The Ugly Beats

Take a Stand (Get Hip)

Joe Emery is the Zelig of Austin rock. Whatever genre of music he’s near he becomes. This is especially true of his Sixties revivalist quintet the Ugly Beats. Jeanine the Farfisa Queen highlights the frantic instrumental go-go beat of the Ventures’ “Action Plus,” while the whole band renders earnest harmonies on “Take a Stand,” “Last Stop,” and “Your Turn to Cry.” The down note is that the dozen cuts are so similar rhythmically and in the sentiment of rebellious love that they melt into one long song. That’s not really a complaint, because Take a Stand, with its cover styled after the Byrds’ Mr. Tambourine Man, is pure delight with its mostly original cuts, most reining in 21Ú2 minutes of true garage rock. If you’re going to build a band on three chords, this is the way to do it.

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This article appears in April 20 • 2007.

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