middle eight that alternates 4/4 and 5/4 time signatures. All the while, Darling New Neighbors keep the casual party vibe alive; it's music for "freaks and fucks and stoners and hippies," as Jackson sings in the ripe-for-a-boozy-singalong closer "Hometown 1988".
The band will celebrate the release Freakers on the Spazmonaut Train this Saturday with a show at Skinny's Ballroom, which will, unfortunately, be their last show ever. A statement from the band's website reads: "it’s been epic & we thank you each & every all. End of a chapter. an era. an amazing journey, all with love, no VH1 behind-the-scenes drama (at least not lately!). We want to final bow with a happy bang." Midwives, Little Stolen Moments and Stanley Roy & His Uke will also play.
Darling New Neighbors: [website]
