Album review: Sons of Kitsch release Emotional Support Monsters this March in Old-Austin Style
Self-described “Austin grungicana power trio,” Sons of Kitsch (SoK), will release their debut album Emotional Support Monsters exclusively on Bandcamp March 1 with wide release set for mid-month.
After finishing the LP in the summer of 2021, SoK are set to drop their premiere full-length, and currently have three songs from their forthcoming LP available on Apple Music and Spotify, with an EP titled Brew’s & Bacon. In all, Emotional Support Monsters will deliver nine tracks.
An instrument-inspired Craigslist ad resulted in the meeting of Brian Murray (guitar/vox), who by the end of 2016 felt inspired to pursue a heavier sound than that of the acoustic sets to which he’d grown accustomed to playing, and Wesley Riddle (drums/backup vox/harmonica).
The two founding members of the band soon met Ruben Duenez (bass/backup vox) at Gourgough’s Public House, on South Lamar, and the rock trio formed. Producer Dave Hanson met Murray at an open-mic night at House Wine not long after, and the journey of Sons of Kitsch began.
From the opening track, “Frankfort,” Emotional Support Monsters delivers a unique sound, varieties of which reverberate throughout the album. “Rex Machina” then follows, emphasizing the band’s raw appeal.
“Numb and Dumb” is a measured-but-heavy, infectious tune, which is followed with “PBR,” an uptempo, hefty rock-out number.
“Buffalo Stardust,” with soft harmonica and guitar strumming, has a more sentimental tone than much of the album, but offers a well-fit balance to the overall collection.
There is something valuable (and undeniably Austin) in SoK’s raw, unrefined sound that is exceptionally rich. The trio’s product is a blues-grunge slush that oozes an old-Austin vibe. The threesome offers a refreshing energy that feels unconventional and new — a mash of so many familiar sounds that work so very well together. The band’s tone can ultimately be best described with their name, which articulates their style so well.
Emotional Support Monsters’ first vinyl press run drops on March 1, with the album seeing exclusive release via the group’s Bandcamp page on the same day. In mid-March, the record will hit streaming services and the vinyl wide release will drop.
On Saturday, March 19, Sons of Kitsch will hold an album-release show from 5-6:30 at Carousel Lounge. There will be no cover charge, and you can bring your own liquor. Beer, wine and mixers will be available for purchase.
Brian Murray (guitar/vox)
Wesley Riddle (drums/backup vox/harmonica)
Rubenn Duenez (bass/backup vox)
Emotional Support Monsters
Producer and sound engineer Dave Hanson
Album art by Gerardo Rodriguez
Track Listing
- Frankfort
- Rex Machina
- Bacon Lover
- Numb & Dumb
- PBR
- Shipwrecked
- Lone Star
- Domesticated Coyote
- Buffalo Stardust
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