Last year, the long-time-coming new project from Matt Oliver finally took full shape with the release of two excellent 7-inches: “The Black Mask” and “Days of Being Wild”. Both were a testament to just how polished and promising TV Torso is right out of the gate, and suggest the trio could easily be the next local act to break big. Much of that will depend on their upcoming full-length album, planned for release later this year. Balancing disenchanted pop with heavier, guitar-ripped psych washes, all twisted together behind Oliver’s rough-hewn, Britt Daniel-esque vocals, TV Torso can slice simultaneously beautifully infectious and darkly intensive. The band will be playing inside at Emo’s this Saturday, February 20, along with the Corto Maltese and Jesse Woods - your last chance to see TV Torso before their secret gets out at SXSW.
Profile: TV Torso
Year Formed:
2008
Members/Instruments played:
Austin Jones: bass, vocals
Jordan Johns: drums & percussion\
Matt Oliver: vocals, guitar
Former Bands/Side Projects:
Nobody that anyone’s heard of
Albums:
Days of Being Wild b/w I Can See Your Face, 7″ single (Visible Hand, 2009)
The Black Mask b/w Eye in the Pyramid, 7 ” single (Visible Hand, 2009)
Upcoming release: title TBA, Spring 2010
Influences:
Harry Houdini
A.P. Carter
Chuck Berry
Ray Davies
Michael Rother
Lou Reed
Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
“Nice job, Frankenstein.”
Favorite local bands:
All the oldies we’ve come to know and love then get a little tired of but then become reacquainted with and then not judge so harshly but still waffle about whenever anyone asks us if we like their new record or not. Also: Strange Boys, Corto Maltese, “T-bird y Los Breaks”. People who go for it.
Favorite local venue:
Emohawkland
Upcoming shows scheduled:
2/19 Dallas The Cavern
2/20 Austin Emo’s
3/17–3/21 SXSW
Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see:
Wanted to go to the Strange Boys show on 19th but we will be in Dallas.
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
I have that written down somewhere at home, let me get back to you on that.
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
The Clash
Austin Sound questions:
Are y’all working on a full-length release, and if so, what can we expect of those songs in comparison to last year’s 7-inches?
We are currently in the studio, trying to figure out the logistics of how to get all the unreleased songs out into the world. I’m mixing all this stuff at the end of the month and we’ll choose what’s getting released and then we’ll go from there.
The 45s and these ones all go together basically.
So what’s up with the constant TV infatuation?
TV Torso was just a phrase I came up with and I always thought it had a kind of rough poetry to it, I don’t really think there’s much of an infatuation beyond that.
Song Introduction:
“The Eye in the Pyramid” is just a simplistic metaphor for the sin of greed. “The Black Mask” is about something that happens to all of us. Both sound better on vinyl.
Sound Off:
Sometimes pennies from heaven can be dangerous, and he who goes a-borrowin’ will definitely go a-sorrowin’.
Mp3s:
http://tvtorso.bandcamp.com
Website:
www.tvtorso.com
