Trans Am walks the same line between substance and style that its namesake car model did in its heyday. Often considered the leading light of the ’90s post-rock scene, the Maryland-based trio switches between big, loud rawk riffing and spacey, experimental ambience, sometimes within the same song. Trans Am gleans imagery and sounds from the synth- and vocoder-heavy music of decades past, but also informs its songs with a detached, millennial indie attitude. The group shifts gears from album to album, and this intellectual restlessness continues with the atmospheric, trippy Thing (Thrill Jockey). The LP should appeal both to new-school stoner-metal fans and the hippie oldheads at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where Trans Am will be playing a free show on August 18. Nathan Means will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with the band.
Means: Every year, SXSW brings together an unrealistically high number of bands to showcase their talents in front of a large number of people who already like them or who got stuck at the bar. But the annual shindig isn’t all bad. For example, if you are considering buying a new snare drum but aren’t quite sure which signature model has the most snare-y character in a real live situation, all you have to do is walk down Sixth Street during SXSW. Because bands are crammed into every possible hole in the wall, you’ll probably hear about 25 different snares in a block or two—sometimes up to eight at a time. Trying getting that kind of variety at Guitar Center’s drum room! Also, if you’ve never been to a college spring break, SXSW is a really good place to view public urination and vomiting. And keep in mind that this isn’t just any puke and pee, but top-flight indie-rock puke and pee. Also, because artists don’t really get paid for their performances, many foreign bands play SXSW with financial backing from their country’s government. As a result, the week-long industry bash functions as a sort of socialized stimulus plan for Austin—paid for by Australian and New Zealand taxpayers! That can’t be bad, right?
Video after the jump.
