Hard-hitting San Francisco DJ/producer Bassnectar has some new cuts to test the low end on your speaker system. The Timestretch EP is a five-track roller coaster ride through an amusement park of amorphous bass music, created to melt dancefloors and cross-pollinate genres. The release includes a collaboration with Amorphous Music prodigy Jantsen, and arrives in cool bundles that feature new merch, various musical formats (CD, vinyl, hi-fi) as well as bonus remixes and instrumental versions.
Check out the title track below, and head to the Bassnectar blog to read more about the release, which includes some troubling info about the digital distributor Beatport.
Bassnectar is touring like mad for the next few months, with appearances at Bonnaroo,Coachella, and a couple of shows with Major Lazer and STS9. The tour will make its way to Austin on Saturday, May 29 at Stubb's. We will be giving away a pair of spots on the guestlist for the Stubb's show, so keep an eye on the Twitter account for a chance to win. I've seen Bassnectar the last couple of times they have been in Austin, and the shows are an incredible audio/visual experience. To get an idea, there is tons of live video available here.
The second Strange Boys album takes a while longer than the first, but it is definitely a grower. Be Brave is no where near the barn burner that And Girls Club was, but its not trying to be. Instead of relying on lively garage rock, the band debuts a drifting folk sound that leans heavily on harmonica, organs, piano, and "vocals that suggest a young Bob Dylan had he spent more of his formative years in juvie halls than coffeehouses."
There is still a lingering taste of Nuggets-era pop, "Night Might" in particular, but the overall vibe is more rootsy than before. It might not always work, as the acoustic numbers including "Laugh at Sex, Not at Her" don't quite hit the mark, but at least the Strange Boys are brave enough to give it a shot. And when it works, it works really well. There are five or six really good songs here, and they've beaten plenty of other garage rockers to the punch by pushing things in a new direction.
Golden Triangle is sexually split six-piece (3 Gals, 3 Guys) from Brooklyn. Hardly Art recently released the band's debut LP, Double Jointer, produced by Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, Blonde Redhead). Their music is loud, spooky, and the album closing "Arson Wells" is one of the finer examples of Golden Triangle's fiery, carnival garage rock.
Golden Triangle are buddies with Black Lips, King Khan and Quintron, and the departed Jay Reatard's former girlfriend and bandmate is the act’s bassist. Their live shows are notoriously wild, and they provided one of my favorite sets of SXSW 2010. For more info, Brooklyn Vegan has pictures, Spinner has an interview, and NY Press has some inspired words. Video for "Neon Noose" is below, which also comes from Double Jointer.
A few months ago Portishead released a brand new track - 'Chase the Tear' for Amnesty International. It's now available as an exclusive download single from 7 digital with all earnings going towards Amnesty's human rights work.
Austin Sound recently delivered their yearly Austin music compilation. Sound Advice Vol. IV features songs from 19 bands they think you need to know in Austin right now, and will be hearing more from in the future. Each song is available for individual download, or you can simply download the whole compilation at once. They've got tunes from A Giant Dog, Followed By Static, Woven Bones, TV Torso, Ola Podrida, and many more.
Being the super knowledgeable resource on Austin music that they are, there is also a brief description for each artist as well as links to find out more. They also touch on some of the bigger news that has happened in the music scene of late, from the sound ordinance to the Casual Victim Pile and the closing of the Cactus Cafe. Check it all out at austinsound.net.
Strap in for travels beyond the galaxy, to tranced-out cosmic bliss! Sick Thirst presents Vol 2, the second compilation of hard-to-find Wooden Shjips tracks. Vol 2 digs deep to collect the band's Sub Pop and Mexican Summer singles, two self-released European tour singles, and a track from Yeti magazine, for nearly 44 minutes of fuzzed-out psych jams. Pre-order the new Vol 2 singles comp from Midheaven and you'll get a free poster by Austin's Bland Design.
Wooden Shjips is a trance-rock quartet from San Francisco, consisting of Omar Ahsanuddin (drums), Dusty Jermier (bass), Nash Whalen (organ), and Ripley Johnson (guitar and vocals). The band has released two acclaimed LPs and a previous collection of rarities on cult fave record label Holy Mountain. They are also featured on the Austin Psych Fest 2 DVD along with performances by A Place to Bury Stangers, Dead Meadow, The Black Angels and more.
Earlier today The Fader premiered their music video for "Outta My Head"
"There’s a collision of sorts between The Exploding Plastic Inevitable and The Family Dog in the way these doggedly hypnotic organ grooves are kept company by a surprisingly jaunty, super-tight rhythm section, then punctuated by Ripley Johnson’s reverb-drenched murmurs and his great, stunned, fuzz-heavy guitar solos." - Uncut
"Combines and updates the transportative force of the Velvet Underground's no-blues drone, Can's unrelenting pulse and the holy garage-rock fire of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators into a compact, wrapped-in-reverb trip of vintage transcendence and forward thrust." -David Fricke, Rolling Stone
Well, another SXSW has come and gone. After a full week of drinking, dancing, singing, and catching a whole bunch of great bands, I am making this attempt to put a recap on what I saw. This was kind of a different year for me, as I went badgeless and wristbandless for the first time in five years. I knew I would be too busy coordinating and attending various events I helped out with, plus I had a bunch of non-credentialed friends in town, so I just tried to see what we could all do for free.
I still managed to see 46 bands (47 if you count The Flaming Lips at the Austin Music Hall) and have an incredible experience. I know there is plenty of stuff I missed out on, and I didn't get to see each and every one of the bands I had hoped to, but you can only do so much.
The Besnard Lakes - These Canadian rockers brought it so heavy at the Austinist party, my ears were still ringing the next day. I just wish I could have caught them more than once. Multiplesources have tabbed them as one of the best of the fest. I think I listened to their new album three times yesterday. The band will make its TV debut tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Golden Triangle - This band really hits my sweet spot. They play the devil's music, with a trio of sexy sirens and two menacing, dueling guitars. It's fiery garage rock with a psychedelic edge, and it has only gotten better since I had them at the Covert party last year. I made sure to pick up their latest LP Double Jointer. "Recorded over a two week period at Key Club Recording Company with producer Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, Blonde Redhead), Double Jointer has the speed and catchiness of the current garage / weird-punk / lo-fi movement with some profoundly goth under-currents and some no-wave guitar over-currents."
Warpaint - Saw this band twice and was very impressed with their overall musicianship. The drummer was ferocious at the Do512 party. The bassist never skips a beat, and the dual vocalists manage to get their songs stuck in my head every time. I'm looking forward to hearing what they've been working on for the debut album.
The Hood Internet - I've seen plenty of DJs, and my fair share of mash-up artists, but these guys made it all seem fresh and new. There was never a single lull in their entire set, their transitions and track selections were flawless, and they made the whole crowd forget it was 40 degrees outside. A Hood Internet dance party is hard to beat.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I've heard plenty about Sharon Jones, but I had never actually seen it for myself until Friday at Stubb's. Outside of James Brown, she has to be the youngest, spunkiest, most dancingest 53 year-old to ever walk the earth. Her performance was full of energy, and The Dap-Kings are the perfect backing band. This is no gimmick, the band sounds like it came right out of 1965.
Washed Out + Small Black - I wasn't sure what to expect from a Washed Out performance, especially after watching a less than thrilling set by Toro Y Moi. I mean, one dude standing up there with a mic and a mixer playing chillwave tunes doesn't typically equate to a good show. But when Washed Out asked Small Black to join him on stage for the second half of his set, the party vibe was ratcheted up exponentially. All the songs sounded great in a live setting.
The Strange Boys - I was able to catch the Strange Boys at the Aquarium Drunkard party at Red Eyed Fly during the interactive portion of SXSW. I don't really think the new band member (saxophonist Jenna Thornhill) adds a whole lot to the equation, but these guys played a super tight set of their high-octane, garage flavored rock 'n roll, and had people dancing a jig by the end of the night. The band's new album is out now.
White Denim - When they first started playing clubs around Austin, a White Denim show was typically hit or miss. Some were dazzling and buzzworthy, while others were unsteady and disorganized. Those shaky performances are now a thing of the past, and the set they cranked out on Wednesday at the Mohawk was on point. I love how they segue between songs, jamming in and out of each one to keep the momentum steady. It is hard not to be impressed by how proficient each band member is at what they do.
Ty Segall - I have been digging Ty Segall's sounds since I heard his self-titled debut album in 2008, but had never actually seen it performed live until this year. Though he was once praised as a one-man band, this San Francisco native has expanded the act to three piece, which really adds some muscle to his reverb-heavy, neo-psych garage creations.
Holy Fuck - I never miss an opportunity to catch a Holy Fuck show, and I've seen them so many at this point that I have lost count. I never fail to be entertained by their electro-dance rock, and we were lucky enough to host them at The Big One on Saturday. A few thousand people braved the bitter cold temperatures to watch these Canadian wizards do their thing, and they didn't disappoint. New Holy Fuck album details are here.
Pharoahe Monch - I didn't recognize him when he walked out onto the stage at The Scoot Inn, but everyone else sure did, because the packed crowd immediately got very loud and enthusiastic. That was before he even grabbed the mic. When he did, it was 20 minutes worth of one of the best hip-hop performances I've ever seen. With his DJ laying down some nasty beats, Pharoahe worked the crowd into a frenzy and left it wanting for more. This was the highest highlight of the Duck Down Records showcase.
Danish art-pop band Oh No Ono get remixed by the mighty Caribou, who turns their album opener "Eleanor Speaks" into a fantastic slice of shuffling, four-to-the-floor techno complete with Caribou's keen ear for arrangements and ear-tickling sound. They will be making their second US trip in a few months with a few appearances at SXSW and shows in NYC right after. Their excellent album "Eggs" is out now on Friendly Fire Recordings in the US and the Leaf Label in the UK/Europe.
Oh No Ono is an experimental pop quintet from the tiny Danish town of Aalborg. Their music, intricate and other-worldly, defies conventions and expectations (and some-times gravity). The ten dense, hypertextured sour-sweet- sad opuses found on their US debut album, Eggs, are truly breathtaking to behold; the band creates bewitching pop symphonies that unfold themselves more with each successive listen.
@ SXSW 2010
3.17 - Terrorbird/Forcefield party @ Red 7 (12pm) 3.18 - Billions day party @ The Mohawk (3:20pm) 3.18 - Music by the Slice @ Homeslice Pizza (6pm) 3.19 - Danish day party @ The Music Gym (5pm) 3.19 - Friendly Fire showcase @ Lamberts (midnight) 3.20 - Filter party @ Lustre Pearl (5pm)
Dan Snaith and Caribou recently announced their new North American tour dates in support of the upcoming album Swim, coming on April 20th via Merge Records. He's using new technology to mix the music and do new things in the live setting, so he can integrate electronics, visuals and sound into one complete and tight experience. Caribou plays in Austin @emosaustin on May 16th http://bit.ly/dzgiyB
"Toro Y Moi (a.k.a. Columbia, South Carolina's Chaz Bundick) is the sound the world has been waiting for. This multi-cultural juggernaut gathers up the best musical elements from around the globe- R&B, Indie Rock, Electronic Dance and Psychedelica -and creates something-freaking-else! Over the course of his first groundbreaking full length Causers Of This, Toro Y Moi turns the aforementioned musics upside-down with his breathtakingly innovative approach. The incendiary power of Toro Y Moi's funky synth and guitar play, pumping digital rhythms and gorgeously bright vocal harmonies makes for a formidable combination."
To coincide with SXSW 2010, LimeWire Store has released Ear to the Ground: Austin. Curated by Austinist, this free 20-track sampler showcases a plethora of Austin, TX's hottest indie acts, including Bear Claw, Brazos, Leatherbag, Wild America, and TV Torso.
"We were so glad to be asked to curate an Ear to the Ground sampler for LimeWire Store," said Paige Maguire, Austinist's Music Editor. "Austin's music scene is dense and epic, and we think our mix represents some of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in the city. For those who have been here all along, or those just diving into our community, this sampler will be an excellent introduction to the incredible talent we have here in the ATX."
Ear to the Ground: Austin is available for download here. If you show up to the Austinist day party "Gonna Gonna Get Down V" you'll leave with a thumb drive loaded with the compilation. They've got a killer lineup that includes White Denim, Besnard Lakes, Washed Out, Royal Bangs, Toro y Moi, Phantogram, Warpaint, and more.
1. Corto Maltese - "The Heat Death Of The Universe" 2. Bear Claw - "Warm Winter/Cold Fall" 3. The Steps - "Blond Smoke" 4. Wild Harem - "Blue Voodoo" 5. My Milky Way Arms - "Helicopter" 6. YellowFever - "Culver City" 7. The Gary - "(Eyes In The) Tap Room" 8. Leatherbag - "Lines" 9. The Distant Seconds - "Between The Brackets" 10. TV Torso - "The Black Mask" 11. Wild America - "Mountain" 12. Follow That Bird! - "Where They Rest" 13. Lost Controls - "Contribute" 14. Beautiful Supermachines - "Oakland 2008" 15. Dikes of Holland - "Into the Ditches" 16. Sunset - "Sunshine Hair" 17. The Happen-Ins - "Be Yer Fool" 18. The Laughing - "Runner" 19. Brazos - "We Understand Each Other" 20. Burywood - "Things Which Give Us Pause"
The Black Angels recently collaborated with UNKLE on a new track to be released on the UK mastermind's newest album, "Where Did the Night Fall." The album also features performances Mark Lanegan, Autolux and Sleepy Sun. "Natural Selection", featuring The Black Angels, was released as a free download on unkle.com
The Black Angels and the Reverberation Appreciation Society will present Austin Psych Fest 3 on April 23-25 at The Mohawk. Lineup, details, and ticket sale coming soon. Sign up for the newsletter at austinpsychfest.com for the latest. Before the band takes on SXSW, they will perform at the NX35 Music Conference in Denton on March 13. Here's their schedule during SXSW:
The Black Angels are playing All Tomorrows Parties New York on Labor Day Weekend, September 3-5. Sunday's lineup is curated by legendary film-maker Jim Jarmusch and includes The Black Angels, The Wooden Shjips and Brian Jonestown Massacre. For the latest on ATP check out atpfestival.com
The third Black Angels album, Phosphene Dream, will arrive this Summer.
On February 25th, 2010 DJ Thibault performed a DJ set at The Parish in Austin, TX consisting entirely of original Daft Punk vs. The Clash mashups crafted tirelessly in his home studio over many many hours. Thanks to DJ Gmau's mobile recording rig and an iPhone on stage, this endeavor was captured and saved.
Thibault's other musical project, Auto Body, is almost finished with their debut album, and you can check out some demos here. Auto Body will be appearing at the Hype Machine's Lose Control 2 party at VICE.
DJ Thibault will be spinning all over town during SXSW, including Thursday, March 18 at The Eastside Getdown. There will be free pizza and beer, and perhaps a visit from the Ice Cream Man. Look for a DJ Thibault remix of Golden Ages soon.
He will also party with us at the Do512/Demand Media/CLEAR Party at The Phoenix on Monday the 15th, along with San Francisco video DJ Mike Relm.
And then again at Do512's massive all day party, THE BIG ONE on Saturday, March 20th at The American Youthworks Building. Click here for an artist spotlight feat. Holy Fuck and Warpaint.
Zorch, Tape Bombs, Covert Curiosity and DayBowBow/No Words are proud to present South By South Mess, a free party on Friday, March 19 at 4 p.m. at Austin’s 21st St. Co-Op. The lineup features Andrew WK, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, DD/MM/YYYY and many more diverse, exciting acts, all of whom are official SXSW selections.
Andrew WK is an energetic singer-songwriter, musician, producer and entertainer who first broke into the international music scene with his 2001 album I Get Wet, which hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” list in 2002, and he has come out with three full-length albums since then. His songs have appeared on various soundtracks, including Out Cold, Stealing Harvard and Old School. In 2005, he began touring as a motivational speaker and he continues to spread positive message, encouraging people to follow their dreams and, of course, “Party Hard”. He’s known for his dynamic, unpredictable performances and fans should expect nothing less at South By South Mess.
Philadelphia’s A Sunny Day in Glasgow creates ethereal, layered music that is reminiscent of shoegaze/post-punk acts like My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Pitchfork Media, who have praised the band since their first release in 2007, gave their most recent album, Ashes Grammar, a rating of 8.3 out of 10 and called their sound “nostalgic, jigsaw pop music from a group of writers strong enough to keep you humming and courageous enough to make you guess”.
DD/MM/YYYY, hailing from Toronto, Canada, have created their own genre of experimental music, often made with unconventional instruments. It’s noisy, dynamic and challenging to the listener. Their sound has been described as a “mess of spastic, specially challenged art rock with jagged, diamondback guitars, '80s video game synthesizers, and drums that roll with all the punches of the discordant dreamy vocals”.
Other acts set to appear include Maps and Atlases, Pattern is Movement, Electric Electric, Zorch, and Matthew and the Arrogant Sea (currently on tour with Midlake). The show will be free of charge, no wristbands or badges required, and it will last until around 4 a.m.
The full lineup is as follows:
South by South Mess
Friday March 19th 21st St. Co-op 707 West 21st Street, Austin, Tx 4pm – 4am
Twin Tigers is a four piece rock and roll band from the ever blooming music scene of Athens, Georgia. They are quickly making their mark thanks to a dark and explosive sound that fuses indie and psychedelic rock influences. With only a self-released EP under their belt, Twin Tigers still managed to gig with the likes of Deerhunter, Dead Confederate, and A Place to Bury Strangers. Already receiving praise from WOXY and NPR, the band set to release their debut album Grey Waves via Old Flame Records on March 2, 2010.
Burying 60s sing-alongs and dance crazes with waves of reverb and thud, Ty Segall is carving out his own brand of neo-psych garage alongside SF compatriots and collaborators Sic Alps and Thee Oh Sees. After clawing his way out of the Bay Area garage scene with a frantic one-man-band act that the local crowd and press couldn't get enough of, Segall has now given up the solo act for a three piece that destroys sonic and melodic boundaries with manic glee. Read a cover story from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Austin quartet Ringo Deathstarr combine fuzzed-up guitars with powerful drumming and waves of feedback to create a sound fierce enough to peel paint from the walls. With a sound that has been referred to as “psychedelic shoegaze,” their music draws fitting comparisons to the likes of My Bloody Valentine and the Jesus and Mary Chain. Read a review viaA Certain Romance.
Golden Ages is an anonymous electronic music project out of Philadelphia. Creating a mixed breed of psychedelic pop and chillwave, the sound is influenced by the likes of Panda Bear, Washed Out, and Fuck Buttons. The Golden Ages full-length debut, Tradition, is filled with pounding beats, swirling vocal effects, and layers of synth loops that create a trance-inducing sound. Having only been on the scene for a few short months, Golden Ages has already gotten praise from the likes of The Fader,XLR8R, Neu Magazine and more.
Sisters are a noisy duo from Brooklyn who are part of the Death by Audio music collective founded by A Place To Bury Strangers The two piece consists of Aaron Pfannebecker, who sings and plays guitar, and drummer/keyboardist Matt Conboy. Dubbed one of the Death By Audio “house bands”, Sisters’ music embraces a collage of noise and garage rock with distorted, reverberated guitars and heavily amplified drums. Though there are only two members in this band, their live sound packs a major punch, and they have the same kind of joyousness as Japandroids.
Futurebirds are a 6 piece band that comes from the same Athens community that birthed Dead Confederate and Twin Tigers. But instead of bringing a ballsy rock 'n roll sound, Futurebirds get down on the alt-country, good-timing-folk side of things. Their live shows are filled with passion, energy, and contagious fun. They sound a little bit like Real Estate, just more southern.
"The acid-washed off-key surf guitars put this band amongst more northerly contemporaries like Real Estate and Ducktails, but the psych-cowboy vibe hearkens back to a number of Athens bands of the Elephant 6 era." -WXYC
Austin's own DJ Thibault has spun all over these great United States, from underground dance clubs to festivals to swanky lounges and late-night sushi bars. He is not only one of the most seasoned and eclectic DJs in Austin, but also one half of the exciting electronic dance duo known as Auto Body. Thibault (pronounced tee-bow) has been asked to play events featuring everything from local bands like Ghostland Observatory to nationally recognized acts like Jamie Lidell and The Killers.
Plastic Beach, the 3rd album from Gorillaz, is streaming now at NPR. I loved the first 2 albums, and 3 songs in this one sounds great too. Contributors include Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mos Def, Gruff Rhys, Little Dragon, and many more. Gorillaz are at Coachella in 46 days.
