I go out to see more live music than your average Joe, which is just one perk of living in this fine town. I see so much of it that I probably get a little bit numbed to the whole live experience, but every now and then I get a chance to catch a performance that is on a higher level than the rest. I've only been listening to Caribou for about a year, so going into the show I didn't really have any expectations for what they would be like in a live setting. I knew it would be cool, but that's about it.

I had a chance to catch them over the weekend, and it will definitely go down as one of the better shows I see this year. They've got incredible dual percussion, cool guitar/keyboard effects, the whole stage draped in trippy lighting, and just all-around impressive musicianship. The regular drummer of the band broke his wrist mid-tour, but stand-in Ahmed Gallab was absolutely top notch.

The crowd was so enthusiastic that random bursts of applause would break out right in the middle of a song, or after a round of furious drum work, and you could tell that the guys on stage were just eating it up. They only have a handful of U.S. dates left on their tour (Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New York) but from what I've read they are pretty much always on the road, so keep an eye on them. I know I'd gladly pay to see them again whenever I have the opportunity, and I think these guys would be a really cool attraction for a big festival like ACL with some full-on production.

For another perspective on the live show, here's a link to a recent review of their tour. Here's another one. Check out the myspace page to see tour dates, and listen to Andorra if you haven't already.

Here's a couple of older ones from Caribou:

• Caribou - "Hendrix With Ko"
• Caribou - "Bees"
• Caribou - "Barnowl"

"Bees" and "Barnowl" are from The Milk Of Human Kindness, and "Hendrix With Ko" is from Up In Flames. Both albums are solid in their own right. They have a different feel than Andorra, but it's a good thing. You can get 'em both right here, where you can also preview/purchase all the Caribou you like.

After getting more recommendations then I can shake a stick at, I dug through the stack of CDs on my desk to try on this new album from a band out of Knoxville called Royal Bangs. They are a 5-piece signed to the Audio Eagle label that was started up by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys, and their debut album We Breed Champions has been spreading across the blogs in rapid fashion. If you want to call it indie rock, make sure to emphasize the word ROCK. There are guitars dueling all over this album, evenly dispersed out between layers of glitchy keyboards, noisy percussion, and undeniably catchy songwriting. Topping it off, vocalist Ryan Schaefer has the pipes to carry every tune with a passion that never seems to fade. More than anything, We Breed Champions is an action-packed good time.

Have a listen to "Brother", and click here to see what other people are saying.

• Royal Bangs - "Brother"
  
  
• More Royal Bangs
• More Audio Eagle
  

It appears that White Denim have really been making the rounds. Gobbling up some of the vast SXSW/CMJ spotlight, taking their show across the pond and inciting a score of positive reviews, press from the likes of Rolling Stone et al., making deals, entertaining folks at the Plug Awards, so on and so forth. Even just in Austin they went from pulling in around 30 people for a gig at the Emo's Lounge to impressing hundreds at Fun Fest, and even more than that soon enough when they plug in at the Austin City Limits Fest. Hell, they even broke down and decided to possess a fully functioning website. What a country!

They went up and spent some time in the Daytrotter studio not long ago, coming out of it with a recording session that includes three previously unreleased tracks and a pretty damn strong vote of confidence. Here's a few lines from the article:

"It’s the sound of spontaneous combustion, setting off a chain of unlikely blazes. It makes you break out into seizures and loops, traveling on the bullet train to tarnation – but with benefits, with perks that are better than parole. White Denim, the Austin, Texas, three-piece is this coming, this marauding, three-headed horseman of explosive guitars and scorpion testosterone, blowing everything in its way back two counties, ripping clothing and skepticism into confetti and raffling off the pedestrian way of doing rock and roll to anyone who will take it in this seller’s market."

One of the new songs from that session is below, and to check out the rest of it just follow the link.

• White Denim - "Heart Attack"

White Denim are coming back home to Austin next week, performing at Antone's with Tapes 'n Tapes while the two are in the midst of a hearty tour of the states. The show happens Friday, May 2nd, with doors at 8:00 and tickets available for $12 right here. Here's a few words from The Boston Herald about their recent gig in Beantown:

"Fresh off a much-buzzed-about showcase at South by Southwest, the Austin, Texas, garage-rock trio White Denim simply exploded before a mostly unsuspecting audience with a punk/funk sound that was equal parts James Brown, the Stooges and Hound Dog Taylor. On the insistent gut-bucket blues of “Paint Silver Gold,” White Denim came off like a hopped-up version of the Black Keys."

If you are in Austin and have yet to check out one of their shows, next Friday would be a fine time to do so. Their current tour runs through May and apparently they're headed back across the pond in June, so they might not be around for a little while. If you need another incentive, I'll even hook you up with a free pair of tickets. Just shoot an e-mail to covertcuriosity @ gmail.com with Antone's in the subject line, I'll pick a name at random, and notify the winner by Thursday. For more of everything else, check the event listing.

Don't forget about some of the good stuff taking place in Austin this week, follow any of the links to get more info or to win tickets. The Lover! show is going down at Beerland tomorrow night. Man Man is playing an in-store at Waterloo Records on Wednesday, followed another one at Emo's that night with Yeasayer. The Death Set are playing at Emo's on Wednesday night too, they're inside with Bonde do Role. M.I.A./Holy Fuck is sold out at La Zona Rosa on Thursday, White Denim play with Tapes 'n Tapes at Antone's on Friday, and night two of the Raconteurs at Stubb's happens on Saturday. Lots of good times to be had.

I put the itunes on shuffle earlier and some of their tracks popped up, so I'm paying it forward to any of you out there who have never heard of 'em. They've released three or four albums since 2002, so if you're into it head over to the link to find out more. The tracks below come from their debut album:

• Singapore Sling - "Roadkill"
• Singapore Sling - "Overdriver"
• On the web
  

The Young Sinclairs are a new band out of Roanoke, Virginia who sound like they just got dropped off of the bus from 1960. They play free flowing, easy going psychedelic pop that would make a nice compliment to any soundtrack for the approaching summer. Their music is definitely recommended for anyone with an affection for that late 60's, Summer of Love psychedelic folk/pop sound. They have a few tracks for download on their myspace page, where you can also pick up an album. Try it on:

• The Young Sinclairs - "Cetos Return"
• The Young Sinclairs - "Engineer Man"
• On the web
  

I don't know how best to fit in a random Bee Gees song, so it's going right here. I had no idea that the Brothers Gibb were making music long before they were the champions of disco in the late 70's, but I was listening to the Underground Garage one day and this song came on that I thought was really cool, I think it was part of a late 60's garage-pop episode or something, so I searched around for the playlist and sure enough, it was a song by the Bee Gees. I was like...huh? This is the Bee Gees? The should-be-dancing-night-fever-stayin'-alive Bee Gees? I did a few minutes of research and found out that they were recording together all the way back in the mid-60's, even releasing their own psychedelic rock album in 1967 called Bee Gees' 1st. Most of it isn't really worth mentioning, but "In My Own Time" is the jam.

• Bee Gees - "In My Own Time"
• On the web
  

Next Tuesday night Beerland plays host to the power-packed lineup of Lover!, the Black & Whites, Nate Ryan & the Collars, and Lost Controls. Lover! is a power pop explosion created by ex-Reatards/Lost Sounds member Rich Crook, who offer up catchy hooks and kick-up your heels good times. the band released two full length LPs and two singles in 2007, and has a new single coming soon.

• Lover! - "I'll Be There"
• Lover! - "Everyone I Want"

The Black and Whites are a rambunctious, Ramone-esque three-piece from Mississippi who are apparently "more fun than a box of Oreo Cookies." They'll do their own thing with Rich Crook manning the drums, and also serve as the backing band to Lover!. Rounding out the bill are Nate Ryan and the Collars, which is a potentially awesome side project featuring members of the Black Angels and the Strange Boys, as well as Austin's Lost Controls.

• The Black and Whites - "You're The Only Girl"
• Lost Controls - "Fast Kids"

This should be a hip-shaking affair with legitimate doses garage rock, and a damn good excuse to knock back a few (dozen) beers. You can even get your name on the list over at Do512 if you're short on cash.

------

Since I just name dropped Lost Sounds, here is some info:

"Memphis's Lost Sounds began in March 1999 made up of Rich Crook on drums, Jay Reatard on synth, guitar and vocals, and Alicja Trout also on synth, guitar and vocals. The band, originally working within the garage rock genre, had a collection of analog keyboards Trout had used in her previous band The Clears. The bizarre combination of new wave synths and mangled guitars was coined Blackwave (a combination of black metal and New Wave music). The band's last show was in May 2005 in Stuttgart, Germany."

• Lost Sounds - "1620 Echles St."

Also, I read some interesting news yesterday from the world of Jay Reatard. Check it.

Caribou and Fuck Buttons are coming to town, and they're bringing a bucket full of trippyness with them. I told you about these bands just a few weeks ago, and if you want to get a first-person perspective I'm offering up a free pair of tickets for their show at Emo's outdoor this Sunday. To get an idea of what to expect from their performance, check out this review of their recent show from the New York Press:

"With swirling rainbows of colors projected over them, Caribou took the audience on a trip to the 60s. Apparently, the band’s name came to Snaith while on an LSD trip in Canada, and the tight mix of psychedelic pop with krautrock played by Caribou certainly fit with the color projections to make for a trippy experience. Every time the overuse of pre-recorded music started to be a let down, the band took things to a higher level to totally redeem themselves. Snaith, who plays everything on record, switched back and forth between guitar, keyboards and drums flawlessly, even occasionally playing the recorder."

"With all of the hype to live up to, the British duo (Fuck Buttons) cranked up their electronics as loud as they could go. Everything sounds better, or at least more powerful when it’s really loud, and this certainly was the case for Fuck Buttons. Songs that made for a pretty solid but unspectacular debut record hit the crowd with an undeniable force. Like many electronic groups, they weren’t overly exciting to watch, but this is certainly a band that need to be heard live to really be appreciated."

• Audio/Visuals

If you want to get down to Emo's on Sunday night to check out this show just send me an e-mail at covertcuriosity@gmail.com with Caribou in the subject line, and I'll pick a name at random. I promise the show won't get postponed due to damaged vocal chords this time. For more info point your browser to the event listing.

You should go to Club De Ville on Friday. Ume is playing, and they offer the sexiest rock show in town. If you haven't had a chance to see them live yet I would recommend that you seize this opportunity, I seriously love me some Ume. Transmography is playing too, and I've already told you how cool these dudes are. Also in the mix are two more local heroes in La Snacks (a PartyEnds, Austin Sound favorite) and Moses and the Burning Bush.

Check out the event listing for more, and below find some miniature live footage of Ume. Also hear a couple of mp3s including a new one from Transmography.

• Transmography - "Pupa"
• La Snacks - "Port Arthur"

A little while back I told you that whenever there is local music featured at Daytrotter, I would make sure to give you a heads up. Well, heads up! There's a new session from Peter and the Wolf (his second for Daytrotter):

• Peter and the Wolf - "Bike of Jonas"

...as well as a session from And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead:

• And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - "Will You Smile Again For Me?"

Also, I'm told that White Denim will be featured next week. On top of that, Brazos and Octopus Project got recorded during SXSW so you might be hearing those soon.

There is, of course, tons more good stuff at Daytrotter that is totally unrelated to Austin. All you gotta do is check the archives.

As far as genres go, I'm jumping all over the place this week, as usual. In large part I tend to be more interested in taking on all comers, rather than sticking to any particular agenda. In that vein, here is some stuff I recently stumbled upon by a fellow called Loco Dice, who is an electronic musician who operates out of Düsseldorf, though his debut album is an homage to New York. Doing a quick search I find that his real name is Dice Corleone (friggin awesome), and that he started his career as a hip hop DJ and rapper, playing support slots for performers like Ice Cube, Snoop Dog, and Jamiroquai, among others.

"Loco Dice became a very well known figure in his native German hip hop scene and as the scene exploded (becoming Germany's biggest musical genre, as it did right across the world) he did what any self respecting underground artist would: He switched to house music. But not any old house music: very sexy and very crowd pleasing House Music. Tribal, sweetly funky, bassline driven, dance floor friendly skills..." -RA

7 Dunham Place is his debut album, described thusly:

"These are undeniably great dance records, but they're more than that, too. Take Consequently Excentric And Delicate - it's a straight up, dirty, DC10 record, yet riddled with melancholy. Tight Laces evokes old school style with its hip hop referencing title and funky, chopped vocals. La Esquina has the driving rhythms of classic piano house but the stark percussion of minimal techno. Pimp Jackson Is Talkin Now (Dice's pick as this summer's club monster) serves up dirty jazz/funk on a platter of smooth electronic beats."

Try it on:

• Loce Dice - "How Do I Know"
  
• Loco Dice - "Pimp Jackson Is Talkin Now"
• myspace.com/locodice
  

No Age. I stumbled upon these guys at the Fader party at SXSW two years ago, witnessing one half of the L.A. noise-punk duo beating on a drum kit like it owed him money, and the other half feverishly slinging his guitar around the stage in a wall of feedback. It was loud, explosive, and I enjoyed it immediately. I have been keeping up with the band ever since, making sure to catch them once again at SXSW this year. It turned out to be an even better performance than a year before, and I mentioned it here.

No Age released a compilation of singles last year called Weirdo Rippers that was highly praised (here, here), and they have a new album called Nouns that is scheduled to arrive on May 6th.

Via Sub Pop:

"Recorded by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Sound in LA, Harvey Birrell at Southern Studios in London, and at home by No Age, Nouns, the band’s Sub Pop debut, is succinctly all-encompassing, from the faux-simplicity of the title to the beautiful distortion of its sound, to the packaging that includes a 68-page full-color book packed with photos and art pieces. The record opens with a symphony of noise (both Dean and Randy use samples alongside their main instruments) and sometimes creeps, sometimes smashes through a sonic headlock befitting Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, Kiwi pop, My Bloody Valentine, and experimental noise."

Below are a couple of tracks from their new 7'' ("Eraser" is the first taste of Nouns), along with a single from the previous album:

• No Age - "Eraser"
• No Age - "Male Masturbation"

• No Age - "Everybody's Down" (via)
  

You can get your hands on the 4-song single right here, and put in a pre-order for Nouns at the link. If you find yourself in the Eastern Hemisphere next month you can catch No Age in Rome, Scotland, Amsterdam, Paris, and a bunch of cool places in between. Tour dates are here.

*Edit: This show has been postponed until a later date, I'm told due to damaged vocal chords. But, I will still pick a winner for the ticket giveaway and contact them prior to the rescheduled date.

I'm just going to go ahead and get this out of the way...Cat Power is hot. I mean, just take that picture up there as one example. Not only that, she is a special kind of hot because she's sort of mysterious and dark and often a little strange, which only increases the infatuation. Oh yeah, and she's pretty good at that whole music thing too.

The first time I heard of her was back in 2003 on a local radio station (KGSR or KUT), because they used to spin the track "He War" from time to time. Not long after that I caught her to live act at ACL Fest 2004, which was honestly a bit of a disappointment. She really just wasn't on top of her game that day and it showed. But when she came back to the festival for a second attempt in 2006, she put on a truly stellar performance that impressed my pants off. I really would've liked to see her play a longer set, and a buddy of mine who had never heard of her until that day has been in love with her ever since. Can't say that I blame him.

Another two years has passed and Chan Marshall has a new album, a new touring band, and apparently an improved diposition thanks to easing off the booze. Fans who attended a Cat Power show a few years ago might have witnessed frustrating antics, like onstage emotional breakdowns or erratically starting and stopping the band enough times to drive you nuts. But recently those incidents have been replaced by a dose of professionalism, and Cat Power performances have become more about the music than watching a trainwreck. Below is an excerpt from a review of a recent show:

"This edition of the indie-rock icon was definitely not your older sister’s Cat Power. Marshall’s newfound confidence is almost shocking for those who remember her whispering hoarsely while fumbling to get an E-chord sounding right on an acoustic guitar. Pacing the floorboards like a caged you-know-what and displaying a microphone technique Mick Jagger would admire, she belted out a nearly two-hour set that drew heavily on the covers that make up—or at least are connected with—her most recent album, Jukebox.

Cat Power’s enraptured admirers made it clear they weren’t going anywhere without an encore, and they weren’t disappointed. While connecting with the fans at the foot of the stage, Marshall—who has made a big deal over the past two years of being clean and sober—even took a silver flask out of someone’s outstretched hand and shoved it in her back pocket. After tossing flowers into the crowd, she made the international hand sign of impending drinkies and ran off into the darkness. It was reassuring, in a strange way, to know that the old Chan Marshall hadn’t completely disappeared."

Cat Power will be performing in Austin at Stubb's this Sunday, and I have a free pair of tickets to give away to anyone who wants to check it out. All you have to do is send an e-mail to covertcuriosity@gmail.com with Cat Power in the subject line, and tell me in 10 words or less how much you want to go to the show. Any reasonable answer will be considered, and I will contact the winner on Saturday with details of how to claim your tickets.

A lot of times when I pull an all-nighter and need some low-key music to keep me company, I will invariably put on some Cat Power. One recording I've found that delivers comes from a 2004 film called Speaking For Trees. It features a two-hour solo performance of Cat Power, simply playing electric guitar and singing amidst the sounds of nature. The recording is as simple as it gets, featuring nothing but her and a guitar, out in the woods, with a bunch of crickets and an occasional airplane overhead. I uploaded 10 tracks from the film below if you want to try it on for size, and for more information on this you can head to Matador or Amazon.

1. Cat Power - "Time Is on My Side"
2. Cat Power - "Rule the Islands"
3. Cat Power - "I Want"
4. Cat Power - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
5. Cat Power - "Farewell My Enemy"
6. Cat Power - "Sad, Sad Song"
7. Cat Power - "Evolution"
8. Cat Power - "Right Time/Back of Your Head"
9. Cat Power - "I Don't Blame You"
10. Cat Power - "From Fur City"

myspace.com/catpower

The seventh Austin City Limits Music Festival announced its lineup today. In place of some of the heavy hitters making the festival rounds in 2008 (Prince or Radiohead would've been swell), there is a lot of strength coming to ACL Fest from many solid mid-level/indie bands that will definitely make for a well-rounded experience.

You've got the show-stoppers (Hot Chip, Beck), alongside a wealth of serious rock (Raconteurs, Foo Fighters, Black Keys), quality hip hop (Gnarls, Del, N.E.R.D), some big name veterans (John Fogerty, Robert Plant, David Byrne), ample buzz names (Yeasayer, MGMT, Vampire Weekend), and of course some well chosen Austinites (White Denim, Octopus Project, Black Joe Lewis). For selfish reasons I wish there were a couple of added electro/dance names along the lines of Daft Punk, Justice or Girl Talk, but you can't win them all.

ACL has capped festival attendance at 200,000 and pushed it later into September than last year (26-28), which should highten the good vibes and keep a few extra people from passing out in the Texas heat. Three-day passes are on sale at the the link for $170, up $25 from last year, including service charges and a print-at-home option. A limited number of single-day tickets will be available soon.

Here is a look at some of the notables who will perform:

• Hot Chip
• Beck
• The Raconteurs
• N.E.R.D
• Gnarls Barkley
• Foo Fighters
• The Mars Volta
• Silversun Pickups
• Spiritualized
• The Black Keys
• John Fogerty
• Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
• David Byrne of Talking Heads
  
• Erykah Badu
• Duffy
• Jamie Lidell
• Del the Funky Homosapien
• Man Man
• Yeasayer
• Vampire Weekend
• Delta Spirit
• MGMT
• CSS
• The Kills
• Tegan & Sara
• Iron & Wine
• Band of Horses
• Heartless Bastards
• Octopus Project
• White Denim
• Roky Erickson
• The Strange Boys
• What Made Milwaukee Famous
• Okkervil River
• Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears
• Bavu Blakes & the Extra Plairs

• See the Full lineup at ACLfestival.com/lineup
  

On top of all of the local music down here in the live music capital, touring season is definitely starting to get back into full swing. Just taking a quick look at the schedule I see a buttload of great shows listed from now all the way through June. Bring on the Spring touring schedule!

Here are listings for just a handful of shows going down in Austin over the next few weeks that you might wanna check out. Click the links in bold to view the event listing, which has all of the ticket information & artist links & etc etc etc.

Indian Jewelry @ Emo's on April 19

Cat Power @ Stubb's on April 20

UME/Transmography at Club de Ville on April 25

Caribou/Fuck Buttons @ Emo's on April 27

Bonde Do Role/The Death Set @ Emo's on April 30

Man Man/Yeasayer @ Emo's on April 30

• Man Man - "Mister Jung Stuffed"
• Man Man - "Top Drawer
  
• wearemanman.com
  

M.I.A./Holy Fuck @ La Zona Rosa on May 1st

• Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen" (Minotaur Shock Broadmead Redevelopment Version)
• myspace.com/holyfuck
  
• myspace.com/minotaurshock
  

Tapes 'n Tapes/White Denim @ Antones May 2nd

• Tapes 'n Tapes - "Headshock"
• tapesntapes.com
  
• White Denim - "Goldie Locks"
• myspace.com/bopenglish
  

The Raconteurs @ Stubb's on May 3rd

• The Raconteurs - "Five On The Five"
• The Raconteurs - "Top Yourself"
• theraconteurs.com
  

I know, I know...things are really starting to get backed up around here and you're sick of seeing the same old posts from a week ago. I think I need to hire a gmail manager or something. I try to at least glance at every email that is sent my way and sift through the ever-present stack of CDs that materialize on the desk, but it doesn't always happen.

To nudge the ball forward, here are a few things that have caught my attention over the past couple of weeks that I simply haven't been able to mention until now. Included in this aggregator-clogging entry is a new local find called A Faulty Chromosome, a new dance-like discovery from Brooklyn called Hercules and Love Affair, a fresh Jay Reatard single, and some noisy goodness from Fuck Buttons, A Place To Bury Strangers, and Indian Jewelry, who have each been growing on me steadily. Let's call it the "get off your ass and figure out where your headphones are, because you might actually find something in this stack that you dig"...mixtape.


Here's the B-side to the first 7" in Jay Reatard’s series of single releases for Matador. They pressed an extremely limited quantity of this record, and are allowing just one copy per customer. So if you want one you should head to the Matador store and see if they still have any, because once they're gone, they're gone.

• Jay Reatard - "Screaming Hand"
• myspace.com/jayreatard
  

A Faulty Chromosome is a lo-fi mixture of some shoegaze-ish/new wave-ish stuff that I am really enjoying right about now. The album is called As An Ax-Anorexic's Six Sicks Exit, which I believe translates into "come again?". Here's the description du jour that is almost as eclectic as the music itself:

"A Faulty Chromosome is a slopbucket of shoegaze tremolo, hand-claps, 8-bit blips, water-damaged Mister Rogers records, mashed Casio chords and drum machine’d beats--all bundled up in a warmish childhood memory of hiding beneath the kitchen table in 1986 with their uncle’s overweight cocker spaniel. For neophobes and/or the musically nescient, A Faulty Chromosome (sort of) sounds like: The Feelies + New Order + Half Japanese + Pavement + My Bloody Valentine + Yo La Tengo + Sebadoh + Belle & Sebastian. Sort of. They are the quiet kid who hides in the library at lunch time drawing pictures in textbook margins. At worst, enjoyable noise. At best, a charming mess."

• A Faulty Chromosome - "Jackie O"
• A Faulty Chromosome - "Anomie's The Enemy"
• Listen to the whole album
• Read a review at Needle Drop
  

I heard differing reports at SXSW on the quality of A Place To Bury Strangers. One source said it was just okay, one said they were pretty good, and another said they made a big splash at the Wave bar. On the day after I missed them at Emo's I kept noticing people sporting their t-shirts, including the gents from Holy Fuck, so I figured there must be something to it. I finally got around to giving these guys a listen, starting with their Daytrotter recording and following it up with their self-titled debut album, and it seriously rocks. Supposedly they have been labeled the loudest band in New York. If you're into distorted, feedback-laden psychedelic shoegaze-rock, or think you might be, A Place To Bury Strangers has your medicine. Read a review at DOA.

• A Place To Bury Strangers - "Breathe"
• A Place To Bury Strangers - "Ocean"
• aplacetoburystrangers.com
  

Indian Jewelry is a noise rock band out of Houston who have been through a few different incarnations since getting together in 2002. They've got a new album called Free Gold coming out next month on the We Are Free label that is also home to Yeasayer and Ponytail, and they'll soon embark on a lengthy tour in support of the album including a stop in Austin on April 19th. eMusic says:

"Crafting a dense, almost unclassifiable but often very melodic sound, Houston, TX's Indian Jewelry features the core trio of guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Erika Thrasher, guitarist/vocalist Tex Kerschen, and drummer Rodney Rodriguez. The group was also known as Swarm of Angels, Turquoise Diamonds, Japanix, the Corpes of Waco, the Perpetual War Party Band, and NTX+Electric. The band's basic sound remained the same, however, uniting drum machines, drones, noise and other elements of experimental, psychedelic, industrial and garage rock into an intense but alluring free-form mix."

• Indian Jewelry - "Swans"
• Indian Jewelry - "Temporary Famine Ship"
• myspace.com/indianjewelry

Fuck Buttons. What an awesome name. They are a two-piece experimental noise group formed in Bristol, England in early 2004 who combine their nihilistic-noise tendencies with melody and rhythm. The first time I listened to Fuck Buttons I thought to myself...this really sounds like someone mic'ed up a garbage disposal, wrapped it in tinfoil and then stuck it in the microwave. But, the more I go back and listen to the album, Street Horrrsing, the more I understand why it has been getting such high marks by people like The Times, The Observer, NME, Pitchfork, etc etc. Read a review at Almost Cool. They are another band I missed at SXSW and then heard good things about, but as luck would have it they are coming back to Austin soon while on tour with another artist I told you about, Caribou. That show is April 27th at Emo's outside, and I've got your event listing right here.

• Fuck Buttons - "Bright Tomorrow"
• myspace.com/fuckbuttons
  
• Caribou - "Sundialing"
• caribou.fm
  

Hercules and Love Affair are into sweet 70's disco beats, jazzy horns and harmonies, rhythmic dancefloor concoctions, and some funky, toned-down electro. The project is led by a gent named Andrew Butler, who emerged from making music for college-based dance projects into a fully-fledged recording artist via the New York art scene. He hooked up with a few friends including Antony (from Antony & The Johnsons), got them in the DFA studio to collaborate and sing his songs, and the debut album from Hercules and Love Affair was the result. Read a review at Village Voice.

• Hercules and Love Affair - "Blind"
• Hercules and Love Affair - "Raise Me Up"
• herculesandloveaffair.com
  

Instead of having Perry Farrell comparing lineup leakers to skunks...

“My initial reaction? Well… this guy, he’s a stinker, so it was kind of like having a skunk at the party. So what do we do? Well, I think we should make him the stinky mascot. That’s what I’m going to do. Pepe LePew,” he hissed.

...ACL took a turn for the better and offered festival fans a glimpse at 29 of the 130 acts that will play this year in form of a mashup courtesy of Car Stereo (Wars), and the results are dandy.

• Car Stereo (Wars) - ACL Festival 2008 Mashup
  

Here is what we have been able to decipher:

Pearl Jam is being rumored to be one of the headliners as well as Rage Against the Machine. Looking good...

The good folks over at Austin Sound have put together a digital compilation of 21 local artists, with the intent of highlighting some of their favorite music currently being created in the 512. To quote their introduction to the compilation:

"The past year has been an impressive one for Austin music. Both Okkervil River and Spoon cemented their place among the cream of the indie crop with excellent releases, Bill Callahan emerged impressively from his smoggy haze, and Octopus Project brought an avalanche of national attention. Ghostland Observatory rode a wave lasers across nearly every major festival to carry them beyond their allotted 15 minutes and Billy Joe Shaver shot some guy in the face outside a bar the week of a Greatest Hits release – that’s how to drum up press, Texas style. So in anticipation of the beloved onslaught of SXSW and to welcome everyone back to Austin, we present our second digital compilation, Sound Advice Vol. II: The Latest Toughs."

Here's a taste of the compilation that comes from sedated psychedelic newcomers The Strange Boys, fronted by two brothers with an affection for 60's-era garage:

• The Strange Boys - "Nothing"
  

Point your browser over to the link to hear tracks from a bunch of Austin artists that I've mentioned here at one time or another, and a bunch more that I probably should have.

The first time I saw RJD2 perform was at SXSW two years ago, and I remember being impressed as I saw him switch between multiple intruments during the set in order to pull off the sounds he created on 2007's The Third Hand. It is an album he recorded, performed, arranged, and produced entirely himself in his basement studio, commanding his trusty sampler/sequencer alongside a pantheon of analog synths, electric pianos and guitars, not to mention his own voice. RJD2 was catapulted to uber-serious hip-hop credibility with 2002’s Dead Ringer LP, following that debut album with 2004’s critically acclaimed Since We Last Spoke.

• RJD2 - "2 More Dead"
• RJD2 - "Ghostwriter"

When he makes another stop in Austin this Friday, he'll be at Emo's alongside the New Jersey progressive-minded altenative hip-hop duo Dälek, who were described by Stylus Magazine as one of underground hip-hop’s most consistent and challenging acts, calling their 2007 album Abandoned Language a masterstroke that should right their status as being one of the most overlooked acts in hip-hop today. I've been listening through some of their work today, and while it is definitely challenging upon first listen, (industrial rap?, or noise-hop?), there's also something unique and intriguing about what these guys do. Their vocal style is old-school but they wrap it in these futuristic, abstract noises that create a hip-hop sound unlike any other you'll hear.

• Dalek - "Asylum (permanent underclass)"
• Dalek - "Bricks Crumble"

Ticket link is here, event listing is here, and the interactive widget is below..

The Sword will make you put those neck muscles to work, these dudes can seriously bring down the fury. Their new album Gods Of The Earth is released for public consumption today, and it kicks a whole lot of ass. The good folks at Sneak Attack hooked me up with a couple of passes for their only performance of SXSW but I ended up having to give them to a friend, and now that I'm sitting here rocking out to the new album I am really kicking myself for missing that show. I just finished listening to it all the way through with a couple of coworkers, and it really gets the blood pumping.

• The Sword - "The Black River"

This might be one of the only metal albums I pick up all year, and if so I won't feel the least bit deprived because these guys do it right. Gods Of The Earth was recorded at Folkvang Studios right here in Austin, and it is even more ambitious than their debut album that I told you about previously.

from Kemado: "The band's first album was released in February of 2006. Age of Winters is a mind-blowing, nine-song journey inside the mysterious, yet concrete world THE SWORD call their own. Recorded at Austin’s Folkvang Studios, the album was engineered by bassist Richie and produced by frontman J.D. Cronise, ensuring the complete capture of the hard-earned sound the band has worked so tirelessly to achieve. Gods of the Earth instantly conveys what words can only try to describe: THE SWORD is not to be taken lightly. From the moment the album’s lead track “The Sundering” explodes, it is immediately apparent that THE SWORD has upped the ante on a sound all its own. More ambitious, more accomplished and simply bigger, Gods of the Earth’s huge, mountaintop-friendly hooks, thunderous drumming and oceanic bass lines cut through the air like a scythe, while the ominous vocals of frontman J.D. Cronise weave fantastical tales rife with myth and mythology.

You can check out the e-card for Gods Of The Earth at the link, watch the video for "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" right here, and get more at myspace.

The sophomore release from The Black Angels is called Directions To See A Ghost, and very soon Light In The Attic will offer a chance to pre-order the CD and download the entire album one month prior to release. Along with the instant download, you will receive a free limited edition EP featuring unreleased tracks. Check all of that out at the link. A couple of new tracks have been in circulation recently, including "You On The Run" (@ Sonic Itch, Stereogum) and "Doves", which is linked below.

• The Black Angels - "Doves"

Black Angels are headed to Canada for the Beautiful Noise Concert Series before making their way across the pond for a string of dates, including the big All Tomorrow's Parties vs Pitchfork Festival on May 10th. I'd give just about anything to be able to attend that one, I mean check out this lineup. Black Lips, No Age, Hot Chip, Times New Viking, Jay Reatard, Wooden Shjips, Fuck Buttons, Black Angels...now that is friggin solid. See the rest of their tour dates at myspace.

• The Velvet Underground - "All Tomorrow's Parties"

By the way, my cover story on the Black Angels for Austin Music + Entertainment is available just about anywhere newspapers are sold in Austin, with photography by my good friend Mary Sledd, who is absolute dynamite with a camera. Previously: Black Angels live acoustic.