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Get Breaking News on your cellSXSW 2008: The Matches
11:53 PM Sat, Mar 15, 2008 | Permalink |
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September 2008
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I'm now back at Bourbon Rocks but in the main room (no gravel in here unless it's been tracked in), where one of my favorite neo-punk acts, the Matches, is performing. The Bay Area act's previous CD, "Decomposer," was one of my top albums of 2006. Too bad almost no one heard it ... though on Tuesday its new effort on Epitaph, "A Band In Hope," may very well make bigger waves. It's more accomplished in that it's even more experimental than "Decomposer" in key ways, yet it also rocks harder. But I'll say no more, since my full review will be in Tuesday's paper ... It started off with "Decomposer"s opening track, the bleary and carnival-ish "Salty Eyes." It's playing up the red theme of that album with an over-the-top wardrobe for the showcase - red blazers, silk shirts, jeans and such among the four members. It's straight-up rocking out on the second track (which I sadly don't quite recognize), and revising the opening number's whimsy on "What Katie Said" and "Clumsy Heart." All are tracks from "Decomposer," which is a bit odd for a 40-minute set. Will they introduce any of the new stuff? Yeah, it's not quite as catchy as the now-old material, but ... ... ah, yes. Here's a new one (right after the guitarist says "we have a new album coming out on Tuesday" without naming the darn thing). "AM Tilts," I think it's called. Pretty buoyant stuff, with heavier bass content and a more structured pop approach. Trust me: it's not a typical track on A Band In Hope (though its Led Zeppelin-ish ending is). As is typical of the Matches' live set, the guys are leaving a lot of sweat and catharses behind. Remember this line: "There's a little suicide in all that we do." If its cards fall right (or: if the cards that should fall do so in a perfect musical world) it'll become a rallying cry for neo-punkers everywhere this summer. |
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