Sunday, July 10, 2011

Leatherbag - "...make this feeling come alive with electric guitar wires..."

Album artwork by Chase Maclaskey Yellow Television by Leatherbag Patience by Leatherbag I don't possess an ounce of musical talent but that doesn't prevent me from being envious of people who can express their thoughts, observations, and emotions and put them into song. One of those people is Randy Reynolds, the songwriter behind the musical moniker of Leatherbag. When you listen to his songs, you can tell he cares about songwriting. In a music world full of hype, I find his honesty to be quite refreshing. In "Imitation Generation," when he sings on repeat with a sense of urgency, "Wanna make this feeling come alive with electric/electric guitar wires", you can sincerely believe him. But you can also appreciate the wry humor in songs like "Teenage Creeps" and "Yellow TV". Although I'm a fan of the louder, punk-infused energy of songs like "Waxing Nostalgic" and "No Future", I also love the raw, sparse side of his sound (with hints of folk and Americana) in tracks like "Patience","Sincerity" and "Sparrow Blues". Get yourself to a live Leatherbag show if you can. The latest live lineup is a trio and Randy is joined by Drew Emmons on bass guitar and Daniel Blanchard on drums. All killer and no filler. If you're in Austin, you have a chance to see Leatherbag 3 times this week as they celebrate the release of the Yellow TV album and Patience EP : Mon, July 25th at Waterloo Records at 5 pm, Thurs July 28th at End of an Ear Records at 6 pm, followed by the official release show at Skinny's Ballroom. Go see a gig or two, buy the records at your local record store, and tell your friends. Leatherbag simply kick ass and deserve to be heard.

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