Monday, November 30, 2009
Various Artists
Here are a handful of songs I meant to post at one time or another. The first comes from the outstanding new Sunset album, Gold Dissovles to Gray, their best effort yet. Hit up the local Autobus label to get your hands on it. I tossed in another one from the new Atlas Sound album, also highly recommended, and a few random tracks that have graced my inbox recently. Follow the links if you like what you hear.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black Friday
In addition to waiting in line at Walmart at midnight to save ten bucks on a new television, there's plenty of stuff to see and do in Austin on this Black Friday. For one, Neon Indian are kicking off the WOXY local residency series at Stubb's with support from The Tunnels. Neon Indian recently received some love from Pitchfork by being honored with their coveted 'Best New Music' award, landed an ABC World News feature, and premiered a couple of remixes for the Grizzly Bear track "Cheerleader."
The Tunnels is an Austin-based band in the vein of Spacemen 3, Velvet Underground, and the 13th Floor Elevators. Their debut record is available from Austin's Super Secret Records. Tickets for tonight's show at Stubb's are available here. If you seek to find your entertainment elsewhere, check out the rest of the schedule for tonight:
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Nudge
Nudge is a slightly loose collective lead by Los Angeles based musician Brian Foote. When he's not busy recording bands from the Deerhunter family, namely Atlas Sound and Lotus Plaza, he gets together with a few talented friends to record beat-heavy electronic music with an unique style that ranges from dub and rocksteady to psychedelic rock and jazz. "Two Hands" comes from the latest Nudge album, As Good as Gone, released earlier this year via Kranky. This one kind of sounds like early Portishead meets psychedelic rock...
Real Estate
Real Estate is a fairly new quartet out of Jersey. Their name has been on everyone's lips following a handful of much-talked-about performances during CMJ in New York last month, not to mention their string of vinyl releases on the likes of Woodsist and Mexican Summer. Featuring Matt Mondanile, who creates his own brand of tropical pop under the name Ducktails, Real Estate is a focused, four-man torrent of chilled-out beach jams. Their music sounds like a sweet puff of smoke floating by on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Chocolate Bobka says Real Estate exudes "the smokey blah of hazy suburban late nights in basements, on porches, in forests and next to ponds, friends strumming, slightly singing, getting stoned, throwing beer cans in the fire and, eventually, passing out...what bored Summer days and nights in Northern Jersey sound like."
Real Estate will be performing on Thanksgiving in Austin at The Mohawk, which might be the perfect environment for anyone caught in the grips of a turkey comatose.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Introducing: Auto Body
Thursday night Emo's is hosting a new band that I am excited to see. They're an electronic duo who go by the name of Auto Body, comprised of Felix Moreno (of the Chicago-based Future Rock) on synthesizer and bass, with Austin's own Tibaut Bowman (DJ Thibault) on vocals and samplers. These guys blew the roof off of Beauty Bar in their local debut last month, as evidenced by the footage on the band's myspace page. Their live performances are nothing short of electronic sensory overload, featuring an explosive light show that is unlike anything else Austin has to offer.Auto Body will be opening for the indescribable Gil Mantera's Party Dream on Thursday, right around the time that Friendly Fires are wrapping up their sold-out show at the Mohawk. I hear they have added even more wattage to their blazing light show, so they will be handing out a free "necessary piece of equipment" to the first ten rows at Emo's just before they go on stage. They have also added some new, unheard, tracks to their set list, including the Dan Deacon-meets-Daft Punk vibe of "Run But Don't Hide."
Auto Body sent over a 4-song package of new material to check out in advance of the show, which you can download totally free at the link.
I really think these guys are onto something, so take these tracks for a spin and be on the lookout for a physical release in the near future. Doors open at 9 PM for the show tomorrow, and the inside room at Emo's holds under 400 people, so there is a very good chance it will sell out in advance. Tickets are here, and I'll be giving away a pair via Twitter tomorrow. You can also find a bit more info on Facebook.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Bassnectar
Bassnectar is the musical handle of San Francisco-based DJ/producer Lorin Ashton. I first became familiar with him during SXSW this year when I caught him opening up for Jane's Addiction, and when ACL Fest rolled around I made sure that Bassnectar was on my schedule. I dragged some friends over to the ACL set to soak up his "smorgasboard of pummeling dubstep beats and tough-as-nails breaks" along with me, and we were all dancing in no time.
I then spent the second half of October listening to the new Bassnectar album Cozza Frenzy, his seventh release. After three years of nonstop touring Ashton had amassed an indecent amount of material, so he chose 15 distinct pieces that were all well-rounded for this CD. The album is full of heart-pounding bass and synthesized riffs, coupled with all sorts of experimental sounds and touches of hip-hop. It is party music through and through.
Them Crooked Vultures
Last month at the Austin City Limits Music Festival I fought my way through a thick crowd to get close to the stage for Them Crooked Vultures, not really knowing what to expect. I had not even heard any of the music, I just knew it was a collaboration between Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) back on the drums where he should be. With that lineup, it was unsurprising that their set ended up being one of the best I saw at ACL all weekend.
You've got John Paul Jones, from Led fucking Zeppelin, laying down the groove while Homme shreds on guitar and Grohl pounds away mercilessly on the drums? Now that's a recipe for rock and roll. Upon hearing their self-titled debut album today I was unsurprised once again to find that it is equally as great as the live show. Them Crooked Vultures, the album, was released in stores today and is a must for any fan of rock music, much less a follower of the contributing band members. This whole project is a winner.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Blakroc
An album featuring the Black Keys and some of the biggest names in hip-hop will be released on November 27 under the name Blakroc. The project sports contributions from Jim Jones, Mos Def, Q-Tip, RZA, Raekwon, Ludacris, Pharoahe Monch, NOE, Nicole Wray, Billy Danze and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Sessions got underway in early summer in Brooklyn, N.Y., with Mos Def's songs among the first put to tape.
Standout moments include the album opening blues-banger featuring ODB, both tracks with Jim Jones, and the Pharoahe Monch & RZA one-two punch on "Dollaz & Sense." There's good production throughout, and never an "oh no they didn't" moment on any of the album's 11 tracks. The Observer digs it to the tune of four stars. A video teaser featuring in-studio footage is now live at blakroc.com.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Friday at FFF Fest
Festival goers were greeted by by warm temperatures Saturday, the first day of the 4th annual Fun Fun Fun Fest. Something notable and worth mentioning was the layout of the Orange and Black Stages. A huge platform, divided equally into halves expedited setup time between acts.
The first act we caught was the Royal Bangs, a poppy indie orchestration permeated by electro beats. The quintet who hails from Knoxville, Tennessee recorded their full-length debut “We Breed Champions,” independently and released on Audio Eagle records May of last year. Their fun songs had hipsters bobbing their heads even before indie rockers Crystal Antlers played on the opposite side of the shared platform.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Vega and Neon Indian front man Alan Palomo and ask him a few questions, here’s what he had to say:
CC: How was Neon Indian conceived?One of the highlights of the Saturday evening was New York post-hardcore rockband Les Savy Fav. The set began with “The Equestrian” off 2007 release Let’s Stay Friends. Front man Tim Harrington emerged in a sea monster or “Creature from the Black Lagoon”-esque metallic costume. Less than a minute of commencing, he peeled off the mask to reveal a black metal fence design painted on his face. He sang a few more lines before entering the crowd, where he was greeted enthusiastically by fans. By the third song, Harrington had rubbed fake blood on his torso and smeared brown paint on his back and lower end which could have suggested a result of an upset stomach.
AP: The actual conception started with the song “I Should Have Taken Acid with You.” I had this intense dream where I had taken this potent psychedelic dream and right when it was kicking in, I woke up and actually had this very disorienting morning, so I texted Alicia about it and she was like ‘do you want to take some acid.’ So we set some time aside to do so, although I wasn't able to because I was up in Dallas mixing somebody’s records so I wasn’t able to come down and I felt really bad about it so a month later I wrote this tongue-in-cheek song but still sincere apology that was based on this similar sensibilities we shared.
CC: What is the origin of the name?
AP: It’s the only band name I can’t take credit for. It’s actually kind of an inside joke from high school. Shortly after graduating, I started the band Ghosthustler and my long time friend Alicia in mock retaliation created a band called “Neon Indian.” She made this Myspace page which sat there for years because she doesn’t know how to play any instruments. Given that much of the subject matter of Psychic Chasms hearts back to that time, it makes perfect sense to name it after the pretend band that never actually happened.
CC: And what influences your musical style of writing?
AP: Around the time I wrote the whole album, it was such a weird introspective time because I moved to Austin and I didn’t really have too many friends or as many as I thought I did and I didn’t have a car so I mainly just spent my time indoors and it threw me through this self-reflective loop. Through that stir-craziness, it served as a weird audio documentary or soundtrack to these memories that are buried in experience. I kind of wanted to translate that into music and that’s why it has these buried sensations, sounds are constantly changing in the song, but musically I would say it would be influenced by a lot of weird child-hood pop songs.
CC: So what happened to the secret show you guys were playing tonight?
AP: Aw man, the thing is we had a show commitment for the rest of the tour in Lubbock, which is an intensely long drive. So unfortunately, it was just a logistical nightmare to play the show, do that little radio thing and drive to Lubbock. It sucks because we really want to the play the show.
His entertaining antics drew cheers, laughs and a lot of dropped jaws. At one point he tried to take the camera from a videographer, from whom he found much resistance. After the attempt, he clumsily crawled atop the crowd where he proceeded to stick his tongue down an audience-member’s throat. A rendition of the Silver Jew’s “Punks in Beerlight” followed. Towards the end of the show, Harrington brought out a 10 foot ladder which was initially placed in the crowd and somehow shifted into a flat walking plank. A member of the audience joined Harrington and licked his sweaty protruding stomach---jaws dropped and many gagged.
The evening ended with alternative rockers The Jesus Lizard on the Black Stage. Upon getting on stage lead singer David Yow greeted fans with a snarky “Hello Dallas!” before diving head first into the crowd. Louder than last week’s Dinosaur Jr.’s show, we wished we had brought earplugs and feared for our lives as a mosh pit loomed and beer cans flew every which way.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Video: Sunset
Here's a new video from Sunset, this one for "Rivers Of Babylon" from their new album Gold Dissolves to Gray. This is the fourth full length from Sunset in two years, due to be released on November 24 via Autobus Recs. Bill Baird posted a bit of info about the album on Sunset's Blogtime:
"Also, we have a new album coming out November 24th! "Gold Dissolves to Gray," which was just called a "beauty of an album" (Some Velvet Blog), is available on 180gram lp with c.d. inserted. Also available as a c.d. with special screen-printed cover. Both the c.d. and l.p. are available in a limited edition of 500. Did I mention the c.d. looks really cool under a black light? Yes, it does.
It's somewhat of a departure for me. Less psychedelic, maybe. Bringing forth certain folk and country elements that had previously remained under the surface. Safe to say, this record will be unique in the Sunset catalog. The next release, fairly near completion, takes things in a whole other direction."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Covert Concert Picks
Here is a quick list of our picks for live music in Austin this week.
Simply follow the links to find out more.
Simply follow the links to find out more.
Wednesday 11/11:
Thursday 11/12:
Friday 11/13:
- Elvis Perkins in Dearland, AA Bondy at the Parish - Tix
- All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem tribute) at Beauty Bar
- Mastodon, High on Fire, Dethklok at the Austin Music Hall
- Monsters of Folk (Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward and Mike Mogis) at Stubb's
Saturday 11/14:
- ATX Converge with White White Lights and more at Mohawk
- Car Stereo (Wars) at the Highball
- Son Volt, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at Antones
Sunday 11/15:
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
New LCD Soundsystem
First off, RIP Jerry Fuchs. I was saddened to hear of his tragic passing yesterday.
Second, LCD Soundsystem has decided to give away this new tune for free. “Bye Bye Bayou” is the first new music from LCD Soundsystem since the release of Sound of Silver, and the track is a cover of an Alan Vega song from his 1981 debut album. You can pick it up on vinyl right here. LCD’s upcoming third album will be released in March 2010.
Third, there's an LCD Soundsystem tribute band playing in Austin on Friday. They're called All My Friends, and they will be playing at Beauty Bar along with Prince Klassen.
Washed Out
Washed Out is the one-man musical project of Ernest Greene, who creates dreamy, hazy, lo-fi dream-pop in his parent's home in the rural Georgia town where he grew up. He combines drunken synthesizers with all sorts of layered effects, mixing danceable beats and melodies with an 80s throwback feel. It kind of sounds like Ducktails and Neon Indian had a baby.
Washed Out has released a couple of limited-run EPs via Mexican Summer and Mirror Universe, but those songs will eventually be put out on a larger scale. He says he has no plans to go out on tour, but is thinking of doing SXSW next year. Get your hands on the Life of Leisure EP, every song is a hit.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Picks for Fun Fun Fun
We couldn't be more excited to know that we will be able to spend the weekend soaking up the sights and sounds of Fun Fun Fun Fest at Waterloo Park. Tickets are still available, the weather is going to be perfect, and this might be the best lineup in the festival's brief history. We will have more coverage after the smoke clears, but for now here are our band picks for each day, along with info on a few after parties. The full festival schedule is here.
Mr Curiosity picks:
Saturday:
- Crystal Antlers
- Times New Viking
- Vega
- The Sword
- Dead Confederate
- DEATH
- Neon Indian
- The Cool Kids
- Ratatat
- The Pharcyde
Sunday:
- Fuck Buttons
- Atlas Sound
- Why?
- Broadcast
- The Strange Boys
- HEALTH
- Crystal Castles
- Danzig
Saturday:
- Melt Banana
- DEATH
- Neon Indian
- Yeasayer
- The Cool Kids
- Les Savy Fav
- Jesus Lizard
- Destroyer
Sunday:
- Atlas Sound
- Mission of Burma
- Crystal Castles
- Danzig
- Of Montreal
Friday:
Cherrypeel's Combo Plate
The Hood Internet, Neiliyo, Prepmode, and more
Location: Scoot Inn
RSVP - $5/$8 at the door
Fu Manchu, Lions, Fucked Up(DJ set), and more
Location: Red 7
$10 Tickets
Saturday:
Deadmau5, Toddy B, Burns
Location: Stubb's
The Cool Kids (DJ set), DJ Mel, and more
Location: Beauty Bar
Before 10pm - $5/After 10pm - $10
The Octopus Project, Voxtrot, and more
Location: The Mohawk
Sunday:
Trail of Dead, Dark Meat, and more
Location: The Mohawk
Monday, November 02, 2009
Le Loup
In the beginning, Le Loup was simply the bedroom project of Sam Simkoff. The debut Le Loup album arrived in 2007 and consisted of Simkoff handling all of the instrumental duties himself, blending keyboard loops with banjo, folk harmonies, percussion, and computerized effects. The album was released via Hardly Art, the new label started by Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman, and received positive reviews like this one from Pitchfork.
Le Loup has since evolved into a seven-piece band, with each member contributing vocals and songwriting credits. The second album, Family, finds the middle ground between tribal rock, freak folk, and sonic experimentation. Everybody in the live band sings, and all instruments work together to create a sound that is heavily laden with intricate patterns and swells, edging towards dramatic, sweeping movements. The group has drawn comparisons to the likes of Animal Collective and Yeasayer.
Le Loup will be performing in Austin tonight at the Mohawk, after playing a 5pm in-store at Waterloo Records. Opening the show at Mohawk will be Zorch, a local drums and keys duo who make experimental rock using Wurlitzer, Moog, Omnichord, frenetic drumming and some loud amps. They are influenced by the likes of Lightning Bolt, Death From Above 1979, Battles, and HEALTH. Here's two of their demo tracks:
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