Secret Weapons is a band. This band was formed, deformed, and then reformed over the course of the last 7 years in Austin, Texas. Moving from Houston in 1993, Ashleigh Daniel came to Austin to pursue songwriting and came across local rhythm section duo Don Clark and Chris Hillen who have been playing together in a number of local bands since the late 80's. In the summer of 2004, the band began working on songs at Austin's Porchlight recording studio. In May of 2005, the debut self-titled LP received 3 stars in the Austin Chronicle and has led to an ever increasing show attendance and 2 well received mid-western tours. Currently, the band has begun work on a new batch of songs with Grand Champeen's Michael Crow at his home studio with plans for an '09 release. Check show list for specific dates and visit the "videos" section of this site for "Not Pretty Anymore" directed by friend Pat Kondelis.
Secret Weapons Austin Chronicle record review:
Secret Weapons (Pet Peeve)
Ashleigh Daniel, guitarist/vocalist of local trio Secret Weapons, sings like the woman your mother warned you about. Her lyrics are alluringly clever, and her slurred delivery suggests a more-than-passing familiarity with the rock & roll lifestyle. The badass imprimaturs of female forebears like Joan Jett, Exene Cervenka, and Courtney Love weave their way in and out of Daniel's savvy, beer-lit yarns of busted hearts and boozy nights. Her wit shines on "Hard Candy," which compares fleeting love to a sugar rush that leaves you with a stomach ache. Daniel delights in excoriating feminine scene archetypes like the combative skank ("Bitch") and the neurotic alpha girl that leaves everyone feeling used ("Strange Creature"). On the sunnier side, "Boy Like You" and "Bowl of Cherries" revel in unabashed longing, as in the latter's exhortation to, "Get on the good foot and put your face right here." Whether it's on the Drag or not, everyone who's ever called a bar their own can identify with "My Hole," and any father would be touched by the sentimental "My Dad." With former Bedbug bassist Chris Hillen and drummer Don Clark holding down the rhythm section, the Secret Weapons debut is a well-engineered declamation of bar rock with a brain.***
Press/Recommended Show Listings:
Lawrence.com (Feb 2007)
Secret Weapons is a female-fronted trio from Austin that plays elemental rock and soul in the spirit of The Detroit Cobras or The Heartless Bastards. Singer and guitarist Ashleigh Daniel calls it like she sees it, checking her better manners at the door and spinning tales of "football and sex," washed-up strippers and lusty lovers.
Austin Chronicle (April 2007)
Opening for Iowa's Leslie and the Lys..."a tight fitting camp...bring your own eye protection".
Whoopsy Magazine (April 2005)
"Secret Weapon's music is fun and moody, taking advantage of the 'less is more' school of noodling and writing music that supports what the song is meant to convey, be it a jumping song about her more sinful desires or a more reserved one about less pleasant subject matters..."
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