There was a time when Austin outfit the Strange Boys were one of garage rock's most promising new acts. The jangly four-piece had signed a record deal with Rough Trade, toured with the likes of Spoon and Julian Casablancas, and they had even had their music appear in HBO's Entourage. Yet, after three albums the band quietly called it quits, playing their final shows at last year's Sled Island Festival in Calgary. Strange Boys fans will now be pleased to learn that in the wake of the band's dissolution, singer Ryan Sambol and guitarist Greg Enlow have formed a new group called Living Grateful.
Though the band have yet to offer much promotion, save for a few shows in their hometown of Austin, they have recently shared a pair of songs on YouTube. Sambol and Enlow, along with guitarist Chris Catalena, bassist Geena Spigarelli and drummer Casey Seymour, seem to have picked up where the Strange Boys left off, moving away from twangy, three-chord garage punk and heading further south into the realm of country and blues.
According to a statement from Sambol, the Strange Boys were "just act one," and Living Grateful plan to learn from the mistakes of his previous band "by having more fun."
A press release states Living Grateful recently went into Spoon member Jim Eno's Public Hi-Fi recording studio in Austin to lay down some tracks, asking Matt Verta-Ray (Speedball Baby, Heavy Trash) to come down from NYC and work alongside engineer Brad Bell for three days before finishing things up in Verta-Ray's New York studio.
According to the press release, the band already have a pile releases planned for 2014. Apparently, the group will release not one but two LPs, titled Peace Mob and Recital. To add to that — and to confuse things a bit — the group will also adopt the moniker Ryan Sambol and Living Grateful for another LP called Piece Frog, as well as a single for "Marrakech."
So far no firm due dates have been given, but for now, check out "I Was Close" and "James Not" below.
Though the band have yet to offer much promotion, save for a few shows in their hometown of Austin, they have recently shared a pair of songs on YouTube. Sambol and Enlow, along with guitarist Chris Catalena, bassist Geena Spigarelli and drummer Casey Seymour, seem to have picked up where the Strange Boys left off, moving away from twangy, three-chord garage punk and heading further south into the realm of country and blues.
According to a statement from Sambol, the Strange Boys were "just act one," and Living Grateful plan to learn from the mistakes of his previous band "by having more fun."
A press release states Living Grateful recently went into Spoon member Jim Eno's Public Hi-Fi recording studio in Austin to lay down some tracks, asking Matt Verta-Ray (Speedball Baby, Heavy Trash) to come down from NYC and work alongside engineer Brad Bell for three days before finishing things up in Verta-Ray's New York studio.
According to the press release, the band already have a pile releases planned for 2014. Apparently, the group will release not one but two LPs, titled Peace Mob and Recital. To add to that — and to confuse things a bit — the group will also adopt the moniker Ryan Sambol and Living Grateful for another LP called Piece Frog, as well as a single for "Marrakech."
So far no firm due dates have been given, but for now, check out "I Was Close" and "James Not" below.
