Frank Smith’s Nineties is a phenomenal work of powerful indie-rock tinged with beautiful keys and folk influences. So, it was a given that Pop Press International would be in attendance when the band celebrated the release of the album with friends the Preservation (who were also celebrating a release), East Cameron Folkcore, and Growl.
The quintet with Aaron Sinclair at the forefront played heavy hitters and new songs “Beaten Sacks of Death” and “How Many Ways” up front, delivering commanding rock from the onset. However, there were plenty of big tracks left to round out the set, including “Deny It” and the more sparse but still incredibly catchy “Tuesday.” It’s hard to say it any other way: Frank Smith is a band that simply rocks. They’re incredible. The band gets a good amount of press around town, but it doesn’t approach what the music deserves. Frank Smith is one of Austin’s most criminally underrated bands.
It feels as though there’s always one band that I should have seen but still haven’t. The Preservation is one of those bands; at least they were before Saturday night. They, too, were celebrating a release on Saturday—new single “Hugs/Drugs,” which contains A and B sides containing songs respective to the title. Constructing upbeat slightly psychedelic, 70s-leaning pop, the band sounded outstanding. The lineup of members goes on for days, and each person contributes something vital to the mix. Be assured we’ll be seeing The Preservation again.
Below you can hear a track from Frank Smith’s newest album Nineties as well as the new single by The Preservation, which precedes a photo gallery of the event.
All photos © Bryan Parker and Pop Press International. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
