Local Dallas Band Miser Takes Off
Posted on 15 February 2008 by Erin Kennedy
Last week someone asked about a review of local music. There are many bands based out of Dallas who are on the same path to national success as Blue October, Flyleaf, and more recently Miser. They’re the ones that did the Cranberries’ “Zombies” cover that was played every 8 minutes on 102.1 The Edge for an entire semester (Hey, life of a student…time is always measured by semesters). That is a band to check out if you want some a taste of local Dallas rock.
The “Zombie” cover was phenomenal. The band was able to retain the same distinctive flavor of the Cranberries and their own modern alternative twist to the song. (Cranberries and a twist – I’m suddenly craving Vodka….) The lead singer, Coach, is convincing. It’s genuinely powerful. He holds nothing back – the inflection his voice makes it sound like he believes in the message the song sends to the audience. The lyrics are relevant; he makes it sound personal. The production is flawless. It will pump your speakers – it screams to be played loud.
And that is about par for all the original work from Miser, too. Karma Town is another song with a convincing preformed and powerful message. I love the harder edge of Monkey, though I wish they had carried that initial edge all the way through the song. The lyrics are story-like in flow and it slows the tempo down considerably. At times, the vocals sound almost theatrical, especially in Monkey when the lyrics are not sung but said. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is entirely a personal preference. Rock purists might cringe, but if you appreciate rock musicals like Rent you might find yourself saying it back.
All of the members of the band are Dallas natives with impressive track records in the Dallas music scene. The best thing about Miser is that they are smart enough to have utilized the power of downloadable music. They’re myspace page is professional looking and makes it easy to buy individual songs for less than a buck a piece. I mean, I suppose you could go down to Target if you really wanted to… but, that requires things like, getting up, putting on pants, finding keys…. Personally, I’d rather just click. Don’t judge, you probably just sat down to check your mail and here you are. Slackers.
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February 15th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I’m glad someone finally gave MISER a shout. I used to sit next to Coach at my old job and I got really familiar with MISER and his former band 40 PERCENT. In the past 2 years, they have really honed their sound. They are a great band to see live and they genuinely sound like they do on their recorded tracks. If you need any info or insider info, you should hit up my friend AMY at http://www.myspace.com/64493168. She is the unofficial #1 fan of MISER. She is kind of like Mel on Flight of the Conchords. I know you fans of F.O.T.C. are feeling me.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I appreciate the info. I know they have something going on this weekend. I saw them at the Rock Yards a while back. It would be great to see them again. Thanks for the comment!
February 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Good pick e. Keep it coming.
February 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Good pick e. Keep it coming.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I’ll give them a listen when I’m at home, appropriately clad in my plaid Eddie Bauer PJ pants