A Captain Goes Down with His Ship…

All hands on deck! The Diving Captain says farewell.

For every movement, there were pioneers, those who blazed their trail through the tangled masses of reluctant club owners and sharpie-smeared hands. When I was 16 three years ago, the Diving Captain was one of the few under-18 indie rock bands in Austin.

Back then, the attention that teen bands get now was virtually non-existent, but the Diving Captain went far beyond the high school talent shows. Their dynamic combination of an energetic stage presence and irresistible melodies landed shows at the hippest venues and developed a genuine following. If teen bands are on Austin’s radar now, it’s because bands like the Diving Captain made noise this town couldn’t ignore.

Last Sunday night, the Mohawk packed eager fans shoulder-to-shoulder for the last Diving Captain show before front man and songwriter Jake Lauterstein departs for Oregon to pursue his academic career. After the dancing and crowd surfing died down and the venue finally cleared, the void in the Austin music scene was palpable. As this wave of Austin’s teen musicians grow up and go off to college and the next wave flows in, let us not forget the pioneers. Viva la Diving Captain!

The Sound and the Jury

Dell is gearing up the second round of their Sound and the Jury contest with three up-and-coming young Austin bands in the Top Ten. Number one is Speak, a synth-pop quartet of Austin natives. Mucho Gusto, featuring Colin Jenkins, former bassist of the aforementioned Diving Captain, is a close second, and Mother Falcon, the buzz-worthy, fifteen-piece baroque pop group led by multi-instrumentalist and U.T. architecture student Nick Gregg, is following closely behind. Maybe ACL Fest is realizing there are worthy local bands under age 21, and they have a teen audience that supports their peer bands.

Tasty, Tasty…

I first discovered the Tastydactyls backstage at the Mohawk playing Magic. That's right, Magic, the game with cards and colored stones you were teased for playing in elementary school. I figured the Magic game was a good sign, and it was. The group does not take themselves too seriously, instead making friends with their crowd and generating a party-like atmosphere. Their effusive stage presence, along with their lighthearted brand of indie pop delivered with refreshing honesty, made me an instant fan. See them Sept. 27 at Emo’s for their EP release.