‘Austin’s Finest’ is a new feature I’ve decided to do on a weekly basis. The goal is to expose my audience to the best of the best in the Austin, TX music scene. You might have heard of the “Live Music Capital of the World” tag that’s attached to my city. It’s nothing more than a gimmick and usually does not relate to the best of our underground musicians.
Cartright is a band that began in another creative TX oasis, the city of Denton. Eventually they made their way to Austin and settled down, releasing an EP entitled A Tall Tale Comes Of Age in 2006. It’s an absolutely riveting group of songs that come off as both celebratory and confessional. The sound of this band brings to mind a group of deranged pirate punk rockers who have been drinking without remorse into the wee hours of the night. Interestingly enough, their sound relies heavily on folk instrumentation but still packs a heavy punk influence in the howling vocal delivery of front man Ben Cartright. It’s the composition of the songwriting that really keeps me coming back to this EP nearly ten years after its release. They’re all sing along anthems which exhibit great control and can explode at any moment into a wonderful mess of folky aggression.
My first encounter with Cartright came in 2010 at a show headlined by one of my all time favorite indie rock groups, Titus Andronicus. They took the stage in front of small crowd and played like what seemed to be their last performance ever. The groaning, boozy singing crashed into the backwoods twang of un-tuned guitars at a relentless pace. I never like to admit it, but they seemed match Titus’ energy if not surpass it altogether. To me, Cartright’s music can be best appreciated around a bond fire with a surplus of cold beer and the company of your best friends.
Cartright released a Christmas single in 2010, followed by the Jass Song 7′’ in 2011. It’s a bit shocking to see their tiny discography throughout this ten year span, however almost everything they've released is perfect. So I’m hoping for a new album in the coming years but I won’t be upset if it doesn't happen. On rare occasions they do shows in Austin and other TX cities, so keep an eye out for those. They’re truly one the city’s best kept secrets.
