Casual Victim Pile II

Literature

SXSW showcase: Fri., March 18, 8pm, Easy Tiger Patio

Kevin Adickes is the Where's Waldo? of Austin punk.

In addition to fronting on-again, off-again Victorian punks MothFight!, he was spotted during Free Week performing with new electro trio Spells. Somehow he makes more racket on guitar in local quartet Literature.

Quadrant completed by Nathaniel Cardaci on vocals and guitar, bassist Seth Whaland (founder of local cassette and vinyl label Natrix Natrix), and drummer Erik Smith, the tightly wound quartet speaks in three-minutes-or-less pop-punk unfurled into high-energy shows and onto vinyl. Last year's "Cincinnati" b/w "It's Cruel" 7-inch, recorded by onetime Texan Greg Ashley as a follow-up to 2009's cassette Hello Berlin, was among the year's finest. Recently, Literature landed lovesick jangler "Manmade Man" on the latest scene preserver from local Matador Gerard Cosloy, Casual Victim Pile II (see "Texas Platters," Feb. 25).

Literature's approach to music is key. Back in December, the band held a fundraiser to finance a video for "It's Cruel" by screening two Keanu Reeves movies at Bolm Studios: Point Break and Johnny Mnemonic. Now the video's done: a shot-for-shot remake of Reeves' and Patrick Swayze's infamous chase scene from Point Break.

Adickes answered questions about Literature's subtext.

Austin Chronicle: What was the thought process in starting Literature?

Kevin Adickes: The band started as a joke and now we're just laughing all the way to the bank.

AC: What kind of joke did it start out as?

KA: I wanted to start a really unpretentious backing band that'd find a new lead singer for every show. Nathaniel was visiting Austin for about five days so we seized the opportunity and conjured up a hat-full of songs to perform at a party. It went over well, and when he inevitably moved here, we forgot about the whole "new lead singer for every show" conceit.

AC: Do songs come pretty easily? How does a Literature song present itself?

KA: Nate or I will come up with a riff that either temporarily ruins our friendship or brings us closer together.