If you thought there were only rock & roll bands in town for South by Southwest, you’d be wrong. The Choir Practice, from Vancouver, British Columbia, exemplify their band name probably more than any other group in Austin this week. At eight members strong, the vocal harmonies are at the forefront of their music, with occasional guitar or drums in the back to keep the beat.
The Choir Practice’s debut on Mint Records is filled with happy pop music that’s perfect for Sundays, or any other time you’re in need of a smile or a catchy song to get stuck in your head. When they came up to the ice cream truck on Wednesday, I instantly started humming “Failsafe,” a song by A.C. Newman they recorded and released months before the New Pornographers did. I’m sure if you search around you can track down the video, which is worth a spin. Better yet, why not catch them sometime the next few days? They’ll be playing the hootenanny at Headhunters, 720 Red River, at 3:40pm today and also the Mint Records showcase at Club 115, 10pm, on Friday. Be prepared to leave humming their songs, though, and wishing you’d stuck with the whole choir thing after high school.
This article appears in March 14 • 2008.