Black Pistol Fire

A hard-hitting Canadian indie blues-rock duo that cites Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, Nirvana, Buddy Holly, and Muddy Waters as inspirations, Black Pistol Fire was founded by Eric Owen (drums) and Kevin McKeown (guitar, vocals). The duo relocated from Toronto to Austin, Texas shortly after forming, and released their eponymous full-length debut via Rifle Bird Records in 2011. Big Beat '59 arrived the following year, and the band made a huge splash at the 2013 SXSW music conference, drawing comparisons to bands like the Black Keys, the White Stripes, and Band of Skulls, with the Huffington Post declaring them the "next big thing". A flurry of festival appearances followed, including performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch Music Festival, Shaky Knees, and Governor's Ball, as did their third studio long-player, 2014's well-received Modern Outsider-issued Hush or Howl. The blistering Don't Wake the Riot dropped in May 2016, again via Modern Outsider. Wasting little time, they returned the following year with Deadbeat Grafitti. ~ James Christopher Monger