photo : valerie@fremin.net

It seems as if the Southern United States has become a hotbed of rock bands driven by youthful, male songwriters with a knack for delivering powerful, emotional, guitar driven rock. Manchester Orchestra, Wild Sweet Orange, and Dead Confederate, just to name a few, and now one of my latest rock discoveries, Colour Revolt.

Based in Oxford, Mississippi, the members of Colour Revolt recorded their self titled EP DIY style while attending college, in the living room of Esperanza Plantation, a Jackson, MS based label on which the band resided. The EP found release in late 2005, after engineer Clay Jones (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse) caught a taste of the sounds and lent his post production skills to the recording. The EP found a wider audience with larger distribution by Tiny Evil in October of 2006. Since then the band has been slowly developing it’s audience with constant touring and the ever so effective word of mouth. I first heard of the band from Manchester Orchestra’s front-man Andy Hull, and upon first listen, have been completely drawn the sound and lyrical content.

Like many of the other bands coming out of this scene, the songwriting is the draw, being complex, layered, straying away from traditional structure, and relying heavily on intense thought provoking lyrics. Often at time dealing with the nature of spirituality and human existence. Lyrics like “There goes Adam with the Devil’s head, his body’s all naked and red”, “Eden is a Hell of a place”, and “I don’t know where it is I’m gonna go, is it Heaven? If it is come take me now” catch the attention, especially with singer Jesse Coppenbarger style of moving from quiet whispered word to all out guttural screams. Three guitars employed for the songs, accent the sense of intensity and urgency within the lyrical content.

Colour Revolt will see the release of their first full length, this coming April 1st, and I can promise you that it will be no joke. The first song off of the release Plunder, Beg, and Curse, “Naked and Red” hints at a recording that will be demanding attention over the course of 2008.

The band will be playing all around town during SXSW 2008, including the Paste/Stereogum Dell Lounge Party @ Volume Night Club Thurs 3.13 12-6p.m., Austinist SXSW Showcase Thurs 3.13 8p.m-2a.m, and a few other shows that I cannot find any information on right now, but will update when I do.

MP3> Colour Revolt ‘Change Your Face or Change Your Name’

MP3> Colour Revolt ‘Naked and Red’

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 3:01 pm and is filed under mp3's, recommended, SXSW.