You may have heard about the Austin on-the-up-and-up band Alpha Rev lately.  But, if you can catch them to see them live, you will be lucky.  Not only because they are extremely talented and their music had been recognized both locally and nationally before their international debut album was even released on April 25th, 2010, but also because they are touring and busy recording and winning awards!  If the fact that I heard them on the radio and TV recently wasn’t enough to convince me that this is a band to watch and follow, I was 100% convinced that they are here to stay given that yes, you can even look them up on Wikipedia.  Okay, maybe not a big deal considering many of us use it on a regular basis, but that is basically like being defined in a dictionary. In print. Here for good.  This band, like many breakthrough bands, has a history, trying to find their place and a record label that could keep up with their success.  They finally did it recently in 2008 when they signed with Hollywood records, and they’ve officially broken ground with their most recent album that was just released a few weeks ago and I can see that they have a strong future ahead of themselves.

Thanks to Music for the City, my music-loving roommate Lisa and I got to hear them play on Saturday night.  Vocals led by the passionate Casey McPherson, his sound was controlled, genuine, and soulful.  I was just as enamoured by Brian Batch’s vibrant blue violin playing, although his playing was almost an entirely different performance in itself, his entire body in active motion as his bow struck the strings.  Add a cello, drums, a bass, and a keyboard, and you have an ensemble that knows how to rock the stage.  Songs “New Morning”, “Colder Months”, and “Phoenix Burn” are my favorites now, but I cannot wait to see the big things to come from Alpha Rev.

Reminds me of:  Coldplay.  A comprehensive and harmonious band, complete with strings and vocals that are full of meaning and evoke genuine emotion from the sounds they create.