They say that from small things, big things can come. And so it is with The Gourds, an Austin, Texas-based foursome who fashion their music from the most basic elements - acoustic guitar, mandolin, accordion, electric bass, drums and percussion, and songs from the heart and mind - yet achieve something of great breadth and impact. Consider the comparisons prompted by Dem's Good Beeble, their debut album. »Sound[s] like the best parts of The Band combined with London Calling-era Clash,« says Q magazine, revealing just some of the diverse strains listeners hear in the group's music, everyone from The Louvin Brothers to The Persuasions to The Butthole Surfers to Gram Parsons, or »The Violent Femmes channeling Sam the Sham unplugged« (Dallas Observer), and even all three of the holy trinity of alternative country: Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt and Wilco. Their varied and evocative sound carries songs with »a sophistication that would (should) make 99 percent of the popsters out there blush,« says The Dallas Observer, while a Gourds stage show might feature such diverse cover song sources as The Carter Family (»Wildwood Flower«), Snoop Doggy Dogg (»Gin and Juice«) and The Sir Douglas Quintet (»Nuevo Laredo«). From such echoes and their obvious love of music, what The Gourds have fashioned is a rara avis: a refreshingly unique sound that is nonetheless reassuringly familiar. It's the secret to their growing success across America and Europe, and essential to the abundant charms of Stadium Blitzer, the band's second Munich Records album, which expands what CMJ/New Music Report calls their »mix of Tex Mex, Cajun, rock, and gospel and barber shop harmonies delivered in an original style« into even further realms. “We're very malleable,» notes guitarist/mandolinist Kevin Russell, who shares singing and songwriting duties with bassist Jimmy Smith. «We use a lot of different styles. But we're a song band first and foremost."

Like Dem's Good Beeble, Stadium Blitzer was recorded for the most part at an old Texas farmhouse near Fredericksburg (you can hear the cicadas chirping on the album), where the group can enjoy the uninterrupted freedom to follow their muses. As on their debut, the simple potency of acoustic instruments and heartfelt harmonies are at the core of the music, but this time everything from horns to harmonica to distorted electric guitars are a part of the saucy mix of sounds offered by The Gourds. At 16 songs strong, Stadium Blitzer reflects the ever-expanding stylistic range of The Gourds. Like Dem's Good Beeble, the disc boasts a number of catchy post-modern hoedowns like »Lament,« »Plaid Coat,« »Cold Bed,« and »Pushed Her Down.« The rolling »Kevin Boils His Strings« and the somber and sparse »Raining in Port Arthur« explore moodier realms with equal appeal, while »Magnolia« and »Dyin' Diamond« thread crackling sparks of musical electricity amidst the band's sparkling acoustic sounds. Horns bring a touch of loose-limbed soul to »LGO« and a hint of ska to »I Ate The Haggis,« and The Gourds also offer everything from the hillbilly samba of »Coppermine« to the whirling reel of »Pine Island Bayou« on this musically expansive collection. As always, their unique lyrics are marked by frequently poetic and impressionistic touches, and rough-hewn harmonies add a rugged patina to the songs. Drawing their musical flavors and stylistic hints from a broad palette, The Gourds continue to fashion an original sound from elements that are both familiar and surprisingly eclectic.

Dubbed »Austin's best band« by the Austin American-Statesman, The Gourds rose out of Russell and Smith's former band, The Picket Line Coyotes, a hard-working, post-punk Southwestern rock'n'roll band who started in Shreveport, LA, and then migrated to Dallas, TX and eventually Austin. Looking to make music with greater song impact, the two retrenched after the Coyotes broke up as an acoustic outfit called The Grackles, joined by Claude Bernard (brother of Coyote Rob Bernard) on accordion. With the addition of drummer Charlie Llewellin, the informal acoustic combo coalesced into The Gourds. Their rapid rise in the Austin clubs caught the ear of producer/manager Mike Stewart (Poi Dog Pondering), who signed the band to Munich Records. Making what Mix magazine calls »a brilliant first album« with Dem's Good Beeble, the band has garnered press raves on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as a burgeoning legion of fans who dance and sing along with the group's infectious live performances. Since recording Stadium Blitzer, drummer Llewellin has retired from the band. But in the group's typically organic fashion, their circle of friends has yielded his replacement: Keith Langford, who played in Mercury recording act Prescott Curlywolf (with Claude Bernard's brother Rob and former Grackle Ron Byrd) as well as rising Austin act The Damnations (who frequently share the stage with The Gourds). Although the title of Stadium Blitzer is not without an irony that's typical of The Gourds, the indications already signal great things for this distinctive and adventurous musical outfit. Perhaps England's Daily Telegraph said it best in finding their music »a strange mix, indeed, but addictive.« So take a taste of The Gourds, and don't be surprised if you agree.