Reviewed by Kit Burns
Rivercity Seven/Sidewinder Stitches Time
Rivercity Seven changes with the weather. At one point, the group is tripping us with mad flashbacks of the Peter Gabriel-lead Genesis (for those of you too young to remember, Phil Collins was not always the vocalist for Genesis) and then flipping the switch to the herky-jerky synth pops of Devo. That’s quite a leap! But it’s that wild eclecticism which makes Sidewinder Stitches Time such a blast to listen to. You never know what direction these guys are taking, and the familiarity from repeated spins still doesn’t erode that sense of rollercoaster unpredictability.
Hailing from the alternative hotbed of Austin, Texas, Rivercity Seven are an alternative to the alternative. The band’s stylistic shifts are downright bizarre yet it’s exhilarating to hear music again that actually challenges the listener. On the spiteful “Roll Out Yer Bones,” the twisted ’80s New Wave dance rock of Oingo Boingo collides with the arty pretensions of Gabriel; if you thought that punk and prog would make unnatural bedmates, you’ll be shocked as to how exciting this is. Demented bliss, I say. The question is, are you prepared to make the leap from that to the Steely Dan-esque white funk of “Save Yourself”? If you are, by all means do not hesitate to jump on board.
