Live Pick: Warpaint w/ Family Band @ La Zona Rosa this Saturday, 04.09.11

L.A. psych band Warpaint is no stranger to Austin. It seems they find a reason to stop here every couple months. I officially lost count of how many times I saw them live last year. This is in no way a complaint. Warpaint has quickly become one of my favorite bands. I could go on seeing them live many more times and never tire. With only an EP and one full-length under their belts, Exquisite Corpse and The Fool respectively, they have made my 'best-of' list both of the last two years. The quartet uses hypnotic guitars, layered with harmonious vocals to create a spellbinding sound that could score your sweetest dreams one minute and your darkest nightmares the next. Then sometimes they sound like they are singing from both. It's a strong balance that has crossover appeal. A song like "Undertow" (vid below) displays a fair share of modern pop allure, and other tracks like "Billie Holiday" or "Baby" are more a throwback to 60's girl-groups like The Ronettes. MTV named the band one of their "Artist to Watch in 2011." And only a year after the indie world had already discovered them; way to be cutting edge MTV! Sarcasm aside, Warpaint deserves the accolade and the push seems to have given a boost to their popularity. So here is another chance for Austinites to catch their mesmerizing live show and fall in love. Much like I have.

A big bonus here is that Warpaint is bringing along Family Band with them on this current trek. The New York husband/wife group released their first LP Miller Path last year, which became a great hidden gem for those of us lucky enough to come across it. The band rides the sullen voice of Kim Krans over the guitar of John Ollsin for a goth-leaning psych/folk palate. According to their website the two met in the Catskill mountains where they return to write many of their songs in a two-room, hand-built cabin. That atmosphere can definitely be heard in the music, as a stark emptiness is conveyed through their heavy melancholy ballads. I definitely recommend giving Family Band a listen.

Also on the bill will be Australian electronic group PVT. I'm unfamiliar with this band, so this is going to be new for me. But all-in-all this should be a solid show. It all goes down at La Zona Rosa this Saturday, April 9th. Doors open at 8pm, so get there early. As I state above you do not want to miss the opening act.