We would like to contend that Bankrupt and the Borrowers are the embodiment of an Austin band circa 2009: four guys holding down a house together on the east side, rockin’ out, breakin’ shit, reveling in their poverty, and making some damn good music. Three of the members moved to Austin in 2006 from Boston, and picked up drummer Osteo here in town to form the group, releasing their debut EP, Beers on the Bible, last year. Their sound is a rugged and cathartic blues, swampy roots rock with some interesting contemporary rock twists (like the Thom Yorke-ish “Dumpster” available for download below), bridging both a classic guitar onslaught with a modern roots sensibility. You can catch them at Red 7 this Friday, April 10, along with Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5 and Voodoo Organist.
Profile: Bankrupt and the Borrowers
Year Formed:
2006
Members/Instruments played:
Osteo - Drums
Baggage - Guitar, Horns, Vox
Deadweight - Bass, Guitar, vox
Cadge - Guitar, Bass, vox
Former Bands/Side Projects:
Osteo - Consider the Source, Radioland Murders,
Baggage - Orange Level
Deadweight - The Akashas, Jaina Canons, The Legend and Dexter Grixby
Cadge - The Bread, The Legend and Dexter Grixby, Hobo Mouth
Albums:
Beers on the Bible - 2008 - this is our seven song e.p.
Versatile Cache - 2009 - we are featured on this compilation which just came out
Split e.p. with the Bridge Farmers - coming out this summer (currently untitled)
Influences:
olde E, old growling voices howlin over a beaten up acoustic guitar, the beats, miller high life, crooners and easy women, jameson, psychadelia, and being broke. yes being poor is certainly a heavy influence
Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
I saw a comment on someone’s page that some girl called our band name ironic that “if we didn’t borrow then we wouldn’t be bankrupt.” Thanks to Alanis Morrisette, an entire generation will pass on wrong definitions of irony thus sending the world closer to complete idiocracy.
Favorite local bands:
East Cameron:
The Bread, The Van Buren Boys, The Bridge Farmers, Like Dogs, Follow that Bird!, Clyde and Clem’s Whiskey Business, Hobo Mouth, Plastic Empire
Austin:
Possessed By Paul James, Dana Falconberry, Loxly, Smoke and Feathers
Favorite local venue:
Hole in the Wall, Mohawk
Upcoming shows scheduled:
4/10 @ Red 7
4/11 @ Ruta Maya (Kinks Hoot Night)
4/15 @ Creek side (101x Homegrown Live)
4/22 @ Emos
Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see:
Propagandi, Ralph Stanley with Possessed by Paul James, Brian Jonestown Massacre
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
Like Dogs - At All
Black Keys - Attack and Release
Fleet Foxes - self-titled
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Tell ‘em what your name is
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
Robert Johnson
Sonic Youth
Austin Sound questions:
What are y’all’s top three recession-busting, bankruptcy tips?
Welcome to East Cannary Row!…now…
1. …always have at least a hundred feet of extension cord around for when the electricity gets shut off. Preferably green so the neighbor won’t see it when you run it through their yard into your house….also don’t waste all of the water in the back of the toilet on one piss remember you’ll need that water for doing dishes as well….
2.…now to get to the food stamp office you’ll need to take the bus. Get yourself a bus map and study it. Its your new best friend. Make sure and give yourself at least an hour for every ten minutes it would take for you to drive in travel time on the bus, cause the Austin bus system, like it’s highway system and from what I’ve heard of it’s rail system, sucks!…
3. …make friends with a hobo. They’ve been living within their means a lot longer than you and they can answer a lot more questions about scraping by than Jeeves and Google combined!
Which beers go best with the bible?
Olde English
Song Introduction:
On Dumpster - “This is a song about homeless love!” - Baggage
Sound Off:
So I guess I’ll start with Baggage, you trumpet-lipped son of a bitch. Please lock your door when entertaining friends. I actually thought you were practicing in there and I was coming in to jam…Osteo if I hear you sing “fire and rain” one more goddamn time…
…and Deadweight, now come on so you might be 6’7” and not 6’8” just drop it already… Cadge, if you tell me that the Boss is the one and only greatest songwriter to ever live one more time…
Mp3s:
Dumpster
I Love You Baby
Websites:
http://bankruptandtheborrowers.com
Myspace
