photos by Rachel Carr

Chain & The Gang / Strange Boys

The headliners were young but prolific and seriously hot Strange Boys, who play a real stripped down and bluesy style. You'd think the band's sound would be heavier with its expanded lineup featuring Jenna from Mika Miko and Tim Presley from Darker My Love, but it's practically transparent on their amazing new album, Be Brave. Of course, it's much louder live, but the effect is still as fragile as can be, teetering on every syllable that creaks out of singer/guitar player Ryan Sambol's throat.

Sambol doesn't give up any of the provocative song introductions or spectra-sonic soul dance moves of Ian, but he proved to be similarly communicative and effective through his almost uncomfortably unguarded vocals. Worth checking out and worthy of the lines that stretched outside The Echo on a crisp Friday night...[Martin Wong]

Strange Boys and Chain & The Gang played at L.A.'s The Echo on Friday, February 26th as part of their continuing tour together. Strange Boys headlined at the Echo, while Chain & The Gang topped the bill the previous night. SBs singer Ryan Sambol made a guest appearance on guitar (wearing a little convict cap) for Chain's final song.

Strange Boys will be representing their hometown of Austin at SXSW this year (info below). They play Radio City Music Hall on March 26th with Spoon and Deerhunter. This April, they'll be in Europe, which is where Chain and the Gang will be spending their time through May.

More pictures and all tour dates are below...

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