LEG SWEEPER

On Saturday, November 14 at the Westheimer Block Party, I witnessed one of the most energetic bands in ages, Leg Sweeper. To summarize, the show was a sweaty mess. I could feel my heart pounding as guitar player Justin Gomez started to crowd surf. Beer and dirty laundry covered the floor. As the songs started, the punk kids formed a whirling dervish, known as circle pitting, in the center of the room. This energetic event was hosted at Mango's, a popular indie and punk club in Downtown Houston.

I walked into Leg Sweeper's set with no prior knowledge of their music, but I immediately became a fan. They perfectly capture the essence of the Dallas punk scene with their fast, ambitious, and fun beats. I enjoy this type of music because it is generally less about politics and more about partying. This model was followed by other Dallas punk bands like A.N.S. and the Bleach Boys. While not as prominent as the scenes in Los Angeles or Portland, Dallas deserves just as much attention for its dearth of talent. Their sound is a breath of fresh air from the morbid themes of Houston's crust and grind core bands.

The local kids were responsive to Leg Sweeper, which is a positive thing. I always like to see a show where the audience is actively engaged. After noticing all the buzz in the room about this band, I had to get a demo. It's called "Leg Sweeper's First Demo EP" and is five songs long. The demo runs for about 10 minutes with the best track being "My Face Hurts". The song makes reference to Refused's 1998 album with the line, "This is what they said would be the shape of punk to come." The song also has a melodic chanting sequence which says, "My face hurts. I need medicine. I can't even feel my legs. My fist hurts. I need medicine. But [expletive] that, Lets do it again." Now, those are raw and unblinking lyrics.

Judging by the show and demo, I believe that Leg Sweeper sounds fresh and catchy. They bear a resemblance to the late 1980s post-hardcore scene in Washington D.C. Bands like Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, and Shudder to Think come to mind. Yet, they embrace a newer path set by Annihilation Time, Japanther, and Lightening Bolt. In fact, Leg Sweeper played the Block Party with Japanther, who headlined at Numbers, and they have a bright future ahead of them. For contact information and upcoming shows, visit Leg Sweeper's myspace at www.myspace.com/sweepthehead.

- The Houstonian

On Saturday, November 14 at the Westheimer Block Party, I witnessed one of the most energetic bands in ages, Leg Sweeper. To summarize, the show was a sweaty mess. I could feel my heart pounding as guitar player Justin Gomez started to crowd surf. Beer and dirty laundry covered the floor. As the songs started, the punk kids formed a whirling dervish, known as circle pitting, in the center of the room. This energetic event was hosted at Mango's, a popular indie and punk club in Downtown Houston.

I walked into Leg Sweeper's set with no prior knowledge of their music, but I immediately became a fan. They perfectly capture the essence of the Dallas punk scene with their fast, ambitious, and fun beats. I enjoy this type of music because it is generally less about politics and more about partying. This model was followed by other Dallas punk bands like A.N.S. and the Bleach Boys. While not as prominent as the scenes in Los Angeles or Portland, Dallas deserves just as much attention for its dearth of talent. Their sound is a breath of fresh air from the morbid themes of Houston's crust and grind core bands.

The local kids were responsive to Leg Sweeper, which is a positive thing. I always like to see a show where the audience is actively engaged. After noticing all the buzz in the room about this band, I had to get a demo. It's called "Leg Sweeper's First Demo EP" and is five songs long. The demo runs for about 10 minutes with the best track being "My Face Hurts". The song makes reference to Refused's 1998 album with the line, "This is what they said would be the shape of punk to come." The song also has a melodic chanting sequence which says, "My face hurts. I need medicine. I can't even feel my legs. My fist hurts. I need medicine. But [expletive] that, Lets do it again." Now, those are raw and unblinking lyrics.

Judging by the show and demo, I believe that Leg Sweeper sounds fresh and catchy. They bear a resemblance to the late 1980s post-hardcore scene in Washington D.C. Bands like Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, and Shudder to Think come to mind. Yet, they embrace a newer path set by Annihilation Time, Japanther, and Lightening Bolt. In fact, Leg Sweeper played the Block Party with Japanther, who headlined at Numbers, and they have a bright future ahead of them. For contact information and upcoming shows, visit Leg Sweeper's myspace at www.myspace.com/sweepthehead.

- The Houstonian

On Saturday, November 14 at the Westheimer Block Party, I witnessed one of the most energetic bands in ages, Leg Sweeper. To summarize, the show was a sweaty mess. I could feel my heart pounding as guitar player Justin Gomez started to crowd surf. Beer and dirty laundry covered the floor. As the songs started, the punk kids formed a whirling dervish, known as circle pitting, in the center of the room. This energetic event was hosted at Mango's, a popular indie and punk club in Downtown Houston.

I walked into Leg Sweeper's set with no prior knowledge of their music, but I immediately became a fan. They perfectly capture the essence of the Dallas punk scene with their fast, ambitious, and fun beats. I enjoy this type of music because it is generally less about politics and more about partying. This model was followed by other Dallas punk bands like A.N.S. and the Bleach Boys. While not as prominent as the scenes in Los Angeles or Portland, Dallas deserves just as much attention for its dearth of talent. Their sound is a breath of fresh air from the morbid themes of Houston's crust and grind core bands.

The local kids were responsive to Leg Sweeper, which is a positive thing. I always like to see a show where the audience is actively engaged. After noticing all the buzz in the room about this band, I had to get a demo. It's called "Leg Sweeper's First Demo EP" and is five songs long. The demo runs for about 10 minutes with the best track being "My Face Hurts". The song makes reference to Refused's 1998 album with the line, "This is what they said would be the shape of punk to come." The song also has a melodic chanting sequence which says, "My face hurts. I need medicine. I can't even feel my legs. My fist hurts. I need medicine. But [expletive] that, Lets do it again." Now, those are raw and unblinking lyrics.

Judging by the show and demo, I believe that Leg Sweeper sounds fresh and catchy. They bear a resemblance to the late 1980s post-hardcore scene in Washington D.C. Bands like Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, and Shudder to Think come to mind. Yet, they embrace a newer path set by Annihilation Time, Japanther, and Lightening Bolt. In fact, Leg Sweeper played the Block Party with Japanther, who headlined at Numbers, and they have a bright future ahead of them. For contact information and upcoming shows, visit Leg Sweeper's myspace at www.myspace.com/sweepthehead.

- The Houstonian

Over the summer, seemingly out of nowhere, it seemed that everyone taking pride in the fact that they constantly keep an ear to the ground in the Dallas music scene had a new favorite band.

The band, perhaps in a nod to The Karate Kid and perhaps not, was called Leg Sweeper. And, like other duos before them, this garage-heavy punk duo boasted a simple set-up -- just a guitar and drums. But whereas other duos seem to constantly garner props for sounding like an outfit boasting far more than just two members, this one was different. It didn't sound especially large or loud. And its songwriting wasn't especially complicated either.

And, really, Leg Sweeper, at its core, is a pretty simple concept -- just guitarist Justin Gomez and drummer Tayor Stolly playing their instruments at an above-adequate level, and not trying to wow anyone.

So why the sudden commotion?

With a sound that bridges the gap between Wavves and Weezer, Leg Sweeper isn't trying to be anything that it isn't. As for what it is, well, that's pretty simple: Two fairly regular twentysomething dudes with tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and penchants for fast-paced, simplistic punk-rock jams.

That whole aesthetic comes to a head in "Sexy Weekend," just one of four fabulous cuts of the duo's summer-released debut EP, appropriately named, simply, The EP.

No one will argue that "Sexy Weekend" is a particularly complex song, or that its lyrics ("Hey girl, you know you do it for me," etc.) are especially prescient. But sometimes music doesn't have to make you think; sometimes you just want something to bounce along with while enjoying some mindless fun.

And, at the risk of degrading Leg Sweeper's efforts on the impossibly enjoyable The EP, that's what this band does best. It's pretty genius, actually.

- Dallas Observer

Friday, January 21, 2011
Leg Sweeeeeeper
Josh of The Sleepies first told me about Leg Sweeper from Texas about a year ago, seriously, he wouldn't shut up about how good they were... and then I listened and was not disappointed. They're punky and party and fun
Well, they're finally coming to New York and they're playing tomorrow at Dead Herring with a really great lineup- Byrds of Paradise, Sleepies and Sweet Bulbs. I'm excited. It's going to be a crazy time, a sexy weekend. Don't miss it.
- Pop Jew

Leg Sweeper — Taylor Stolly and Justin Gomez — are a Dallas-based drums and guitar duo, an arrangement that has become so much a fixture that journalists can almost stop pointing it out as a peculiarity. They play a lively pop at a pace as hypersonic as Cliff Lee’s fastball. Seeing them live, one gets caught up and sweats to keep up. Leg Sweeper write anthemic rock songs: kindled glee that plays to common experience and ordinary joy. This is perhaps most apparent on their 90-seconds-or-less ode to “rock ‘n’ roll,” wherein they confess, “I don’t want to live, live without it.” The tune, as
yet uncommitted to tape, has the potential to be a unified rallying cry. But then, most of their catalog engenders that reaction.
The mystique of pop music is the simple elegance of a melody. If it is done properly, one gets to suspend their slavish deference to neurosis and complication, to simply get swept up by word, note, and beat. Leg Sweeper accomplishes this to near perfection. They don’t go mining for gravity. Their lyrical subjects cover an innocuous, if mischievous spectrum, from the sexiness of weekends to headache-inducing beats. This is not to undermine Leg Sweeper’s importance. Even the words “bang a gong” have vital importance; it’s just more difficult to explain.

Stolley and Gomez returned to the city of their youth only a year ago after sharpening their sound in Austin. As Gomez puts it, “We felt like Austin had enough bands and thought our hometown of Dallas could use a party-punk, rock band. “ They were right. Leg Sweeper spent this past year ingratiating
themselves with fans and peers around North Texas and beyond, including two trips to the Northeast, thanks to nationwide support from fellow artists. “A lot of people don’t know that a chain of DIY bands are helping each other tour around the U.S.,” says Gomez. “[In 2011,] we are playing in North Carolina, Philly, Brooklyn, and Atlanta. Every place is through someone we know and would help if they ever come through DFW.”
Leg Sweeper currently has one five-song demo and a four-song EP to their credit, the latter released earlier this year. The band hopes to write, record, and release their first full-length album by early 2011. All signs point to Leg Sweeper’s advancing presence. Past and future shows booked in places like Brooklyn demonstrate Dallas’s potential to be a musical exporter. Let’s just hope Taylor and Justin value taquerias and a winning baseball team enough to avoid New York’s siren call.

By Dick Sullivan for "frontrow.dmagazine.com"



- Indie-Texas

This Dallas, Texas duo’s innate cheeky suggestiveness is immediately noticeable from their name and their song ‘Sexy Weekend’. But this and the rest of their latest EP is more reigned in, no brainer punk that hits the right buttons in a blank-faced Weezer kind of way. Their earlier demos on the other hand are all raucous, fast-paced, gritty punk rock jams. Taylor Stolly and Justin Gomez’s songs are for the most part incredibly simple, consisting of no more than guitar, drums and their voices (which are either slightly struggling or strong and contagious). They acknowledge their straight up and down ethos with the no bullshit standard ‘Rock n Roll’. It’s like they’ve extended their teenage rebellion infinitely on their demos, and this is where they get exciting. The punk aggression of ‘My Face Hurts’ is wonderfully dynamic, imbuing the same frenetic listlessness as the Death Set or New Zealand’s Teen Hygiene. ‘Sexy Weekend’ is available on their EP which you can buy for US$4 here, and ‘My Face Hurts’ is available from their Demo collection.

- Einstein Music Journal

FrontRow .
Pop Music.Leg Sweeper Delivers a Power Pop Ode To Joy
Author:
By Dick SullivanPost date:
November 1st, 2010 9:52am.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One can go out for a night of Dallas music and find, depending on the night and place, finesse, bombast, solemnity, or beauty, but what feels lacking is a sense of excitement. That feeling may be largely circumstantial or, more likely, cantankerous, but in any case, it takes a particular sound to rouse one out of it, and Dallas’s Leg Sweeper is equal to that task.

Several weeks ago at The Cavern, when I first saw Leg Sweeper, the frenzied audience crowded snuggly around the small stage and, for once, it was the back section of The Cavern that was empty. I normally find it irksome to compare cities and their respective cultures, but it felt like I was somewhere else that night. (You know where I’m going with that thought: choose a coast.) It’s not often that such enthusiasm occurs in Dallas when not manufactured out of be-seen obligation or Ticketmaster monopolization. Leg Sweeper elicited a genuine stir. The ancient plea is: make a joyful noise, make a loud noise. Leg Sweeper was and is eager to respond.
Leg Sweeper — Taylor Stolly and Justin Gomez — are a Dallas-based drums and guitar duo, an arrangement that has become so much a fixture that journalists can almost stop pointing it out as a peculiarity. They play a lively pop at a pace as hypersonic as Cliff Lee’s fastball. Seeing them live, one gets caught up and sweats to keep up. Leg Sweeper write anthemic rock songs: kindled glee that plays to common experience and ordinary joy. This is perhaps most apparent on their 90-seconds-or-less ode to “rock ‘n’ roll,” wherein they confess, “I don’t want to live, live without it.” The tune, as
yet uncommitted to tape, has the potential to be a unified rallying cry. But then, most of their catalog engenders that reaction.

The mystique of pop music is the simple elegance of a melody. If it is done properly, one gets to suspend their slavish deference to neurosis and complication, to simply get swept up by word, note, and beat. Leg Sweeper accomplishes this to near perfection. They don’t go mining for gravity. Their lyrical subjects cover an innocuous, if mischievous spectrum, from the sexiness of weekends to headache-inducing beats. This is not to undermine Leg Sweeper’s importance. Even the words “bang a gong” have vital importance; it’s just more difficult to explain.

Stolley and Gomez returned to the city of their youth only a year ago after sharpening their sound in Austin. As Gomez puts it, “We felt like Austin had enough bands and thought our hometown of Dallas could use a party-punk, rock band. “ They were right. Leg Sweeper spent this past year ingratiating
themselves with fans and peers around North Texas and beyond, including two trips to the Northeast, thanks to nationwide support from fellow artists. “A lot of people don’t know that a chain of DIY bands are helping each other tour around the U.S.,” says Gomez. “[In 2011,] we are playing in North Carolina, Philly, Brooklyn, and Atlanta. Every place is through someone we know and would help if they ever come through DFW.”

Leg Sweeper currently has one five-song demo and a four-song EP to their credit, the latter released earlier this year. The band hopes to write, record, and release their first full-length album by early 2011. All signs point to Leg Sweeper’s advancing presence. Past and future shows booked in places like Brooklyn demonstrate Dallas’s potential to be a musical exporter. Let’s just hope Taylor and Justin value taquerias and a winning baseball team enough to avoid New York’s siren call.

- FrontRow D Magazine