Austin Sound

Progressively, the ties between original rock n’ roll and modern day music wane ever more thin. A genre that was once centered on lighthearted entertainment has nearly been choked and forgotten by the infinite amounts of bastardized genres that take themselves too seriously. There is, however, the occasional old soul musician that Father Time seems to have misplaced into a different era of music altogether. We have found that musician in PJ Valletti, front man of PJ and the Bear. Valletti’s songs bring a sound that would have fit well in the malt shops of yesteryear, but with a loud, fast punch that would have done The Ramones proud. Scarcely a year ago, a chance meeting between Valletti and drummer Mike Fonseca lead to the first demos that would comprise their first full length album. The seventeen minute self-titled debut speeds through Chuck Berry inspired songs with punk rock tendencies.

The Summer Wardrobe’s sophomore release, Cajun Prairie Fire seamlessly blends psychedelic-rock and country to produce an album fit for acid rockers and Caballeros alike. Staying loyal to the guitar driven sound of last year’s self-titled debut, the Summer Wardrobe makes a triumphant return, six-string and pedal steel blazing. The influence of greats like Roky Erickson, for whom the band played back up for a year, is much more evident on this latest release. Although at some points the new songs dabble with the ambient, hypnotic sound of acid rock, the album as a whole remains wrapped in what the band refers to as a “pop shell,” making it accessible to a wider audience. This thirty-five minute concept album follows a young Cajun named Ocotillo Sundown, who travels west to escape drug addled, post-apocalyptic Louisiana.