It's been clear for a couple years now that Manchester indie rockers Westside Cowboy were a special unit, and debut album It Goes On affirmed that they're among the best in the world at wrangling guitars, melody, and anxious combustible energy into eminently likable songs. So seeing them in the Tonight Show spotlight, even in this diminished era of late-night TV, was extremely exciting. Westside Cowboy are nearing the end of a North American tour, and on Thursday night it brought them to 30 Rock for their US TV debut.
On Fallon, they performed "Pin Up Boys," one of many fine options from It Goes On and an excellent showcase for the vocal interplay between Reuben Haycocks and Aoife Anson O’Connell. Haycocks broke a string during the performance, but he dealt with it so unflappably that I didn't even notice on first pass. O’Connell nailed her impassioned, yodel-esque spotlight moment at the end.
The audience was loving it. If I may be simultaneously cynical and romantic on main: Westside Cowboy are on Island Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, part of the same corporate conglomerate that owns NBC. It's probably not a coincidence that they ended up on The Tonight Show, so maybe this is not some inspiring underdog story.
But there's a reason this band immediately appealed to both bloggers and major-label execs. They are an immensely appealing, undeniably talented group. And with The Late Show off the air and music journalism in a depleted state, you don't see buzz bands making these triumphant TV debuts nearly as often anymore.
I teared up a little bit watching this one.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
