Fresh Meat: Dollhouse, Killer Tits, Vice In The Doorway, The Jeans and Lid

By Lillian Jones 

Local Music Director 

On Sunday, May 21st, Bluekeys Magazine presented their “Fresh Meat” event at Mohawk in Austin, giving a platform to newly developed bands. The lineup was a whiplash of genres ranging from shoegaze to hardcore punk/screamo from young and passionate artists. Friends, family and Austin locals sold out the event to support the up-and-coming bands.

Dollhouse

Luckily for me, I was able to score a super exclusive interview with the members of Dollhouse to get all of the important information about the band as well as the unimportant information such as if each member had to eat a pound of bugs, what bug they would choose. Crickets was almost a unanimous answer with the exception of Brooke who said, “Ladybugs because they are like mini M&Ms”.

Dollhouse is a very recently formed Shoegaze/Dream-pop band that unfortunately plans to only last the summer. While the group will be short-lived due to Brooke going to NYU, Nathan going to Texas A&M, and Jack and Keaton staying in Austin, Jack informed me that they do plan to play more shows in the near future as well as releasing music on Spotify after a name change – possibly Frog Stew, but yet to be decided. If you’re a fan of Cocteau Twins, Black Country New Road, Mazzy Star and Slowdive, then seeing them perform should be added to your summer bucket list!

Killer Tits

Killer Tits includes four 15-year-old girls having fun and spreading the message of Riot Grrrl. The group went from playing shows in the Austin tunnels and backyards to being on stage at Mohawk where lead vocalist Reyn’s natural stage presence took the spotlight – literally. While the young girls have time to grow, they are already an impressive group that carries a raw, carefree energy. The set was mixed with covers of “Fell In Love With a Girl” by The White Stripes, “Black Sheep” by Metric and “Blah Blah Blah” by Girlpool as well as an abundance of originals.

Many of their songs include vulgar messages of feminism as the Riot Grrrl genre tends to do. “Smack Yr Mommy” was an original that stuck out to me as the song was about moms not teaching their sons how to treat women with respect. If you’re a fan of bands such as Mommy Long Legs, Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Jack Off Jill, I highly suggest you check out Killer Tits!

Vice In The Doorway

Vice in the Doorway is a post-punk and jangle pop-inspired band that is sure to entertain. The set opened with a four-minute-long video compilation of black and white surreal gothic imagery with classic opera music in the background, ending with the band’s name presented on the screen. On stage, there was just as much dancing coming from frontman Christian as there was in the crowd. Beyond the theatrics, this was only the group’s second show despite it feeling like it was their hundredth. The bassist, Oscar, guitarist, Hayden and drummer, Rob are definitely not overshadowed as you catch glimpses of their individual talents throughout the set. Notably at the end of the set, they mixed an original song with “Barbarism Begins at Home” by the Smiths where Oscar performed the bassline famously performed by Andy Rourke while Christian pretended to be Morrissey. If you’re looking to be transported back in time to 1980s England, then these are the guys to see.

The Jeans

The Jeans is a blues rock band that got to play their very first show on Sunday night. This show was a setlist full of covers, though they plan to expand into their own songs for further shows. All four guys shared the stage with an equal balance to show off their individual talents. A plethora of guitar, bass and drum solos kept the audience entertained throughout the thirty minutes. Notably, it was also bassist Nick’s birthday, so the audience made sure to show off their own musical talents by singing him Happy Birthday. I was thoroughly impressed by the end of their set and am excited to see how they progress as a band, especially when they begin including originals into the mix. If you’re a fan of classic rock and appreciate a bit of southern blues then I highly suggest seeing these cowboy hat-wearing rockers.

Lid

Unfortunately, as it grew closer to midnight, the crowd began to disperse and became noticeably sparse; this, however, did not stop the hardcore screamo band Lid from going all out. With a set lasting only ten minutes long, the band went through their songs back-to-back and with force. During the first song, vocalist Andrew stage-dived into the crowd to get a mosh pit started, getting all of the leftover energy out of the remaining crowd. Vocalist Andrew’s non-stop fry-screaming, Joey’s screeching bass and Seth’s pounding drums made sure that the crowd would be going home with ringing ears. Overall, they gave me a pretty good impression of what a hardcore show is like, and I now want to go to another one as soon as possible.

Bluekeys Magazine events are always a great time and are becoming a staple in connecting the Austin community. Giving a platform to small bands is important in the music community and I would love to see more events just like this one. Overall, the night was filled with a wide variety of music, dancing and supporting local bands!

To keep updated on any upcoming Bluekeys Magazine events follow their Instagram @bluekeysmag

Also, follow the bands!

Dollhouse – @dollhouseatx

Killer Tits – @killer.t1ts

Vice In The Doorway – @viceinthedoorway

The Jeans – @thejeansatx

Lid – @lidisgone