The Strange Boys

Austin, TX's The Strange Boys evoke a wild-eyed, porcelain-skinned innocence that is capable of summoning the wayward spirit of Brian Jones. The mystery of the South couples with the mastery of rhythm to create a sound completely timeless and familiar, yet absolutely raw and avant-garde. Greg Enlow's syncopated, organ-driven grooves hark back to The Seeds' "Pushing Too Hard" while guitarist Ryan Sambol's voice wavers beyond comparison. Older brother Philip Sambol keeps the pulse with the aptly named Matt Hammer, who unmercifully pounds an old Ludwig set.
The Strange Boys began as a duo (Hammer and the younger Sambol) in 2003. The other two joined in 2005 and the band has been on tour non-stop ever since. Since 2003 the Boys have recorded a wealth of material which was passed around at shows and to friends, but never officially released. In 2007, Dusty Medical Records put out the Nothing EP, and in 2008, In The Red released the ìWoe Is You and Meî single. Now, finally, the band's proper debut album is seeing the light of day. It's easy to imagine The Strange Boys' And Girls Club, a sixteen-track beast, blasting out of any stereo system between The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators and Wire's Pink Flag.
The Strange Boys were the backing band for Mighty Hannibal (the '50s R&B recording artist); were main support for Roky Erickson and the Explosives at the Chaos in Tejas festival; have played South by Southwest the last four years, the Fuck Yeah Fest the last three years, Austin City Limits, Festival in Music Fest Northwest, and Bamalama (all in 2008); shared bills with Daniel Johnston, Black Lips, Reigning Sound, King Khan and BBQ, Jay Reatard, Mika Miko, No Age, and BRMC; have toured with The Black Angels, Fucked Up, The Carrots, and Crystal Antlers; and will tour with Darker My Love and Mika Miko in '09.

The Vox Jaguars

GUESTLIST:

"The moment that "Swagger" begins to blast from your speakers you are quickly introduced to an edgy, new wave inspired rock sound complete with vocals that may leave something to be desired to some as they tend to have a nasally tone to them, but that is just part of the charm of this band as far as I am concerned. When they entered the studio with renowned producer, Ariel Rechtshaid, rather than trying to produce the band to a perfect tee, Rechtshaid instead was able to capture the band in a raw form and keep the charm of their live show in tact, which in my book is a great quality to have on an album. This EP is a great introduction to a young, new band, and if you are anything like me and like your music a bit more raw without so much studio polish to it, then you are going to love this and will want to check it out."
http://www.guestlistmagazine.net/reviewsv

CMJ:

"What's to say?! How about I'll take four smashing stomps over 12 middling mope-offs any day. Two of the Vox Jaguars are still in high school so yes, post-pube excitement abounds. But in addition to the sheer teen umph, cheap organ wheeze-led melodies kind of scurry along the offbeat garage hooks. The drummer kills. And someone's dad here had a Fall record or five, that someone being singer Jordy Topf. Of course he may just be a snotty little wise-ass, which is even better. Best debut so far this young year."
http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=113547846

ARTROCKER:

"The Vox Jaguars are young, for sure, but they haven’t exhibited any of the signs of ironic detachment or precocious self-awareness that tend to propel one towards the exit. This is a simple, primal stomp with vaguely suggestive lyrics that sound like they were written by a high-schooler, which they were. It won’t change the world but it will stick in your head, and isn’t that why we all got into this stuff in the first place?"
http://www.artrocker.com/node/8229

SYNTHESIS:

The first track, appropriately titled “Swagger,” is a poppy homage to the garage revival scene and early punk of the 1970s. The Jaguars steadily build the consistency of both scenes with manic, and at times tribal drums that will keep you bouncing and strutting. With a high-treble bass and guitar riffs mirroring ‘60s psychedelic rock, you can’t help but feel groovy. By the end of the last track, “Homesick,” you won’t be chanting “I went home,” but “I want more!”

My Pet Saddle

Sounding like DYLAN’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ era, Fullerton, California’s MY PET SADDLE provide us with a full-on jamboree in ‘Il Fait Beau’. Live they are reckless drivers, swerving and falling all over the place in true bohemian glory, minus the patchouli but plenty of funk. "
  - FutureSounds