Originally rising from the ashes of established local bands, and with a hefty buzz and press already generated before their first show, The Pretty Black Chains made their live debut in February 2009. The band quickly rose to the top of the heap locally, as word quickly spread of their infectious pop sensibilities combined with extremely energetic and sometimes even hazardous live shows. Combining a nostalgic vintage garage rock sound with classic rock undertones, punk rock energy, and topping it off with a heavy dose of pop, The foundational period of the band was marked by a mixture of bands such as The Strokes, Mondo Diao, Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, and a bit of early Beatles and The Who. The band spent their first year and a half with this type of sound, steadily building a fan base, setting ablaze to many venues in the state, playing many headlining shows locally and regionally, and also made appearances at several large festivals such as SXSW, Norman Music Festival, and DFest, and secured opening appearances for bands such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Band of Skulls, all while slowly integrating more classic rock elements along the way. After wrapping up the recording of their debut album "Ceremonies" in November of 2009, the band took a long songwriting break, re-evaluated, and began writing songs again in the early summer of 2010. This songwriting period saw a drastic change in style, swapping The Stooges for Led Zeppelin per se', with a heavy emphasis on massive guitar riffs, a nod to the 60's and 70's sound, and even a little bit of 90's grunge, while still retaining the pop-oriented elements and energy the band is known for. Due to less than ideal circumstances, TPBC's debut album was not able to be released until the Fall of 2010. During the summer of 2010 while waiting for the release of "Ceremonies", the band recorded a new 5 song demo that better represented where they are currently at musically, and later included it freely with the purchase of "Ceremonies." TPBC recently completed the recording of their next album "Awakening" in December of 2010 in Oklahoma City, and will release it in the late Spring of 2011. Armed with a newer and more unique sound that better represents their influences, the new upcoming full length album, many larger shows now under their belt, (including sharing the stage with such bands as Smashing Pumpkins, and even...311?), and a slate of forthcoming festival appearances, The Pretty Black Chains have nowhere to go but up. While the band makes no promises on ever settling on a specific sound or genre, one thing will never change: their energy and innovation.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS13071
