Las Vegas Weekly

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Deanna Rilling

Thu, Dec 4, 2008 (midnight)

'Tis the season for CD releases ... at least here on the Vegas music scene, where locals Black Camaro and The Skooners hosted a joint CD-release party at the Bunkhouse last Saturday. If that $10 cover charge seemed a bit steep to see two bands, consider that attendees also received tickets good for copies of each disc once inside the bar.

Since forming in 2002, Black Camaro has garnered support from fellow musicians as one of the Vegas acts to check out. New six-song EP Pistachio Moustachio is “more psychedelic-y” than previous work, guitarist/vocalist Brian Garth says, adding, “Most of the record was recorded in Eugene, Oregon, to have that rainy influence.” First impressions call to mind The Shins, Ben Harper and a hint of Bob Dylan; it’s easy to appreciate the diversity of the band’s compositions.

The Skooners’ self-titled EP comes complete with window decal and what smells like a hand-Sharpied hangman drawing on the label. Just don’t judge the band by its merch. “It’s a little bit more mature,” Skooners singer Blair Dewane says of the five-song CD. “It’s more songwriter than skill; we focused a lot more on the song.” Apparently, changing locale is key to finding inspiration, as The Skooners headed to Seattle to record. And the limited-edition disc is only a sample of what’s to come, with the band recording 15 total songs, with plans for remixing and releasing an LP in the near future.

One complaint: The show was scheduled for 10 p.m., yet The Skooners didn’t take the stage until midnight, with Black Camaro going on after 1 a.m. Still, the lengthy delay did allow the Bunkhouse to fill up, with a crowd of over 100 ultimately in attendance, by Garth’s count (though he guesstimates about 20 people snuck in). Not bad for a scene frequently plagued by low attendance.