Look Mexico - To Bed To Battle CD Review (Suburban Home)

STREAM: Look Mexico - To Bed To Battle (Yep, the whole CD is available to stream)

Alt-rock band Look Mexico released their sophomore disc To Bed To Battle (Suburban Home) last week and the band also made their third appearance at SXSW. Look Mexico plays guitar-driven 'modern rock' in the style of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Modest Mouse. Below is a live video for the leadoff track, "You Stay. I Go. No Following." from the new disc which gives a good indication of the band's sound.



Across To Bed To Battle, Look Mexico play mid-tempo emocore which ranges from the guitar rock of "You Stay. I Go. No Following." to the alt-country sounds of "They Offered Me a Deal (I Said No, Naturally)". Singer/guitarist Matt Agrella's lyrics are confessional and reflective but never fall prey to self-indulgence. The band's upbeat rhythms combined with orchestral breaks and use of non-traditional instruments (for the genre) such as cello, violin and pedal steel keep the songs on To Bed To Battle consistently engaging.

Look Mexico are spending a lot of time on the road in support of this new release. Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

May 13 2010 9:00PM, Emo’s w/ Weatherbox, Austin, TX
May 14 2010 6:30PM, Art Ambush w/Weatherbox, Waco, TX
May 15 2010 8:00PM, The Prophet Bar w/Weatherbox, Dallas, TX
May 16 2010 8:00PM, The Conservatory w/Weatherbox, Oklahoma City, OK
May 17 2010 8:00PM, Jackpot Music Hall w/Weatherbox, Lawrence, KS
May 18 2010 9:00PM, The Waiting Room w/Weatherbox, Omaha, NB
May 19 2010 8:30PM, The Summit - Front Bar w/Weatherbox, Denver, CO
May 20 2010 8:30PM, Kilby Court w/Weatherbox, Salt Lake City, UT
May 22 2010 8:00PM, Che Cafe w/Weatherbox, San Diego, CA

Links:
Look Mexico

Look Mexico Play The Studio at Webster Hall on Wed., March 10th / New CD out on Suburban Home on March 23rd

Austin-by-way-of-Tallahassee indie/math rock band Look Mexico in touring in advance of their sophomore release To Bed To Battle (Suburban Home Records) and the band is playing The Studio at Webster Hall on Wednesday, March 10th. Look Mexico are sharing the bill with Gabriel the Marine and The Dear & Departed. DOS tickets are $12 and doors are at 6:30PM.

The band's new disc is coming out on March 23rd on CD and limited edition vinyl (both of which are available for pre-order). According to Suburban Noise's site "[t]he vinyl will be pressed in an edition of 1,000 copies (500 on Salmon/Orange vinyl, 500 on black vinyl). After the first pressing sells out, we will press all future pressings on black vinyl."

To Bed To Battle was written and recorded this past summer in Look Mexico’s former hometown of Tallahassee, FL. With the converted basement of a local pizza shop dedicated as their studio space, the band was able to take their time throughout the recording process, experimenting with and expanding their sound, and adding new instrumentation such as electric piano, organ, pedal steel, violin, cello, and horns. The resulting album – which deals with struggle and pressing on in the face of adversity – is an incredibly catchy, diverse yet cohesive set of 10 songs. To Bed To Battle ranges musically from anthemic pop/rock and explosive ballads (“You Stay. I Go. No Following,” “Until The Lights Burn Out?”), to alternately edgy and dreamy math-rock (“No Wonder I’m Still Awake,” “Time For You To Go Do Your Own Thing”), to blistering, barreling modern rock (“I Live My Life A Quarter Mile At A Time,” “They Offered Me A Deal (I Said No, Naturally”), to even acoustic, chamber pop-laced Americana (“Take It Upstairs, Einstein”).

The band just released their first video "You Stay.I Go. No Following" (dig the Iron Giant reference) from To Bed To Battle.



Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:
03/08 - Boston, MA @ Middle East
03/10 - New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall
03/11 - New Brunswick, NJ @ Court Tavern
03/12 - Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
03/13 - St. Augustine, FL @ Harvest of Hope
03/14 - St. Augustine, FL @ Harvest of Hope
03/16 - Little Rock, AK @ Vino’s

Links:
Look Mexico