PHOXThis week’s #TuessdayTease comes to you from our good friend @ListenYoungman of Why Listen Media. He wrote up this piece about a band that’s headed to Houston this Saturday night and from the sound of it–you don’t want to miss out.

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Monica Martin of the band PHOX, is probably one of those uniquely musical people whose speaking voice sounds as if she’s constantly about to break into song. Her singing voice dances in time with the band’s percussive guitars, banjos, horns and kitchen sinks that these Wisconsin-bred musicians choose to toss into the mix.

The band’s self-titled debut full-length is a tight mix of sugary instrumentation, meticulous vocals and contemplative lyrics (is that the right amount of fancy adjectives?). It’s really easy to get lost in the prettiness of this album. Quiet, stripped-down tracks like the echoing Calico Man set the tone for an album that seems to flow more like a quiet conversation than a bold statement. However, just when you begin to get lost in the moody instrumentation and silky vocals the song Evil plays and Martin sings “Face deep in between my best friend’s knees, telling me you don’t wanna hurt meeee” BOOM!! You begin to realize there’s heartbreak…emotion…desire…basically all the right ingredients for compelling songwriting. Maybe it’s the overall mood, but listening to this album makes me think back on the beautifully shattered quietness of Gillian Welch’s album Hell Among The Yearlings.

PHOX & Welch’s albums don’t share much more than mood. However, I can fantasize about Martin & Welch sitting across from one another & singing Rock of Ages if I want to dadgummit! The stand-out track Slow Motion will surely make its way into your local independent coffee shop’s playlist. That’s totally not a dig as I will probably be standing in line grinning as the lyric “You may taste the salt that rolls off my cheekbone, but you don’t know why I cry…” plays. I love the way this album feels and look forward to seeing how PHOX develop as artists.

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Don’t you just love reading his write-ups? So, PHOX is playing with Paolo Nutini this Saturday. I’ve been a fan of Paolo since his first album and saw him a couple times throughout the years (including once at Warehouse). He puts on a great show! And with PHOX as the opener, you’re sure to have a great time this Saturday. Thanks, @ListenYoungman!

Connect with PHOX on bandcamp, facebook and twitter. Connect with Paolo Nutini on facebook.

What’s a #TuesdayTease? Every Tuesday, I post a video from a band that will be coming to a stage near you soon. If you’re here, you love live music. So, let’s get pumped together for all the fantastic shows that happen around Houston, from local musicians to touring musicians.

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