From Austin 360.com (web portal affiliated with Austin American-Statesman)

Pop Culture Press party
By Parry Gettelman | Friday, March 16, 2007, 05:21 PM

He imitated how fans typically start out a show — arms resolutely crossed — and then how heads start to bob after a few songs. ‘And after a few drinks, like this,’ he said, slender limbs flailing comically. ‘You’re drinking beer, but you are sitting! Another strange thing that happens in the States!’ Afterward, a number of new fans lined up to buy T-shirts, CDs and posters, no doubt anticipating they could serve as props in a year or two for ‘I was there when…’ stories.

From TV Show Radio: "10 Questions With" Feature

The Daylight Titans [September 2006]

1) We'll start off easy... SUV or sports car?
Sports cars all around. Two of the guys in the band actually drive in amateur races (one has a Honda S2000). I also can't imagine driving an SUV with gas at $3 a gallon. I actually have a minivan, which fits just about all of the band gear plus a couple of passengers and gets 20-25 MPG in town.

2) Off the top of your head, name a song that you've been listening to the most recently.
Man, there's a few: "Always Love" by Nada Surf (on Weight Is A Gift), "Soon Enough" by The Constantines (on Tournament of Hearts), "Goin' Against Your Mind" by Built To Spill (on You In Reverse), and I've been a bit obsessed with Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" lately. The groove on that song is incredible.

3) Do you ever watch television? If so, what's your favorite show & why?
I'm not a big TV watcher and don't even have cable, but I like the Amazing Race a lot. The footage of foreign countries is always great, and it's interesting watching people respond to different types of stressful situations while traveling. I also try to catch Craig Ferguson's opening monologue on the "Late Late Show" as often as possible. He's hilarious and seems to be able to get away with being really caustic because of his Scottish accent and the fact that he regularly makes fun of himself.

4) Were you excited to learn your music would be aired on Veronica Mars?
We were thrilled. The show was still in its first season at the time, so it wasn't as big a deal as it has become, but it was really validating for us as a band.

5) What impact has it had?
We used the stipend we got from it to finish and release our full-length debut record. The appearance, even though it was really short (like 15 seconds) has introduced us to people who would probably have never heard us otherwise, especially fans in Europe, Asia, and Australia. It's very cool to be associated with a show that has such a devoted following around the world. We'll ride those coattails as far as our 15 seconds of exposure can take us.

6) When people listen to your music, how do want them to react to it?
First of all, one thing I firmly believe as a songwriter is that once you make a song available to people, you relinquish all control of it. The listener will respond depending on so many unique, individual pieces of criteria that you can't have any expectations. The song almost takes on a life of its own. But having said that, I hope that people will be compelled enough by what they hear that they want to hear more. For me, the music that I love the most gives me a visceral, emotional reaction and actually helps express feelings or experiences in a way that words can't. So that's the ideal, but it's the listener's decision whether or not we even come close to achieving that.

7) Have you always known that you'd want to create music?
Yeah, pretty much ever since I was about 8 or 9, I wanted to play music. I've tried not to on several occasions, but I always felt a nagging need to be in a band.

8) Have any funny stories about performing or touring on the road?
We played a run of shows a couple of years ago that were plagued by bad weather. It seemed that every time we would get something promising lined up, there would be torrential rains before we played. We had to cancel one gig because an ice storm arrived about two hours before we were supposed to play and we couldn't get to the gig because the streets were like glass. In colder climes, that wouldn't have been a big deal, but in Austin, the road crews didn't have all of the salt and sand they needed because it happened pretty quickly. So once in December 2003, we played an early gig at a club on like a Tuesday night or something, so we didn't expect a big crowd but usually this particular bar has some people in it during happy hour just hanging out. But on this night, a nasty cold front blew in, so there were literally no patrons in the bar when we started, just the bartender and doorman. So we played our first set to a totally empty house. For a couple of songs, there was a homeless guy in the doorway cheering us on. Then during the break between sets, this guy walks in and has a beer. When we start playing again, we ask him his name and say from the stage "We'd like to thank Jim Bob (or whatever) for hanging out with us, and this song goes out to him." And he's standing in front smiling and pumping his fist in the air. Then about 20 seconds into the song, he turns his fist pump into a wave and he bolts straight out the door. Nothing like running the single voluntary member of the crowd off. It was hilarious.

9) You're stuck on the proverbial island and of course there's only one CD with you. Which one would it be?
Something very long and very musically dense, like Godspeed You Black Emperor or something. A Fela Kuti collection might also be good. Something you wouldn't get sick of the third time you heard it. Either that or some good Tom Petty retrospective.

10) What are your hopes for the coming year?
We are writing a bunch of new material, which will hopefully comprise our next record. So I hope that we can record and release a new record within the next year. A big goal will be to get some sort of European release/distribution thing happening, so we can possibly tour over there. We've had some radio exposure over there and also know some bands who would help us with gigs. Of course, if a hip, financially stable label came along, we'd at least let them buy us a few drinks.

From The Rock and Roll Report; June 29, 2006
"Rock and Roll Postcards from France - Record Reviews by Gérard"

THE DAYLIGHT TITANS -Self Titled (http://www.daylighttitans.com/)

Attention talent!!!! cet album est en train d'user mon lecteur cd!!! le premier album de ce combo d'Austin me fait tourner la tete régulièrement tant son champ d'action est important : de la pop 80s circa early REM (Dangle/burlingame) au presque Stoogien "whistling in the dark" tout un album de post power pop/punk music (comme dit sur leur site) exceptionnel quasimment sans production. La voix d'Andy Smith est le porte drapeau de cet ensemble tour à tour légère et envoutante, presque Morrisonienne sur certains titres. Cette recherche constante du morceau qui tue est très palpable, ce qui donne la sensation que ce groupe évolue sans cesse sans souci d'étiquette musicale. Coup de coeur du moment haut la main!

Attention bands! This album is wearing out my CD player! The first album from this combo from Austin turned my head as soon as I heard it. It sounds like early 80s pop circa early R.E.M. (Dangle/Burlingame) or perhaps Stoogien (Whistling in the Dark) this an album of post power pop/punk (as they state on their website). The voice of Andy Smith carries the flag through and through with a voice that is light and bewitching, sounding very Morrison-like on a number of tracks. The constant search for the killer song or line is palpable and it shows a group evolving beyond their musical influences. An album that just compels you to put up your hands and rock!

What a cool band! These guys bring to mind some classic bands from the 80`s, but that isn't a slag in the least bit. "Reckoning"-era REM, The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Del Fuegos, Green On Red, The Godfathers and The Reivers are just some of the familiar sounds to these ears that creep out strikingly on the 13 songs from The Daylight Titans. Thanks to Not Lamer Eric Sorensen for making sure this one did not slip between the cracks and we sure are glad it didn`t! It seems like others who have heard it feel the same way, the interesting thing being the other cool influences they hear. I`ve listened to this five times in the last week and it gets better and more crucial with each listen. Dropped all the songs on the Ipod is the best example I can give. Extremely Highly Recommended!

Well, Austin quartet Daylight Titans released a fine EP a year or so ago, but as it turns out, that one was just kind of a dry run for this, their eponymous full-length debut. This is the kind of magnetic guitar rock that has sadly dissipated over the years since the 80's indie American scenes fostered by Minneapolis, Athens, LA, and Austin- driving rhythms, raging, slashing guitars, and grayscale melodies that just seem to go well with a foul mood and a six-pack of PBR. There's nothing fancy about their approach- the singer's downcast vocals blend well with the sheets of electric guitar that envelope you on the opener "Stoked" before the gathering storm, the piledriving lead-and-rhythm intensity of "Whistling in the Dark (While Listening to Om)," smashes you in the gut. The earlier EP's standout, "Dangle," is here as well, but tracks like "Burlingame," which channels Reckoning-era REM and the straightest of straight-ahead rockers, the blazing "Soul Stirrer," ensure that this fine LP is a winner from top to bottom. - Luke Torn

Celebrity Pilots - Beneath The Pavement, A Beach!
Black Crash - Red Lights
The Floating City - entering a contest
Bedsit Poets - The Summer That Changed
Danny Pound - Surer Days
Thomas Fouts - Fouttakes Vol. 1
Early Dolphin - Swim
Chamber Pot Orchestra - Eric Markowitz Conducts The Chamber Pot Orchestra
The Everybodyfields - Plague Of Dreams
Actors&Actresses - We Love Our Enemy EP
Greg Weeks - Slightly West EP
Memory Bank - Litany & Lethargy
If Thousands - I Have Nothing
Big Soy - Putting The ________ In _________
Daylight Titans - Daylight Titans
The Chemistry Set - The Chemistry Set
Searching For Luke - Lock Inside A Key
Pentecost Hotel - Friends And Fighters
Millbrook - Cathedrals EP
Astoria - Daylight For Delay
Monastir - The Modern Sound Of A Loser Generation"

The Daylight Titans (hailing from Austin, TX) play a sort of countrified indie-rock, and lead singer Andy Smith’s voice has the same baritone drawl as Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson’s (for me that’s a big plus). Each of these tracks reek with pop sensibility and punches you in the gut with its sheer melodic power. The lyrics are also worth mentioning. Who can resist the line ‘green flavoured dreams suck your soul out’ (City of Lights)? Other lyrical refrences include urban life, love and loss. This is a band that deserves to leave an impact. - Robert Pisani

From Pop Culture Press; Issue 59 (Fall/Winter 2004):

The Daylight Titans
The Invisible EP

Like the army of guitar jangle bands that crawled the earth in the 80's and early 90's (think Miracle Legion, the Downsiders, all the great, dark Tucson bands), Austin quartet Daylight Titans throw down thoughtful, dynamic songs fed by alternating piledriving rhythms (ala the tale of disconnection 'A1A') with quieter but no less traumatic emotional terrain, like the sparkling, downcast melody of the standout song on this brief EP, Dangle." The caterwauling guitar squalls of 'Whistling in the Dark (While Listening to Om)' stake out far noisier sonic spaces, with singer Andy Smith's vocal skillfully capturing the protagonist's ambivalence and turmoil. The production is rough but the songwriting and playing strong, a signpost of good things to come from this band. - Luke Torn

From Rank and Revue; Volume 2, Issue 28 (2/26/2004):

What the Daylight Titans lack in minimalist packaging (black and white cover art) for their second EP Invisible, they make up for in rich and vibrant melodies. This Austin quartet's sound is best described as power pop. The Invisible EP is intensely melodic and passionate, and it swiftly gains momentum with each successive song. The Titans have found a way to allocate equal amounts of fervor into both lyric and harmony. It's quite an unusual find.

Lyrically the songs incorporate a resounding sense of urgency. This urgency isn't lost in a muddled sound or botched verse; it doesn't blow its load early, so to speak. Instead the verse is intricately entwined into all-inclusive harmonies that I have not taken away from a CD in a while.

Andy Smith's voice is nothing short of a warm embrace. Add his lyrical backbone to the mix and the songs contain sustenance; there is actually meaning to shoulder them. It is an induction to a genre long gone. Smith's vocals house an emotional spirit, rich tonal undercurrent and cutting enunciation I liken to that of INXS' Michael Hutchence on the Shabooh Shoobah CD from 1982. What can I say? It took me back.

Robust, energetic and heavy on guitar; this EP is tight and catchy as all hell. Veteran musicians Ronn Roberts (bass/vocals), Clint Shay (guitar), and Grant Simpson (drums) complete the quartet. I played Invisible on a continuous loop, hoping it would rebuild the momentum as the final track, 'On the Other Side of Ecstasy,' rounded the bend. And let me tell you, it did. - Marianna M.

"The Daylight Titans then threw down a spirited set of heartland Americana jangle rock that would make even Tom Petty crack a smile. Coming on like a more muscular Smithereens, there were some fine harmony vocals, good songs in the trad mold and a hefty dose of arpeggiated Rickenbacker warble."

"The Daylight Titans closed the evening to a rather sparse crowd. The three piece, however, were still content to jam their brand of pop rock laced with power chords, garage progressions and lyrics like "...seas of green in my dreams." The Titans were a bit older than the previous bands and therefore wiser, funnier and better with the crowd. The lead singer joked with the remaining boozers about the term "hi," but not as in hello. I was impressed, as my own band mate thought their coolest sounding stuff was comparable to the soundtrack of the 80’s classic Donnie Darko. In addition, the Titans were the loudest and most rockin’ band of night which is never a bad thing."