Opening night two of Rolling Stone's showcase at Palm Door, Band of Skulls took me by surprise. It's not that they were particularly surprising - I just hadn't done my homework beforehand. I didn't know what was in store; I foolishly expected Band of Skulls to sound something like Band of Horses. Boy was I off.
The English trio combined pleasant vocal harmonies with absolutely frenzied instrumental bursts, a sort of Fleet Foxes meets White Stripes combination. Energetic and passionate, the band pounded through a tight set that had heads banging in the crowd. In some ways, it was fairly typical attack and release (Black Keys reference intentional, there). They added some nice little tweaks to avoid falling in that just-another-band gap, though, incorporating a female vocalist and spreading distorted guitar work throughout slower sections. Oh, and they write pretty stellar songs. One of the better discoveries of my SXSW trip, I'll keep my eye on this band.
