Follow That Bird! opens their set with the feel of a road trip, the sense of freedom that comes from existing between a past and a future and a burning desire to stick your head out the window. But somehow this road trip takes place in another time, and images of drive‐ins, drag races and route 66 flood my mind. What is it about these guys that has the same energy as the wonderful car culture of the 50s and 60s? It’s not in their musical stylings but perhaps it’s in the unconscious motivations. Maybe it’s the combination of innocence and power. When I asked the guy standing next to me what he liked about the band he replied, “I like that the girls seem like strong women but also very approachable.”

Make no mistake, Follow That Bird can rock, and they can rock hard. They cite their influences as Erase Errata, Sonic Youth and Siouxsie and the Banshees. They’re not afraid of a little cacophony, but there’s always a wholesomeness that bleeds through the rust. That’s not a bad thing; in fact I think it’s what makes them special. Lauren Green’s voice is a soap bubble dripping with motor oil, and it gives you the pleasure of getting your angst out and experiencing hopefulness at the same time.

Like most road trips, the monotony of the drive can set in, and there were a few songs that read as Midwestern landscape. Especially one introduced as a new song (unfortunately I didn’t catch the title), it just seemed like it hadn’t been punctuated yet…the words and the idea might be there, but without commas and exclamation points the feeling was lost. I should point out that there was at least one person who did not share this viewpoint at all, and shouted “EXCEPTIONAL!” after the song was over.

By the end, the initial excitement and momentum had built again. And with the tank refueled Follow That Bird! took the wheel and drove the crowd into the sunset. Well, maybe more technically sunrise, considering the show ended around 2 AM.

‐-Bella Glasel

[Ed.: Follow That Bird! has another show upcoming at Club 1808 Feb. 24th with Snake Handler]

Manikin is one of several current bands emerging in the nascent Austin post-punk/new wave revivalist scene. Their rhythm section gravitates toward classic punk 130 bpm grooves. However, Manikin’s overall sound evokes a sense of nostalgia for late 70’s British music scene when punk had evolved to embrace a more experimental style, complex arrangements and primitive melodic elements. It’s no wonder then that frontman Alfie sites as a major influence the seminal Siouxsie & the Banshees.

After three previous albums almost entirely in a classic punk vein, Manikin’s incipient post-punk charm is displayed on their latest 2009 LP Stop the Sirens. Alfie’s effective but not affected use of telephone distortion voice effects as well as the introduction of trumpeter Bill Jeffery’s frantic brass melodies splashed like cold water across the irreverent face of songs such as "Leaders" and "Perfect Pictures" widen the style gap between 2005’s Still and last year’s Sirens. The post-punk aesthetic is rounded out by Alfie’s occasionally melodic, occasionally discordant guitar. The synthy, stuttering guitar riff on "Fumes" would sit well in any song from the Stranglers’ 1979 classic "Raven." Drummer Alyse periodically moves away from the stiff rhythmic confines of punk purity. "Perfect Pictures" serves up a fast rolling tom-snare call-and-response reminiscent of Killing Joke that props up the hollow vocal harmony between Alyse and Alfie. Manikin throw down a tight and invigorating live performance of past and current songs that fans of classic punk and early post-punk/new wave alike will enjoy.

–London Ferguson

[Ed.: You can catch Mankin this Saturday night at The Parlor, and again during SXSW at Beerland, March 17th…]