The Baker Family

The Top 10 ATX Bands of

2013-And-1/2

It's been a jam-packed first six months of 2013. We covered the hell out of Free Week, threw a bitchin' SXSW Party, tempted litigation with totally fake celebrity endorsements, and got featured on KLBJ's Dudley & Bob Show.

We decided to reflect with a quick list of our favorite ATX Bands of 2013-and-1/2. To qualify, we made the following requirements:

1. Austin-based bands only.

2. We had to see them perform this year.

3. NO repeats from our Top 25 ATX Bands of 2012.

Now, here they are, listed in alphabetical order:

Baker Family



The Baker Family's rawkus live show sets their resourceful homegrown rock afire. They run the stage ragged with instrument changes [including the occasional use of an empty keg shell as a floor tom] and somehow manage to keep the energy up from start to finish. Video - Sonic Vault

The Top 10 ATX Bands of

2013-And-1/2

It's been a jam-packed first six months of 2013. We covered the hell out of Free Week, threw a bitchin' SXSW Party, tempted litigation with totally fake celebrity endorsements, and got featured on KLBJ's Dudley & Bob Show.

We decided to reflect with a quick list of our favorite ATX Bands of 2013-and-1/2. To qualify, we made the following requirements:

1. Austin-based bands only.

2. We had to see them perform this year.

3. NO repeats from our Top 25 ATX Bands of 2012.

Now, here they are, listed in alphabetical order:

Baker Family



The Baker Family's rawkus live show sets their resourceful homegrown rock afire. They run the stage ragged with instrument changes [including the occasional use of an empty keg shell as a floor tom] and somehow manage to keep the energy up from start to finish. Video - Sonic Vault

Families are full of contradictory characters. You may have the lecherous uncle, the religious cousin, the over-achieving sister or the brother that just can’t seem to get it together. Despite all the personal incongruities, the family is still bonded in a way that’s as undeniable as it is inscrutable. The sound of Austin band The Baker Family has that same tension. The band takes disparate (at least on paper) elements of new wave/post-punk and folk and creates music that is joy-filled and completely charming.

The Baker Family came to Austin a few years back from Asheville, N.C. At the heart of the band is husband and wife duo Stuart and Liz Baker (a.k.a. Mr. and Mrs. Baker). The Bakers are joined by bassist Nathan Ribner and drummer Darryl Schomberg. Those familiar with the Baker Family will know that on-stage the group is a sight to see. At any given show you can see odd percussion and Mrs. Baker donning a panda bear mask and banging out tunes on keyboard.

It all adds to an aesthetic of eclecticism that makes The Baker Family such an interesting act. You can hear it on today’s song of the day, “Paper Moon,” which appears on The Baker Family’s most recent release When the Internet is Down. It’s a driving song that’s just as anchored by some furious banjo playing as the pulsing post-punk beat. It’s a tune that show the bonds are strong with The Baker Family.

If you like what you hear, you can catch The Baker Family live Thursday at Frank. - KUT

Families are full of contradictory characters. You may have the lecherous uncle, the religious cousin, the over-achieving sister or the brother that just can’t seem to get it together. Despite all the personal incongruities, the family is still bonded in a way that’s as undeniable as it is inscrutable. The sound of Austin band The Baker Family has that same tension. The band takes disparate (at least on paper) elements of new wave/post-punk and folk and creates music that is joy-filled and completely charming.

The Baker Family came to Austin a few years back from Asheville, N.C. At the heart of the band is husband and wife duo Stuart and Liz Baker (a.k.a. Mr. and Mrs. Baker). The Bakers are joined by bassist Nathan Ribner and drummer Darryl Schomberg. Those familiar with the Baker Family will know that on-stage the group is a sight to see. At any given show you can see odd percussion and Mrs. Baker donning a panda bear mask and banging out tunes on keyboard.

It all adds to an aesthetic of eclecticism that makes The Baker Family such an interesting act. You can hear it on today’s song of the day, “Paper Moon,” which appears on The Baker Family’s most recent release When the Internet is Down. It’s a driving song that’s just as anchored by some furious banjo playing as the pulsing post-punk beat. It’s a tune that show the bonds are strong with The Baker Family.

If you like what you hear, you can catch The Baker Family live Thursday at Frank. - KUT

There’s an enchantment going on here. The Baker Family will take you by the hand and lead you into the mystical domain haunted by troubled but hopeful voices, and panda bear mask in tow. Plus, spontaneous dancing, which feeds the soul.

I was lucky to experience The Baker Family live in an intimate setting, during a private music release show for Salesman just before SXSW with another fave of mine, Lord Buffalo, sharing the bill. Vocalist and synth player Liz Baker happily presented me with two of their releases, 2009's Old Civilizations Put To the Sword and their newest, the EP WHEN THE INTERNET IS DOWN.

Liz, along with vocalist and guitarist (and the “Mr. Baker” in the family) Stuart Baker, bassist Nathan Ribner, and drummer Darryl Schomberg, are all partners in this whimsical flurry of danceable mayhem. Originally from Asheville, NC, the band now makes Austin its home. They’re an absolute delight, laying out a perfect pairing of what they refer to as indie baroque pop and folk rock, a complimentary mix of sweet and idiosyncratic melodies and harmonies.

You can check out The Baker Family at their show Saturday night at Cheer Up Charlies, 1104 E. 6th St. Looks like another winning triple bill, with The Dalles and The Sweet Nuthin’. Get there after 9 p.m. Recommended. - KUT

There’s an enchantment going on here. The Baker Family will take you by the hand and lead you into the mystical domain haunted by troubled but hopeful voices, and panda bear mask in tow. Plus, spontaneous dancing, which feeds the soul.

I was lucky to experience The Baker Family live in an intimate setting, during a private music release show for Salesman just before SXSW with another fave of mine, Lord Buffalo, sharing the bill. Vocalist and synth player Liz Baker happily presented me with two of their releases, 2009's Old Civilizations Put To the Sword and their newest, the EP WHEN THE INTERNET IS DOWN.

Liz, along with vocalist and guitarist (and the “Mr. Baker” in the family) Stuart Baker, bassist Nathan Ribner, and drummer Darryl Schomberg, are all partners in this whimsical flurry of danceable mayhem. Originally from Asheville, NC, the band now makes Austin its home. They’re an absolute delight, laying out a perfect pairing of what they refer to as indie baroque pop and folk rock, a complimentary mix of sweet and idiosyncratic melodies and harmonies.

You can check out The Baker Family at their show Saturday night at Cheer Up Charlies, 1104 E. 6th St. Looks like another winning triple bill, with The Dalles and The Sweet Nuthin’. Get there after 9 p.m. Recommended. - KUT

I saw The Baker Family live at the Co-op. I was sitting at the back with my friends and one of my friend’s father. He had a bad knee so the rest of us were being polite and sitting with him. The other twenty people in the room however were standing to the sidelines, smoking, and acting like they couldn’t be more bored with life the way only the most snobbish of hipsters can. This kind of clientele sadly runs rampant throughout Austin as the influx of yuppie scum increases daily.

And then The Baker Family played. The first three songs were so amazing that I thought to myself “By Jove they deserve a stand!” and my friend and I went up to the front of the stage leaving our wounded patriarch behind. Fifteen or so others thought to do the same. The Baker Family seemed very happy with this turn of events and laid into their next song. It was excellent and just as incendiary as the last three. I applauded loudly and when I turned I was shocked to find the entire room had filled up behind me with up to fifty people. The Baker Family played the rest of their kickass set to a full house. Not even hipsters could resist the danceable, aggressive, intelligently complex yet accessible sounds of The Baker Family.

The Austin based folk/electronic/rock band is hard to pin down stylistically. They have very clear influences from Liars and Radiohead, both of which are immensely multi-faceted when it comes to their ‘style’ or ‘sound’. And while many bands would be more than satisfied with following the path laid out by such complex bands, The Baker Family never seems to be satisfied with just one approach to their songs.

The strongest track on their EP When The Internet Is Down is hands down Matriarch. The tune is danceable while simultaneously being fantastically complex. The rhythm (very Sonic Youth in style at times) has a steady disco bass drum hit while the rest of the rhythm (half of which is played on a metal keg) plays with the upbeat. I want to marry their bassist. The synth tone is similarly godly; for some reason it makes me feel like I’m in a spy film and I’m driving at very high speeds. The lyrics are given in a biting and desperate tone (the line “her hands came upon me” has an almost tongue and cheek ring).

And for a moment you think you know what The Baker Family is about. But then they pull the damn carpet out from under you with the next track Paper Moon. In its darkest moments the song is melancholic and expresses uncertainty, but this is as dark as the song goes. Acoustic guitars, cute synth touches, and banjo all give the tune an uplifting feel. The last song Channelled Control takes a lot of influence from Joy Division and early New Order and succeeds in giving the EP a hopeful and cathartic ending (the song Ceremony comes to mind). The EP is solid and even in its weaker moments entices the listener forward. When the last song played I waited patiently for the next one but it didn’t come. I want more and so will you.

I’ve heard the group has another EP coming out soon. This is one of the best acts around in Austin. It would be unfortunate not to pay attention. - Spacelab

I saw The Baker Family live at the Co-op. I was sitting at the back with my friends and one of my friend’s father. He had a bad knee so the rest of us were being polite and sitting with him. The other twenty people in the room however were standing to the sidelines, smoking, and acting like they couldn’t be more bored with life the way only the most snobbish of hipsters can. This kind of clientele sadly runs rampant throughout Austin as the influx of yuppie scum increases daily.

And then The Baker Family played. The first three songs were so amazing that I thought to myself “By Jove they deserve a stand!” and my friend and I went up to the front of the stage leaving our wounded patriarch behind. Fifteen or so others thought to do the same. The Baker Family seemed very happy with this turn of events and laid into their next song. It was excellent and just as incendiary as the last three. I applauded loudly and when I turned I was shocked to find the entire room had filled up behind me with up to fifty people. The Baker Family played the rest of their kickass set to a full house. Not even hipsters could resist the danceable, aggressive, intelligently complex yet accessible sounds of The Baker Family.

The Austin based folk/electronic/rock band is hard to pin down stylistically. They have very clear influences from Liars and Radiohead, both of which are immensely multi-faceted when it comes to their ‘style’ or ‘sound’. And while many bands would be more than satisfied with following the path laid out by such complex bands, The Baker Family never seems to be satisfied with just one approach to their songs.

The strongest track on their EP When The Internet Is Down is hands down Matriarch. The tune is danceable while simultaneously being fantastically complex. The rhythm (very Sonic Youth in style at times) has a steady disco bass drum hit while the rest of the rhythm (half of which is played on a metal keg) plays with the upbeat. I want to marry their bassist. The synth tone is similarly godly; for some reason it makes me feel like I’m in a spy film and I’m driving at very high speeds. The lyrics are given in a biting and desperate tone (the line “her hands came upon me” has an almost tongue and cheek ring).

And for a moment you think you know what The Baker Family is about. But then they pull the damn carpet out from under you with the next track Paper Moon. In its darkest moments the song is melancholic and expresses uncertainty, but this is as dark as the song goes. Acoustic guitars, cute synth touches, and banjo all give the tune an uplifting feel. The last song Channelled Control takes a lot of influence from Joy Division and early New Order and succeeds in giving the EP a hopeful and cathartic ending (the song Ceremony comes to mind). The EP is solid and even in its weaker moments entices the listener forward. When the last song played I waited patiently for the next one but it didn’t come. I want more and so will you.

I’ve heard the group has another EP coming out soon. This is one of the best acts around in Austin. It would be unfortunate not to pay attention. - Spacelab

As if in an attempt to mirror the eclectic and ever changing Austin music scene, The Baker Family is hard to pin down in any single genre. At the offset you’d think they’re a Liars influenced dance punk band, but on their recordings the band jumps genre from track to track. Haunting folk music with intelligent electronic touches gives way to visceral bass and keg drum beating tracks. They’re hard to put in a category, which is one of the many reasons The Baker Family is one of the greatest additions to Austin. The band is wonderfully misleading even in their lyrics. A song which at one moment might be heartwarming will turn horrifying at the drop of a hat.

We haven’t even begun to touch on their live performances which are, frankly, incandescent. Their dance punk style is executed perfectly. Each member is a pure joy to watch perform. Too often indie bands don’t convey any sense of energy or, when they try to convey it, they do so by jumping around. But by this very action they seem to force the energy and come across as insincere. The Baker Family may be the epitome of the untrustworthy narrator, but you will get nothing but an honest and enthralling experience from seeing them live. - Taylor Browne - The Deli Magazine

As if in an attempt to mirror the eclectic and ever changing Austin music scene, The Baker Family is hard to pin down in any single genre. At the offset you’d think they’re a Liars influenced dance punk band, but on their recordings the band jumps genre from track to track. Haunting folk music with intelligent electronic touches gives way to visceral bass and keg drum beating tracks. They’re hard to put in a category, which is one of the many reasons The Baker Family is one of the greatest additions to Austin. The band is wonderfully misleading even in their lyrics. A song which at one moment might be heartwarming will turn horrifying at the drop of a hat.

We haven’t even begun to touch on their live performances which are, frankly, incandescent. Their dance punk style is executed perfectly. Each member is a pure joy to watch perform. Too often indie bands don’t convey any sense of energy or, when they try to convey it, they do so by jumping around. But by this very action they seem to force the energy and come across as insincere. The Baker Family may be the epitome of the untrustworthy narrator, but you will get nothing but an honest and enthralling experience from seeing them live. - Taylor Browne - The Deli Magazine

Artist of the month for December, 2011.

http://austin.thedelimagazine.com/ - The Deli Magazine

Artist of the month for December, 2011.

http://austin.thedelimagazine.com/ - The Deli Magazine

by Natasha Shealy in Vol. 15 / Iss. 19 on 12/03/2008

Not many bands can pull off New Wave without piling on irony and pomp reminiscent of art-school majors. On its latest CD (Bakers Can’t Be Choosers: as earnest as it is effervescent), The Baker Family Band filters New Wave through the lens of 20 years of post-punk rock ‘n’ roll, surfacing clean and fortified by soul-searching lyrics about politics, the familial landscape and even faith.


This take on faith in rock music is rising in popularity among artists like Jeremy Enigk, Danielson, Sufjan Stevens and Wovenhand. But, while Bakers’ front man Stuart Baker (who holds all the brooding intensity of a young Peter Murphy) admits his faith plays a part in his lyric writing, his is not a Christian band.

What The Baker Family Band is, exactly, is nearly as nebulous as the stuff of world religions. The Bakers’ biggest challenge is to clearly define their emerging style while keeping true to what makes them so promising.

Choosers makes moves in that direction. It’s a departure from the band’s previous album, Transaction—a nice collection of Americana Shoegaze, yet a sound that could easily be lost in the regional trend. The majority of Choosers‘ tracks, on the other hand, capture an edgier, harder pop vibe that embraces the heavy percussiveness and keyboard art-rock sounds of TV on the Radio and Radiohead. Meanwhile, the contrast between Stuart’s ruminative lyrics and the sweet voice of keyboardist (and wife) Elizabeth Baker result in a sonic experience on par with Jeremy Enigk (post Sunny Day Real Estate) and Sufjan Stevens.

At the Bakers’ Grey Eagle CD release party, I found myself singing along with a funny smile on my face, while peering around the crowd. A few people bounced about with tambourines and maracas while the Bakers sang about “building a ring around your heart.” I didn’t rush the stage to grab a tambourine, but I did dig the handclap songs custom-made to bring the audience into the “family.” The Bakers have a few good hit makers on their new disc: I’d add the title track to a cardio mix in a heartbeat. But the true dark horse hits are “Paper Moon,” “On the Contrary” and “Channeled Control.”

During the live version of “Channeled Control,” Stuart sings, “Praise the new moon, in the committee room, you’ve got to sing a new word, don’t just repeat what you’ve heard,” then sprints off into the crowd, running laps around the audience only to return to his mike stand and continue where he left off. “Remote control over millions of people, Lord grant me channeled control, channeled control,” he pleads as he wraps himself up into the microphone cord, and writhes to the floor without missing a syncopated beat.

I may not get out much, but I do get this.

The Baker Family Band performs at POPAsheville, slated for Jan. 16-18.

- Mountain Xpress

The Baker Family finds kinsmanship with each other, fans

By Amanda Greever
of The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: May 14. 2009 1:25PM
Last modified: May 14. 2009 1:25PM

Mr. and Mrs. Baker are only 22 and 21 years old, respectively, but they already have at least two full-grown "sons" and are looking to expand their family even more.

Welcome to the world of The Baker Family, of Asheville, N.C. Stuart (Mr. Baker) and Elizabeth (Mrs. Baker) are at the heart of the group. Stuart Baker fronts the group on lead vocals, guitar, drum machine, sequencer while Elizabeth is the perfect partner on lead/backup vocals and keys. Add in the children: David Barrett, 22, on drums and percussion and Nathan Ribner, 21, on bass. The "family" will be bringing their indie rock sound to Preservation Pub Monday night as they look to expand their fan base beyond Asheville.

Before you start picturing The Brady Bunch, hold up. The group may be close but their sound isn't quite bell bottoms and sunshine days. In fact, their latest release, "Old Civilizations Put to the Sword," features some banjo-themed tunes as well as some with a touch of rock thrown in. When The Daily Times caught up with Stuart Baker and Barrett via phone, they were popping in Goodwill stores in the Asheville area looking for suitcases to take on tour. They might be a family but they're still 20-somethings getting ready for their first big road trip.

"When it was just me and Liz, we called ourselves The Bakers," Baker said. "And then once other people began joining the band, we came up with the idea of kind of adopting everyone into the family. David refers to himself as David Baker a lot. The same with Nathan and some of our other friends."

Stuart and Elizabeth married and lived in Texas before moving to Asheville in order for Stuart to study music technology at The University of North Carolina-Asheville. Add in some comings and goings from various family members and The Baker Family is currently a four-piece set (with a friend sitting in occasionally) that is ready to embark on its first tour.

"Part of it is that we feel like we've done about as much as we can here in Asheville," Barrett said. "And we want to further our music. It's also just kind of been a dream of ours for a long time. It's just really exciting to tour."

They'll be flying this tour solo but Barrett said the group won't have a problem filling out the sets. The night will start off with a more mellow tone in the first set -- "Some banjo-driven stuff, some folky, kinda country sounding songs" -- but the second set won't be quite so soft. He said the band will go for "a more rock 'n' roll kind of sound for the second set. A lot of the rockin' songs on our new album as well as some that didn't make it on there. We have probably two hours or more worth of original material that we can pull from."

So they're a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. And they mean business when they say that wants fans to become part of the family, even going so far as to make their shows interactive.

"It should be a great show," Baker said. "We spent a lot of time working stuff to do with our live show so it's always kind of fun and interactive with the crowd."

Depending on the size of the venue The Baker Family is playing, they've been known to put tambourines and drums in front of the stage in order to let the crowd join in the "family" fun.

From catchy indie-pop tunes like "Bakers Can't Be Choosers" to the slower, more country-tinged "Loneliness," they have a little bit of something for everyone.

The group's first tour effort has them traveling with their Goodwill suitcases for five to six weeks, with plans to move to Austin, Texas, at its conclusion in hopes of making it big as a band. Baker said there's more musical opportunity, not to mention the young people and fellow musicians that can be brought into the fold.

"I guess the concept behind the band is that we're all a creative family and want to invite as many people as possible into the family," he said. - Tennessee Daily Times

"It's like we're playing a Ouija board"
by Alli Marshall in Vol. 16 / Iss. 48 on 06/23/2010

"We were originally planning to move to New York, but after spending some time there, we realized we'd be like a needle in a stack of needles," says Stuart Baker. So he moved his group — The Baker Family Band — to Austin, Texas.
In the moment: Stuart Baker makes records to represent "our current sound at that time," taking risks, trying new directions and watching what it spells out. Photo by Lydia See

Austin, especially in relation to New York, is inexpensive. Baker says the group works day jobs in restaurants and has plenty of time for music. Of his new home Baker (who is sometimes known as Mr. Baker; his spouse and the band's keyboardist, Liz, is Mrs. Baker) says, "The response has been really good. People come up after shows and tell us they haven't heard anything like us in Austin." And that's saying something for the home of South by Southwest and any number of critically-acclaimed Americana and indie-rock acts.

But the Baker Family Band, which formed in 2005, called Asheville home until last summer. Following a tour in support of 2009's Old Civilizations Put to the Sword, they relocated, but reviewers, journalists and music fans continue to lump the Americana/pop/experimental quintet in with North Carolina bands.

"Hell yeah!" says guitarist Ben Dehart, a recent addition to the lineup (most recently, drummer Darryl Shomberg II was added, and the group's current tour is Shomberg's first time out of the Lone Star state). "I'm a North Carolina man. I'm going to move back there eventually," says Dehart, who grew up near Baker in Kernersville.

"I'm still feeling like I'm from North Carolina because I've only been in Austin for a year," adds Baker. But his music (which jumps genres from album to album, embracing new themes, textures and approaches) suggests that Baker's inspiration does not depend on place. When he first moved, he says, he "got a burst of song writing for a few months."

The Bakers will debut some new work at their Grey Eagle appearance this week. (Their circuit takes them, according to kickstart.com, "up to the Great Lakes, over to the Big Apple, and down to the Louisiana Bayou." But, says Dehart, "Our biggest fan base is in North Carolina. [Asheville] was a no-brainer.") As for what to expect at the Grey Eagle show: "We're going to play new songs [and] the old songs will have a different feel," says the guitarist.

Of the new songs, Dehart says, "They're more tribal, almost. They're more fun for me to play." The current format of the band includes additional percussion, with band members jamming and dancing on stage. "Most of the songs are through-composed and they don't really repeat choruses. They just keep going," says Baker. "A less controlled sound, more of an explosion."

Baker has always been a cathartic performer, somehow managing to strum a guitar while leaping into the audience. He's also always been a quick-change artist, equally adept at the synth-pop of "Bakers Can't Be Choosers" from 2007's Transaction, the folky, banjo-led track "Loneliness" and the heavy, layered indie-rock of "Seven" (both of those from Old Civilizations).

"The main goal in Old Civilizations was to have an album that represented our current sound at that time. It was an important step for us, artistically, in finding our sound or direction," says Baker.

"It's almost more a documentation than a presentation," adds Dehart. "Get a sound and then we can step back and move on from it. I've never made an album that I felt like was finished."

Another change for the band is a move toward collective song writing. "In the past it's been I write all the songs," says Baker. "Now Nathan the bass player will come up with a banjo line ... everyone will suggest parts. I trust them, so it's easy to let go of the steering wheel. It's like we're playing a Ouija board: We're all just watching what it spells out."

Taking risks and trying out new directions works for the Bakers. "We've gotten good responses so far," says Dehart. "We've loved this tour and have been blown away by the turnouts." (Baker admits that the sizable crowds might be showing up for the local acts at each stop — he's excited about playing with Pennsylvania-based Ends of the Earth at the Asheville show and describes them as "a really cool band" — but also says "we've definitely converted some fans ... whether they know it or not, they're there to see us.")

What else works for the Bakers is the husband-wife element which, in touring bands, is either a boon or a disaster. Mr. and Mrs. Baker were actually a duo before extending their family, and the sweetness of the Baker spouses' harmonies says much about their amicable relationship. "She's easy to work with," says Baker. "It's just kind of natural, what we do together. It makes it more enjoyable for me — the two things I love most are music and her."
- Mountain Xpress