Not since seeing Silversun Pickups and Grace Potter at Modified Arts in Phoenix have I felt this lucky in catching not one but two bands bound for bigger things in an intimate setting. Having come from Jazz Fest as a fan I was anxious to pick my camera back up and see what was coming to Houston the following weekend. Thanks to Pollstar and Myspace I was able to assess that this show was worth checking out. Civil Twilight had just come off a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and was sporting sounds on The Hills, Sober House and Celebrity Rehab.
Charlotte’s Paper Tongues, on the other hand, recently appeared on Lopez Tonight and contributed to the soundtrack of “Secrets of the Mountain.” PT also has super producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson as management. I made my way down to Warehouse Live’s smaller Studio space and positioned myself at the front of the stage. Perhaps there were 150 fans at most. It always amazes me how uninformed the public can be when talent like this passes through town and plays to small crowds. In spite of having my ear to the ground I have missed a few. But not this time.
Both bands showed off their great vocals, songwriting and musicianship to match. Both craft radio ready songs.CT has some great songs. I would compare their first cd to the hit potential of Snow Patrol’s self titled first release. “Anybody Out There” is getting played a lot. So is “Human.”Arena worthy “Letters From The Sky” delivers impassioned lyrics, drum rolls and soaring guitar. There are comparisons to Muse and Radiohead as well as U2 and The Police.
Paper Tongues is hard to pin down on comparisons. “Everybody” is a sleeper hit with great a message and lyrics: “People always act unreal…like they can’t feel.” “Trinity” is a rocker with spirituality. “What If” and “ Strongest Flame” are love songs the girls will swoon to. “Ride To California” is a festival anthem with hip hop vocals similar to Beastie Boys. Check it out on YouTube and look for the Tongues at Bonnaroo’s Café June 12th. If you make it up front you will see how singer Aswan North and the band connect with the audience as well as any band in recent memory.
Houston local Deep Ella had a hard assignment opening for these two bands but I think they rose to the occasion. Excellent vocals and quality songs power this band. They were voted Houston’s best in 2007 by the Houston Chronicle and have done opening slots for Blue October and Hoobastank. Check them out at their Myspace page.
