Underneath the Pine

When Toro Y Moi first signed to Carpark Records, the plan was to release two records in 2010, one electronic and one with live instrumentation. His debut album, Causers of This, fulfilled the first part of the plan. Although it didn't quite fit into the same calendar year, Underneath the Pine is the latter offering, and will be released on February 22, 2011. Check out two tracks from the album, one reimagined by Psychic Soundsytem. Toro Y Moi will be performing multiple shows in Austin during SXSW.

Toro Y Moi "New Beat"

Toro y Moi - Still Sound (Psychic Soundsystem Remix)

Video: Francis and the Lights

http://francisandthelights.com/

Monotonix at Mohawk: Show Preview

If you don’t know by now, Monotonix are an energetic, raucous and wildly unconventional 3-piece rock outfit from Tel-Aviv, Israel. After hearing wild stories of encounters and performances, I made sure to catch them at last year’s Fx3 Fest where they performed at the Yellow Stage, kind of. Lead singer Ami Shalev left the stage to surf around the crowd while growling into the mic, and guitarist Yonatan Gat followed suit while Ran Shimoni stayed somewhat stationary on drums amidst the crowd. Of course this effected the sound production and what I witnessed at their quick set was mostly an absurdly chaotic glimpse into their maniacal style, which has gotten them banned from countless venues.


The other night a friend of mine drunkenly recounted her first Monotonix experience, and it went like this: "I was at a show and climbed a tree. I was just perched up there watching and the singer nakedly climbed up towards me and sang to me. In the tree. Ever since then I'll never miss a show. It's just insane. So much fun!"

Nakedly singing to a girl in a tree. True story. That being said, anything is possible. So if you’re looking for a wild night, be sure to catch the unpredictable experience that is Monotonix tomorrow night at Mohawk. Local favorites, The Strange Boys open.

• Monotonix - "Fun Fun Fun"
• Facebook.com/Monotonix

• The Strange Boys - "Keys to the Kingdom"
• Facebook.com/The-Strange-Boys

Bridge Farmers

I got tipped off to the four-piece Austin band Bridge Farmers back in 2008, but had not heard much from them until about a month ago when I was sent their latest EP, Din of Celestial Birds. The EP features six songs full of Southern rock 'n roll swagger, with a blistering psychedelic-blues-metal sound that is best experienced at high volume. Recommended for those who like to rock. The EP can be streamed in its entirety over at Bandcamp.

• Bridge Farmers - "Acid Tongue"
  
• http://www.facebook.com/BridgeFarmers
  

Here's some footage from a recent Bridge Farmers show at Red 7,
courtesy of Austin Music Weekly.

Video: Toro Y Moi

"Still Sound" comes from Toro Y Moi’s forthcoming album Underneath The Pine, which is out next month on Carpark. Toro Y Moi will be back in Austin this year for SXSW.

Toro Y Moi - "Still Sound" by carparkrecords

New Joan As Police Woman

Joan As Police Woman is Joan Wasser. A musician since she picked up a violin in the third grade, Joan began playing professionally immediately upon escape from her parents house. After the death of her boyfriend Jeff Buckley, she began to sing and write songs with some of Jeff's band mates in a project called Black Beetle.

Since assuming her current moniker in 2002 - a reference to the 70's cop show, Joan has toured and collaborated with legendary musicians including Rufus Wainwright and Antony and the Johnsons. She has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States and has received extraordinary critical acclaim for her three studio albums Real Life (2006), To Survive (2008) and a compilation of covers aptly titled Cover (2009).

She continues to tour the world and wow audiences with her unique blend of open and outspoken irreverent in-between song banter, launching in to an intimate love song that leaves the crowd in tears. She has made her most brilliant and revealing record yet, The Deep Field, which dropped today. Here is the opening track and video for "The Magic."

• Joan As Police Woman - "Nervous"
• http://www.joanaspolicewoman.com/

Lower Heaven

Lower Heaven come from California, and take their name from an Echo & the Bunnymen song. Their reverb-laden psychedelic rock fits right in with their fellow contemporaries such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Angels, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. In fact, the sinister neo-shoegaze on their debut album "Ashes" was recorded by producer Rob Campanella (Brian Jonestown Massacre), with Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club) mixing and mastering the final cuts.

The band has been steadily creating a buzz for themselves in the Los Angeles art/music scene, and just released their sophomore effort "Today Is All We Have" on iTunes. Check out the title track below along with a cut from their debut.

• Lower Heaven - "Rain"
• Lower Heaven - "Today Is All We Have"
• http://lowerheaven.com/

Woodsman

Woodsman is an experimental ambient post-psychedelic band based in Denver, CO. The quartet contains two totemic percussionists and two sonic animators who employ electric guitars, feedback loops, and recorded samples to build the dreamy astral soundscapes that define Woodsman’s sound. Influenced by hazy mountain passes, the cinema of Stan Brakhage, and early 70’s improvisational recordings by Miles Davis, Woodsman has crafted aural offerings that are uniquely their own. - Lefse Records

• Woodsman - "Insects"
• http://woodsmanman.tumblr.com
  

Video: My Education

Both videos are directed by Wiley Wiggins, and both songs from My Education's new album Sunrise out on Strange Attractors Audio House.

• My Education - "Peasant Dance"
• http://www.myeducationmusic.com

Video: Grupo Fantasma

Austin's own Onion Creek Productions presents the latest music video for Grupo Fantasma's "Moñtanozo." From the Grammy nominated album 'El Existential' on Nat Geo Music. Video features Scott Wade, the "Dirty Car Artist."

From National Geographic world music:

"Directed by fellow Texan Aaron Brown - who also documented the making of El Existential - the video boasts more drama than a telenovela - mysterious fugitives, a whipcrackin', machete-wielding Mexican standoff, and one truly badass psychedelic cumbia. Even cooler are the animations based on the "Dirty Car Art" of local Texas painter Scott Wade."

Middle Brother: "Me Me Me"

It seems as though super-groups are all the rage these days, as musicians seek free-form projects and allow themselves the opportunity to collaborate with pals -- a trend I find truly wonderful. What's more fun than seeing your favorite musician enjoying their talents and furthering their art?

As a huge fan of Deer Tick, with an admitted crush on front-man John McCauley, I'm flat-out excited to see what comes of this new project with Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Matthew Vasquez (Delta Spirit). While they debuted their collaboration with a premier performance at last year's SXSW as MG&V, they'll be returning this year, slightly more polished for a showcase on March 19th at Auditorium Shores with Man Man, Bright Eyes & The Felice Brothers.

It almost feels like someone made this showcase just for me. Hopefully there will be some heart-warming collaborations between the acts. I fully anticipate a bro-down for the books. After all, it wasn't long ago I got to witness Deer Tick join The Felice Brothers for a boot-stompin' encore at Emo's.

Mister Heavenly: Sneak Peek

As Honus Honus disclosed to me at last month's Mister Heavenly show at The Scoot, the super-group's debut album has been recorded & is ready to roll, with their mysterious release date pending. Luckily, the folks at Sub Pop don't want us to forget what we're waiting for & have released this sweet little teaser -- a two song download of "Mister Heavenly" & "Pineapple Girl" -- a nice sampling to hold us over. Click here for more information on Mister Heavenly and their upcoming tour.

Slap Pound Up Down Snap

The Death Set return with the first single from their new album, 'Michel Poiccard'. "Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snap" is a blast of pure energy, producer XXXchange (Spank Rock, Kele Okereke) playing the Rick Rubin role to the Death Set’s early Beasties screaming rap-yelp, expanding the beats and hardening the guitar lines until the whole thing snaps. This song is about a handshake. Video directed by Colin Devin Moore.

Previously: Death Set at The Mohawk

Not In The Face!

While running around at Free Week I kept asking people what's the best thing they had seen, and more than one person mentioned Not In The Face. The songs posted on their Facebook page sounded good, so I dug a bit deeper and ended up getting my hands on their album 'Bikini' courtesy of the holmes at Sonic Itch Music. And now I'm passing the savings on to you.

Not In The Face! is a two-piece that consists of Jonathan Terrell and drummer Wes Cargal, and together they churn out versatile blues-roots-punk rock with plenty of muscle. Longview born songwriter and Jonathan Terrell already has a couple of solo albums to his credit, but if crunchy guitar jams like "Friends With My Girlfriend" and "Brass Tacks" are any indication, Not In The Face! may be his outlet to kick a little more ass than usual. Here is a preview from their CD release show:

East Texas boys with country-fried roots show that they know how to rock, get dirty, and spin a good yarn with their cleverly titled first release Bikini. Jonathan Terrell has been delighting the Austin live music scene going on four years now in different arrangements as both a solo acoustic country-blues artist, but it was not until he partnered up with drummer Wes Cargal (White Rhino, Ryan and the Relics) and formed the versatile punk-rock-blues-a-billy two-piece Not in the Face that they began electrifying Austin audiences with infectious high energy live performances.

Jonathan’s country roots and influences still lurk just below the surface in some of his Not in the Face lyrics; he tells cautionary and love-lorn tales set to rock rhythm and blues like imagined scenes from films yet to be made. Yet it’s the versatility of musical stylings that really comes through on the album: some tracks will have you moving and shaking, other tracks will have you slow dancing with your steady, and on other tracks you’ll find yourself having hot and dirty anonymous sex in a public bathroom.

• Not In The Face - "Fire Through Time"
• http://www.myspace.com/notinthefacemusic
• http://www.jonathanterrell.com/

White Denim put on a red-hot show on New Years Eve at Emo’s Indoor, and Austin Music Weekly was there to capture the action. If you dig this clip of "Shake Shake Shake," you can see more video plus hear audio from the show at AustinMusicWeekly.com.

APF3 DVD

Here's a little bonus from the Austin Psych Fest 3 DVD: The Raveonettes performing "Aly, Walk With Me" accompanied by Christian Bland and Nate Ryan from The Black Angels.

The Austin Psych Fest 3 DVD features performances from The Raveonettes, The Black Angels, Silver Apples, Warpaint, Spindrift, The Warlocks, Pink Mountaintops, Headdress, Ringo Deathstarr and a bunch more that played the 2010 festival.

Produced and directed by Oswald James, the film was shot in multiple formats with live audio recorded and mixed by The Pirate Studio. The outstanding packaging was done by Christian Bland and Rob Fitzpatrick and features posters from the 3 day series. Grab a copy in the store at austinpsychfest.com

Mind Spiders

Mark Ryan (of the Denton punks Marked Men) has a new project that goes by the name of Mind Spiders. In 2010 in a he released an extremely well received 7" under this name on Dirtnap Records, and will soon follow that up with a Mind Spiders debut full-length album. Mark plays most of the instruments himself, and is backed in a live setting by a fluid lineup of musicians that includes members of Bad Sports, High Tension Wires, Uptown Bums, and Marked Men.

The self-titled album reminds me of the late Jay Reatard at times, but it does reflect a much wider range of influences, with a little 60's pop here, a little lo-fi there, and a little weirdo-in-his-bedroom-with-a-4-track in other places. Highly addictive stuff.

• Mind Spiders - "Neurotic Gold"
• http://www.myspace.com/mindspiderstx

This continues a fruitful collaboration between Portland's Dirtnap Records and bands from the great state of Texas. February will see the release of the 3rd LP from longtime Marked Men/Reds/Riverboat Gamblers side project The High Tension Wires. March will see the Dirtnap debut from Denton/Austin's The Bad Sports, 2/3rds of whom also play in both The High Tension Wires and the live version of The Mind Spiders. Houston's Something Fierce just wrapped up recording a monster of a 3rd LP, which they will be releasing in April. All of these bands and more will be playing Dirtnap Records' SXSW Showcase in March.

Auto Body vs Club de Ville

Here's some footage from the most recent Auto Body show I mentioned previously. This took place at Club de Ville during a wintry "Cirque Du Christmas" party. Check out more from this show and other great Austin artists at www.austinmusicweekly.com

Casual Victim Pile II

Word on the street is that Red River rounder/Matador co-owner Gerard Cosloy put together a second Casual Victim Pile compilation. The second coming of CVP is an 18-band, all-Austin compilation, and will be released via the 12XU label on February 22. 17 of the 18 songs are previously unreleased, featuring a slew of Austin's most current and upcoming garage/punk bands. Here's the list of participants:

OBN III's
Cruddy
Rayon Beach
Women In Prison
Naw Dude
Simple Circuit
Hatchet Wound
Crisis Hotlines
Literature
Sally Crewe & The Sudden Moves
A Giant Dog
The Dead Space
Serious Tracers
The French Inhales
Bottle Service
The Zoltars
Coma In Algiers
Expensive Shit

The release of Casual Victim Pile II will be accompanied by another three-night series of shows at Beerland, which will take place right before SXSW on March 3, 4 and 5. You can get an advance listen below, and preorder the compilation at www.casualvictimpile.com.

Mogwai Will Never Die

The pillars of post-rock, Scotland's own Mogwai, will release their 7th studio album on February 15, 2011. Known to be generally epic in all things they do, Mogwai titled the album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, and topped it off with some bad ass album art. The music is pretty damn good too. Paul Savage, producer of the band's landmark Young Team album, once again manned the boards for this one. Here's a taste:

• Mogwai - "Death Rays"
• http://www.mogwai.co.uk
  

Mogwai are especially bad ass live, and the world tour in support of Hardcore will hit Austin on May 16, 2011 at Stubb's. Tickets are on sale now. I caught these guys at Stubb's last year and it was one of the best shows I saw all year, so don't sleep on it.

The music video for the new Mogwai song "How To Be A Werewolf" is an excerpt from the upcoming documentary 30 Century Man directed by Antony Crook, who is also responsible for the bad ass album art of Hardcore.

Mogwai "How to Be a Werewolf"

Via Sub Pop:

"Mogwai are Dominic Aitchison, Stuart Braithwaite, Martin Bulloch, Barry Burns, and John Cummings. The band was birthed in the halcyon days of the mid-‘90s and helped Glasgow become one of the real bright spots in the musical universe again. Not everyone gets Mogwai, but that’s what makes them great. Theirs is a majestic, powerful sound where barely a word is spoken yet it is the antithesis of background music. Album and song titles bemuse, confuse and delight in equal measure and live, they are utterly unstoppable. Recorded at Chem 19 studios with producer Paul Savage, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is the band’s seventh album. It’s a brave and instinctive album that is charged with an energy, spirit and intensity few can match. It is the sound of a band comfortable in their own skin, but clawing at the edges of their own capabilities, and drawing out something particularly special in the process."