On their sophomore release in a decade Autolux proves that they areworth the wait.
By Julio Iniguez
From their early shows with Blonde Redhead at the El Rey back in 2001, Autolux proved that they had the magic that a local band needs to stay alive in the LA music scene. Playing for small crowds and drawing celebrity fans like Giovani Ribisi at opening sets created a definite buzz that breathed life into their under the radar career. With their original independent release "Demonstration", which came carefully hand crafted in spray painted jewel cases, a tracklist carefully taped to the inside cover and a label maker sticker placed on the spine with the bands name. I had to buy two of these because I knew they were in it for the long run, and because they just looked cool.
With residencies at local venues like Spaceland, they won over crowds with their hearty sonic discharge coming from three very talented individuals. It doesn't hurt that their guitar player plucked the bass for legendary underground grungers Failure (if you know Failure then you might have an idea of the melodic outputs of Greg Edwards, Eugene Goreshter and Carla Azar).
In 2005, they released "Future Perfect" on DMZ. Their attempt to capture their live sound was fruitful. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the debut album found the band re-recording some of their songs from "Demonstration," including additional tracks to flesh out a long player that showcased their melodic stylings.
It's been ten years since the band formed and 5 since "Future Perfect." With the release of "Transit Transit" they are sure to garner attention and accumulate handfuls of fans, mostly from the quality of the music on the album. Being a band whose live show makes you want to buy their cd, they have created an album that makes you want to see them live. Their dreamy shoegazee pop is wonderfully balanced: lazy dreampop with the perfect amount of melody to keep you on board and prevent you from zoning too far out. From the title track, an awesome ethereal blend of perfectly recorded and layered piano and a bass-heavy drumloop that puts you in the relaxed state necessary to digest this 43 minute work. What follows is a collection of carefully assembled songs ranging from the simple pop song using only guitars, drums and bass to fleshed out fully arranged
indie rock gems, complete with strings and drum machines. Very dynamic. The songs change in style and tempo enough to keep the music fresh but are all crafted within the unmistakable Autolux framework of melodies that seem a little off but still manage to pull you in. A perfect sophomore release with a new set of tunes to look forward to when they play at your local venue.
Tour Dates:
SEP 1 BLACK CAT ------------------> WASHINGTON, DC
SEP 3 CAT'S CRADLE ----------------> CARRBORO, NC
SEP 4 MASQUERADE ------------------> ATLANTA
SEP 5 ONE EYED JACKS --------------> NEW ORLEANS
SEP 7 WHL STUDIO ------------------> HOUSTON
SEP 9 EMO'S -----------------------> AUSTIN
SEP 10 THE LOFT --------------------> DALLAS
SEP 11 THE BOTTLENECK --------------> LAWRENCE, KS
SEP 12 THE BLUEBIRD THEATRE --------> DENVER
SEP 13 URBAN LOUNGE ----------------> SALT LAKE CITY
SEP 15 THE CLUBHOUSE ---------------> TEMPE, AZ
SEP 16 BELLY UP---------------------> SOLANA BEACH
SEP 17 GLASSHOUSE-------------------> POMONA
SEP 18 EL REY THEATRE --------------> LOS ANGELES
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