Looking for something cool to check out this weekend? Let me suggest checking out Cincinnati indie rockers, Pomegranates, at Mohawk. Given that Cincinnati was the city I lived in before moving to here in '95, I have a special place in my heart for their bands, the Reds and of course Skyline Chili. While it is no secret indie isn't my genre of choice, I do find myself liking a small handful of bands from time to time, especially after going through the over abundance of press releases I get on a daily basis. These guys caught my hear some how and I think indie lovers will dig them.
Don't let the cool weather keep you inside this weekend as this will be at Mohawk's indoor stage according to their official website. Playing before Pomegranates will be Oh No Oh My and A Tiger Named Lovesick. Get there by 9:00pm to catch the entire show.
At least Mike Ness will be there at Stubb's tonight, the one original member of Social Distortion needed really. I thought my opportunity to see them live had long passed. I guess now I can check this off my bucket list later tonight. Too bad I have to go in to work tomorrow morning. Oh well, Social D is well worth it. See you at Stubb's folks!
Brooklyn "etherealists" School Of Seven Bells are in town for a headlining show at Mohawk. This is one of the indie bands I actually listen to and like. Their style of indie is very mellow without being folky or weird. They have a unique sound with a lot of sound effects and melodies going on all at once, but they totally make it work. I do have to be in the mood to listen to them, but their music is relaxing. I bet they are good live. you should o check them out tonight if you are looking for something to do because you didn't get tickets to any of the ACL after-shows. Take a look and listen to this music video for their song "Half Asleep."
If you like what you heard, learn more about School Of Seven Bells from my interview with Alejandra Deheza on Red River Noise here.
I don't know whether to be excited, weirded out or frightened by this one.The one and only Gram Rabbit will be performing at Emo's on Sunday, August 14. Talk about an interesting Sunday after church huh? This doesn't appear to be your typical indie-pop or dancy-electro band. From what I've read, they have a very loyal following called "The Royal Order of Rabbits." Interesting to say the least. Take a look at this music video for their song "Shiny Monster."
To learn how to win FREE tickets to the show at Emo's Sunday and a copy of the new CD, visit the Red River Noise here.
Samantha Crain is one of my favorite new music discoveries. She is a singer-songwriter of the indie-folk persuasion. I'm not always in the mood for that sort of genre but when I'm at home relaxing late at night in I tend to get in those kind of moods. I'll throw on some J. Tillman, A.A. Bondy, Ola Podrida and now some Samantha Crain. She just released her sophomore album, You (Understood), in June and will be performing at The Parish this Saturday, July 24th. Take a look and listen to Crain's music video for her single "Santa Fe" here:
Headlining will be indie-psych rockers, Royal Forest. If you like what you here or are fans of the either artist/band, Red River Noise is giving away a pair of tickets on their Facebook page. All you have to do is "like" Red River Noise on Facebook and you are eligible to win. It's that simple. Here's the link:
My dear Ximena Sariñana, Mexico's best pop star and talented actress, is finally coming to Austin. I was super excited when I got the news this week. She will be performing at Stubb's indoor on May 24th. Latino or not, you need to get familiar with Ximena Sariñana. Trust me.
So this past weekend was my birthday weekend. As usual, I spent part of it in San Antonio and part of it here in Austin. I have friends and family in San Antonio I like to hang with. It is my second home. I admit that is has been too long since I last went down there for a show. Shame on me, as I know better than anyone that San Antonio has some serious musical talent.
I've written or blogged about Pinata Protest and Girl In A Coma, but that is just the tip of the ice berg in terms of San Antonio based bands I like. On Friday night I checked out another one of my favorite San Antonio bands, Bombasta, at The Limelight. They brought their from friends from Ollin (pronounced like O-leen) from East L.A. to play this show and some other Fiesta Week gigs.
This past Sunday night was crazy on Red River. There was this big Adult Swim party-carnival-concert thing happening. When I arrived downtown it felt like a Saturday night. I wasn't there for any of that though. That's stuff isn't for me. I was there to see a punk rock show, a damn good one at Emo's indoor. Playing were Thieves (local opener), Left Alone, Voodoo Glow Skulls and Authority Zero. I captured some cool clips from my mini-cam. Here are some clips in order the bands appeared. Check them out.
The legendary and iconic Mexican rock stars, Moenia, will be playing two shows in Texas in April. While I am bummed that they don't have a show in Austin, I am willing to travel to see them. I have been a fan for about ten years and am super stoked at this opportunity to see them live.
This is it folks...our first Austin Vida showcase at Stubb's. That's a big deal for us as a Latino publication. We solicited the promotional efforts of my friends from Gohispano.com and the production help of Vivo Alternativo. We are bringing indie lovers Latino bands from both sides of the border who sing their songs in English coincidentally. The quality of this show is second to none if I do say so myself.
Win these on Tuesday, March 2nd at Mi Casa Tamales & Cantina!
We just announced on Austin Vida that we are giving away two free tickets to see Los Amigos Invisibles when they come to Antone's on April 2nd. What makes this show even better is that Ocote Soul Sounds will be opening up for them. If you haven't seen or herd either, you are in for a treat. These two bands are some of the best the Latin Music world has to offer.
Metal heavy hitters, Kill Switch Engage (KSE), are set to play Stubb's Wednesday with The Devil Wears Prada. I got word of some interesting news today. KSE vocalist Howard Jones had to unexpectedly leave the band’s current headlining tour, leading to a flurry of rumors and questions about the status of the tour and the band. The band has further issued the following statement addressing the matter, saying: “It became overwhelmingly obvious to all of us around Howard that he is in no condition to be on tour right now and that he needed to get off the road and get himself better. It’s a personal matter and while we understand everyone’s curiosity and concern for Howard and the band, we appreciate everyone respecting Howard’s privacy at this time.”
What more do you need to know? Oh wait, there is more. If you are on of the first 200 people to RSVP on Do512, you can win tickets and maybe even a VIP table for four. If you've never seen White Denim live or heard their music, time to get with the program. These dudes rock. I'm so glad they are playing Antone's because the sound and lighting are always good. Good for White Denim.
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?
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...
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.
My favorite band of all time is and always will be Rage Against The Machine, but The Sword challenges that crown every time I listen to their music or see them live. The Austin metal Gods rocked Fun Fun Fun Fest in November and are currently working on a new album. If you were at Fun Fun Fun Fest, you heard a few of their new songs. For those of you who weren't there, don't worry. They are still epic and rock your face off. Their new stuff sounds just as good if not better than what they've done thus far. They just announced some new tour dates, which appear to be strictly regional for now. There isn't an Austin or San Antonio date, which is a real bummer, so I may be driving to Corpus, Houston or Denton for one of their shows. Here are the dates and cities:
January 23 Corpus Christi, TX House of Rock
January 24 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Studio
January 25 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
January 27 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Café
January 28 Oklahoma City, OK Conservatory
January 29 Denton, TX Rubber Gloves
Did I mention they rocked Fun Fun Fun Fest? Here is a video someone captured in decent quality of one of their new songs entitled "Tres Brujas", which translates as "Three Witches". Check it out.
For more info about what's coming up in 2010 from The Sword, check out my interview with bassist Bryan Richie at Fun Fun Fun Fest in November 2009.
When I woke up Wednesday morning, I had no idea I'd get to see Fanfarlo, one of the UK's greatest indie bands, right here in Austin. To be honest, I had no idea they were in town. It was really weird how it all happened. It was almost movie-esque when you think about it.
I heard them perform a live set on KUT Wednesday afternoon and learned that they were playing The Independent that night. I really hadn't planned on going out, but was so impressed by what I heard that I was starting to mull it over. I was thinking about it so much that I "tweeted" it when I sat back down at my desk to do some work. As it turns out, a friend of mine saw my tweet and offered me her tickets. How could I say no?
I hadn't been to The Independent yet, so if for no other reason, I wanted to check out the venue. As I arrived Wednesday night, the New York based Free Lance Whales were playing. They were alright. Not bad, not great. They were a good opener and I'd be inclined to check them out again some time. I'm sure they'll be back around again soon.
Shortly there after Free Lance Whales finished, Fanfarlo took the stage. Lead singer Simon Balthazar and Cathy Lucas (who plays every instrument except drums it seems) got things going with "Drowning Men" off their current album, Reservoir. The rest of the band joined them for "I'm a Pilot" and stayed on throughout their set. I loved watching them switch instruments and put together this great variety of sounds. Their music is brilliant and their live show is worth seeing. If you've never heard Fanfarlo, check out this video for their single "The Walls are Coming Down":
Here is their set list from Wednesday night's show at The Independent:
Lately I have been getting asked more questions about who I listen to, as opposed to what I review. Like what do I listen to for my own enjoyment and pleasure when not reviewing albums? What's in my car stereo or iPod? Those questions came from complete strangers I was meeting for the first time and from friends who I keep in touch with through Facebook. So, I decided I am going to answer that question in a regular column here on my music blog.
It seemed like a good thing to do since I will be getting away from some writing in 2010 to take more of an editor's role and give new writers a chance to shine. I will still do some interviews and reviews, just not in the same capacity I used to. As usual, I'll link them here so you can find them easily. This column won't be reviews in the traditional format, but rather less formal and me speaking freely.
For the first installment of Music I listen To, I would like to introduce you all to The Twilight Sad. Right now I think they are the best indie band on the planet. I can't stop listening to their latest album, Forget The Night Ahead. Their shoegazey indie meets post rock style appeals to my love of crunchy guitar and spacey notes. Combined with lead singer James Graham's thick Scottish accent, you have one of the most original indie bands on the scene.
I got to check out The Twilight Sad live in Austin this past April when they played at Mohawk. It was a Sunday night and that meant they had to play the inside stage. For those of you outside of Austin, there is a noise ordinance on the Live Music Capital's most popular and iconic street, Red River. It wasn't always that way, but then some idiots thought it was a good ideas to put up high end condos right smack int he middle of it all. In theory it sounds cool to have the Red River music district outside your door, but because the city has laws about decibel levels around residences, there lies the problem. That's the short version.
Me with James Graham, lead singer of The Twilight Sad, in April 2009
So in the tiny and cramped area known as Mohawk's inside stage, which could be any small bar venue really, my good friend, fellow blogger and Austin Vida's managing editor Ajay Miranda checked out their set. I forgot why we were there, maybe it was for The Twilight Sad, maybe it was for an opener. Anyway, we were blown away at how awesome theses dudes were. There weren't too many people there, but I've seen Mohawk less full. Again, it was a Sunday night. It was actually better that way so I could get a chance to chat with them and snap a photo for my collection. They were very cool dudes and very tired from the grind that is touring. I look forward to interviewing them one day soon hopefully, but until then I have both of their albums and an some five song EP of theirs I found online shortly after their show to hold me over.
Their first album is called Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. Although I dig that record, I prefer the more melodic Forget The Night Ahead. Both have me singing along in what is an awful sounding Scottish accent, but I can't help it as it sounds weird to me with any other tongue to it. The album came out in in the U.S. on October 5th and is available on Fat Cat Records. Here's the video for one of my favorite tracks off Forget The Night Ahead called "I Became A Prostitute"
I just got word that Warren G is not performing at Emo's tonight. I had planned on going and I know many of you had as well. You know we were all jammin' Warren G back in the day, so I am really bummed about it. Word is that his people are wanting to reschedule. I hope they do. I have never seen him live before and it would be a middle school dream come true for me. I guess I will catch ya'll out on Red River tomorrow.
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.
