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* "all my friends are goin' in to the institution...."

To bastardize an old phrase, I have seen the past of rock 'n' roll, and its name is the Dedringers.

Which may not come across as the compliment it is fully intended to be. The music that these four young lads from New Braunfels, Texas, are playing isn't really "retro" (in the negative sense) so much as it is simply informed by rock's history (in the positive sense). And there's something fundamentally encouraging about seeing a buncha guys who look like they just graduated from high school having such an appreciation and command of what came before them, even as they're very much writing their own songs.

And good ones at that. The one that really won me over last night in their show at the Basement in Nashville, on the first night of the Americana Music Association confab, is called "Institution" -- and aside from being a full-on instant hit musically, it also has some terrific lyrics. (For instance, "Ain't seen the sun since the last time I voted.")

This clip from a few months ago in Austin doesn't quite do them justice -- the camera's a little too far away to really get a sense of what these guys look and feel like onstage -- but it'll give you at least somewhat of an idea:

Better yet, just go see 'em if they play in your area anytime soon; or check out Sweetheart Of The Neighborhood, their fine R.S. Field-produced album they released a couple months ago independently. I just picked it up on eMusic myself, moments ago. And now the subject-line of this post is playing over and over in my head, and on my laptop....

adios,
peter

Posted by peter on September 18, 2008 7:44 AM | Permalink