Woollen Kits are a three piece band from Melbourne, Australia. The trio has sprung out of the garage with their self-titled debut album, released via Sydney, Australia's R.I.P Society record label. Its nine primitive, gritty guitar tunes straddle surf pop, proto-punk and garage rock. The album was mastered by Mikey Young, guitarist for Aussie favorites Eddy Current Suppression Ring and member of the garage four-piece Ooga Boogas, whose debut album never leaves my side. Woollen Kits are currently on a tour of the US - see the dates here. They also have some free downloads on bandcamp.
"It must be said: Melbourne trio Woollen Kits seem at first like a scrappy clone of the late, great US trio Beat Happening, who bravely dismantled punk rock until all that was left were rickety, childlike tales of awkward romance and fading youth. Beyond a love of fuzzy distortion and unpolished playing, there’s a handful of similarities between Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnston and Woollen Kits frontman Tom R: that same low, froggy voice; easy rhymes (“You could be the one/Let’s go have some fun”); and songs about climbing trees and visiting lakes." -messandnoise
"Sirens" is the first single from The Pack a.d.'s fourth album, Unpersons. Released in 2011 via Mint Records, the Vancouver-based duo of Becky Black (guitar) and Maya Miller (drums) recorded the album with engineer Jesse Gander and famed Detroit producer Jim Diamond (The Dirtbombs, The Paul Collins Beat, The White Stripes.) Read more about it here.
Magic Castles is a psychedelic folk-rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota.; Formed in 2006, the band self-released their first three albums before catcing the attention of Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), who will release the band's eponymous double album through his ‘a’ Records imprint on March 20th, 2012. The band is also slated to join Brian Jonestown Massacre on an East Coast tour of the United States in 2012.
Inspired by the sounds of Spacemen 3, Skygreen Leopards, and Galaxie 500, Magic Castles employ warm Farfisa drones, hazy guitars, and bright vocal harmonies to craft songs that shift between traditional form and stretched-out, slowly unwinding passages. More often than not the band takes a journey-is-better-than-the destination approach, lyrically concerned with trolls, golden birds, and other mythical creatures.
Graveyard is the Swedish offspring of bands parents were warning their kids about in the 70s. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, the band formed in 2000 when Swedish doom/stoner outfit Norrsken split up and gave birth to two new bands - Graveyard, and Witchcraft. The quartet features Rikard Edlund (bass), Axel Sjöberg (Drums), Joakim Nilsson (Guitar/Vocals), and Jonathan Ramm (Guitar/Vocals). Their albums resurrect the sounds of 70’s psychedelic rock, channeling Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and the Stones:
Graveyard is currently touring the states with support from Radio Moscow, who I've mentioned previously. At the onset of the tour Radio Moscow frontman Parker Griggs caught a guitar to the face, requiring a trip to the hospital and 14 stitches to the forehead:
Here is Graveyard bassist Rikard Edlund removing Griggs' stitches:
The tour makes a stop in Austin on Wednesday, January 25th at The Mohawk:
Cartright recently released their first music video, and it's one hell of a trip. The band shot the video for "Jass Song" about 6 months ago with Alex Nguyen at their house in Austin. The original idea was conceived by drummer Nick Cornetti, which then evolved into a swirling, mushroom-induced excursion of the mind. The leading lady role was donated by India Gail (who bartends at Cheer Up Charlies), and front man Ben Russell plays the fellow going out of his mind. Russell is also the mind behind the band’s artwork:
You can get the "Jass Song" 7'' on limited edition red vinyl with a poster print of the cover art at cartrightmusic.com.
If you're unfamiliar with Cartright, here is a summarized band bio:
Ben Russell leads the quintet with a beaten-down acoustic guitar, finger-picked with a rare level of drunk precision, and he shouts his pleas of aggressive reluctance--a man lost in his Southern youth but unafraid to face it--through a sweat-soaked mess of hair and beard. The Cornetti brothers three on bass, piano, and drums, along with lead guitarist Casey, are a pack of howlers and stompers. Together with Lou’s subtle necessity, Nick’s drumstick crescendos, and the rowdy dialects of Joe’s organ they stagger in time with broken rhythms blanketed by sleeves of noise.
It's easy to see why the young band already draws a cult fanbase; the easiest comparison point is Lucero, as both acts lean toward country-rock with a love for war-torn, cigarette-stained vocals. But where Lucero sticks to a harder, narrower path, Cartright leaves its swinging bar doors open to the acoustic exploration of folk, the erratic tempo changes of post-rock and the passion, the arrangements and the willful repetition that mark the best in the worlds of blues and gospel.
"Cartright is what pirates and murderers use to lull themselves to sleep." -AVCLUB
"The band’s shows feel more like tent revivals than rock shows, with a healthy quantity of whiskey in place of holy water." -AUSTINIST
Luke at Austin Music Weekly just started up this bi-weekly radio program that spotlights various bands and artists in Austin. The first episode features songs from Tiger Waves, The Daily Brothers, White Dress, Leatherbag, Wild Child, Sleep Good, Residual Kid, and Shorty Long.
In related news, I recently put together a playlist of songs from the Austin Music Weekly live archive. You can stream the playlist and read more about it at the link.
Last year’s setting, The Seaholm Power Plant was an epic setting for APF 2011, and it’s hard to top it. Seaholm is being redeveloped, so starting in the summer we began to look for a new home for Austin Psych Fest 2012. Our search brought us all over the Austin area, to beautiful ranches outside of town, to empty parking lots downtown, to warehouses on the East Side to established venues in Austin.
After seeing the new Emo’s East & Beauty Ballroom at The Black Angels / Wooden Shjips / Ume show on New Year’s Eve, we knew that we had found the perfect fit for APF 2012. The layout, facilities and sound are all amazing, and anyone who has been to the original locations of either club will be impressed – the difference is readily apparent.
Weekend passes will be on sale on austinpsychfest.com on Saturday January 21 at 12PM CST. Tickets will be the same prices as last year. $100 gets you your weekend pass. We’ll have single day tickets available in March when the daily schedules are released.
Check out the Austin Psych Fest 2012 mixtape by Al Lover :
Here is The White White Lights at the old Ghost Room performing one of the staples of their live set, "I Need $$$." Every time they play this song, people take notice. The band released their debut EP on Indirect Records, and were one of a handful of bands to appear in the documentary film Echotone. You can see more of this show at the link.
Marcus Kuhn is a renowned tattoo artist and painter who has been tattooing for more than two decades. The Gypsy Gentleman is his outlet for chronicling his tattoo travels. For the second episode he visits Austin and interviews Tony Hundahl and Steve Byrne of the Rock of Ages tattoo shop on South Lamar. He also talks with legendary sign painter Gary Martin, visits the Cathedral of Junk, gets a haircut at Avenue Barbershop on South Congress, hangs out at the Yellow Jacket Social Club, and tours the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg. If you are ever out that way, make sure to go to the Auslander for some sausage and a beer.
On January 1, 2012, the music community tragically lost 29-year old Esmeralda (Esme) Barrera, a beloved fixture of the Austin music scene, when she was murdered at her home in Austin. Esme was very active in the local music scene. She was a Mentor/Counselor at Girl's Rock Camp, a part of the Waterloo Records staff, as well as an assistant teacher at an elementary school. There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the music community in Austin that knew her well.
The Scoot Inn is hosting a benefit tonight. Admission will be sliding scale $5-$10, with 100% of the proceeds from the door going to Esme's family. Doors open at 7PM.
12:45- Follow That Bird
12am- The Dead Space
11:15- Kingdom Of Suicide Lovers
10:30- Foreign Mothers
9:45- Ichi Ni San Shi
9pm- Neighbor
8:15- Randall Holt
7:30- Eric Static
In memoriam to friend and fellow volunteer at Girls Rock Camp Austin, Lauren Langner Larson of Austin trio Ume has written, recorded and released a new song, "Gleam." The track, available at Bandcamp, can be downloaded for a donation in which the band is asking people to name their price and donate whatever they can.
"I had the honor of working with Esme for four years at Girls Rock Camp Austin," says Larson. "We rarely encounter people so inspiring - whose compassion and joy are contagious. Esme was the unique gift of a person who could ease a new girl's fear at Rock Camp with a hug - who a Waterloo customer remembers for her smile - who a local band remembers for rocking out in the front row. She was the epitome of awesome."
The day after Larson heard the news about Barrera she decided to record a song she had been holding inside for a long time and to dedicate it to Barrera. The twinkling acoustic track "Gleam" was recorded at Resonate Studios with Louie Lino of Nada Surf who leant his production skills and supplied keyboards. "During recording I learned that Esme once lived above the studio and was a dear friend of Louie and his family," offers Larson. "The year she lived with us, Esme became part of my family," says Lino. "She has been a friend, my daughter's teacher and my musical touchstone ever since I've known her. We can't replace her. But she will always inspire us."
We in Austin TX have lost someone very integral and important our local Music Community. Esme Barrera was murdered early morning New Years Day. She was one of the first fans of Ringo Deathstarr and a very dear friend to our entire musical community, Mentor/Counselor at Girl's Rock Camp, and an assistant teacher at an elementary school. We are all raising funds for her Family to cover expenses, so we are donating a Cover of Bad Brains' "Sailn' On" to those who donate $1 or more to forouresmeb.blogspot.com and send a copy of the confirmation email to ringodeathstarr@gmail.com and you will proptly be e-mailed the high quality MP3 of our version of Bad Brains "Sailin' On."
These Are Words. That's the band. They're a garage rock trio from Austin. Corey Anderson sings and plays guitar. Dan LeVine plays drums. Ian Rundell slaps the bass. The band recorded a self-titled cassette In March of 2011, and this thing rattles like a loose wheel at 1oo miles per hour. It's fuzzy, lo-fi, ramshackle, surf-blues-punk and roll.
The self-recorded tape contains four songs, which you can download for free at bandcamp. According to this, the band's most prominent influence is a fairly recent discovery of the 13th Floor Elevators. You can't go wrong there. These Are Words play around town quite a bit, namely at Beerland and Trailer Space Records. Keep track on facebook.
The gents at Onion Creek Productions just sent over this official music video for "Spent Time" from Austin's own Wheeler Brothers. This five-piece, folk-rocking band of brothers released their debut album, Portraits, in 2011. Guns, sex, money, booze, a Buick 442, and a Mariachi band providing comic relief - that's a great recipe. The video was directed by Eric Hurt and Aaron Brown. Produced by Pat Cassidy. Wardrobe by Gypsy Sun Vintage.
Real Estate's music video for "Easy" was written and directed by Tom Scharpling, of The Best Show on WFMU. This is what being a street team is all about. Find Real Estate on facebook and twitter
I discovered Peaking Lights just recently, upon hearing their remix of a Wooden Shjips song. Peaking Lights is the husband and wife duo of Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis, recently relocated from the Bay Area to rural Madison, Wisconsin. On the band’s sophomore record, 936, they combine elements of dub, psych, and krautrock - applying some synth, organ, tape loops, guitar, and layered vocal harmonies - resulting in beautifully hipnotic, psychedelic, dub-pop.
In 2006 when Indra and I connected things had done changed. I had just got back from living in New Zealand and Australia for two years and Indra was winding down with working on Numbers recordings (which I was lucky enough to be invited to play organ on). I was playing with my friend Nate in Rahdunes (a heavy death pulse electronic psych zone influenced by world music) Indra sat in on drums one evening when we were practicing, she had never improvised on drums and was a bit nervous with the thought. She always mentions how this was first time – while jamming - that she saw out of her third eye. We recorded a record together. She went on tour with Numbers for a few months and Nate and I went on tour with Rahdunes.
It was after these tours we decided to move from the Bay Area to Wisconsin. It was a winter of no repent that year, the first winter of my life. Indra didn’t mind as much she’s from this frigid northern zone, even though it did break records in the amount of snowfall I don’t think it had the same mental impact, I was fucked. We lived in a basement apartment where I saw a hairy centipede (apparently they exist in Wisconsin). It was a small apartment, I used to try and go outside in my underwear in negative degree weather and see how long I’d last. It wasn’t long. We hadn’t played music for a few months but got asked to play some shows with Rahdunes in Texas. Nate was still in SF, and we couldn’t afford to drive all the way down, we needed to make a few bucks for gas. In case you don’t know America, it’s big. Long drives. We started Peaking Lights to pay for gas on the way down to Texas, Yee Haw!- Aaron Coyes (September 2011)
This film contains an interview with the husband-wife duo (plus newborn baby Mikko) at their Madison, Wisconsin house as well as footage of their first ever 936 show at the Chicago Museum of Modern Art:
In Austin music scene, the first week of January means it's time for Free Week. For the duration of Free Week (January 1st - 8th), many popular venues in town offer free shows featuring some of Austin’s best (and emerging) local talent. Graham Williams (of Transmission Entertainment & Fun Fun Fun fame) planted the seeds of this now annual tradition in 2003 when he was booking shows for Emo’s. It has expanded by leaps and bunds since then, evidenced by the fact that more than a dozen Austin music venues will participate in Free Week in 2012.
The list of participating venues includes not only the usual joints on Red River - Mohawk, Beerland, Red 7, Stubb’s Club De Ville, Beauty Bar - but also the Parish, 29th Street Ballroom, The ND, Antone’s, Skinny’s Ballroom, The Scoot Inn, Frank, Swan Dive, Flamingo Cantina, Emo’s East, Lamberts, Frock On Vintage, and more.
With the Red River music district undergoing so many changes right now, this may be your last best chance to experience Free Week on Red River. Some venues are moving, others may close. Take advantage while you still can.
The 5th annual Austin Psych Fest will be held the weekend of April 27-29, 2012. Other than being held at a location within the city limits, few details are yet available. Here's the latest from austinpsychfest.com:
The good news is that we have some of our favorite bands in the world (and a few that we’ve been trying to bring to the festival for years) on our 2012 lineup and we’ve found an amazing setting for the festival this year. The bad news is that we have to keep it under wraps a little longer.
No one is more excited and anxious about the release of this information than we are, but we’re just not able to yet. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know the good news when it’s released. Tickets will be available soon after the lineup and venue are announced.
We’re also finally getting the record label into 2nd gear for 2012, and the APF4 DVD is almost ready. Early in the year we’ll be releasing the film on DVD, The UFO Club LP, and a 7 inch from The Meek featuring contributions by Alex and Christian. Vice just released an episode of On The Road featuring their stop at Austin Psych Fest last year – check it out.
Austin Psych Fest 4 was held at Seaholm Power Plant in 2011 and featured Sleepy Sun, the Black Ryder, The Diamond Center, Atlas Sound, Crystal Stilts, and a metric ton of other great bands.
That's one of the things Al Lover does. He's a producer from San Francisco who over the last few years has gained notoriety for his melding of garage and psychedelic rock into spacey, hip hop-style instrumentals. One of his recent projects, "Distorted Reverberations," samples current psych and garage rock acts such as Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees. The dude is also into Shapes Have Fangs, Night Beats, King Tuff, White Fence, and the psych scene in San Fran. He has also reworked Captain Beefheart’s first record, remixed a bunch of Woodsist tracks, and is apparently reworking some Velvets.
"I feel like there are some very interesting things happening in the current garage/psych rock scene. People are building off the core roots of rhythm and blues again and making it even weirder, and tougher (thanks punk rock) than they did in the 60′s. I’ve said it before, but this is the kind of stuff producers will be digging for 20, 30 years from now."
His latest mix is a collection of songs from the likes of Bare Wires, Black Lips and the Strange Boys that he absolutely destroys, distorts, and acidifies with his MPC and various pedals and recording techniques. This is a whole different kind of reverb.
"Yeah, yeah, everyone’s chopping and screwing things these days, I know, but I love it. What can I say I’m from the south. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but never got around to it, so in the spirit of the holiday’s I figured I would ruin some of my favorite rock n roll songs from the year by giving ‘em the old lean treatment. I’ve been getting bored of the idea of just throwing a regular ass mix of songs together so I figured I’d make something fucked up for people who are fucked up and like fucked up music. Hope you dig it…. you probably won’t."
See, I too come from the south. I too spent many of my teenage years listening to rap, mostly southern, and partially chopped and screwed. So when I stumbled upon this fellow who decided to chop and screw some of the current psych/garage stuff I'm into, I jumped on it.
