Good Times Crisis Band

Select a Gather Point (Australian Cattle God)

Good Times Crisis Band is a study in out-of-time contradictions. The tightfisted local guitar/bass/drums trio channels ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres by way of the Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime against a lyrical backdrop espousing human resilience in the face of postmodern cynicism. Select a Gather Point then buzzes between the creases with a forward-facing energy all its own. GTCB’s attention to arrangement highlights all three pieces playing off one another as opposed to just following chord progressions. Maybe a laptop could approximate spatial dynamics with more scientific accuracy, but it wouldn’t get blood flowing like “Cyber Freee” does. “This Will Pass” powers through the valley of despair on a stoic verse and triumphant chorus, while “Z.Z. Zephyr” invokes the Zilker Park train in a bid for rekindling transcendence. It’s the perfect post-punk soundtrack for obliterating your old hard drive.

***.5

This article appears in January 18 • 2008.

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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.