As sweet as it’s been seeing some canonical titans like Meat Puppets and Gang of Four play this week, it’s good to be back to the frontier. And probably the most notable young name to roll through this week is Alabama’s Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires (Oct. 29, Will’s Pub).
Across releases on Sub Pop and Alive Records, this rising band is shaping up to be one exciting prospect. Lately, they’ve been red-lining their Dixie soul and riding a bolt of boogie and blare. Bains and the boys do Southern rock the way Jon Spencer & the Blues Explosion do the blues: jacked, cranked and crackling. And that combination of heart and blister left an impression like a branding iron in their Orlando debut. It’s the most refreshing, convincing and punk take on Southern rock to come along in a very long time.
Speaking of punk, underrated Nashville opener Pujol is one of garage-punk’s best songwriters going right now. But that’s because he’s more concerned about good songs than being punk. And he and his band ripped plenty of them with hooks, power and efficiency, leaving little room for bullshit.
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This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly’s music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city’s music scene.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com
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This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2015.
