If you're a fan of straight-up rock and roll-- the spirit, the attitude, the sweat, the chops-- particularly rock and roll of the 1960's British vein-- with a splash of 1970's punk-- and garage woven throughout-- this band will make you smile. I mean no pun on the band's name, which is clever and fitting, for a band that unashamedly borrows from rock and roll's great predecessors. English Teeth is not from the U.K.-- but from Austin-- and one of those discoveries that confirms: "This is why I live here!"
They had four players tonight: bass, vocals-guitar, drums, and keys-guitar. Their MySpace page lists 3 players ("Charlie, Mick, and Keef"--hahaha), and their Facebook page lists five players (Kevin Hoetger, Kevin McKinney, David Mider, Todd Pruner, Erik Metzger). I saw four players. This band is relatively new. Ah, youth..
Impressive is the band that, in front of a crowded-yet-quiet and not-drunk-yet club, can pour out the energy like it's 2am and nobody's business. They opened with a straight-up, amplified punch-you-in-the-eardrum garage rocker, changing gears by the next song "Cursed", which at times bordered on blues-rock. "Cursed" has some swaggering and amped guitar riffs that are heavily borrowed from the Stones-- flagrantly and well done.
The front man-- one of the Kevins-- does an excellent job being the primary vocalist and lead guitarist with not a whole lot of vocal back-up from the other fellas. Vocal back-up is not needed--Kevin had 2 mics to himself, one distorted. He's quick, loud, and accurate with all guitar strokes. The whole band perfectly balances necessary musical tightness with rock and roll's looseness. If there is any paycheck in this, Kevin and the Teeth earn it.
English Teeth has one EP titled Invasion, but at times they departed from their modest repertoire-- such as jumping into a 60-second punk number, with enough speed, noise, and indistinguishable lyrics to make me wonder: original or cover? The keyboard player switched back and forth between the keys and guitar, depending on the song. He switched back to keys for the surprise cover of the evening -- dare I say-- a groovy version of Harry Nilsson's "Coconut". "Coconut" still carried a rock edge throughout, was sung through a mic with megaphone effects, and was the emotional equivalent of being handed an ice cream cone on a sunny day. Everything's great and then things get better?
A new song, called.. what sounded like "Burning Fan" (help me out here.. anyone? anyone?).. had an early Joy Division influence in the bass and a rapid and feet-shuffling rhythm. In bits and pieces-- some larger, some smaller-- you will hear the influence of decades of rock in English Teeth.. from The Who to the White Stripes to Mudhoney.. and their closing number was the frenetic, yet still melodic, Kinks-inspired "Invasion" -- complete with flung guitar, jumping split, and blood-curdling scream through both mics.
I only wished the gig was longer. As if demanding an encore, the amps blasted a painful and distorted buzz while the band was breaking down. We could only cover our ears and laugh...
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