Genuine Leather

The best kinds of pop songs are over before you want them to be, leaving you desperately wanting more. This is the kind of approach that Austin’s Genuine Leather takes on its second release, Losers. While their self-titled debut felt tentative and the 2012 EP Crude Magic more than lived up to its name with a scruffy, lo-fi charm, Losers feels fully-realized, delivering hook after hook in concise blasts.

One of these blasts is the leadoff track “The Viper.” Over a tightly coiled beat, the song cycles through some high-octane power-pop riffs, nodding towards Spoon, Guided By Voices, and Cheap Trick. The only bad part? It’s all over in just 120 seconds.

Catch Genuine Leather at Cheer Up Charlie’s on Sunday, July 13. - Art Levy - 90.5 KUT

While I was researching Genuine Leather for this review, I came across a blurb that said “It has never been production that makes a song great.” I thought that was a curious thing to say about a band like Genuine Leather, who have a mastery of the studio that few bands these days can match, particularly in a scene like Austin where lo-fi aesthetics are held up as some kind of badge of authenticity. It’s not that Genuine Leather are exactly Steely Dan (though there is a bit of The Dan in their structures and lyrical fixation), but if you’re going to make a point about the studio being unnecessary to great music, there’s a whole slew of great lo-fi punk bands in this town to single out rather than a group that has clearly paid attention to what took Spoon from a local band with a grudge against an A&R Rep to the band every indie act from 2003 to 2009 told producers they wanted to sound like.

It’s even more curious because Losers, Genuine Leather’s new album, is a love letter to the magic of the studio, specifically the innovative techniques of the ’70s album rock boom. I mean, the penultimate track is “Don’t Be Alarmed,” a six minute epic that wears its ELO crush on its sleeve. Even the lo-fi acoustic number that ends the album, the cleverly named “Chelsea, You Kill Me,” stands out because it makes a statement with its production: if the album had been a whole batch of dirgy, lo-fi acoustic numbers rather than lushly produced power pop, would “Chelsea” be so memorable? Almost certainly not. Point being, Genuine Leather don’t just know what they’re doing in the studio, they understand it’s as important a tool as anything else a band uses, regardless of whether it’s being used to make everything beautiful or to draw out the ugliness.

But don’t let that tangent convince you Genuine Leather aren’t capable of writing expert pop. The album opens with “The Viper,” a raucous bit of power pop with a wonderful harmony hook where the boys pull out their falsettos and declare “I love you” over and over. The chief vocal has a hefty dose of crunch to it, but like John Lennon on “Twist and Shout,” you get the sense there’s some real bloody larynx shredding going on there. The band swiftly shows off its softer side with “Head Wound,” which is imbued with dreamy harmonies and heavy reverb all making the hallucinatory promise of the title literal. The track that prompted studio diatribe, “The Enemy,” sits somewhere between Eels and Fountains of Wayne, with trippy effects on the percussion, a light funk to the rhythm and a bassline I swear is identical at one point to the hook of Goosebumps tv theme.

The stuttering rhythm of “The Enemy” makes a slight return on “Say the Same Thing Twice,” but there it’s in service of what would otherwise be a driving anthem. It’s one of the few moments on Losers where I think the band made the wrong studio decision, as the main vocal is run through the same megaphone filter as “The Viper,” but here it clashes with the sonics of the track. “The Viper” has a lot of audio white space to give that kind of heavy filter room to expand, but “Say the Same Thing Twice” is cluttered with other instruments in the same frequency and the vocals could stand to be cleaner, to function as a beauty to the rest of the production’s beast. The following track “The Garden” initially grates vocally, too, but it builds to a noisy, blown out climax that ties it together and helps enforce that decision.

Even with those minor, slightly questionable aesthetic choices, Losers is a truly accomplished album by an Austin group that isn’t afraid to embrace the studio, and Genuine Leather’s peers could stand to pay attention to how the band is utilizing the studio without being devoured by it. It’s refreshing to hear a band so confident behind the boards, and they’re worth keeping an eye on. - Nick Hanover - Ovrld.com

Having spent a lot of time over the last year or so with Genuine Leather, I’ve found that the band is one of the more diverse acts playing around in Austin. They always carry about a certain pop sensibility that endears them to audiences, but they can spin it in an indie vein or toss it about with a little twang; they seem to employ both on their latest single, “Say the Same Thing Twice.” It’s the latest in what is sure to be an excellent album, titled Losers, which the band are releasing on July 1st. They’ve got a couple of great shows lined-up to celebrate too! They play at the Blackheart on July 5th and Cheer Up Charlies on July 13th. Their great music is second only to their dominating live show, so be sure to catch them at least once, if not twice. For now, enjoy their new single, on us. - Austin Town Hall

Austin’s Genuine Leather is set to release their second LP, Losers, this week, and for the next few days, Pop Press International is the exclusive place to hear the album. The record is perfect for lazy summers, full of 60s pop sensibilities slathered in gritty garage production tendencies. It’s a little bit country, a little bit electronic, and a whole lot of pop. There are flashes of Beck’s early material, I’m taking Golden Feelings and One Foot in the Grave. However, the group’s points of reference are much more expansive, incorporating driving, Strokes-like distorted riffs, classic guitar tones that invoke Big Star, and sprawling, atmospheric jams a la Kurt Vile.

Bouncing classic rock guitars open the album on, “The Viper;” it’s not quite the Who, and it’s not quite the Cars. It feels familiar, but hard to place. Even though Genuine Leather is wrapping a few decades of upbeat rock into a simple guitar progression, the song could be called straightforward–infectious and fun, yet simple. Then, a minute and a half in, rather than falling into another verse, the band drops a completely unexpected and beautifully subtle guitar solo. It takes the song from good to great in a few notes. This is the kind of attention to detail you can expect from Genuine Leather. We’re expecting big things upon the release of this excellent album. We’re proud to bring you the streaming audio below. - Pop Press International

This week on the Austin Music Experience, country funk—you heard that right. It’s something of a made-up genre that ran parallel to a lot of pop music in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it’s the subject of a new compilation that features Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, and Townes Van Zandt like you’ve never heard them before. Zach Cowie, the man behind Country Funk, talks with us about how he found these gems and the odd link between hip-hop and country. Also, the late Stephen Bruton, sideman to Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, and Delbert McClinton, gets his close-up in an emotional new concert film, The Road To Austin. Plus, into Studio 1A with the critically acclaimed José James, who offers up a stunning cover of Al Green. Produced 07.11.14 - 90.5 KUT

It’s no secret that some of the folks at SOTO (myself included) are big fans of Genuine Leather. They make guitar centered pop music that is endlessly appealing and enjoyable. Their songs are perfect for singing along and getting stuck in your head. Their second album, Losers, is out tomorrow (and available now as a full stream here). Their live shows are rollicking and infectious; the members are also easy to spot (these gentlemen are dressed in white from head to toe including their white Converse high tops). You can catch them this Saturday at The Blackheart. - Side One Track One

For a while now I’ve been saying that few things are as breezy or easily enjoyable as a Genuine Leather song, and now there’s a video to prove it! Directed by Marc Brown and shot out near Marfa, Texas, the video for She And I is probably the most pleasant thing that’s ever premiered here at SOTO. Thanks to the band for sharing it here first! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to staring at the video’s pretty scenery and wishing I wasn’t in an office.

By the way, don’t be afraid to get out and see Genuine Leather tomorrow night at Sahara Lounge! They’re one of my favorite Austin acts, so I promise the show will be worth your time. - Side One Track One

:Genuine Leather – Head Wound: Chris Galis (from the Gorgeous Hands) heads up this breezy pop act. Viper (Found A Good Place For My Love) is the other single that the band put out this year, and it’s also worth your time. Find Genuine Leather on FB here, and buy their music here. - Side One Track One

I sort of feel like there’s not been a lot of music coming out from Austin, so I was more than excited when I got this brand new tune from Genuine Leather. The new single has this calming pop attitude, but there’s clearly more going on in the track than one would first hear. It took me a couple of times to really take to heart the rolling drum beat and the incredible harmonies, though I was hooked on the song from the get-go. They’re finishing up their final touches on a forthcoming LP, but if you’re digging what you hear, they’ll be playing at the Mohawk this evening after the Unknown Mortal Orchestra show. I’m so impressed with this tune, that I encourage you to all get on board as we support another great local act. - Austin Town Hall

Genuine Leather's "Head Wound" is a lazy, hazy pop gem with lush 60s harmonies and garage pop guitars burning slowly over damp, rolling drums. It's one of the few pop songs from this year that made an instant impact with me. It's a simple yet effective tune with a subtle summery psych-pop feel that emits a vibe similar to Dr. Dog's more recent work. Just try not to love it. - Ground Floor Go

Austin's Genuine Leather just sent over a nice summer jam. They're currently in the studio recording a new LP to follow 2011's self-released "Genuine Leather LP" and "Crude Magic." Both are available to stream on their bandcamp page. "The Viper" is the first official preview of their upcoming work, which sounds like immediate, med-fi, skewed rock tunes to wash away to. - Covert Curiosity