Hot To Voxtrot

Austin's cult heroes tap the smart lyrics of Britpop and the infectious energy of the dance floor

Just broke up with the love of your life and thinking about hurling yourself in front of a BART train? Voxtrot is probably not your band.

They sing about broken-down love, but they don't want your tears. They write pensive songs of life, yet they aren't big on the wallowing. Voxtrot wants their audience dancing, and not just the sexy people or that tweaker at the back of the club who was grooving to the sounds of the cash register before the place filled up. Everyone. It's a pretty radical notion for your pensive, cardigan-wrapped indie kid. Just what are these people getting at?

The buzz on Voxtrot has gotten to be almost deafening, with their recent EP, the jangly Raised by Wolves (Cult Hero), sending people into apoplectic fits of adoration. When Spin.com chose Voxtrot as Band of the Day, the site described the release as "a stunning mini-collection of John Hughes–heyday paeans, twitchy pop, and surging, Strokes-y dance floor fillers." While the skiffle pop and breathy vocals of a song like "Start of Something" signal homage to the Moz, the band just as easily recalls the sarcastic wit and crooning vocals of the Housemartins, not to mention the frenetic urgency of Wire.

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