Peter Bjorn and John are going to have a big year. They are starting to grow on me. I just thought I'd post their latest video in case you haven't seen it yet. "Second Chance" is the first song I've liked from them in a while.
The best thing about Radiohead's new music video for "Lotus Flower" is the parodies it has inspired on YouTube. There are a bunch now, but my favorite is the one where someone edited it with scenes from the '80s classic movie Can't Buy Me Love with Patrick Dempsey. It may age me a bit, but I love this!
Low hits the road for dates throughout the spring, most importantly for South by Southwest on Mar. 16 at St. David’s Sanctuary. Their set is at 11:00pm so you'd better have a wristband.
Low will be touring in release of their soon to be released album, C'mon. I'm looking forward to it as Low is one of my favorite "'90s bands" as I often tell my friends. C'mon will be available on April 12.
Nerd alert! I love music and I love comics. Always have. This video brings together the two with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead's Conrad Keely, the group's lead singer. He's a talented artist and is the mastermind behind the their new album's artwork. Epic...
Camilo Lara, also known as Mexican Institute of Sound, is one of my absolute favorite Latin Alternative artists. Other than maybe the dudes from Nortec Collective and a select few (very few) others, no one mixes traditional Mexican sounds with dance music better. Check out the video above if you don't have it playing already.
Aside from being a talented musician/producer, Lara has an amazing vinyl record collection of over 45,000 records. In an interview he did with Austin Vida in 2009, he said the first record he ever bought was a Quiet Riot record. Can you believe it? Quiet 'fucking' Riot. Awesome.
M.I.S. will be performing at South By Southwest this year in support of his new EP. It marks his return to Austin since his 2009 headlining set at Pachanga Fest. I'm stoked. You should be too. Click HERE for details.
I get really excited when I hear a new hip hop artist I like. I'm such a backpacker snob when it comes to my hip hop.I can't help it. Hip Hop was the best in the '90s when I was really absorbing the genre and it has never been the same for me since. Sure I like a few artists here and there like Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Shad, Notar and a select few others, but it is too few and far between. I hate to sound old and bitter, but the accessible hip hop these kids now grow up hearing on the radio and BET these days is just dumbed down crap made for ringtone sales.
That being said, I get gem or two emailed to me now and then. The latest find for me this time is a D.C. rapper named Wale, pronounced like "Wall-A". I'm sure he's been around the underground and East Coast scene a while but that doesn't help me hear it down here in Austin. I like Wale's music because it sounds like where he is from. Washington D.C. has long been known for that go-go music influence and I have always loved it. That go-go sound is what made me tolerate that old Beyonce song "Crazy In Love". Combine that with his sick flow, unique voice and dope lyrics and you have Wale.
If you love real hip hop, welcome Wale into your iPod as well. Visit his official website here.
Tactics is the side project of Brett Thorne and Ross Bennet from Zlam Dunk. I saw this video online today from their first show back in December at Mohawk. Damn I wish I would have gone. Not only were they playing on the same bill as This Will Destroy You (f*cking epic!) but Tactics actually sounds good. I need a record and to check them out.
In the interest of full disclosure, Brett Thorne is a friend of mine. That being said, our friendship has zero influence on my opinions of the bands he plays in. In fact, if I thought they sucked I'd have a blast teasing him about it. Trust me, I would and I'd be really mean.
Tactics perform at Beauty Bar tonight. Click here for the details.
This is the new Mogwai video that premiered online today. The song will be on Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will due out on February 15, 2011. Enjoy.
How dare he touch the legendary Jodeci classic. Some things are perfect the first time and best left alone. I am not an Omarion lover or hater, but I feel that Jodeci is on the list of untouchables. Kids these days...
Conan scored the national debut of Peter, Bjorn and John's new single "Second Chance". The song is on their upcoming release, Gimme Some, which hits stores on March 29. They were rockin' the cowbell weren't they?
I love me some Jenny Lewis but the Jenny and Johnny album was a let down for me. However, there was one song on the album I kept in my iTunes library. That song was "Big Wave". SPIN debuted the video today.
The duo have a few more tour dates on the books but nothing substantial other than Coachella. Maybe this means Lewis will finally ditch this Johnny guy and get back to making Rilo Kiley records.
I had an AZ CD back in middle school and I thought he was going to really blow up. He came up in that golden '90s era of hip hop that I so miss. I rarely hear hip hop that I like anymore so that is why I get excited when I come across things online like this.If you like what you hear in this video, pick up his 1996 classic album, Doe Or Die.Will someone please bring AZ to Austin? I'm looking at you Transmission Entertainment and Knuckle Rumbler.
My favorite indie-folk singer if I ever had one is Lissie. I have followed her on YouTube ever since I saw one of her covers waaayyy back in 2009. Not only is her original music fantastic, her covers are some of the best and most diverse around. She covers everyone to Lady Gaga to Kid Kudi and everyone in between. Her latest album Catching A Tiger is out on Fat Possum Records now.
This Friday, Feb. 4, Lissie will perform "When I'm Alone" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. If you are not at Fashion Freakout or Stubb's this Friday, you should check her out. If you won't be home, set your DVR. It airs on NBC, 12:35am ET/11:35pm CT. Check her out. Lissie is awesome!
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.
