After having my face rocked off by EODM, I needed some good hometown Texas rock. I also wasn’t about to waste my time fighting lines to see bands that I could see anytime of the year. I wanted something special, and something special is what I got. The band was Chatterton, and the place was the Karma Lounge.
After traveling off the beaten path a little to what appeared to be a booty club turned SXSW venue, I arrived just in the nick of time for their set to start. Now I have been familiar with Chatterton for a while. They have been around for about two years and if I had to compare them to other bands (R.I.Y.L. style) I would say that they are in the vein of Wilco holding hands with Whiskeytown. Not the easiest band to pigeonhole, as they don’t fit a certain genre, but that is what makes them great. Frontman Kevin Aldridge’s lyrics sometimes deal with heavy burdens of the heart, but it sure does make for some great song writing. They also incorporate organs, slide guitars, and passion in their songs.
The definite song highlights of the 45 minute set were “Thrown Out”, “We All Fall Off The Wagon” and the single-waiting-to-happen, “Good Place To Start”. Also, watching keyboardist Scott Davis switch from keys to guitar flawlessly during the set was pretty impressive as well. I am sure a lot of you have not heard of this band, so write the name down. Check out their new self-released CD and website. Finally, remember that SXSW is about checking out new bands too. Right? You might end up finding something special.
