I was recently approached by Red Bull Sound Select about throwing some publicity toward their upcoming concert at Stubb’s on July 27th. I don’t always go for these sorts of requests, but this one was headed up by the Dandy Warhols – one of my favorites alt-rock bands – and features the Sour Notes – one of my favorite bands and groups of people from Austin. So I gave it a look.
Also on the bill is Theophilus London, who we have surprisingly covered at OVRLD, and he will be a cool add to an eclectic group. But what really spurred me to write this post is the presence of Gentlemen Rogues in the opening slot. This pop-punk-ish quartet just released their second EP back in March, and this was the perfect excuse to give it a listen. After a couple of spins of Gentlemen Rogues, I’m convinced that these guys will add a lot to this bill.
Gentlemen Rogues remind me a lot of Austin band Driver Friendly covering Austin band Whitman. They have Whitman’s blue-collar hooks, but Driver Friendly’s power-pop energy. There’s an element of uncool pop-punk there that will prevent these guys from showing up on too many other blogs, but, as with Driver Friendly, Gentlemen Rogues are adults coming from a more mature perspective, focused more on the pop than the punk. As blogger Jen Leduc said, it’s more “jangle crunch.” Hooky power.
Honestly, the four tracks on the record aren’t super distinguishable to me. What stands out to me more are moments. I like the lengthy intro to “Run From the Light,” or the low rumble of the verses on “Is Tomorrow Worth Tonight,” for example. The songs, though, have been growing on me with each listen, and I could see this being an EP I come back to over time for a healthy dose of rock. The overall mood is great, and it’s clear that these songs will carry quite an oomph in the live setting.
So speaking of the live setting, how can you get into this July 27th show? Well, the press release says:
“[T]he artists will curate the audience – filling the room with the most passionate music fans in [Austin]. From now until July 12, fans can log on to redbullsoundselect.com, create their profile, and request a ticket. By connecting their social accounts, fans choose the photos, videos, tweets and content that best shows their passion for music and how they support their local scenes. Red Bull Sound Select artists will invite the most passionate fans to the July showcase. Fans must claim their tickets by July 16.”
So hopefully that helps explain things? It sounds like it’s free…but you have to earn it with your passion! So check out Gentlemen Rogues, and Sour Notes, Theophilus London, and the Dandy Warhols (Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia – so good!) and then try to get yourself a free ticket to that show. Make sure to get there early so that you can see this jangle crunch in action.
– Carter Delloro
