Preview: The Lusitania, Kentucky Knife Fight in Midland, 7/19

It remains rare that Midland/Odessa gets a quality indie-rock show through town. No offense to the metal or punk fans, as I do appreciate them supporting their own form of independent music, but it's just not my thing.

Thankfully, our all-ages venue in the area, The Pine Box (510 S. Big Spring St., Midland, TX), is fairly open to most any music style. This Tuesday, July 19th, brings an outstanding show through town, featuring El Paso band The Lusitania, along with St. Louis based Kentucky Knife Fight.

If you have followed this blog much in the past, you know I have long been a champion of The Lusitania's work. Their latest release, last year's Rain & Rivers, was an outstanding effort, and since its release, the band has spent a good deal of time out on the road supporting fellow El Pasoan Jim Ward, of At the Drive-In, Sparta, & Sleepercar notoriety. In fact, after a short run of their own through the Midwest, they will connect again with Ward for a few more weeks of shows.

Kentucky Knife Fight brings a style of music that combines a diverse array of musical styles. Their Facebook describes the sound as combining "bluegrass, blues, and punk," which actually all present themselves fairly clearly upon a few listens. I might have had difficulty singling out those three influences on my own, so it was nice that they did the work for me. Either way, definitely worth checking out.

It's a Tuesday night in Midland, folks, what else do you have to do?

UPDATE: Here is the facebook page for the event. Tons of bands playing. So many that I am too lazy to look them all up.

The Lusitania - "Your Style" (kinda sorta NSFW, just sayin')


If your geography is conducive to such a thing, you can also catch these two bands, plus Estelline, at the Blue Light in Lubbock on Wed., 7/20.

3 Albums with West Texas Roots That You Should Be Listening To

Amanda Shires - Carrying Lightning

Amanda Shires' music career up to this point exemplifies the concept of "paying your dues." That is, she has worked tirelessly to establish herself as not only an outstanding musician, but also as one of the more promising songwriters on the Americana touring circuit. Simply put, her time to receive wider notoriety is now. Shires' musical background is widely available online, so I'll skip the recap, as her current album is really the element of interest here. Texas Music magazine recently referred to Carrying Lightning as the Car Wheels on a Gravel Road of Shires' career, a Lucinda Williams reference that carries some serious weight. The album has received additional praise from the likes of SPIN, The Wall Street Journal, and Texas Monthly, because, well, it is that good. Lightning finds Shires defining her voice as a songwriter and provides us with a first look at the great potential her musical career holds.

"Ghostbird" (feat. Neal Casal)



Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

Explosions in the Sky is a band comprised of 3/4 West Texans, although in actuality the band itself hails from Austin. Nonetheless, the influence of the West Texas landscape in EITS' music is hard to ignore. Take Care, Take Care, Take Care finds the band in top form for their sixth studio release, and as an overall composition, is among the band's best work to-date. The single "Trembling Hands" finds the band introducing vocal loops into a song, a rarity in EITS' work, although they appear not as lyrics but as an additional layer of instrumentation. Another rarity for the band is playing shows in West Texas, yet the band is crossing that boundary as well, with a show booked in Marfa for September.

"Trembling Hands"



Estelline - Estelline

Among Lubbock's newest up-and-comers, Estelline have been establishing their name in the local scene for a few years now. This spring found the band releasing their first album, a self-titled effort that suggests that the legacy of great original music in Lubbock continues to grow. At 15 songs, the band lays everything out on the table, and by-and-large, they deliver with a very strong record. Among the strongest are "William Jones" and "Jaylynn," which perhaps best showcase the talent of the band and suggest the emergence of a sound that is their own. Future work will no doubt be the ultimate test of the band, but for a first album, Estelline has an excellent start.

"Jaylynn" (acoustic on the Todd Klein show, AM 580)

Estelline - Lubbock album release, Feb. 11

Photo credit: Jesse Whitley

I'm beginning to feel relatively unsurprised these days when another great indie band comes out of Lubbock. As much as folks love to talk about what a horrible place it is, the area continues to produce awesome music, and Estelline is yet another example.

Estelline has been building up their name around the Lubbock area for a good bit now, but next Friday, February 11th, will finally see the band release their first record, a self-titled endeavor, at Bash Riprocks in the Depot. Check out an acoustic version of "William Jones" below, and please head over to their Myspace page to hear 5 songs from the new album.

The band's songs are quite strong for a first album, or for any album really. What I like most about them is that, while they don't take a wildly unconventional approach to their brand of rock music, the distinctive voice of frontman Kenny Paul Harris brings them an instant appeal. Songs like "I'm a Monster" highlight the strength of Harris's voice, as well as the band's deft use of dynamics. It's loud and soft just as rock music should be. Most importantly, Estelline harnesses elements of West Texas in such a way that exhibits their unique musical perspective, and hopefully foreshadows a good deal more great music to come.

I was first introduced to the band last September opening for Thrift Store Cowboys, and have been looking forward to this album release ever since. Please go check these guys out. While it tends to be inevitable that good bands in Lubbock eventually move to Austin, the scene is building such that maybe a few more will continue to stick around. Either way, go to the show or pick up the album. Preferably both.