YOU SHOULDN’T READ THIS REVIEW. ALL OF THESE WORDS AND SENTENCES ARE JUST CONVOLUTED INTERFERENCES TO THE REAL REASONS WHY YOU’RE STILL READING. SO YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT FINDING SOME MUSICAL VORTEX OF DISCOVERY? MAY WE SUGGEST THE NOISE REVIVAL ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE.

For those of you who have made it this far and pushed yourselves through the normal boundaries of conventionalism, you’ll understand why you need to see this band live. It’s because you need to know about music.

Lead singer-songwriter/guitarist Nathan Felix knows a lot about music. He denies it at first, saying he was never classically trained or taught, but the fact remains. Whether through pure intuition or an emotional connection with sound,

Felix and his 13-piece band help convey music in a way that isn’t for the occasional ear. Their pieces take sonically charged journeys through waves of horns, flutes, synths, percussion and more. The ensemble, which sometimes finds it arduous to even fit on a bar stage, isn’t your typical Friday night band. They’ve definitely made their rounds in town, playing at venues like Lambert’s, Mohawk and The Tap Room, but Felix knows they need a change. “I finally feel like we’re accomplishing something that most bands strive for but fail to achieve; being different and staying different,” Felix says with conviction, “so most venues end
up booking us with bands that start off that way, but are still nothing like us. It’s hard for us to find a good place to play at.”

With most of the current local bands having straightforward songs with formulated melodies and the standard keys/guitar/bass/drum set-up,

it’s no wonder Felix feels like an outsider in his hometown. But cerebral approaches to art are usually harder for others to understand. NROE puts more emphasis on the actual voyage of
music, rather than the destination of their sound. And although they are far from experimental, they’re even farther from conventional.

The development of that sound, which is inspired by composers like Danny Elfman and local musician, Graham Reynolds of Golden Arm Trio, has resulted with three new releases, available on their website (thenoiserevival.com). The songs,
which are timeless and dramatic, distinguish NROE as an indefinable band. And in a city where unconventional paves the streets and covers sidewalks, seeing this band live should just be the natural progression to an already established mentality. am+e

ILOXSLY IS THE BAND PLAYING AROUND THE CORNER TONIGHT. THEY HAVE BEEN IN AUSTIN LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE PERFORMED AT MOST HOT LOCAL VENUES, ALONGSIDE A LAUNDRY LIST OF OTHER LOCAL TALENT. IT IS A CIRCUIT THAT REPEATS ITSELF IN CYCLES FOR MOST BANDS, AND ONLY THE GOOD (OR LUCKY) ONES CAN MANAGE TO TAKE THEIR SOUND CROSS-COUNTRY IN ORDER TO ATTRACT NEW LISTENERS AND BUILD A LARGER FAN BASE. SOME BANDS ARE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WITH RELENTLESS SELF-PROMOTION, WHILE OTHER BANDS, LIKE LOXSLY, SNEAK UP RIGHT BEHIND YOU AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT SIMPLY SELLS ITSELF.

Loxsly have just returned after spending some time away from home on what was their first proper tour, opening shows along the East Coast and Canada for bands like Drive-By Truckers. While out on the road they made sure to bring copies of their newest Flashlights EP along with them, a 4-track release that has been steadily gaining effective press across the internet. With four good years under their belt, Loxsly is ready to take the next step.

The band initially formed in Waco, where Cody Ground (vocals, keys) began recording songs at home that became the album Forecast a Brainstorm in 2003. Shortly after its release, Ground was joined by Garrett Johnston (guitar) and Eryk Lugo (bass), and the three moved to Austin where they recruited Justin Douglas

(pedal steel) and Shanon Stanfield (drums) to form the current incarnation of Loxsly. This collaboration has given birth to a versatile pop sound that is familiar and inviting, full of introspective compositions that are simple yet catchy, with melodies that bring to mind household names like Spoon and Eels.

While the band’s 2005 self-released debut album, Maps and Organs, was a hodgepodge of synthesizers and energetic tones, Flashlights displays the band’s range and progression with a mature sound that is focused on attention to detail and craftsmanship. The happy, shiny-sounding atmosphere that you might expect to hear from this indie pop band has been supplanted by clever, thematic songwriting with impressive musicianship and solid production.

The band is currently working on completing a full-length album to follow the Flashlights EP, hoping to find themselves with a record label and distribution this time around. The momentum is on their side at this point, and they appear to be right on the cusp of achieving that goal. If they can follow up their recent production with an equally impressive full-length album, Loxsly could become much more than just the band playing around the corner. am+e

With that vision, Smith moved from Omaha to Austin in 2002. He met keyboardist/arranger Matt Russell, assembled a band, and released his first recording in 2005. Two EPs later and his new full-length album, Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir, hit stores in September.

Smith has been labeled singer/songwriter, R&B, pop, and jazz in various combinations. He dodges all of them. “I just want the melodies to be good!” he protests.

Maybe it’s just good upbringing. Smith spent childhood toddling around to a soundtrack of Paul Simon, John Denver, and Van Morrison. The influence is clear.

“What we really, really go for is the classic-sounding band with classic melodies,” Smith says. “When you listen to any of the greats—Paul Simon, The Beatles—they could’ve written those songs anytime post-1950 to now and they would be great songs. People who can pull that off in modern music are always heroes of mine.”

His band certainly pulls it off. Smith’s music is intuitive, clean, and memorable. At most shows, songs are performed by a rafter-ringing ensemble of Smith on acoustic guitar, Russell on keys, Ryan Bowman on bass, Kyle Thompson on drums, Jake Owens on electric guitar, Dustin Welch on banjo or resonator, and—here’s a twist—horns. Sometimes, he’ll do a stripped-down, acoustic show. And it all works.

With the buzz surrounding this latest album, Smith’s landscape is shifting to include other Austin musicians. He has a thriving collaboration with Appalachian-stomp-rocker Dustin Welch, and is a member of Welch’s House Band. Add fiddler Warren Hood, pedal steel player Kim Deschamps, and Band of Heathens’ electric guitarist Ed Jurdi, and Smith’s got quite the stable of allies. They’re frequent guests at Smith’s home base club, Momo’s, and all weigh in on the latest album.

The album is true to Smith’s vision. Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir was recorded to sound timeless: the sound of the piano, the concise pop songs, the creamy, real-life quality from one-inch tape. Even the cover art is a hand-sketched cartoon worthy of The New Yorker.

The first track, “Nilsson Sings Newman”, is a tribute to Smith’s latest obsession with singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson, and a sort of how-to guide for listeners.

“That song is basically about: Let’s get some whiskey, listen to this record, and have a real jolly old time,” he says.

You got it, Drew. am+e