My Denton Music spotlight: The Polycorns

by Josh Hogan of My Denton Music

It would not surprise me one bit to soon see The Polycorns with just as strong of a following as Oso Closo or Backside Pick.

The Polycorns

In addition to all of the amazing shows going on in Denton this week, there is one happening down in Dallas that you should all be aware of. This Thursday at the newly reopened Trees in Deep Ellum is the weekly installment of 102.1 The Edge's local show where one of Denton's more impressive young groups will be releasing their debut full length album. The Polycorns have been waiting patiently for this day to come for quite some time now. "We recorded it in June, so we have been sitting on the album for a while," says lead singer Caleb Campbell. "We were going to release it at the Annex House but it ended up being the last show before they shut it down, so we had to cancel." A few months and a brand new bassist later, the time has finally arrived, and The Polycorns are set to release the much-anticipated Goldfish Graveyards.

If the tracks already released on the band's MySpace page are any indication, we are in for an absolute treat with this new album. The Polycorns have an outstandingly original sound with a strong foundation in Michael Minardi's drum playing and punctuated by Campbell's hypnotic vocals and songwriting ability. And now moving forward the group seems complete with the addition of bassist Pablo Burrull, an addition that should allow this group to really reach its full potential. "When you add a bassist it just allows you to explore more avenues musically," explains Campbell. And the amount of avenues this band could go down seems limitless at this point. They seem to masterfully tightrope between at least three or four genres of music, and the product is undeniably great. "My influences are more of, like Motown stuff," says Minardi while explaining the band's eclectic musical tastes, "but a lot of the Indie stuff Caleb is into I had never even listened to before." It is a constant give and take between all three members of the band when it comes to musical influences, and the limitlessness of their future endeavors may only be matched by their extensive and eclectic musical past. "When I first started playing bass I was really into the punk rock scene," says Burrull, "then I moved into more of the Jazz/Funk genres. So I guess its kind of like Funk, but I want to kick your ass."

The extensive amalgamation of individual tastes has translated into one cohesive and tremendously catchy sound for this band. The new album is more than likely going to make it on to your "must have" list with songs like "Shining World" and the absolutely amazing track "In Fact" mixed in among the nine others included on the album. If ever there was a band to start paying very close attention to so early in their career, this is it. The Polycorns seem to be on the right track to becoming one of Denton's most well respected groups. Mentioning them on par with groups like Oso Closo or Backside Pick maybe a bit preemptive right now, but it would not surprise me one bit to see The Polycorns with just as strong of a following as either of those bands this time next year. 2010 will hopefully start off with a house show tour, says Campbell, which would be a great thing to see. But as for now, the show this Thursday is all they have on their mind.

It is going to be a great show at a great venue. The Burning Hotels will be the headliners of the evening and Ishi will also be playing. Check it out and do not forget to pick up a copy of this album. It will be WELL worth the trip down to Deep Ellum.