Friday:

The 7^th edition of the Austin City Limits Music Festival got off to a great start on Friday with clear blue skies and cooler temperatures than we have experienced in the past. Texas swing legends Asleep at The Wheel helped get things going early on in the day with their seventh straight ACL performance. While the Brooklyn experimental rockers Yeasayer and What Made Milwaukee Famous were entertaining their respective audiences, an Austin-via-Dallas band called The Strange Boys were making a bunch of new fans over at the smaller Austin Ventures stage. Their jangly garage-pop songs have a vintage quality that got the crowd grooving along in no time, getting their blood pumping for a long day of good music. The highly touted band Vampire Weekend were next up on many people’s schedules, and while their softer brand of pop music isn’t exactly suited for large festival, they seemed to do be able pull it off and keep the crowd’s attention.

We decided to go see Jamie Lidell next, and the Berlin-based neo-soul musician turned out to be the best act we had seen so far. Lidell did a little bit of everything, showcasing his seriously good vocal talent, beatboxing, and even getting behind the record decks for a while to crank out some chest thumping dance beats. By this time the heat was becoming a factor, so we sadly had to skip out on Gogol Bordello in exchange for a bite to eat, a couple of Sweetleaf teas, and a nice piece of shade.

After we had regained our momentum, we fought our way to the front of the AT&T Blue Room stage to see one of London’s finest, Hot Chip. After catching the electro-pop band in an intimate setting at Antone’s last year, and thoroughly enjoying it, I was excited to see them on the big stage. Unfortunately the combination of an additional live drummer, a mid-day set time, and a general lack of sound clarity all contributed in making this performance less spectacular than it could have been. N.E.R.D made up for it immediately afterward, performing all of their hits with a full live band and really getting the crowd involved. By the end of their set the entire stage was filled with female concert-goers who were free to shake their stuff, creating a party atmosphere that everyone seemed to enjoy. Ending with a cover of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” was a good touch.

By this time Antibalas, the Afrobeat Orchestra who were one of the special performing acts at the 2007 Do512 SXSX party, were entertaining everyone who could fit under the tent at the WaMu stage. As the sun was setting we were presented with one of the tougher decisions of the day: to dance our heels off with Manu Chao, or bang our heads with the Mars Volta. We opted for Manu Chao, and once the band had jammed their last note and we were all happily exhausted from dancing around in circles, we knew we had made the right decision. This was already going to be a special occasion due to the fact that Manu Chao only plays a handful of dates in the United States, but we had no idea it was going to be so much fun. Chao and the band did a little bit of everything, mixing a lot of fast-paced rock with groovy explorations that any jam band would be jealous of, while adjusting the tempo in between with an occasional love song.

Saturday:

Though we could have definitely used more sleep on Saturday, especially after heading out late for an afterparty at Emo’s with Dead Confederate and the Heartless Bastards, we really didn’t want to miss Fleet Foxes at 12:30. Before the show I had heard lots of good things about this Seattle folk band and listened to a few songs, but I was still mostly undecided. However, seeing them live really sealed the deal, and their album hasn’t left my car ever since. Though they kept expressing to the crowd (lightheartedly) that they weren’t meant to be a festival band, their performance was outstanding. Their rich vocal harmonies sounded great blasting out of those huge stacks of speakers, with multi-layered songs like “Ragged Wood” keeping the audience’s attention, and presence.

Moving from this performance to the minimalistic singer-songwriter José Gonzalez was a perfect segue. Even though it merely consisted of Gonzalez, a guitar, and occasional backing vocals/instrumentation, there was nothing lacking here. The Argentinian folk singer-songwriter captivated the crowd with songs from his two solo albums, and his cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats” was one of the many highlights. I would have liked to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings next, (I heard it was great), but I also wanted to catch some of the Drive-By Truckers, Man Man (another Do512 party alumnus) and also head to the media tent for some shade and conversation.

After catching the tail end of Man Man’s performance I went to get some prime seating for Erykah Badu, who won the crowd over from the start by blasting out a few verses from Lil Wayne before taking the stage. In the 2005 documentary Before the Music Dies Badu made a quote that has always stuck with me. It was directed at artists/songwriters, and went something like “When you’re saying something, make sure that you’re really saying something.” Erykah Badu embodies this idea both in song and performance, and she gets bonus points for coming out in the heat with a bun in the oven and managing to dance and sing her way to a memorable performance.

Next it would have been nice to see if MGMT were any better live than they were at Fun Fun Fun Fest, but we needed to take a food break before getting down on some John Fogerty action. It was great to see Fogerty up there doing his thing, and I’m glad that I got to hear live performances of some of the songs that I grew up on, but the massive crowd that showed up to watch it was almost too much to bear. After catching some of Fogerty’s set we packed up and started hiking over to hear a little Iron & Wine and get up close for Beck.

I don’t know what kind of show Robert Plant and Alison Krauss put on, but Beck did his very best to play every single one of the hit songs that we know so well, and I think he did a pretty good job of it. He started the show with “Loser,” went straight into “Nausea,” “Girl,” “Timebomb,” “Que Onda Guero,” and continued to blast through a set filled with over 20 songs. It was great to hear some material from Sea Change, (“The Golden Age” and “Lost Cause”), a killer Bob Dylan cover (“Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”), and by the end of the night Beck had the crowd jumping in unison to “E Pro.”

Sunday:

On Sunday the plan was to make it to the park around 1:30 to check out The Kills or the Octopus Project, but Shady Grove was a neighboring beacon of light that promised real food and cheap(er) drinks, so we couldn’t resist. After another stop at the media tent we went to check out Against Me!, not only because the stage was right next to us, but also because a lot people seem to like them. Knowing very little about the band I wanted to give them three or four songs to impress me, but they didn’t, so we traveled on.

After taking a break to re-hydrate and wipe the dust from our eyes we were able to hear the last part of Okkervil River’s set, with “For Real” and “Unless It’s Kicks” both sounding really good from my vantage point. I then had a major conflict deciding on whether to see The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley or White Denim, so I just decided to see a little bit of all three. Luckily I was able to catch “Gone Daddy Gone” and “Run” from Gnarls, “Rich Kid Blues” and “Many Shades Of Black” from Raconteurs, and most of White Denim’s fun-filled performance.

After this trifecta I made sure not to miss Band of Horses, because out of all of the performing acts at the festival in 2008 this was one of the very few that I hadn’t actually seen before. Just like Manu Chao and Fleet Foxes before them, this is another band that I now have more respect for. “Is There A Ghost,” “The Great Salt Lake” and “Islands On The Coast” all sounded great in a live setting, and I would have been more than comfortable to chill out and watch the rest of their set. But, sacrifices have to be made if you want to see everything, so we began to make our way through the crowd to find a decent spot to watch the Foo Fighters.

Like Against Me! earlier in the day, Foo Fighters was another show that just didn’t do it for me. A few of the songs were actually kind of awesome, I think one of them was called “Young Man Blues,” but hearing live versions of over-played radio songs “All My Life,” “Times Like These,” and “Learn To Fly” just didn’t interest me at all. The thing I liked most was being able to see Dave Grohl, as he has been involved in so many good things that he’s pretty much rock royalty, I just think I like him better behind a guitar or drum kit. The crowd for Foo Fighters was huge and lots of people were singing along to every word, (”My Hero” especially), but I was more interested in grabbing a bowl of Amy’s ice cream and heading home for some much needed rest.

• Favorite acts: Manu Chao, Beck, Fleet Foxes, Hot Chip, Jamie Lidell

• Sorry I missed: Gogol Bordello, Sharon Jones, Silversun Pickups

• Positives: Better weather than usual, no big cancellations (White Stripes), giving people swag for picking up trash, plenty of free water

• Negatives: $8 beers, lungs (and cell phone) full of dust, hearing two stages at once

Alright Austin, it's really going down this week. The weather is nice, three days of fun in the sun is near, and there's a ton of other good things to get into. Literally, there's 2000 Pounds of events worth checking out. Remember when I told you about Thomas Function? Well, they're in town.

Here is a list of (mostly) non-official ACL stuff, but the official info is still here. You can win tix for some of these shows at the link, and the link. And there's a live webcast of ACL happening right here, if you wanna watch from home. If you're a beathead, you'll find this to be a helpful resource.

Monday:

• The Juan Maclean w/L.A.X. at Mohawk
• Pompeii at Emo's

Tuesday:

• Red Leaves w/Transmography at Beauty Bar
• The Expendables w/ Rebelution at Emo's

Wednesday:

• Stereolab w/ Atlas Sound at La Zona Rosa

Thursday:

• Art Disaster at Beauty Bar (DJ Mel, Lemurs, more) - RSVP HERE
• Paste Party at Emo's (Thomas Function, Mates of State) - RSVP HERE
• Manu Chao at Stubb's

Friday:

• Dead Confederate w/Heartless Bastards at Emo's
• Cool Kids at Mohawk - RSVP HERE
• Hot Chip After Party - Sweet
• Thomas Function at Beerland
  
• Jamie Lidell w/Black Joe Lewis at Parish
• Gnarls Barkley w/CSS at Stubb's
• AM+E Party at Scoot Inn w/Noise Revival Orchestra, Quiet Company, Red Leaves (Free jeans, shirts, hats and other swag courtesy of Southern Thread) - RSVP HERE
• Antics Party at 508 House w/CSS DJ sets & free drinks - RSVP HERE

Saturday:

• Band of Horses at Parish
• Butthole Surfers w/The Kills at Stubb's
• Car Stereo (Wars) After Party at Emo's Fri./Sat. - Check it
  
• Okkervil River w/Man Man at Emo's
• Sunset Rubdown at Mohawk

Sunday:

• Black Keys w/Black Angels at Stubb's
• Conor Oberst w/M Ward, Jenny Lewis at La Zona Rosa
• Blender Music Lounge Fri./Sat./Sun - RSVP HERE

I remember buying this one when it was released back in 2002, and then jamming on it for quite a while before putting it on the shelf to move on to other things. But over the past year it seems to have been following me around, and I've developed a newfound affection for it.

Almost every time I'm hanging out at a bar something from Songs For The Deaf ends up playing on the jukebox, and it reminds me of just how great this album is. I won't say much more, as most people already know how good this album is. But if you don't know, go buy it, and find out more at the link.

• Queens Of The Stone Age - "God Is In The Radio"
• qotsa.com
  

Tobacco is the ringleader of Black Moth Super Rainbow. When he's not creating super sweet psychedelic electronica with his bandmates, he's doing it all on his own. And doing it quite well I might add. His solo debut, Fucked Up Friends, will arrive on October 14th via Anticon Records. It is already receiving praise from some of the higher-ups, like XLR8R, who are featuring a Tobacco-curated podcast, and Pitchfork, who recently premiered the video for "Street Trash."

Tobacco is pretty much a one-man genre, and if you've enjoyed any of the BMSR albums you need to take this one for a spin. As with all previous efforts, (like these), the music here is anti-digital, created with analog synths and tape machines, giving his work an unmistakably unique personality. And don't let the album title/art scare you, there is good stuff here. Lots of lo-fi boombox beats, distorted melodies, a few electronically-mutilated vocals, and a guest spot from emcee Aesop Rock. My personal favorite is probably "Gross Magik," sort of a droopy head-bobber.

• Tobacco - "Gross Magik

This dude has a few appearances lined up with Why? and Fujiya & Miyagi, to see when and where check the myspace. You can get more info on the album at Anticon.

By the way, remember when I told you about the limited edition "Scratch & Stiff" EP? Well it is now available via the official site. Here's a song from it:

• Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Zodiac Girls" (Pony Version Of 7')
• blackmothsuperrainbow.com
  

No one is telling you to "Vote or Die" like the old Biggie coattail rider-turned entrepreneur did in 2004, but there are plenty of folks asking that you get your vote on during the 2008 election. Santogold, Q-Tip, and Talib Kweli are among the artists taking part in the latest version of the "Rock the Vote" tour, which compliments what is already the largest youth voter registration drive in history.

Apparently some 231,371 people have downloaded voter registration forms from Rock The Vote’s website in the last two weeks alone. If you have yet to register, for any reason at all, get it done while checking out the tour schedule at the link.



...and that wraps up our political coverage for the year.

Talk about a perfect match - The Black Angels and Roky Erickson are in the studio together. This is the kind of news that I like to hear. While hanging out with the Sonic Itch folks at the Mogwai show we ran into one of the Angels. They told us that the band are collaborating with the legendary musician on several pieces of material, some of which is previously unreleased.

Roky Erickson pretty much invented the term "psychedelic music" in the 60's, eventually inspiring the Black Angels to pick up the trade and establish residency in Austin, so it makes perfect sense that they would end up working together. The band plans to take this show on the road for a handful of dates, opening for Roky in addition to performing as his backing band. I also heard a rumor that they will debut this partnership for Erickson's performance at ACL Fest on Saturday at 7:45pm, so maybe we'll all get to see it.

To tie this whole story together, Mogwai invited Roky Erickson to add vocals to the song "Devil Rides" from their Batcat EP, making it quite a rarity for the all-instrumental band. It's nice to see all of this mutual respect flying around.

TOUR DATES:

• October 4th - The Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
• October 28th - The Showbox at The Market, Seattle, WA
• October 29th - Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
• October 31st - El Rey, Los Angeles, CA
• November 1st - The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• November 2nd - The Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA

• rokyerickson.net
• theblackangels.com
  

Here's something good for a Friday night. It's called ATX Converge, it's happening at Mohawk, and a few good local bands will be providing the entertainment. Namely White Denim, Belaire, Black Joe Lewis, and Freshmillions. If you haven't heard about these artists from my ramblings on this blog, you can read some literature on each act right here. There is a catch to this event however...it's free! Just visit the link to RSVP, use this one to share it on facebook, and show up thirsty for some fun. Here's some boilerplate:

"A collaboration between the Integrated Media Community’s City on Fire, Indierect Records, Launchpad Creative, Reversal Films, Self Assembly Films, Swatch Post and Voodoo Highway Music, the ATX CONVERGE is geared toward creating a more cohesive local arts community. Reversal Films will be on site documenting the inner workings of the event for a “rockumentary” feature that will serve as a perennial example of what artistic collaboration can be. This documentary, titled The Independent Culture Project, will premier during spring break of 2009."

That sounds pretty good to me, and I can definitely afford $0. While we're on the subject, try on a new song from White Denim. This is the second track on the tour CDR-turned-studio album Exposion, which you can read more about at the link. These dudes are playing ACL on Sunday at 5:15, so pencil them in if you're attending the festival.

• White Denim - "Transparency"
• whitedenimmusic.com

I got my first listen to the new Secret Machines album this week, something I have been anxiously awaiting since I first heard news of it a few months ago. Getting a chance to see the band perform at Stubb's intensified that desire tremendously, as they sounded even better than I remembered. Even though one of the Machines' founding members (Ben Curtis) has chosen to focus on other things, the ex-Tripping Daisy guitarist Phil Karnats is the perfect replacement, both live and in the studio.

On their third studio album, out on 10/14 in collaboration with World’s Fair Label Group, the trio operates in a slightly less "spacey" territory in exchange for a slightly heavier, more straight-forward approach. The differences are subtle, likely due to natural progression as much as a lineup change. The first single "Atomic Heels" gets the point across quickly, with a pulsating guitar/drum beat that sounds like it is made up of equal pieces of the first two albums. Their expansive nature is still present, "Have I Run Out" nearly hits the 8-minute mark, and album closer "The Fire Is Waiting" tops 11 minutes. The track that has stuck with me the most is the slow-building "Now You're Gone," full of swirling noise, a memorable hook, and some great guitar action around the four minute mark.

While the Secret Machines self-titled album isn't quite a world-beater, it is definitely another solid notch on their headboard, and any fan of their previous efforts will be pleased with what they hear. This is still a band that is best appreciated in a live setting, so check out their tour dates to see when these old Dallas natives will be in your vicinity. For more info on the new album, hit up World's Fair. To hear "Atomic Heels" visit Spin.

• The Secret Machines - "Now You're Gone"
• myspace.com/secretmachines

Jay Reatard & Matador seem like they are getting along just fine. For one thing, each of the 7'' singles they have released together have become sort of a collector's item after they were all scooped up by eager fans. I placed an order for one of them, went all the way through the payment process and everything, then a week later received a message saying that it wasn't gonna happen. They directed me to visit a record store instead, but it was too late.

If this happened to anyone else, you might want to take advantage of the Insound promotion that is going on. If you pre-order JR's upcoming Matador Singles 08 CD/LP, you could win a complete box-set containing all 6 of the Matador 7"s. And if you use the coupon code reatardfans10, you'll get 10% off the order. Check it out at the link. Rock on.

• Jay Reatard - "Gamma Ray" (Beck)
• Jay Reatard - "Fluorescent Grey" (Deerhunter)
• myspace.com/jayreatard

I am pretty sure it's a rule that if you're going to do a post on a British beatboxing soul singer then you have to get your readers in the right mood. We here at the Curiosity would like you to push play before going any further:

It appears that Austin managed to survive the hurricane, so it's time to celebrate. Here are a few ways for you to get that done. Ratatat are playing tonight at Stubb's, with E*Rock & Panther opening. There's no way I am missing that one. If you want something heavier, the old-school Liverpoolian death metal band Carcass have reunited, and they will be playing their only Texas date tonight at Emo's. There is also a band from Oslo, Norway performing. For some reason foreign death metal always sounds way more attractive than our stateside counterparts.

On Tuesday The Hives will play with Eagles of Death Metal at Stubb's, which should fulfill all of your cock rock needs. On Wednesday Redman is playing a free show at the Parish. I've got your RSVP link right here. I had a chance to see Redman perform at SXSW in 2007, and he can still supply a party. Otherwhere, Daniel Francis Doyle, who I told you about, will be performing with a couple of other good bands at Emo's. The club will also play host to The Riverboat Gamblers on Thursday, who never fail to put on a great. I think they made a bunch of new fans when they opened for the Toadies earlier this month.

On Friday there's a "British Invasion Dance Party" at Beauty Bar featuring, among other things, The Ugly Beats' fine retro rock. The New Year are playing on Saturday, I sort-of told you about them not too long ago. For a good way to round out the week's end, check out The Strange Boys at Beerland on Sunday with a couple of San Franciscan psych/garage rockers.

It's a shame that Bradford Cox seems to keep failing at the internet. First Deerhunter's new album Microcastle leaked almost five months early, then, when the guy tried to give fans a free “Virtual 7 Inch” containing two songs via the band's blog, he accidentally provided a link to an entire library of downloads that included two full, unreleased albums. One is titled Weird Era Cont., which was intended as a surprise bonus disc to the Microcastle album. The other is Logos, the second album from his side-project known as Atlas Sound.

The folder was made totally accessible to the public, and even contained various demos and other half-recorded songs. The gaffe was reported by Paste, Pitchfork, Prefix, among others. I seriously doubt any of this was planned, (he published, then deleted a tirade on the blog), but it may still end up working in his favor. I say this because I wasn't much of a Deerhunter fan until I heard Microcastle, and I had a seemingly well-formed opinion after already having seen the band live and listened to their previous releases. But at this point Microcastle is one of my favorite albums of 2008, and I think the accompanying Weird Era Cont. is equally brilliant.

I'll be making a point purchase both discs on the physical release date, (assuming Weird Era gets finished and released), and I'll buy a ticket to their December 2nd date at Emo's. Would I have made plans to do any of this if I hadn't been able to fully try them out in advance? Most likely not. As I said previously, I was pretty certain that I wasn't a fan of Deerhunter, nor any other Bradford Cox creation. But here I am today, blogging up a storm about this band, turning my friends onto them, and recommending that you, dear reader, give them a shot.

So thank your lucky stars for the internet, and for philanthropic artists who have trouble using it. Here are a couple of (unmastered) tracks from Weird Era Cont. to try out. Let's hope we can all go to a record store and buy it on October 28. Microcastle is available digitally via iTunes until then.

• Deerhunter - "Operation"
  
• Deerhunter - "Vox Celeste"
• myspace.com/deerhunter

If you click over to the Dell Lounge they will give you 20 songs to download, for free, from a bunch of good artists. They'll also give you a little playlist box (like the one above) that you can post anywhere you hang out on the internet. I got an e-mail about this the other day and didn't pay much attention to it, but then I noticed they had included a bunch of bands that I've talked about here before, so I'm spreading the word. They've got Panda Bear, Jay Reatard, Black Lips, Beach House, Dan Deacon, and so forth. I'm not sure what kind of license they got to release all the stuff for free, but I'm not going to question it. Check it out at the link.

Here's an oldie for you. When Jack White was 15 he began a three-year upholstery apprenticeship with a family friend named Brian Muldoon. While doing this he also started a one-man furniture business called Third Man Upholstery, and would reportedly write poetry inside the furniture that he worked on.

White and Muldoon would also get together for late night jam sessions, and in 2000 they eventually released a 3-track 7'' single on Sympathy for the Record Industry under the name The Upholsterers. The record is considered a collector's item by many today, as only 100-or so were ever pressed. There's more info here & here.

• The Upholsterers - "Pain (Give Me Sympathy)"
• The Upholsterers - "Apple of My Eye"
• The Upholsterers - "Ain't Superstitious"

• myspace.com/muldoonsofficialsite
• whitestripes.com

ACL Fest is right around the corner, but there are still a few good shows happening before now and then. For instance, Why? are doing their thing at Mohawk tonight. "Their thing" is generally unclassifiable, a potluck of underground hip-hop, experimental indie rock and psychedelic pop, with lyrics that display intellectualism and vulgarity in equal measure. "The Vowels Pt. 2" and "These Few Presidents" both come from their third full-length release, 2008's Alopecia, which you can read all about here.

On Wednesday night you can catch the Swedish metal band Witchcraft at Red 7. They are bringing along fellow Swedish countrymen known as Graveyard, whose self-titled debut resurrects 70’s psychedelic rock like Zeppelin, Cream etc. Common will make a stop at Stubb's on Thursday to woo your girlfriend with some conscious hip-hop, and Scottish rockers Mogwai take the stage on Friday. For something a little further East, check out the Japanese bands playing at Beerland. And then on Saturday Dr. Dog will be at the Parish with Delta Spirit, which we told you about.

next week: Three Six Mafia, Ratatat, The Hives, Redman

Speaking of being hot and having things melt in your car (mmm summer), I have to mention one of my favorite bands from Kansas, Fourth of July. No, not the holiday, the five piece band that practices in their living room, and can claim that over half of their band is related (3 brothers!) They come from the small, but vibrant music scene of Lawrence, KS, which cultivated bands like the Get Up Kids, the New Amsterdams, and Mates of State.

Their first CD entitled Fourth of July on the Plains, from 2007, is not only named after summer, it sounds like summer. It is a perfectly laid back fusion of rock and folk that is one of the VERY few albums I listen to from beginning to end without being irritated. From the lively drum beat of their first song, "Be Careful" to the dazed twang of "Why did I drink so much last night?" to the high contagious sing along "She's in Love" it is continually delightful. There are enough catchy guitar hooks, witty lyrics, and trumpet interjections to keep you happy throughout summer. Here's a taste:

• Fourth of July - "Can't Sleep"
  
• Fourth of July - "She's in Love"
  
• myspace.com/fourthofjuly

Fourth of July was also featured on Daytrotter in March of this year.

Mogwai and Fuck Buttons are currently on tour together, and they've got a new addition to the merch stand in the form of a split single. It's got a Mogwai remix of the Buttons' "Colours Move," and FB providing an epic-sounding cover of the Mogwai original "Mogwai Fear Satan."

This thing is apparently very limited, so get to a show and pick one up. The tour hits Austin next Friday, September 12. Get yer tix.

• Fuck Buttons - "Colours Move" (Mogwai Remix)

Dates:

• September 6 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC, Canada
  
• September 8 - Grand Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
  
• September 9 - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles, CA
  
• September 10 - Rialto - Tucson, AZ
  
• September 12 - Stubb's Bar-B-Q - Austin, TX
  
• September 13 - Granada Theatre - Dallas, TX
  
• September 15 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
  
• September 16 - The National - Richmond, VA
  
• September 17 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
  
• September 18 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY
  
• September 19 - Starlight Ballroom - Philadelphia, PA
  
• more
  

The long awaited follow-up to the Lemurs' self-titled debut EP lands this week. It's called Million Little Bits, and if you head down to their show at Mohawk on Saturday night (with Belaire, Pink Nasty and Low Line Caller) you'll receive a copy of the EP with your ticket purchase. The production and songwriting on Million Little Bits shows the maturity of this young band, who have been making a name for themself around the Austin music scene for the past couple of years.

If I had to pinpoint their new EP on the music map, I'd say it feels like The Cure met up with Bloc Party and were produced by Gary Numan. It has a nice sound and feel to it with great use of effects and dynamics. The addition of backing vocals to the disc is a great touch, as is the fuzz bass on tracks like "Waiting Outside."

Not only are the Lemurs of the nicest bands you will meet, they really pack a punch in the live setting. Singer Mitch Billeaud breaks a sweat with the first lyrics out of his mouth, guitarist Davy Click wails and bends notes furiously, while drummer Danny Reisch pounds the drums with utmost precision. Expect a packed show Saturday night as these dudes know how to entertain. If you're not in Austin and want to get your hands on some Lemurs EP's, just check out the store on their myspace page.

• The Lemurs - "Yours Mine Ours"
  
• The Lemurs - "Waiting Outside"
  
• The Lemurs Web Site
  

I have told you about Dead Confederate before, but this time I'm serious. Seriously serious. They've got an album, it's called Wrecking Ball, and it kicks ass all over the place. Someone please quote me on that. The Athens-based band recorded Wrecking Ball in Austin with producer Mike McCarthy, who did a great job of capturing their sound.

That sound is a combination of space rock, grunge, classic rock, and what people like to call Southern rock. Anyway you slice it, Dead Confederate just flat out rocks. The drums crash hard, the guitars wail with anger and emotion, and frontman Hardy Morris' vocals are a force to be reckoned with. Fans of bands like Dinosaur Jr., Nirvana, and Pink Floyd should definitely pay attention to this one.

I was immediately sold after hearing the album-opening "Heavy Petting," and by the time I got to other standout tracks like "It Was A Rose" and "Start Me Laughing," the volume was turned up as high as it would go. The lengthier, spacious tracks "Flesh Colored Canvas" and "The News Underneath" are both impressive as well, each one with a meandering, mesmerizing quality that'll make you lose track of time.

• Dead Conederate - "Heavy Petting"
• myspace.com/deadconfederate
  

Dead Confederate are the first band on The Artists Organization, a new label created by Gary Gersh, the A&R exec that originally signed Nirvana and Sonic Youth. The label will release Wrecking Ball in both digital and physical forms on September 16, 2008. You can see Dead Confederate in Austin on September 26 at Emo's with the Heartless Bastards.

If you want an easy way to organize your schedule for ACL Fest 2008, I have your medicine. I have laid out a 5-Step process for success, so you don't have to be confused about who's playing at what time, on what day, on which stage.

• Step 1: Go to Sched.org
• Step 2: Pick a Username/Password
• Step 3: Pick the artists you wanna see
• Step 4: Do a little dance (optional)
• Step 5: Show off your schedule with the ACL Widget

That's really all there is to it folks. And you can post the widget pretty much anywhere (blogs/facebook/myspace) if you want to let people know who you'll be seeing. You can also just print your schedule or bookmark it for further inspection, if that's more your style. It's a pretty good way to keep track of the all of the artists who will be performing, and if you click an any artist name there's video & audio for you to see & hear.

I'd put a check next to Hot Chip if I were you, they like to party. Silversun Pickups are another quality live act, so are Gnarls, Beck, The Kills...and if you show up early on Friday make sure to see The Strange Boys. If you're broke, and in need of a pair of 3-Day Passes, check out the "Pick 10 to Win" giveaway here. Info on ACL aftershows is still here.

For your perusal, a couple of recent productions from Hot Chip:

• The Pharcyde - "Passin' Me By" (Hot Chip Remix)
• Grosvenor - "Drive Your Car" (Hot Chip Remix)
• myspace.com/hotchip
  

Lions will set the stage for the start of a three day Toadies bender at Stubb's tonight. Lions are as southern rock as it gets without donning a confederate flag. Their new release, No Generation, has been on the shelves for a couple of months but will be re-released nationally on Oct. 28th. Good on you, Austin, for showing them some love.

Lions have been one of the more successful rock bands out of ATX in the last couple of years. This came as a result of their tough-as-nails work ethic, relentless touring (support for Local H and Toadies), and a little help from their friends at Guitar Hero, who featured their song "Heavy Metal Lady" (from their first release Volume 1) on the third installment in their pseudo rock star game.

On their new disc, Lions keep to the formula of KISS (keep it simple, stupid) and rock hard throughout the duration to get that headbanging action you need. Don't be surprised if they outshine Toadies on some of their dates across America in the coming weeks. Expect some heavy riffs, mighty screams, lots of hair and a truly entertaining show. Get there early to catch the magic.

Check out some cuts from the new Lions disc:

• Lions - "All Hail"
• Lions - "Porch"
• lionstheband.com
  

I made a point of catching every single reunion Toadies show in and around Austin the last three years always thinking it would be the last. But just like KISS or Black Sabbath, Toadies love getting your dollar enough to entice you out with a "this may be the last time so you better go to this show" promotional effort. But unlike K and BS, Toadies have a brand new album!

They will be showcasing the new product on their three-day stand at Stubb's beginning tonight, and this Fall on their US tour. No Deliverance debuted at #59 on Billboard last week and the new single by the same name has been steadily jamming across the airwaves - especially in Texas. (note: It irks me when bands name albums with title tracks. No single track should ever encompass what the entire album is about.)

The music on the new CD should not come as a surprise to anyone. Same kind of riffs, same kind of vocals, same rock that you come to expect by Fort Worth's Finest. But you are going to the show to sing along to the first album right? Lions open tonight. Riverboat Gamblers and One Mississippi open tomorrow and RG and locals Faceless Werewolves open Friday's concert. Get your tix from Stubb's.

Here are a couple of cuts from the new Toadies album:

• Toadies - "So Long Lovely Eyes"
• Toadies - "I Am A Man Of Stone"
• thetoadiesrock.com
  

If you're still waiting for the Walkmen to re-create a song like "The Rat," you might want to stop holding your breath. =This shouldn't be any sort of detraction, though the band can't seem to distance themselves from that notion. The Walkmen have been doing some different things with each new album since their debut, but most of what that you heard on the critically acclaimed follow-up Bows + Arrows has turned into a more muted, contemplated form of introspection.

Even the aggressive and fast-paced tempo of A Hundred Miles Off is nowhere to be found on You & Me, their fourth full-length album, which was just released last month. Regardless of whatever might be missing, or what things might have changed for this band over the years, I think this newest effort is their strongest since Bows + Arrows. Some people are calling it the best of their career, which I wouldn't necessarily disagree with.

There is no feeling of rigidity to this album, and the whole thing seems to flow really well from front to back, especially the middle section of "Red Moon", "Canadian Girl," and "Four Provinces." These three songs almost sound like they were created simultaneously, which keeps your interest without being so in your face like some of the cuts that were found on A Hundred Miles Off.

Even if I were to nitpick I still wouldn't be able to find many bad things to say about You & Me. Other than certain parts of the album being a bit too slow for my taste, I think The Walkmen hit their mark with this one.

• The Walkmen - "On The Water"
• The Walkmen - "I Lost You"
• marcata.net/walkmen

All the way back in December the Curiosity told you about Delta Spirit and their great new album Ode to Sunshine. At this point, I really think people who enjoy listening to good music need to know who they are...so I felt like another post was in order.

In continuation of discussing bands who will be performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest, let's talk a little bit about Parts & Labor. The band was formed a few years ago in Brooklyn by the prolific Dan Friel, who hooked up with a fellow noise rock musician and eventually turned to the band into a four piece.

Their debut album was an entirely instrumental affair, released in 2002 via the tiny New York-based imprint JMZ Records. After receiving positive reviews Jagjaguwar laid their claim to the band and have been involved with each of their three albums since, including the forthcoming release of Receivers.

Parts & Labor's music is somewhat psychedelic, completely anthemic, and the new album is chock full of enough fist-pumping moments to give you a full upper body workout. It gets started with the seven minute long "Satellites," a track that sounds like it very well could have been recorded in a power-fueled corner outer space. other standout tracks like "Little Ones" and "Prefix Free" touch on their obvious noise rock roots, while "Wedding In A Wasteland" sounds like something The New Pornographers might create on one of their less optimistic days.

The coolest thing about it is that they asked their fans to contribute by sending in various snippets of noises and field recordings, each of which found their way onto the album in some form. You can read all about that in detail at Jagjaguwar, who have also offered up a new single (Nowheres Nigh) from the album for free download. It's not my favorite song on Receivers, but with the release date still almost two months away, you take what you can get. Follow the links for more.

• Parts & Labor - "Nowheres Nigh"
• partsandlabor.net
• jagjaguwar.com

P&L Tour:

• 10/23/08 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
• 10/24/08 Chicago, IL - The Hideout
• 10/25/08 St. Louis, MO - The Billiken Club
• 10/27/08 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
• 10/28/08 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
• 10/29/08 Boise, ID - Neurolux
• 10/30/08 Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
• 11/01/08 San Francisco, CA - Hemlock Tavern
• 11/03/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Smell
• 11/05/08 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
• 11/07/08 Houston, TX - Walters On Washington
• 11/08/08 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest
• 11/09/08 Dallas, TX - The Lounge
• more
  

Emo's is celebrating their 16th Anniversary this week, which I'd say is definitely worth a pat on the back. As I think back on what was going on in my life 16 years ago, I'm mostly drawing a blank. I was probably in junior high spending my time listening to Billy Ray Cyrus or Garth Brooks or something. But that's okay, I've been making up for it ever since. Seeing a ton of shows at Emo's and various other spots on Red River has helped cover up some of those scars.

For their 16th Anniversary week Emo's is bringing GZA, The Genius of Wu-Tang Clan fame to perform his Liquid Swords album in its entirety. Liquid Swords arrived in '95 and greatly influenced the East Coast hip-hop renaissance, and has gone on to be ranked in the upper echelon of hip-hop albums by just about every relevant source. GZA has also performed the album in its entirety at the Pitchfork Music Festival and at All Tomorrow's Parties in England, so it must be a good draw.

• GZA - "Duel Of The Iron Mic"
• myspace.com/gza

You can also see this guy who calls himself Adventure, a new addition to Baltimore's Wham City scene, who makes accelerated electronic music that channels the 8-bit soundtracks of the Sega Genesis video game catalog. They've also got Ume, Eluvium, Mudhoney, and a handful of other enticing acts. There's a pretty good bill tonight in fact, with Lymbyc Systym and This Will Destroy You, the latter having just remixed a Lymbyc Systym track (along w/the likes of Daedelus) for an album that I'll bet they will be selling at the show. You can get more info on everything anniversary-related here and here.

If you are curious about the photo: Johnny Cash played at Emo's once upon a time, and the stool that he sat on hangs above the bar there.

Fujiya & Miyagi really seem to be hitting their stride with their newest release, Lightbulbs. Not only is it miles better than their debut (Electro Karaoke in the Negative Style), but depending on what particular elements of music you're most attracted to, it's as good as their breakthrough album Transparent Things, if not better.

Expanding to a four-piece was a well-informed desicion, because on Lightbulbs straightforward instrumentation shares equal presence with their groove-filled electronic creations, which seems to breathe more life into everything they do. Transparent Things was basically a collection of singles, good ones mind you, but this new album is simply more complete, thorough, and well-formed.

The first single, "Knickerbocker", will easily get stuck in your head with its sweet-sounding repitition. Songs like "Sore Thumb", "Pterodactyls" and "Pussyfooting" are all solid, as is the album closing instrumental "Hundreds & Thousands." If you can't bob your head to this stuff, then you should get your neck looked at. Lightbulbs is out in the UK today via Full Time Hobby, and will hit the states soon enough. Fujiya & Miyagi will be on a very breif US tour at the end of October.

• Fujiya & Miyagi - "Pterodactyls"
• myspace.com/fujiyaandmiyagi

It seems like I haven't done a themed post in months, but I've got a little free time today, so let's break the drought. I'm not going to spend too much time working on it, (see what I did there?), but here are are a few songs about work, or lack thereof, for your Labor Day.

I don't have much affection for Rush, (Tom Sawyer makes me want to hit someone), but Working Man rocks. The Ramones and Mekons provide a little punk, everyone loves some Bob Marley, and I included the Dan Reeder track because it is "fucking" hilarious. Finishing it off is the solid combination of Devin + Snoop + Andre. Devin will be in town in October, by the way. Links are provided to the albums from whence each of the songs originated. Enjoy.

• Ramones - "It's Not My Place (In the 9 to 5 World)" via
• Mekons - "Never Work" via
• Rush - "Working Man" via
• Dan Reeder - "Work Song" via
• Bob Marley - "Work" via
• Devin The Dude - "What a Job" via