Austin's own White Denim will be making their Austin City Limits TV debut on PBS – Monday, August 4. Though this is their first time performing on the famed PBS series, the band has played all throughout their home city, including widely attended events like South By Southwest (SXSW), ACL Festival and Blues on the Green. They are also playing today (August 3) at Lollapalooza.
White Denim has released five albums, the most recent of which was Corsicana Lemonade (2013). Their already-extensive discography and performing experience make for an outstanding live show, for which they have long been praised.
The band has certainly transformed since their inception in 2006. Corsicana Lemonade has more of a clear-cut Southern rock feel than their previous releases, when they were decidedly more psychedelic. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco produced "A Place to Start" and "Pretty Green." The group recorded the two songs in Wilco's Loft studio in Chicago, along with a few others that didn't make the cut.
When you stream the performance, keep an ear out for "A Night in Dreams," as it is arguably the best track on the album. The vocals and guitar meld together nicely and it is the most cohesive single. This opinion is adorably corroborated by three children in this comical Kids Review Music segment from London's 104.9 XFM Radio.
The album is not without its flaws. "Cheer Up / Blues Ending" is utterly generic. The lyrics are filled with what seem like clichés that have no real meaning behind them, like "put a dime in your pocket, relax" and "put a step in your boots and a shine on your teeth."
Combined with the formulaic musical accompaniment, this song is frankly lazy. Much of frontman James Petralli's lyricism on Corsicana Lemonade is similar in that unfortunate way of keeping the listener at arm's length.
It seems he has come a long way from writing "I just want to be / A transparency / A big old light shining right through me / I'm beating the lines let the people see," in the song "Transparency" from their first release, Exposion (2008).
Overall it sounds as though White Denim has come up with an idea of what they want to sound like, and are writing songs specifically to fit that mold.
However, the band members are all undeniably talented in technical terms. For his part, Petralli writes all the arrangements (with a few exceptions), many of which are quite complicated. This is especially true for the guitar, but Austin Jenkins shreds through the notes with ease.
Drummer Josh Block's frenetic drumming is surprisingly precise, and bassist Steve Terebecki's playing is always consistent. This is what keeps White Denim interesting; they unleash moments of promise and creativity that make one look forward to their next experiment. With so much ability and consistent production, they will undoubtedly continue to improve and impress in the future.
This Monday's ACL Live taping will be part of the show's 40th season, and it is an exciting benchmark for any Austin band to achieve. Famed acts such as Johnny Cash, Radiohead, Spoon, Emmylou Harris, Modest Mouse, and Willie Nelson (of course) have done a taping for the show. The historical list of ACL Live performers is truly impressive. It is one of the major forces that established Austin as the "Live Music Capital of the World."
The show stream begins at 8 p.m. CT here. Until then, you can stream Corsicana Lemonade in its entirety on the White Denim website.
Check out the live stream below:
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