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As music bloggers, Chris and I both have quite a few folks that come to us seeking musical guidance. Now, I can't speak for Chris, but whenever I get asked for recommendations, I tend to draw a blank. Naturally, I remember a whole host of bands I just know people would love hours after they've asked me. It's a gift to have such a horrible memory, I know. So then, it seemed somehow necessary to begin to offer up mixes for my friends, mixes for those who have both asked for my wisdom and those who need my help, whether they know it or not.
First up: my super awesome friend James, who actually inspired this whole concept. James is no stranger to good music, being in a band down there in Richmond himself (which you should probably check out). Over the years that we've known each other, James has often boosted my ego by coming to me for bands to listen to. Naturally, I'm always more than happy to oblige. However, now, instead of having to get back to him with erratic texts at random hours, I present him with a mix. So James, darlin', this one's for you.
mp3: Daydream (Beach Fossils from Beach Fossils)
mp3: Don't Know Why (You Stay) (The Essex Green from Cannibal Sea)
mp3: The Great River (These United States from What Lasts)
mp3: Knots (Pete & The Pirates from Little Death)
mp3: If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You (Super Furry Animals from Fuzzy Logic)
mp3: Night Might (The Strange Boys from Be Brave)
mp3: Tow The Line (Thieving Irons from This Midnight Hum)
mp3: Big Black Sky (Sunking! from Dreamy Of The Sunchildren)
mp3: Us Vs Them (Common Prayer from There Is A Mountain)
mp3: Young And Dumb (Neverever from Angelic Swells)
mp3: Doors (Ice Black Birds from As Birds We'd Be Fine)
mp3: All Y'all (Gringo Star from All Y'all)
Ever wondered what might happen if you took four dudes with a serious love of the British Invasion and stuck ‘em smack dab in the capital of the Dirty South? Well, you can stop wondering and get yourself a copy of this here record if you wanna know, ladies and gents. Gringo Star has taken their cues from the cream of the British crop and given the skinny pantsuits and bowl cuts the Atlanta treatment, the end result of which is an album of tail feather-shakers and other fine musical treats.
It begins with the oh-so Kinks-ian jangle of title track “All Y’all,” full of vim, vigor, and cracklingly good guitars (think “All Day & All Of The Night” with a drawl). Gringo Star proves early on that next to nobody can shimmy and shake their way around a studio quite like they can. “Ask Me Why” is among the exhibits I submit to the jury for confirmation of said opinion. You can feel the sass from here, my friends. “You don’t even know what you done”, sing they, as the guitars wail sultrily away. “Come On Now” is just the cutest thing, sweet like those old ditties used to be, but with an ever-present undercurrent of naughtiness lurking just under the bounce. Much like those rapscallion Rod Stewart-led Faces, I wonder if perhaps the adage “good boys when they’re asleep” also applies to los Gringos.
“TransMission” offers a dreamy swirl of a breather from the madcap danceability of the songs before it. And yes, the Gringos also do near-ballads very well. But they’re undoubtedly at their best when gettin’ down, as in the dirty little “Holding On To Hate” and its scorching little guitar riffs. It’s a big bastard of a song, and it’s damn fine. “Don’t Go” calls to mind The Hollies (circa “Bus Stop”), with the jauntiness of the instrumentation and the synchronized vocal acrobatics. Hell’s bells, the whole dang record is sizzlin’.
The record has been out for a little while now, but it still sounds as fresh as a daisy if you ask me. Now, loving the Brit Invasion as much as I do, I might have been slightly inclined to love Gringo Star anyway. But I ask you, friends, does it really get better than a band that tends to sound like an early Kinks/Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs/Zombies/Herman’s Hermits hybrid? I’m gonna go ahead and say no, it most certainly does not. So in closing, friends, all y’all really need to give All Y’all a listen or several.
mp3: All Y’all (Gringo Star from All Y’all)
I’d been wanting to see Gringo Star for just over a year by the time their Black Cat show rolled around, so it’s about damn time they rolled into town. The weather set a dramatic backdrop for their set at the Black Cat (guess you could say they’re a band that knows how to make an entrance), but not even the torrential downpours of the season’s first major storm could keep me away. And those Atlanta boys sure did make the risk worth the reward, let me tell you.
MINI RECAP: Gringo Star = Hot tamales! Overall score: A.
Sandwiched between locals Typefighter and Exit Clov, Gringo Star was definitely the cream of the evening’s crop, the feather in the night's cap. As soon as they broke out that pair of tambourines, I knew it was gonna be a good night. Forget those Black Lips comparisons you might have heard, I’m pretty sure those are around merely because both bands reside in Atlanta. Not only are they far more genteel, but the Gringos also definitely draw a hefty inspiration from the bands of the British Invasion. The Kinks’ influence is clear, but to me there was a definite dash of the irrepressible “She’s Not There”-era Zombies as well. Jaunty, jangly, and irresistible: that’s the Gringo Star modus operandi.
Their 45-ish minute set simply flew by, a whirl of simple, catchy as hell songs perfect for chasing the clouds away. Not only did the boys fuel my love for them by using not one but two tambourines, but they also utilize a rather unique vocal arrangement: three of them share the lead vocals. Over the course of the set, Nick, Peter, and Pete all got their sing on, and while their voices are all distinct, somehow this singing merry-go-round works perfectly and seamlessly for their sound. The band bobbed like Brits of yore up there on the small stage, and spread their Kinksian love all around the room. Like the bands that inspired them, the Gringo Star songs are short but very, very sweet.
It took a damn long time for me to finally see them, but Gringo Star did not disappoint. Their throwback sound warmed the cockles of my little heart, and believe me when I say this is definitely a band you’ll want to make sure to catch live. They’ll show you one heck of a good time. I hope it doesn’t take nearly as long to see them a second time.
mp3: Ask Me Why (Gringo Star from All Y’all)
I’m finding it hard to believe that it’s almost time once again for the annual industry hootenanny known as SXSW (the music portion of the program starting two weeks from this past Wednesday!). To celebrate the impending week of absolute havoc, Austin-style, we’ve thrown down the interview gauntlet to see what some of our favorite bands are going to be getting up to whilst down in the wilds of Texas.
Sometimes I find myself initially drawn to a band because of their name, especially if it’s clever, snarky, or super cute. Naturally, I was powerless to resist Gringo Star, because in my humble opinion their name is one of the best around. Fortunately, the band is more than just a killer name. They’ve got a groovy, saucy little rambunctious garage’n’roll thing going on, a sound that is both effortlessly appealing and damningly addictive. They’re clever and talented, and definitely highly recommended. You’ll probably want to go ahead and add them to your list of bands to pay attention to, and if you’re in Austin for SXSW write ‘em in on your schedule. If not, well, the Gringo Star-ians will be hithering and thithering after the festival, so you’ve got plenty of opportunity.
Les Enfants Terribles: How are you getting to SXSW: plane, train, or automobile?
Nick Furgiuele: We’re gonna walk down the street to where the van is, jump start it with the neighbor’s car because it has an electrical problem, and drive it to Charleston for the first show of the tour. We hope not to have to arrange any trains or tow trucks to rented vans or U-hauls before the final show in Atlanta on April 16th.
LET: Inevitably, you will forget to pack:
NF: We don’t travel with anything but what we are wearing and a toothbrush, so there isn’t much to forget or leave behind.
LET: How many showcases/parties will you be playing?
NF: We have one “official” show with our booking agency’s showcase on Thursday, March 18th at 8pm at Encore, on Red River Road, and then we are playing “Hear Ya Indie Blog and Woodsentertainment Party” at Beauty Bar on Friday, March 19th at 4pm. We get to play with a bunch of great bands…Camper Van Beethoven, Lucero, Cracker, Murder by Death, and others…And we are also attending, on Thursday, “Hurry Up and Wait,” a documentary on Gringo Star that was made over out European tour last year and is having a private debut screening at the Landmark Theatre in Austin…and then of course there is the ATL/ATX Baseball Ultimate World Series Pennant Championship that we are putting on with a bunch of friends at KRIEG Baseball Complex at noon on Thursday, March 18th.
LET: Band you’re most looking forward to seeing at the festival?
NF: The Who.
LET: What’s the first thing you plan on doing upon arrival in Austin?
NF: Mexican food to bowls to coffee to baseball game.
LET: What was the first festival you ever attended, either as a musician or member of the general public?
NF: Black Mountain Leaf Festival.
LET: Favorite thing about festivals?
NF: Outdoors, sleeping bags, twilight, music.
mp3: All Y'All (Gringo Star from All Y'All)
{photo by Jeoff Davis}
As music bloggers, Chris and I both have quite a few folks that come to us seeking musical guidance. Now, I can't speak for Chris, but whenever I get asked for recommendations, I tend to draw a blank. Naturally, I remember a whole host of bands I just know people would love hours after they've asked me. It's a gift to have such a horrible memory, I know. So then, it seemed somehow necessary to begin to offer up mixes for my friends, mixes for those who have both asked for my wisdom and those who need my help, whether they know it or not.
