35 Denton discoveries: Sampling local bands we’ve been meaning to see for far too long

by Brenna Rushing

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Here's the 411 on Baruch the Scribe, Summer of Glaciers, Video, and Roy Robertson.

DENTON — While we spent much of 35 Denton watching well-known local and national acts, we saved some extra time to watch new or altered local bands that we hadn't seen before. We scaled the schedule to find bands we'd heard of -- even regularly talked about -- that needed more of our full attention.

Upon reviewing four local bands at 35 Denton, some were spot on while others missed the mark. Here are the bands we hadn't said much about that you should know:

Baruch the Scribe played a short stint at Rubber Gloves on Friday, shaving their 45-minute set down a song or two. The young, experimental rock group from Denton released a record entitled Intentions in March. Their shoe gazing, pedal based style was well received at the small venue; the room collectively filled up before the close. Song after song ushered in a roaring frequency of echoed vocals and crashing guitar, telling a lengthened tale of angst and yearning.

The message, however, was buried under their overuse of pedals. Most of the time their words were just sounds, fading in and out over a solid drumbeat or reverberating guitar strum.

J&J’s Pizza, located on the Denton Square, filled to capacity for Ryan Wasterlain, aka Summer of Glaciers, on Saturday. The former one-man band moved from San Francisco to Dallas last year to further his electronic musings, which encouraged the material on his newest EP, Small Spaces. Wasterlain combined stark guitar work driven by various pedals with heavy beats to make a stellar, brooding sound that’s rare in Dallas-Fort Worth music. His choice of pedals and chords often resembled the mood and pitch of Marilyn Manson’s guitar work in his cover of “Sweet Dreams.”

Electric blue light bulbs dangled from the low ceiling of the pizza restaurant’s basement, fizzling bright to dark in response to the electricity of Wasterlain's music. After celebrating his first “sold out” show, Wasterlain introduced Miranda Alvarado, the newest addition to Summer of Glaciers. She sang on a few tracks, adding recognizable emotion to the music. Small Spaces is the first EP with vocals, which should give fans something new to look forward to. The additional vocals aren’t that of Alvarado; her contribution may be on the next record.

Video, the eccentric punk rockers from Denton, filled Andy’s to capacity on Sunday night, showing that their cocky attitudes were surprisingly well received. Front man/ring leader Daniel Fried stole the show with his raging attitude and in-your-face singing. He wore signature black leather fringe and motorcycle gloves, giving a hard edge look. He continuously said, “You’re welcome” to the crowd and gave thanks to their “openers”: Built to Spill, Dum Dum Girls, and Thee Oh Sees.

Despite Fried’s onstage antics, the music spoke for itself. The foursome covered all necessary fronts by giving fans the scaling chords and rowdy drums necessary for the punk act. Title track “Leather Leather” incited a celebratory scream through the crowd, giving fans a chance to sing along. Fried's show was definitely one of the best sets of the festival, despite his constant egotism.

Pretty boy Roy Robertson and his band took over Denton Square Donuts for a relatively calm set. Robertson is the mastermind behind his vintage rock sound, and he quietly led the way with anti-rockstar demeanor. The group served up '70s style rock with a modern day spin by dissecting the tempo and changing the course of the songs. Drummer Ramon Muzquiz kept busy with rapid variations and set the pace for Robertson’s lines. The backup band was a new and welcome addition for the once-solo act.

Robertson’s latest release, Wonderness, came out in September. They are rumored to be working on a new album that will come out later this year.

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