10 'Austin Music Minute' Bands Laurie Gallardo Loves
By Laurie Gallardo, Fri., June 28, 2013
Paul Banks & the Carousels
I'm smitten with Paul Banks' voice. And on the AMM, I admitted that there was a time I was so taken by his singing that I went up to him and said, "I want to marry your voice." He's turned heads and stopped people in their tracks. They all have to turn around to see where the hell that voice is coming from!
Scott H. Biram
Holy shit, this guy kicks ass. I've described him as a rock/punk/country/hillbilly bone-rattler "with all the makings of a demon truck driver high-tailing it into town on an 18-wheeler from hell." See? Love him like crazy.
Crooked Bangs
On an AMM promotion for their gig at Hotel Vegas, I actually said something like, "You know what, they couldn't care less about the Austin Music Minute, but I wanted to give them one anyway because man, I love what they do!" An absolute favorite. Reminds me of punk bands that would play in El Paso. Raw and understated, but the perfect edge.
Megafauna
Women who rock need to be recognized for all the fantastic work they do. This would definitely put Dani Neff, vocalist and guitarist of Megafauna, at the top of my list. Phenomenal live shows and passionate music. Neff shreds like a monster.
Mrs. Glass
Searing blues rock. It's a trio, but the frontman is known as Mrs. Glass. I had no qualms about mentioning how I'd pick on the poor guy at their White Horse shows: "Ooooo, Mrs. Glass! Where's your husband at, missus?" Solid, talented musicians who put on a damn fine show.
The Sword
We used to joke about putting loud music on the Austin Music Minute. One of the time slots is around 7:49am on both stations, now. The program director would tell me, "You might scare people." But peeps like Texas Music Matters host David Brown would tell me, "Go for it! You gotta wake people up!" One of those bands in that category would be the Sword. Heavy duty, loud, and lots of guitar. It's good for you.
Dale Watson
Ladies and gentlemen, he's the real deal. A true Texas troubadour who knows what real country sounds like. I never shy away from geeking out over the bands and songwriters I admire, and Watson's high on my list of favorites. He's a genuine badass. I'm not surprised Letterman personally asked him to be on the Late Show.
Whiskey Shivers
The band's crazy, and the fans are even crazier. Hillbilly bluegrass hoodlums gone wild and not slowing down. They let loose and really feel the music, which is why the live shows are incredible.
White Ghost Shivers
My true loves. This is the first band I saw when I moved to Austin. It was at Beerland, and they were playing to an audience of five people – two of whom were working behind the bar. Old-timey jazz, hokum, swing, and ragtime, with plenty of lyrics to make you blush like mad. Or laugh hysterically, like I do. Sign me up for life. One of the best damn bands around.
Wild Bill & the Lost Knobs
So much fun to put Wild Bill on the AMM. He defies all categories because he does it all – rock, punk, country, and anything to catch you off guard. And hilariously funny. He's not afraid to interact with his audience, and he does what he does because he loves it.