1/4/10 Monday Free Week Pick: Head Panic at Red 7

Monday night is the first night that will bring me to Red 7, Austin's premiere hardcore venue. With nothing else that really interests me anywhere else Monday night, an old local punk rock favorite of mine headlines. Austin's own punk rock outfit, Head Panic, is a great band for punk rock lovers to check out. I admit I haven't seen them in over a year. The last time was at Room 710, may it rest in peace. I reviewed their album, America, on cdFuse in 2008 before it made the change to Double Stereo. It was one of the better, lesser known punk releases of 2008.

Fronted by the talented Phil Bracey, Head Panic is a punk band with a bi-coastal sound that incorporates dub, hardcore and ska. They sound like a '90s punk band actually, which is a good or bad thing depending on your personal tastes. They don't have huge mohawks or skinny jeans. They probably fall somewhere in between which makes them approachable to all sorts of punk fans. They are both political and fun, while always being a good live band to see. I don't think they have taken off locally they way I thought they would, but then again they do their fare share of touring regionally and nationally. Most of the shows I caught from them were at head Hunter's and Room 710. I hope they move into the bigger Red 7 level gigs that enable them to open for bigger touring acts so more people can get exposed to them. Check out this cool widget that has some of their music on it and give them a listen. If you like what you hear, head to Red 7 Monday night and enjoy Free Week.