People who have lived in Austin for a while complain that the city has become too mainstream, too corporate, too bland. In other words, it’s just not _weird_ any more. To counter that perception I present to you local band Jibber & Twitch.
First, a bit of history. Around 1980 an English band renamed themselves the Cardiacs and recorded several albums that combined the polyrhythmic complexity of Gentle Giant with the intensity of punk rock. As Wikipedia puts it, they were known “…for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows.” Check YouTube for some live video. Leader Tim Smith has had health issues in recent years so the Cardiacs have not been active. The music is difficult to find in the US with no real digital distribution and about the only physical sales through Wayside Music.
Fast forward to Austin in 2016 and Jibber & Twitch (J&T) leaps into action as a Cardiacs tribute band. The guitarist of J&T, Mohadev, is the leader of Voyager 2016 artists Stop Motion Orchestra; he also played with Obnosticon at the event. Stop Motion Orchestra can be quirky; J&T is weird…in a good way.
J&T is a five piece group with drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, and lead vocals. The band played a set of Cardiacs songs at the Carousel Lounge in Central Austin during mid-December, just not your typical holiday fare. There was the start-and-stop playing reminiscent of Gentle Giant along with sometimes shouted punk vocals backed up by a solid rhythm section, intricate keyboards, and active guitar. J&T played about 50 minutes of Cardiacs material with plenty of energy to an enthusiastic audience.
Your assignment over the holiday break is this: learn about the Cardiacs, keep an eye out for Jibber & Twitch, and Keep Austin Weird.
