Austin, Texas’ White Denim brought their brand of fused rock ‘n roll, soul, experimental rock and garage out on the road for all to enjoy. For a Monday night at the Horsehoe Tavern, the turnout was fairly decent – even the band was impressed. Guess that’ll show other towns what they think of Toronto crowds!

White Denim were touring with fellow Austin brothers’ Brazos. Their mixed brand of rock ‘n roll, surf rock and a tad of rockabilly gve me that Chris Isaak feel. For a few songs, they were enjoyable — sweet, soothing vocals for the lot of their tunes. Check out ‘We Understand Each Other’ via their Myspace.

White Denim had a bit of an odd setup with all three members right at the lip of the stage, including the drummer. The first time I saw these guys was in Iceland for Iceland Airwaves 08. I was fairly drunk off my head but I (somewhat) remember how amazing these dudes were.

For anyone who’s seen the band, they usually play in medleys: a bunch of their songs tied together into one mini opus. Also, for the aforementioned show-goers, they know that White Denim’s recorded material DOES NOT match up to the potential that their live show projects; it’s full of complex, powerful change-overs and rich musicianship. All three members stand out significantly with their instruments: the rad finger-picking on the bass, the time-changes on the drums and the effects on the guitar. One might feel that they’re witnessing a mess, but it’s really a eye-popping work of art being displayed across the sky. You have to smile because of their tunes. For anyone who loves and respects music, White Denim is something of a sort to see and hear live.

Here’s a music video for the song ‘Shake Shake Shake’, depicting the band playing in a junkyard in South London: click.

White Denim released their new album entitled Fits on Downtown Records.

Other coverage can be found at CityNews via Aaron Miller (The Untold City).