KXT Presents: Oil Boom, A. Sinclair, War Party

Oil Boom has a new 7" coming out. But rather than talk about it, the trio of rock enthusiasts would prefer to wax humorous on their preferred method of music consumption. "Did we make sure this was actually seven inches of music," asks singer/guitarist Ryan Taylor. "I don't want to catch hell from the audiophile contingent of the garage rock community."

All jesting aside, the DFW mainstays couldn't be more excited about their latest foray into the realm of vinyl acetates and lacquer coated discs. The group is riding an impressive wave of buzz after their last EP, Gold Yeller, garnered a generous amount of critic praise not to mention extensive radio play across the Lower 48. But not ones to rest on their laurels, Oil Boom are set to unleash another pair of earworms just in time to make your best of summer soundtrack playlists. The A side, "45 Revolutions Per Minute," a clever nod to the speed at which the actual song will be played, bursts out of the gate with a Hives like fury and never relents. The song encapsulates much of what makes the group stand out: barnburning riffs, hooky choruses and a rhythm section not afraid to throw their sonic weight around.

And on the flip, there's "The Fiftease," a wry take on rockabilly culture with an old-school Motown bass groove and an indie-rock guitar coda that could wind up stuck in your head like musical Pomade. The two songs couldn't be more different and that's just fine with the Boom. Says Taylor, "Our influences are so diverse and even contradictory sometimes, that it's really hard to pin us down in one style or another. But we're all about variety, so that's perfectly cool with us."

In drummer ace/engineer Jordan Richardson (Son of Stan, Epic Ruins) the group had the ear of both a longtime friend and supporter of the band since its inception in 2010. "We always wanted to work with Jorts, so when the opportunity came up it was a no-brainer," says drummer Dugan Connors. "You hear people talk about someone's enthusiasm being infectious, but in Jordan's case, it really is." Recorded in Justin, TX, at the Swamp (AKA Electric Barryland), the band found its recording haven in a place quickly becoming synonymous with great Texas music.

Look for this 7" needle to drop on August 13th, 2013 A.D. And with plans to record a full-length this fall and a robust tour schedule, Oil Boom just keeps on spinning.


A stalwart of Austin indie rock and one of the city's most highly regarded songwriters, Aaron Sinclair has teamed up with Dangerbird Records for the national release of the new album 'Pretty Girls' under the moniker A. Sinclair.

12 songs are released digitally today (available on iTunes) and a 6-song 10" vinyl EP arrives October 28 from Dangerbird, the label that launched Fitz and the Tantrums, Silversun Pickups, Sea Wolf and Royal Teeth.

A. Sinclair's recent releases have drawn the attention of press around the country, intrigued by a sound that the Austin Chronicle described as "tension-driven" with "tight, rough riffs and sharp post-punk lines." SPIN remarked on the underlying feeling of "twitchy paranoia" that permeates Sinclair's songwriting, which Baeble Music described as having a "strung-out urgency."

Aaron Sinclair's rock passport has a number of notable stamps: First Houston, his hometown, where he initially picked up a guitar with friends and considered it to be a reasonable enough vehicle by which to leave. Then it was on to Boston, where Sinclair established himself in the mid-aughts as a member of The Lot Six, the widely-beloved band that grew out of that city's fertile Tarantulas punk scene, and with whom Sinclair crisscrossed the country for 4 years, building a steady following on the East Coast until it was over in 2006.

Meanwhile, Sinclair made a name for himself with his own band Frank Smith, the vehicle through which he explored a rootsier sound while touring, recording, and collaborating with friends like Juliana Hatfield, who released two of the band's albums on her own label.

Later that year, Sinclair made the decision to relocate to Austin in his home state of Texas and rebuild first his band and ultimately, himself. With a fresh start, a new band name and a collection of songs that more than validate the impressive display of resolve, A. Sinclair's 'Pretty Girls' is the sound of an artist crashing ahead, unafraid to dig in even harder on being great, even if it means blowing it all up first.

Paste praised A. Sinclair's ability "let the music speak for itself" with a sound that can only be described as "full-on rock," while the critics at the UK site The Line of Best Fit were drawn to the combination of "massive guitars" and "boozy vocals," with "swagger, melody and timeless drive."


Part men, part machinations; the four soul filled androids known as WAR PARTY have somehow sssslithered their way through the time/space continuum. Now back from the 1960s with the tiny heart and pistol grip of Phil Spector scraps of discarded rhymes from the stoned mind of Leonard Cohen, the tired eyes and sunglasses for which to hide them behind of Lou Reed and the unavoidable sex appeal of Gracie Slick...as well as a few nightgowns.