Something was noticeably different when the Strange Boys took
the stage during the Scion Garage Fest in October—there was a
strange girl among the baby-faced lads. The Austin, Texas
band—whose In the Red debut, And Girls Club, has been
receiving a relatively steady stream of fanfare—has gone through
some changes in recent months. Drummer and founding member Matt Hammer
left the fold, making way for some new strange folk in drummer Seth
Densham and vocalist/saxist Jenna Thornhill DeWitt, both formerly of
Mika Miko and dwellers in Los Angeles’ all-ages mecca the Smell. For
those familiar with the Strange Boys, it looked like an entirely
different band performing onstage.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the Strange Boys’ firm grasp of
R&B-kissed rock ‘n’ roll, which owes as much to the innocence of
Jimmy Preston and early Beatles recordings as it does to the spastic
depravity of the Stooges and the Black Lips. The new lineup hasn’t
hindered productivity, either. The band will release Be Brave in
February, not even a year after And Girls Club. The title track
is already up on the Strange Boys’ MySpace—the addition of
DeWitt’s saxophone squawk bringing home the warm and ragged feel of a
dusty old 45.
The new record came together at Costa Mesa’s Distillery Studios in
two short weeks, with members making use of a few different instruments
including glockenspiel, piano, and organ (“We kind of use what’s
around, you know?” says guitarist/vocalist Ryan Sambol in a
matter-of-fact tone).
It’s been a pretty big year for the Boys (and girl) and it might get
even bigger in 2010. The Strange Boys signed with Rough Trade, who will
distribute the new record outside the States, and are already talking
about upcoming tours with Make-Up founder Ian Svenonius’ new project
Chain and the Gang as well as Spoon. What comes after that is anyone’s
guess.
“The record turned out pretty good, and we’ve been playing some live
shows and they’ve been fun,” says Sambol. “I don’t really know who’s
going to play in the future. I don’t know what it’s going to sound
like. We’re just going to play, you know? But, we’ll be around.”