12/7 Monday Night Show Pick: Quiet Company at The Parish

Monday night at The Parish, one of Austin's best sounding venues, will be one of the most interesting shows of the winter season to say the least. Headlining will be Austin's piano-indie rockers, Quiet Company. They are one of the better local talents not signed to a major label. They have really come up and worked their asses off to build their name this year. I reviewed their album, Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon, earlier in the year and enjoyed it despite it not falling in my usual realm of taste. Often compared to the likes of Ben Folds Five, Quiet Company has the potential to be nationally well known. Their music is hip enough for you to like but approachable enough for the JB and Sandy audiences of Mix 94.7. What will determine whether or not they are the real deal or not is their next record. That will say not only to me, but to the world, whether they are capable of sustaining in the long haul. I saw them live recently at Beerland and enjoyed their set. Based on that and their album, my guess is that they will only evolve and get better. Check them out now before their cover charge goes up.

Playing with Quiet Company are two touring acts, both in the realms of a teen market. In fact, I'd be so inclined to label both groups "Disney Rock". I couldn't listen to either Frank and Derol or Windsor Drive very long, but each do have their own interesting stories. I'll break down each group briefly for you.

First, Windsor Drive is a Houston based band that originally from Wisconsin. They are touring to support their latest EP, Bridges. They have pretty much lived on the road since they started as a band, building their name that way. Their sound is very poppy, but mature considering these dudes are young. If music got movie ratings, they'd be PG....maybe even G. There's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone has to be too cool for school or so angsty. Middle America needs something to listen to, along with young teens and tweens. Their music is so ABC Family and Disney movie ready. If I had kids, I'd let them listen to Windsor Drive. Look at these guys; they even look nice and safe.

Speaking of Disney and ABC Family, that brings me to Frank and Derol. These three beautiful young ladies have an entertainment background of sorts. Right off the bat when you read the band's bios, you'll see the last name "Cyrus". The older half-sister to Mylie Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus, plays guitar and sings in Frank and Derol.

Frank and Derol

The other entertainment link is actress, Megan Park. I was already familiar with Park, as she co-stars on the ABC Family series Secret Life of the American Teenager. Before you go judging me for watching it, know it was the Molly Ringwald factor that drew me in. That may date me a little, but so be it. Ringwald plays the mother on the show, but I even that couldn't keep me watching it. It was too sex obsessed and cheesy. Megan Park plays the role of Grace Bowman, a young Christian girl who wants to wait until marriage and have sex then screws her football player boyfriend. Afterwards, her dad dies and she blames herself, yada yada yada. That's when I stopped watching. Anyway, Park sings and plays synthesizers in Frank and Derol.

I feel bad for the third wheel, I mean member, of Frank and Derol. Codi Caraco, who sings and plays piano, is probably always the last member mentioned if at all. That's too bad, because apparently she has talent. Her bios say she went to Berklee School of Music on scholarship for a year before moving back to LA to form Frank and Derol with her friend, Megan Park.

Quiet Company

Frank and Derol sound like indie-Disney, if there were such a genre. Their bios hit it on the nose when describing their sound as "Wilson Phillips meets Postal Service". I wouldn't mix the two, but they did. There you have Frank and Derol. Again, I imagine there will be a lot of young fans in attendance with their parents. I want to tell parents to make the trip to The Parish worth your while and stay for Quiet Company. Kids, stay for Quiet Company and listen to what an adult band sounds like. You'll thank me later. If you're not yet familiar with Quiet Company, check out their latest video for their single "On Modern Men".


Quiet Company - "On Modern Men" - Music Video from Digital Shakedown on Vimeo.

Just a reminder, doors open at 7 PM and it is open to all ages. The Parish is located on 214 East Sixth Street, Austin, Texas 78701. For more info, visit The Parish's website here:

The Parish Austin