In our second SXSW 2010 session, we took Indianapolis newcomers Burnt Ones out onto the streets of SXSW, spitting distance from the mayhem of 6th Street, sat them on some steps and asked them to translate their stomping glam snarl onto an acoustic guitar and a tambourine. Easy-peasy.

They almost didn’t make it. Their van had broken down on the way to Austin and were carrying gear into the venue moments before taking to the stage. Live, they’re a fuzzy, banging, wide-pupilled cross between T-Rex, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Jesus & Mary Chain, all glam beats and ringing guitar riffs, the low-end rhythms of bassist Brian and drummer Amy (who plays standing up, awesomely) pounding away under singer Mark Tester’s woozy half-snarl. To be honest, they didn’t really sound like a band that would even know what an acoustic guitar did.

But hey, what do we know? We got two tracks, the single, “Gonna Listen To T-Rex (All Night Long)”, and “Sunset Hill”, both barnstormingly loud electric tracks in their original forms, here stripped all the way back into almost whimsical quiet. You can’t hear much of it on the tape (thankfully), but not 100 yards behind us was the unholy racket of SXSW in full flow, and as the band strummed and thrummed their way through the session, this little corner of Austin suddenly became an oasis of wearily smiling calm.

The single is out now on 7″ and you can order it straight from the band via BurntOnes@gmail.com although they’re almost sold out. The debut LP will be out in July 2010. Visit them at myspace.com/burntonesforever