Voxtrot

There are moments on Voxtrot's self-titled LP when singer Ramesh Srivastava seems like a careful student of Pete Townshend -- a quality that helps distinguish this Austin band from the legions of similar, bookish guitar-based indies. The record ends, strangely, with the LP's only clear single, "Blood Red Blood," though more experimental numbers like "Ghost" and "Firecracker" have tons of potential. If the self-titled LP doesn't quite deliver on the promise of their two widely adored EPs, at least its off-kilter moments might inspire a variation on the '80s dance moves.

Over the past two years, this Austin, Texas, quintet built significant blog buzz with a couple
of EPs and some hot South by Southwest shows. The band's debut LP offers more manna for
indie kids: tuneful stuff with a fluid, detailed guitar sound and daubs of Eighties Brit pop and
Leonard Cohen. Outfitted with Ramesh Srivastava's sweet melodies, cuts like the sorta
swishy piano-and-strings-laden "Steven" are well-manicured pop -- slightly more... More >