Astronaut

There’s something comforting about Reno rock. In its punky, bluesy, slightly country way, the music slips into the subconscious and makes its presence known—but it certainly doesn’t jump up and slap the listener across the face. Reno rock has always been subtler than that. The music is more suited to listen to while standing against a wall in a dirty bar tapping a foot, holding a lukewarm beer, than flailing in a mosh pit. And that’s exactly the sound that comes through on Astronaut’s self-titled debut CD. Originally a solo project by former Phat Couch, Source and Swamp Witch guitarist Nick Ramirez, Astronaut’s blend of the Reno sound contains a mixture of new and old songs. Tracks that may be familiar to Reno rock fans are "Blacksmith" (Phat Couch) and "Hazy Crazy" (Source). All in all, it is a solid effort that fans of the Reno sound will appreciate.