Last weekend Whiskey Bent and Hellbound singer/guitarist T.J. Kavanaugh played me a bunch of songs from the band’s debut album, Singing Satan’s Gospel from his laptop—and lo, it is good. Produced over two days by James O’Toole, it’s clear that the band has put everything into this recording. It’s beautifully clean and precise—and yet it’s unequivocally cowboy punk. Each of the group’s members and myriad parts—the guitars, Don Hynes’ mandolin, Jacob Hultz’s lap steel, Tim Mitchell on bass and Tasha Gobeil on drums—bring forth these small stories of boozing and heartbreak with an assured brightness. Their CD release happens December 22 at the Seahorse with Chris Martin and the Troubleshooters (celebrating their five-year anniversary) Darby Halland the Graboids. 10pm, $5.
This article appears in Dec 16-22, 2010.