It’s not the easiest task finding a common thread between bands as varied as those on the NX35 roster. But it’s caused me to tune my analytical skills and notice subtle connections I might have otherwise ignored. In this case, I’ve realized how many bands on the bill have names that are literary or pop culture references.

AON Sessions: Br’er, “Why I Deserve To Die Alone” from All Our Noise on Vimeo.

Br’er Rabbit is a southern fictional character with African and Native American roots and racial connotations that I’ll let you research. Br’er is an experimental music project composed of Philadelphian Benjamin Schurr and his various collaborators, who currently include Darian Scatton and Roger Alejandro Martinez. I saw Br’er open for Sleep Whale at the Denton band’s intimate record release at Jupiter House in November. As with Babar, Br’er’s music is hard to pin down, but it is haunting and I was completely mesmerized during their set. Their trove of instruments includes the ukelele, glockenspiel, harmonium, autoharp, tuba clarinet and synthesizer. Br’er counts The Smiths, Björk and The Magnetic Fields among their influences, and you can hear elements of each artist in their music, but their sound is unlike anything I’ve heard before. For a truer idea, once again, you’ll have to listen for yourself. Above, see Br’er perform “Why I Deserve to Be Alone” for All Our Noise in Washington, D.C.

DC9 in SPACE: The Fox and the Bird from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.

The Fox and The Bird did me a favor by posting Aesop’s fable from whence their name came (titled “The Fox and the Crow”) on their Myspace page. This band is a pluck from Dallas’ fine crop of folk musicians. They play straightforward, pleasant music and their lyrics are well-crafted and, at times, even stirring. Their songs are easy to sing along to from the first time you hear them. And it’s nearly impossible to resist doing so. There’s been a little backlash against the local folk scene, particularly from a well-known group of anonymous bloggers and their faithful commenters but, at the risk of sounding uncool, I quite like it. Watch The Fox and the Bird perform a set for the Dallas Observer’s DC9 in SPACE video series (now DC9 Live at El Sibil) above. The band also opens for Bowerbirds tonight at House of Blues.

DC9 in Space: This Old House from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.

I’m not sure if the members of Denton’s This Old House are fans of home improvement. But I do know that, like the hosts of the PBS show of the same name, they have a penchant for flannel shirts and jeans. The band takes a laid-back approach to their recordings and live shows, and it reads in their relaxing, atmospheric music. Much of it is composed of sweeping guitars, gentle drums and ethereal vocals. Lead singer Ryan McAdams’ voice is reminiscent of a more sublime Matthew Bellamy (Muse). The video above features This Old House’s session with DC9 (including an interview steered almost entirely by affable drummer Michael Allison).

I’m not sure about the origins of Denton’s Young and Brave. But I’d like to think they got their name from The Young and the Brave, a 1963 film whose tagline reads, “A Heroic Kid … A Gallant Dog … And Three Fighting GIs!” (and if they didn’t, that should be their story from now on.) Take a little rock, a little Americana, a little 1970s funk and throw in a couple of singers with impressive pipes and you get Young and Brave. Above, watch them perform “Say You Will”, one of my favorite local songs, at Club Dada in Dallas.

Everyone knows Babar, the lovable elephant from the French children’s books. But Denton’s Babar is an instrumental group that consists of Erik Bowers, Andrew Majors and Michael Varner. My first encounter with the band was at Dan’s Silverleaf earlier this month when they played to a sell-out crowd with fellow young locals Kampfgrounds, Peopleodian (also playing NX35) and Final Club. I’m still not sure what to make of their music. The most fitting genre I can fit them into is “math rock”. In some circles that’s considered an insult, but I don’t mean it as such. While my description is lacking, the above video of the band playing “I’d be a weird lady, probably” (gotta love the song title) during a practice session gives you a good idea of their thrashy, curious sound.

When she’s not reciting fables from memory, Jesseca Bagherpour writes for DayBowBow.net.

Tags: Primer