Somebody give Travis McElroy a medal, gold star, plaque —
something. While Towncraft looks to expose folks all over to the
proud history of Little Rock's underground scene, just about no
one 'round here has done more than McElroy to turn people on
to the diversity of local underground music today. The hirsute
founder of the fledgling local label Thick Syrup, McElroy has, for
almost a year, labored to compile a wide cross-section of his
favorite bands, begging and borrowing and hosting benefits, all
so he can (maybe) break even and pay the featured bands for
their efforts.
"The Arkansas Compilation," the culmination of his efforts, tracks
the Arkansas sound through 24 songs from as many acts. White
dudes with guitars dominate (McElroy never said he was trying to
represent all types of Arkansas music), but within that formulation,
there's a tremendous amount of diversity.