A Double Dose Of Scott Lucas
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 19, 2010 6:20PM
Well you certainly can't accuse Scott Lucas of being lazy. Today sees two releases from both his main musical projects with Local H's Awesome Mix Tape #1 covers compilation and Scott Lucas & the Married Men's The Absolute Beginners EP. Fans of Local H have heard most of the songs on Awesome Mix Tape #1 over the years at various shows, and Lucas and drummer Brian St. Clair approach the material as true fans. Other bands would stick tongue firmly in cheek on a similar project, but the duo took care to pick tunes they really loved. The best moments of the disc are when Pink Floyd's "Time" is turned into a sludgy stoner rock anthem, Concrete Blonde's "Joey" is transformed into a dose of amped up melancholy, and you can almost see Lucas bopping happily along to his adrenalized read of TV on the Radio's "Wolf Like Me."
Awesome Mix Tape #1 is pure fun but Scott Lucas & the Married Men's The Absolute Beginners EP is a nice snapshot of a band hitting its stride. The band's debut album housed a collection of songs brimming with quiet strength, but the new EP showcases what a powerhouse the band has become as they've gradually built even more muscle onto the tunes. Opening with a triumphant David Bowie cover that provides the title of the EP, Lucas & the Married Men set the template for what's to follow. They've re-recorded two songs to showcase the transformation they've made as they've spent ever more time onstage together, grafting on new approaches and uncovering new levels of interplay. The new recordings see the material stretched out, emphasizing the electricity the group has learned to transmit, but perhaps the most interesting moment occurs during their cover of Local H's "Hey, Rita" allowing Lucas &the Married Men to showcase their ability to utilizing different dynamics to deliver blazingly fierce rendition of the tune. If that whets your appetite to hear more of how the band's progressed, purchase of the vinyl version of the EP comes with a digital download of the group's radio appearances over the past year.
Scott Lucas & the Married Men play October 26 at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N Western, 10 p.m., FREE if you RSVP to rsvp@emptybottle.com with the subject line "Lucas" / $8 at the door, 21+