Lord Buffalo, O'Conqueror, Wiretree, Emily Bell

Lord Buffalo (photo by Jana Birchum)

Lord Buffalo, O'Conqueror, Wiretree, Emily Bell

Has a star been born in Emily Bell? Showcasing the right amount of vocal grain and enough charisma to corral loquacious Lamberts clientele, Bell and her fivepiece band banged out a spunky set of swampy roots pop and slinky sexabilly that predicts a quick rise through the River City ranks. Guitar pop treasure Wiretree had a relatively quiet 2014, the band's braintrust producing a child instead of an album. This triumphant set of classics and new tunes promises a loud 2015. O'Conqueror brought a full-bodied live presence driven by haunted, restless psychedelia. The predominance of slow tempos and tribal percussion started to grind, but the group's introduction of groove on the final numbers kicked into an inspired gear. Lord Buffalo climaxed the night with spacey folk-rock swirling on loud/soft dynamics, Wurlitzer bass, and violin drone. Like a small town preacher, D.J. Pruitt related tales in which truth meant less than the magic conjured in the telling. A spooky, epic take on Roky Erickson's "Two Headed Dog" clarified the band's focus better than any Americana awards ever will.