Everyone wants to say they were in on the ground floor

So we've all got our friends who are the ultimate in "one-upsmanship" when it comes to discovering new bands.

(I'm thinking especially of people who date their Old 97s fan status by what album they started listening to the band on. Mine was Too Far To Care. Not super early, but in my defense, I was only 13 when their first album came out.)

That said, the funny thing is that so rarely are bands really good when they first begin. Sure they have a few good songs that maybe sound a little too much like someone else, but it typically takes a few years of writing/touring/recording to develop anything of note. So where am I going with all of this? Nowhere fast?

Hopefully not, because the main reason for writing this is to note my recent discovery of a great band from El Paso called The Lusitania. I really just came to know about them from the line-up at Tuggfest, and have been getting increasingly impressed with the music on their myspace. They've got one album out and a 7" split out some time soon.

While they do have elements of a number of the bands that they list as influences, the important thing is that they are just a good listen. They've got a good mix of twang, vocal harmonies and rock all at the right times. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing more about this band, and I hope you'll take the time to check them out. Their CD is super cheap, and it's all a DIY operation right now, which is the best time to start supporting a band.

So if nothing else, check out their myspace, go see a live show on their upcoming tour if you can, and get in on the ground floor.

Tuggfest

I hope all you folks in Lubbock made it out to Tuggfest last Thursday night. For an entirely independently organized and promoted festival, it was a resounding success. While a festival like this may not make any of the bands rich, they should all be commended for making it such a great day of music.

Thanks again Lubbock for supporting local music.