Oh Em Gee...Vh1 brought back their Story Tellers series, a program I used to watch in the early part of last decade and the early '90s. I own the Sarah McLachlan one on DVD and watched The Smashing Pumpkins episode every time it aired back then. It was a great series where the artist really talked about their songs in an intimate setting, sometimes going "unplugged".
Now VH1 brought it back with some good artists and some I think they could have waited on. One artist that I like that may surprise you about me is John Mayer. I caught the episode today while eating a late breakfast. I never really liked Mayer's music at first, but he grew on me after a while. I did find it impressive that a lot of amazing black artists endorsed him and openly admitted to loving his music. First there was Jay-Z, the Quest Love from The Roots to name a couple. Then I started noticing him on the tabloids with hot celebs, and some not so hot, while waiting in line at the grocery store. Remember the picture with the green Borat swimsuit? Hilarious! How can you not be impressed by the guy?
I love Dirty Laundry and have a mad crush on Jemina Pearl. I hated the fact I had to miss her show at Emo's. Next time my dear Jemina...next time. I want a photo and an interview. If her "people" are reading this, let's make it happen next time.
There is something in the water overseas. Apparently if you drink enough of it, it nourishes your body with blue-eyed soul. Robbie Williams drinks its. Duffy drinks it. Amy Winehouse drinks it with lots of alcohol. The list of talent goes on and on. Soon you are going to know Lucky Soul if you don't already. I've been finding not many do yet, at least not around here, so let me fill you in.
Lucky Soul is British an old school style soul band fronted by the lovely Ali Howard. They bring a little bit of radio friendly pop flavor to their brand of soul. It is very boppy and danceable.
Lucky Soul is a full band, not a solo artist. Don't be confused by all the pictures of Howard. Their debut album,The Great Unwanted, sold over 50,000 copies.They released an album on their own label despite an offer from legendary Bowie producer Tony Visconti. Their follow up, A Coming of Age, will be out April 5th. I'm looking forward to hearing it.
Here is the video for Lucky Soul's single "White Russian Doll" off of A Coming of Age.
Friday nights in Austin are full of great shows to check out. This Friday is no exception. With that being said, I think avoiding the downtown riff-raf is the way to go Friday night. Austin Latin funksters, Brownout, perform at The High Ball on 1120 South Lamar. You will be hearing a lot about this place as it seems to have some cool things happening this year.
Joining Brownout, as if they aren't reason enough to go, are DJ Manny and Bigface. You may know them from DJ Dojo, the record store that they have DJ lessons at. They've spun all over town for years now. I last saw them at Beauty Bar before the Afrika Bambaataa set in 2008. It's been too long, I know.
Manny is known for his crazy DJ bicycle. If you've never seen it, it is quite impressive. Even more impressive is the crew from B-Boy City who are going to be doing some breakin'.
Check out this video to get an idea of what this whole crew is about in terms of vibe, sound, etc. There is nothing else like it in town that I know of, so treat yourself to some dope beats and funky rhythms.
Ever seen Lips from Anvil rock a pocket rocket on the guitar? I wouldn't watch this at work or in front of small children. Tom Morello never did this...
One of Austin's biggest blogs, Ultra 8201, is having their 4th anniversary showcase Thursday. Congratulations to them first of all. Keeping up with a blog isn't the easiest thing to do, so doing it for four years is something to indeed celebrate.
This year's anniversary bash has a pretty good local line up of indie favorites. I only recently saw New Roman Times and left wondering why I hadn't seen them way sooner. Better late than never I suppose. New Roman Times is this sort of new wave-indie band based here in Austin. For fans of that genre, I suggest checking them out.
The Authors and Politics round out the bill Thursday at The Ghost Room. For those of you in Austin, it is the old Gingerman. As sad as it was to see the Gingerman go, I'm not mad at the fact that Austin has a new live music venue in that part of downtown. The Ghost Room is located at 304 W. 4th.
Also for the hipstery cool kids, Annie Ray will be doing the photo booth. Not my thing, but it is there if you want it for the Facey Spaces and tweet pics. For more details, visit Do512 HERE.
Metal's ultimate summer tour experience, Mayhem Fest, is back in 2010 with none other than Korn and Rob Zombie. Sure, it lacks the star power from last year with Slayer and Marilyn Manson on the bill, but it is hard to complain about any "fest" with Rob Zombie. Sharing the main stage will be Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch. Good bands, but main stage worthy? Hmmm....we can debate that all day I suppose.
The mid-level stage or "Festival Stage" has a couple of pretty good groups I'm looking forward to checking out. On the lighter side of metal is In This Moment, a female fronted band that is radio friendly at times and just heavy enough to win over some of the Mayhem Fest fans. It will help that lead singer Maria Brink is smokin' hot, so event he meanest of metal fans should be nice to her. I hate to say it, but you know it's true. Check her out with In This Moment here:
Also on the Festival Stage will be Norma Jean, 3 Inches of Blood and the hit or miss, Atreyu. I want to like Atreyu, but sometimes they just get to corny. For me, they never have a song that is just "alright". They either kick ass or they don't. I still prefer some of their earlier stuff versus what I have heard lately from them. All that being said, I'm stoked to check them out live.
On the third stage or the Jagermeister Stage, I'm super stoked about getting to see Hatebreed. I love that band and have never seen them live either. Chimaira, Winds of Plague and Shadows Fall round out that stage's acts. Not bad.
As always, I will have to travel because Austin never gets a big metal fest. That's really lame, but it is what it is. San Antonio here I come!
For more on this year's Mayhem Fest, visit the official website at www.mayhemfest.com.
This Wednesday at Red 7 brings "The Economy Sucks Tour" featuring Trash Talk, Aiden, Cancer Bats and Anti-Flag. That's a pretty good bill and should make for a killer Wednesday night. I'd be lying to you if I said I was absolutely crazy about any of these bands, but they are worth seeing live.
I'm stoked more than anything about Cancer Bats actually, as I saw them briefly one SXSW and have always wanted to catch a full set from them at some point. Aiden is decent and I am not into Trash Talk, but only because I've never gave their music an honest listen.
The show's headliner, Anti-Flag, is a band I've liked for a few years now. Their a Warped Tour band, and anyone that knows me can tell you I don't mind being the old dude at Warped every summer. In fact, this past summer I was at Warped in San Antonio and got to meet Chris 2 of Anti-Flag. I didn't have an interview scheduled or anything, but we did get to chat and we liked a lot of the same punk bands. I missed their set at Warped because I was in the media tent pretty much all day, so I'm glad to get the chance to see them Wednesday.
Here's an old video from Anti-Flag for a song called "This Is The End (For You My Friend)". Most of my non-punk rock loving friends know this song because it was featured on Madden (video game) back in the day. I still like it. Give it a listen.
Yes, those '80s lookin' hair metal dudes you've seen on VH1 Classic for the past few months are coming to Emo's on Monday. The forgotten hair metal band that is still respected by so many bands and musicians of that era, Anvil, have been resurrected from the rock and roll grave thanks to their new movie.
I watched Anvil! The Story of Anvil the other day and I cannot help but pull for these dudes. First, I have to say I expected something really cheesy and something that resembled VH1's Behind The Music in a sense that you'd hear about drugs, booze, women, etc. Much to my pleasant surprise, the movie was quite the opposite. Now I am not so naive as to believe they didn't do all that over the years, but the movie didn't focus on all that if they did. Instead it was a story of success, triumph, struggle, failure and the undying belief in one self. For lack of a better word, it was really inspiring. Here's the trailer:
Now I am not going to review the movie, but will say it is a must see for any music fan. I gladly go on records saying that I loved it and will soon own my own copy. If you haven't seen the movie yet, it will be showing Monday night before Anvil takes the stage. Local cock-rock band, Broken Teeth, will open. Doors are at 7:00pm. This truly is a once in a lifetime experience and a rare opportunity to see Anvil live. It is going to be a good time and should be a great people watching experience if nothing else.
Purchase tickets online at TicketWeb here. More details on the show here on Do512.
Austin rockers, Vallejo, will be releasing their new Acoustica album this Saturday night at Saxon Pub. In case you hadn't really seen the poster above, you get a free CD with admission. How cool is that? More bands should do that. If you don't make it out Saturday, then Acoustica will be available to the public on the 26th. I know this isn't going to be all the blogger buzz, but anyone interested in Austin music and its history should check out Vallejo at least once as a right of passage.
Oh-Em-Geee! I love-love-love Sarah McLachlan. She flipped my world upside down in the '90s. Her Surfacing album was the one non-hard rock CD in my five disc CD player I had at the time. Remember those? I mean there she was right there next to Rage Against The Machine, Wu-Tang Clan, Deftones and Metallica. I went to Lilith Fair twice at the old South Park Meadows before it was a shopping center. You could even go so far as to say I was (and still am to a degree) smitten.
That being said, you now understand my excitement when I got word of her new music video for "One Dream". Sure, it is a theme song for the winter Olympics, but it is still my dear Sarah McLachlan. The Olympics could have done a lot worse or something waaayyyy cheesy. Kudos to them for this one.
Finally, to my dear Sarah if you're reading this...I love you Sarah! Come to Austin and bring Lilith Fair back! I'll be there if you do.
So my newest guilty pleasure is LMFAO with Lil' Jon. I hate the fact that I like listening to it. I hate-hate-hate the fact that I like this. I think it makes me want to fist pump and battle on the dance floor...
One of the coolest people I met recently, Jennifer Leduc, is also one of Austin's biggest music supporters. When I saw her around at shows, I assumed she was media as she was always out at a lot of the same shows my crew and I were at. She's not media actually, but that's also refreshing. She has the right idea about how to be an "Austinite". If you live here, you should be at live shows as much as you can. It is only fit she gets a bad ass birthday bash at Beauty Bar with one of Austin's better indie bands, Stereo Is A Lie. Check out this video by my friend Ajay Miranda, whom I always credit for introducing me to this band. See flier for show details.
I recently uploaded an interview I did for Double Stereo with a cool young band from New York called Lights Resolve. Maybe you caught them with The Used or saw them last year during SXSW. These dudes are good. I think they are going to step up their game this year and put out a hot record. Check out the interview:
I got the chance to interview international Latina superstar, Kat DeLuna, for Austin Vida recently. She was super cool and had a super sexy accent. I didn't think of it at the time, but I should have had her record my voice mail. I also should have asked her to marry me. Oh, and my good friends Ajay Miranda and Mari Hernandez got great video and photos for the piece. Check it out here:
My Austin Vida crew and I are giving away two tickets to this show. If you haven't checked out Morakestra and are an indie lover, it's time to get with the program. Details HERE.
Mark your calendars for February 2nd Austin. Your source all things "Hip-spanic" and Bemba Entertainment are bring you the first Nacional Records Listening Party in Austin this year. Arguably the best latin Alternative label in the World, Nacional Records is releasing two new albums that Tuesday. The first album is by Banda de Turistas titled Magical Radiophonic Heart. Already all the buzz in Argentina, Banda de Turista's jangly indie stylings will soon be heard worldwide and enjoyed by every indie kid who gets a hold of the album.
The second album Nacional is releasing on February 2nd is by Misterio tilted 10 Year Old Zombie. C'mon hipsters! It has zombie in the title! You love Zombies. It has a cool rockabilly feel to it. Fun fact for you, Mysterio features Senor Flavio, a founding member of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.
This listening part will be the first of many this year at Mi Casa on 6th. I am working with Brandon Badillo if Bemba Entertainment and Mi Casa ownership to make the Latino version of Hole in the Wall meets Red Eyed Fly. Badillo already has some good Latino acts playing there, but I'm working with him to get some different sort of latino kids in there. Stay tuned for more details on that.
For complete details and links, visit out blog post on Austin Vida here.
With a Saturday full of great choices, it is only fit that my Saturday show pick is the one show with two big local heavy hitters in two different genres. Saturday night at Red 7, both Ume and The Riverboat Gamblers (RBG) take the stage. Both are headliners in their own genres, Ume being the indie headliner and RBG the punk rock headliner. When I saw this one come to my inbox, it didn't matter what else was going on that night. Only a Rage Against The Machine or At The Drive In reunion featuring all original members could steal this Red River thunder.
Many of you caught Ume during Free Week I'm sure, or have seen them before as they are an Austin blogger darling. Unlike most "blogger bands", Ume is worth some buzz. I am not as into them as many of the blogosphere is, but I dig their live show. I even own their Sunshower EP, which is worth picking up at the show Saturday. Check out Ume here in their official video for "The Conductor" which is on their EP.
Now while Ume is all the buzz and everything, I'm sold on tomorrow's show because I'm a huge Riverboat Gamblers fan. I last saw them in November at Fun Fun Fun Fest, but without guitarist Ian Macdougall on every song. A few of their friends and old members filled in for him. He was in a bad accident that had his arm in a cast. According to the band's MySpace and an article on Austin 360, MacDougall is ready to go. The whole band in fact, is ready to go on this summer's Warped Tour. They will be on the entire tour representing Austin, Texas punk rock once again and I couldn't be happier about it. Catch The Riverboat Gamblers now while they are in town. Check out their latest music video for "DissDissDissKissKissKiss" off their soon to be Red River classic, Underneath The Owl.
Also playing before Ume and RBG are Austin bands The Altars and Shapes Have Fangs. Get there early as this show will sell out.
Zechs Marquise live at Mohawk, Austin in November 2009
When I found out Zechs Marquise was coming back to Austin, I was stoked. From the royal family that is Rodriguez-Lopez, Zechs Marquise are giving my friends and I another Volta like fix of what rock should be. This time around they are touring with RX Bandits, a band I've wanted to see live for a while, and The Builders and The Butchers. Their Austin stop comes on March 14th at Emo's. Here are more tour dates and an awesome live video from Austin Vida.
Mar 5 8:00pm Take II w/ Frontera Bugalu El Paso, Texas
Mar 9 7:00pm Marquee Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Tempe, Arizona
Mar 10 7:00pm Club Congress w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Tuscon, Arizona
Mar 12 7:00pm Granada Theater w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Dallas, Texas
Mar 13 7:00pm White Rabbit w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers San Antonio, Texas
Mar 147:00pm Emo’s w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Austin, Texas
Mar 16 5:30pm House Of Blues w/ RX Bandits & The Builders And The Butchers New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar 18 7:30pmCulture Room w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Mar 19 7:00pm The Social w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Orlando, Florida
Mar 20 7:00pm The Social w/ RX Bandits and The Builders and The Butchers Orlando, Florida
Mar 21 7:00pm Masquerade w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 23 7:00pm Cat’s Cradle w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Carrboro, North Carolina
Mar 24 7:00pm Rock And Roll Hotel w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Washington, Washington DC
Mar 25 7:00pm Gramercy Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers New York, New York
Mar 26 7:00pm Gramercy Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers New York, New York
Mar 27 7:00pm Gramercy Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers New York, New York
Mar 28 7:00pm TLA w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 29 7:00pm Toads Place w/ RX Bandits & The Builders And The Butchers New Haven, Connecticut
Mar 30 7:00pm Harpers Ferry w/ RX Bandits & I Am the Avalanche Allston, Massachusetts
Mar 31 7:00pm Harpers Ferry w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Allston, Massachusetts
Apr 1 7:00pm Underworld w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Montreal, Quebec
Apr 2 6:00pm Mod Club w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Toronto, Ontario
Apr 3 8:00pm Magic Stick w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Detroit, Michigan
Apr 4 6:00pm The Bottom Lounge w/ RX Bandits and The Builders and The Butchers Chicago, Illinois
Apr 5 7:00pm Turner Hall Ballroom w/ RX Bandits and The Builders and The Butchers Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 6 5:00pm Triple Rock Social Club w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 8 7:00pm The Marquis Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Denver, Colorado
Apr 9 7:00P
In The Venue w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 10 7:00pm The Venue w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Boise, Idaho
Apr 11 7:00pm El Corazon w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Seattle, Washington
Apr 12 7:00pm Hawthorne Theatre w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Portland, Oregon
Apr 14 7:00pm The Boardwalk w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers Orangevale, California
Apr 15 7:00pm Slim’s w/ RX Bandits & The Builders and The Butchers San Francisco, California
Apr 23 7:00pm The Glasshouse w/ RX Bandits Pomona, California
For a more in depth look at Zechs Marquise,check out this interview by Ajay Miranda on Austin Vida:
Austin indie rockers, Frantic Clam, will be playing their EP release show at Beauty Bar Thursday night. The EP is serving as a teaser EP for an upcoming album entitled Lolita. Perhaps some of you got a chance to check out these guys during Free Week. My apologies go out to Frantic Clam as they were one of the few bands I missed. However, I will be checking them out Thursday night as should you.
There are plenty of other reasons to head to Beauty Bar, like FREE COVER before 10pm and FREE Treaty Oak rum starting at 10pm. Bands supporting Frantic Clam on this bill include Motel Aviv, The Pons, Candi and the Strangers and DJ Czech One. For you hipster types who love photo booths, there will be some of that too on hand provided by Trevor Ray Thompson. I'll be there for the music thanks.
Here's a little taste of Frantic Clam for you...a little something I found on YouTube.
For more on Frantic Clam, visit them on Double Stereo here. Full line up details and a discounted cover available on Do512 here.
Today marks the official release of Vampire Weekend's long awaited 2nd album, Contra. Okay, so it has not been that long since their self titled debut. For current Vampire Weekend fans, and all indie fans for that matter, Contra couldn't have come out fast enough. The video for the fist single off Contra, "Cousins" hit YouTube in November 2009. Even M.E. Television has it regular rotation now.
Plus when it comes to indie, so many bands that come out of the gate with a lot of buzz don't sustain or stay hot. It is not the fault of the bands themselves, with the exception of a break up, but rather of the type of fans indie tends to draw. I'll just say it. Hipster fans only like what's hot now in their circles and once that goes main stream, they abandon you. Just ask Kings of Leon. Once hot bands should only be so lucky.
In regards to Contra, it will certainly please the ears and hearts of current Vampire Weekend fans. In all honesty, everything that is right is wrong with Contra. The good news is that it sounds like another Vampire Weekend album. The bad news is that is sounds just like another Vampire Weekend album. There isn't a sudden change of style or any experimentation outside their normal realm with the exception of a couple of songs. It is just a good indie album that proves Vampire Weekend are no fad. They may even be setting themselves up to be poster boys of the indie genre.
There are some stand out singles on Contra such as their first single, "Cousins", a song most fans already know by now. A quick little ditty just barely over two minutes in length, "Cousins" is fun and catchy little indie ride. Fast drumming and guitar strumming make for an interesting support sound for the Mexican surf-rock inspired sounds that make up the rest of the track. Did I mention this is such a catchy song?
Contra's opening track, "Horchata" is not the ode to my favorite Mexican beverage that I hoped it was, but it is my favorite track off the album. I love the kalimba thumb piano, as it very typical of the sounds of Veracruz, Mexico. This kind of hip world vibe reminds me of something Paul Simon would have done. The vocal echos and reverb are what make it their own versus being a direct Paul Simon clone.
Something else that stood out to me about Contra is that on "I Think UR a Contra", they used an acoustic guitar. This is actually the only song that really distinguishes Contra from their self titled debut in my mind. The orchestral string sounds create a sort of calm that allows Ezra Koenig (guitar/vocals) to finish mellowing you out. The acoustic guitar comes in during the last minute of the song, accompanied by the soft rattle of some maracas.
While these three for mentioned songs stand out, the entire album is worth purchasing for current Vampire Weekend fans. If you have already heard Vampire Weekend and couldn't get into them, Contra isn't going to win you over. If you are new or unfamiliar with Vampire Weekend, give Contra an honest listen. It may even be worth it for you to go back and pick up their self titled debut if like Contra.
Official video for "Cousins" off the new Vampire Weekend album, Contra:
Vampire Weekend will be in Austin on April 10th at Stubb's. To purchase tickets, visit Front Gate Tickets here. For more on Vampire Weekend, visit them on MySpace here.
(This review was written for and published on Double Stereo)
Oh dear God, this kind of metal scares me. Still, I can't not listen. It's intense like a horror or thriller movie. There must be something about Poland that makes Behemoth do death metal better than most. They've been around a long time despite line up changes and over wear and tear touring puts on your body after a certain age. Still, Behemoth has not lost a step or slowed down one bit. Touring to support their latest album, Evangelion, the Polish metal monsters take the stage Wednesday at Emo's for the Evangelina Amerika Tour.
You should get there early as door are at 8:oopm and the show starts at 9:00pm with local old school thrashers, Pack of Wolves. Septicflesh and Lightning Swords of Death round out the bill under Behemoth. It is going to be cold and dark Wednesday night, just like death! Muahahahaha! Okay...that was cheesy. I couldn't resist.
Oh, remember that part about this kind of metal being scary? Check out this video from Behemoth for their song "Ov Fire and the Void" off of Evangelion. Don't watch around small children or while at work, unless of course you don't care one way or the other. Don't say I didn't warn you. This video is sick.
I can't believe I am having to blog about this, but I have been finding too many people either don't know about this album or haven't heard of Blakroc. I find this to be both absurd and disheartening. This was the best album of 2009, although many may have missed it initially because it was released late in the year. Still, I had a hard time finding a physical copy in town until I went to Waterloo. I even scored the vinyl. God bless Waterloo.
So all that being said, let me briefly enlighten those in the dark. This is yet another brilliant Black Keys project, the same Black Keys out of Ohio fronted by Dan Auerbach. Known for their mix of '70s style rock and blues, The Black Keys were a favorite of so many subgroups, from hipsters to bikers and everyone in between. Auerbach had an impressive solo album, Keep It Hid, which was more mellow but still with the bluesy Black Keys vibe.
Now imagine that with some of hip hop's most lyrical MCs like Mos Def and Jim Jones. I know what you're thinking..it's rap-rock. Well it is indeed rap-rock, but no that cheesy stuff form the late '90s or the early 2000s. Think rap-rock that was of Rage Against The Machine like quality. Unlike my beloved RATM, this Blakroc album is more bluesy than metal. It's also more hip hop than blues given the talent of the MCs involved. This is the one album to bring together musical fans from all walks of life. In fact, it saved hip hop for me in 2009.
With all the God awful, samesy radio rap minus maybe Kanye, only Mos Def's latest album did anything for me. It's sad to admit too because I grew up listening to a lot of hip hop, but to me it went down in quality after 2000. Not since Enter the 36 Chambers have I been this passionate and excited about a hip hop album. There is even a hint of R&B to it with the ressurection of Nicole Wray. Remember her one hit, "Make It Hot"?
Alright I'm done ranting now. I could go on all day on all sorts of tangents. Seriously though, Blakroc is the Bees Knees. Instant classic. Give this video for "Ain't Nothing Like You" a look and listen.
Man oh man, am I sleepy. For the past ten days in Austin, my Red River cohorts and I have been venue hoping all over downtown for Free Week. With Beauty Bar and The Parish participating in Free Week this year, there was even more to check out. It was fun to see some of my favorite local bands I usually pay to see and to check out some new bands I had yet to check out live.
I didn't go out every night of the week, but almost all. I was glad to see people come out despite the cold weather. After talking to random strangers, old friends I hadn't seen in a while and eaves dropping people's conversations, I learned that a lot of people were really excited about what they were hearing. I only hope that their excitement carries over throughout all of 2010. As much as I love to go check out major touring acts, which I do regularly, there is just something special about seeing a good Austin based band. It is as if our local bands are only for us cool Austin kids and no one else. Some may call it snobby or pretentious, but Austin has the best local scene in the world.
So which band did I "discover" or check out for the first time? Well I liked a young band called In Situ Sound and finally got to see Haunting Oboe Music for the first time. Sadly enough, they will be playing their last show soon from what I'm hearing. Bummer. Other than that, 2010 is off to a good start.
Here's one of the clips I captured on my new toy. It features The White White Lights, a cool indie band with a foxy lead singer and killer guitar player. She even wished David Bowie a Happy Birthday. I just wonder which Bowie she was talking about. Was it Ziggy Stardust Bowie?
After getting my aggression out at Red 7 on Friday, I'll be ready for a change of scenery and venue Saturday night. Saturday is a feel good night that should lead you to get your last bit of Free Week fix at Mohawk. One of my favorite bands, local or non, is T Bird and the Breaks. I've talked about on here before, but in case you're visiting for the first time, they are a blue eyed soul band that sound something from your mom's old record collection. If you like Black Joe and the Honeybears, Brownout, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings or just some good old school soul music, then you will love-love-love you some T Bird and the Breaks.
As for your worries about it being cold and this show being on the outdoor stage, fear not. Mohawk has outdoor heat lamps and the wall surrounding the outside area blocks wind for the most part. You can always hang out inside by the bar and inside stage to catch some more Free Week goodness, but come out when T Bird plays. I know there is lots to do and see Saturday night, but seeing T Bird for free at Mohawk is a must. They don't play Red River too often as they usually do the Momo's, Antone's and Continental circuit. If miss them Saturday, catch them at Hole in Wall over by UT campus on January 23rd. I'm glad to see they are giving love to the old Hole in the Wall, a venue I admit I never go to enough.
For some quick and brief T Bird and the Breaks goodness, click play on this widget and turn it up. I also posted a couple of links below for you to explore if you wish.
Tonight at Red 7 is probably the one show I have been really looking forward to more than any other Free Week show this year. Three of the absolute best punk rock bands Austin has to offer are playing together for this amazing show and of course for free. I almost feel guilty picking this show as I know everyone who would be interested in this show already knew about it. That's how punk rock fans are, more specifically Austin punk rock fans. Still, the best show tonight features non other than Lower Class Brats, Krum Bums and Sober Daze.
Lower Class Brats (LCB) have been around a long time and are still an Austin heavy hitter. With a loyal fan base, respect of all the other young bands and a new 7 inch to promote, LCB keep on truckin' in 2010. Even if you aren't a big punk rock fan, Austin music aficionados should at least see LCB as some sort of required right of passage. It might as well be free. They headline the show so be sure to make plans to stay out late. It will be well worth it. I'm stoked because the last time I saw LCB was when they opened for Rancid in 2008.
Playing before LCB are two sick punk rock bands, Krum Bums and Sober Daze. Both bands are personal favorites of mine and I have been following both for a few years now. Krum Bums could easily headline their own show anytime they want as they draw well on their own thanks to their crazy live sets and solid album catalog. Sober Daze on the other hand, are an up and comer that started in the punk rock house party scene. They had a big 2009 when they opened for The Vandals and got featured in Austin Vida. I posted links for you to check out below this video we captured for Austin Vida of Sober Daze at Red 7. The video is on the outside stage, but tonight's show will be inside.
Ian is a graduate of Round Rock High School and attended St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008 he joined the team at Double Stereo (formerly CD Fuse) as their Blog editor where he reviewed concerts, albums, and did interviews for the popular music site.In January 2009, he became the Editor in Chief for Austin Vida. In 2010, with the help of some of his most talented friends, he launched Red River Noise. "Ian's Music Blog" is also one of the few blogs selected to be a Do512 All-Star.
On any given night of the week he can be found in downtown Austin on 6th Street and the Red River live music district.
