One of the most talented yet underrated Fort Worth bands is back on the scene after a long hiatus. The last we heard from The Hendersons was in 2010, when the vehicle for singer-songwriter Nolan Robertson released Lotosyros. The eight-track “mini album” (Robertson’s term) is a blissful trip through psychedelia, countrified rock, and unadulterated pop, translucent melodies abounding. And by the sound of two new Hendersons songs up now at thehendersons.bandcamp.com, there’s still much more dreamy Hendersons goodness to come. With The Breakfast Machine’s Zach Mayo on drums and percussion, Robertson (vocals, guitar, bass, and piano) recently recorded Indian Summer at Fort Worth’s Bewick Studios and Arlington’s Halifax Studios. Produced, mixed, and engineered by Robertson and co-engineered by Chris Mansfield, the album will be released in association with Euphio Records, a North Texas independent label, on Tuesday, Dec. 18. The two Bandcamp songs will be included. Based on “Hazy Dream” (co-written with The Frisky Disco’s Hayden Miller) and “Skid Row” (featuring guitarwork by Taylor Bell), Robertson has not lost his keen sense of melody or ability to write and sing a juicy hook. Like Lotosyros, both songs owe a lot to The Beatles, which, of course, is never a bad thing. “Hazy Dream” is a fun little ditty, just a sauntering, summertime pattern on acoustic guitar and Robertson’s high, whispery voice, with doo-doop-doo’ing backing vocals. Perfect for a lemonade commercial (and I mean that in the best way possible). “Skid Row” is sweet and soft but also bluesy, with Robertson’s voice and Bell’s guitar going for a little ride together down the scales. There might be folk artists in town. There might be psychedelic rockers in town. There might even be psychedelic folk rockers in town. But there is only one Hendersons. No one’s doing what they are. A final note: Last year, Robertson joined another awesome but underrated band that’s unlike any other outfit in the Fort, the piano-rocking JJ & The Rogues. He said their new record is almost done. “Those guys write impressive songs,” Robertson said, which is super-high praise from one of the best, most underrated songwriters in North Texas.
Another new, under-the-radar 817 band that you’ve got to hear is Missing Sibling. Almost as soon as Fate Lions guitarist Drew Gabbert hooked up with bassist Todd Walker and drummer Johnny Bell, they jumped into the studio last spring with perhaps Fort Worth’s only “name” indie-rock producer, Will Hunt (Burning Hotels, The Hanna Barbarians, Holy Moly). Missing Sibling’s Pick a Family consists of five super-indie, super-crisp, super-melodic tracks and is for sale via iTunes and for free streaming via missingsibling.com and reverbnation.com/missingsibling. The band’s next North Texas show is Friday, Nov. 30, at the soon-to-close La Grange in Dallas (2704 Elm St., 214-741-2008) with The Hope Trust.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
