How about a Boxing Lesson or two?

Like every other year since the beginning of time, I was not in attendance at SXSW a couple of weeks ago. That has not prevented me, however, from catching up with a few of the new and newer bands that gained exposure by appearing at a venue or two in Austin this year.

One such band is Austin’s own The Boxing Lesson. They actually played at six different clubs during SXSW. But as previously mentioned, I wasn’t there to see any of the shows, which is too bad because apparently these guys are something to see live.

I was able to get a copy of their new release, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, though, and I need to tell you a little about this band. I don’t know that they are releasing an actual single, but The Boxing Lesson did make a video for the song “Muerta.” “Muerta” was my starting point for the band. The opening guitar riff comes straight off of Abbey Road before the song veers into Dark Side of the Moon territory.

The Boxing Lesson make no secret of their Pink Floyd fetish, with songs full of trippy synths and the airy vocals of Gilmour and Waters. (The opening track on Wild Streaks is even called “Dark Side of the Moog.”) Despite this, I don’t want to pigeonhole these guys (and girl) as a Floyd tribute band. Pink Floyd is merely the launching point. When you listen to the second song I’ve posted, “Hanging with the Wrong Crowd,” you’ll see what I mean. “Hanging” opens with some electronic noodling before kicking into gear as a rocker about a girl who’s “such a whore.”

Muerta.mp3
Hanging with the Wrong Crowd.mp3

The Boxing Lesson’s MySpace space.

Labels: indie, new stuff

posted by aikin @ 8:39 PM