heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.

Preconceived notions can come from just about anywhere about just about anything. Unfortunately, they can also originate from absolutely nothing. This was the case for me for a while, keeping me away from Voxtrot. Oddly enough, it was upon hearing two side-projects of Voxtrot first, that I finally took in a few songs, and damned if I had no reason to stay away this long. Voxtrot is a five-piece from Austin, Texas, but I'll bet you'd never have pinned them there on a map. They play infectious indie pop that will actually stick with you. Occasionally I utilize CDNOW's "Customers Who Viewed This Also Viewed..." section to try to identify an amalgam of sounds. The albums listed under Voxtrot's Raised By Wolves EP didn't really surprise me (Band of Horses, Tapes 'n Tapes, Beirut, etc.), but what did catch me off guard were the items listed under customers viewing the recent Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives EP. Sunset Rubdown, Matmos, and (wait for it) The Greatest Hits of ABBA. The common thread among all of these bands will be the Pitchfork Music Festival (as soon as Beirut and ABBA sign on). For the record Insound was closer by recommending Voxtrot to fans of Housemartins, The Smiths, The Beatles, The Beautiful South, and Belle & Sebastian.
Sure sure. I'll give Voxtrot a listen now, but what about those two side-projects? Why are you holding back? Ugh! This blog blows!
Watch it, negative Nancy. Give me a chance. I want nothing more than to gladden you. So allow me to reveal all my cards. On the folky songwriter end of the spectrum is Voxtrot member Jared Van Fleet, playing songs as Sparrow House. At the synth-pop end of the spectrum are Voxtrot members Matt Simon and Jason Chronis playing as half of Belaire. I'll allow both projects to speak for themselves, as they are both very solid and enjoyable. It would also be impossible for me to not post Voxtrot's spirit-lifting Talking Heads cover. Relish away.
More songs from all three are ready for your ears at their respective MySpace pages. Each can be found by typing the artists' name after myspace.com/

Voxtrot's "The Start of Something"
from Raised By Wolves

Voxtrot's "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives"
from Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives

Voxtrot's "Heaven" (Talking Heads)

Sparrow House's "When I Am Gone"
& "The Reflection"

Belaire's "Haunted Castle"
& "Back Into The Wall"



ABBA, if you're reading this, please sign on to Pitchfork.