Casual Victim Pile
There's something pretty amazing about regional comps. It's hard to find a really good one. Not that they don't exist, they're just hard to find, especially if you're not from that region. When you do find a great one it's just one of those treats - like a free drink from a bartender or, you know, a lost puppy that you get to keep, or something like that. Matador's Casual Victim Pile is one of the best.
Comprised of about 99% Austin, Texas bands (a few are from Denton), CVP makes me really really angry that I don't live in Austin and I can't go see one of these bands every weekend. To say that this is eclectic mix would be a stretch. Not that every song sounds the same, but there is definitely a consistent thread throughout each song. There's garage, punk, psych, just about everything that you could coherently place ahead or behind of the word "rock." I can only assume it's an accurate microcosm of the Austin scene. The best part is that I had only heard of one of these bands (Harlem) before I heard this compilation and now I've got 18 new bands to learn about.
