Austin, Texas is known (rightly and/or wrongly) for its roots rock scene, but it also has, thanks to the great ROKY ERICKSON, a rich psychedelic rock tradition. The SUMMERWARDROBE, which often backs Erickson at gigs, incorporates both, with songs that start out as dreamy country rock and organically evolve into noisier, spacier jams. If that sounds like the GRATEFUL DEAD, thankfully there’s nothing on the quartet’s second album that’s jamming for jamming’s sake. The Wardrobe favors good songwriting as its foundation, and singer/guitarist JON SANCHEZ (who formerly led Austin’s shoegazer contenders the FLYING SAUCERS) and pedal steel guitarist JOHN LEON go for intensity rather than noodling in their duels. The band covers Erickson’s “Mine Mine Mind” as a bonus, which indicates the mindset at work here. Of course, a band like this is best experienced on stage, but in the event the group doesn’t come to your town, Cajun Prairie Fire will do nicely.
http://myspace.com/thesummerwardrobe
http://www.sauspop.com
