The Octopus Project have their tentacles in a twist.

I remember first hearing about The Octopus Project before I actually heard them.

For a while, there was a real debate about the band’s origins: Houston or Austin? Austin or Houston? In the end, Austin, like always, wins. On a technicality, though. (They operated in Houston under the name Invisible Robot Fish; The Octopus Project, a decidedly much cooler name, came to fruition as a side project when they moved to Austin for scholarly pursuits.)

Regardless, the band is rapidly becoming a stable within the experimental indie scene. Under the watchful eye of Peek-A-Boo Records, The Octopus Project releases their third full album this month. Recorded and co-produced by the same parties behind Blonde Redhead and The Gossip, “Hello, Avalanche” is the perfect combination between traditional rock and roll, orchestral and electronic. Add some theremin to the mix and you have a thoroughly enjoyable album.

How enjoyable, though? Pretty damn enjoyable. In fact, I think this is probably their most accessible album to date. They retain their ingenuity with their trademark nontradional instrumentation, but have a softer vibe. This isn’t to say there isn’t a bite to “Hello, Avalanche.” Still, I supposed The Octopus Project is one of those bands that are great on recordings, but mind-blowing on stage. In fact, if you happen to be in Houston on Thursday, the band is playing with local favorites Bring Back the Guns at Number’s nightclub.

Featured Song: “I Saw The Bright Shinies” by The Octopus Project


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Featured Song: “An Evening With Rthrtha” by The Octopus Project


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Shows:
Oct. 4 - Houston @ Number’s
Oct. 5 - Baton Rouge @ TBA
Oct. 6 - New Orleans @ TBA
Oct. 7 - Tallahasssee @ TBA
Oct. 8 - Orlando @ Back Booth
Oct. 9 - West Palm Beach @ City Limits
Oct. 10 - Jacksonville @ Jack Rabbit’s
Oct. 11 - Atlanta @ Drunken Unicorn
Oct. 12 - Knoxville @ Pilot Light
Oct. 13 - Charlotte @ Milestone
Oct. 14 - Durham @ Duke University
Oct. 15 - Baltimore @ Ottobar
Oct. 16 - Washington DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
Oct. 13 - Philadelphia @ John Brenda’s
Oct. 14 - New York City @ High Line Ballroom (with Enon)
Oct. 15 - Boston @ Great Scott (with Enon)
Oct. 16 - Montreal @ La Sala Rossa (with Enon)

Posted on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 5:51 pm in Music, Music Monday. Follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.