If there's one thing I miss in music is that old-school visceral rawk that bands like Gun N Roses defined. In fact the first CD I ever bought was GNRs Appetite for Destruction - and I still have the bulk of that record on my Zen Micro Player. I'm one of those guys that still holds out hope that Axl's new record "Chinese Democracy" will 1) Actually get released and 2) Kicks ass.

In the interim I've found a substitute for my rock needs. Van Gunn.

Check out their track - Pull the Trigger, below, a balls-to-the wall rawk song channeling the best of 70s and 80s rock while incorporating Van Gunn's own signature sound. The band was also nice enough to hook me up with an unreleased acoustic b-side, Drown Me In Sadness.

So Van Gunn are going on an American tour over the next few months to promote the release of their self-titled new record which just came out. Like many other up and coming bands, they're going to be stopping by the SXSW festival for a few gigs, and I plan to check out at least one of their gigs there and hope to bring you back some live MP3s. BUT since thats towards the end of the tour I wanted to post their live dates so you too can check them out.

MP3s:
Pull the Trigger
Drown Me In Sadness

Tour Dates:
02/06/2007 Wheelhouse Bar Hemet CA
02/13/2007 Burts Tiki Albuquerque NM
02/15/2007 Club Crystal San Antonio TX
02/16/2007 Trophy's Austin TX
02/17/2007 Dan Electro's Houston TX
02/19/2007 WC Dons Jackson MS
02/22/2007 The Nick Birmingham AL
02/23/2007 Dirty Jacks Cincinnati OH
02/24/2007 Jaxx West Springfield, VA
02/28/2007 TBA Covington IN
03/01/2007 Birdy's Indianapolis IN
03/02/2007 Way Out Club St Louis MO
03/03/2007 TBA Kansas City MO
03/06/2007 Double Door Chicago IL
03/08/2007 JCs House of Rock Wichita KS
03/10/2007 The Roadhouse Odessa TX
03/13 - 03/17 SXSW Austin TX
03/18/2007 SXDE Houston TX
03/20/2007 3 Kings Tavern Denver CO
03/21/2007 Dive Bar Las Vegas NV

Labels: indie, studio mp3s