While Red River Noise is not yet a year old, my crew and I made some serious headway in 2010. We debuted with a an epic day party during South By Southwest that had both Zlam Dunk and Bright Light Social Hour on the bill. We offered media sponsorships to various local shows, including those put on by Giant Steps and Adi Anand. Now, we are back at it this week for Austin's own little local music festival of sorts, Free Week.
This year we went "off the river" to one of my favorite venues in Austin, The Parish. During a cold January, it is nice to have an indoor venue that is not only warm, but has epic sound and lighting. Shows at The Parish always look great in photos and the twenties style speakeasy aesthetic looks great.
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.
Suzanna Choffel in shiny pants (photo by Todd Wolfson)
In the midst of all the A-List Red River bands playing tonight, there is a special treat happening tonight at The Parish. Tonight one of my absolute favorite local artists, Suzanna Choffel, ventures out of Momo's for once to play a venue on 6th. Not only that, it's a Free Week show! For those of you who are too cool to venture off Red River, drop the ego and head to The Parish where it's warm.
I have had the opportunity and privilege of seeing Choffel many times as she is an Austin music staple. She is a great live performer and her style mixes jazz, folk, world music sounds and even R&B. I don't know what color her eyes are, but she is what they refer to as "blue eyed soul". Often compared to Nelly Furtado, Choffel has wide appeal and enough edge for Red River. So after the Longhorns stick it to those 'Bama girls, bundle up and head to The Parish. For those outside of Austin or those not yet familiar with Choffel because you live under a rock, check out the following clip from M.E. Television. Thank me later.
Also at The Parish tonight is Sounds Under Radio, which is a decent radio-rock band with hint of ambient indie. We're talking lots of crunchy guitar riffs, spacey noises, floating notes and heavy bass lines. You may want to hang out after Choffel is done, especially since it is free and warm.
I give full credit to my good friend and partner in crime, Ajay Miranda, for this one. Stereo Is A Lie is pretty good band that grows on me the more I hear them. Playing along side New Roman Times, She Sir and The Strange Attractors is a great way to get selected as my Wednesday Free Week pick amongst everything else great going on. This band kind of came out of IV Thieves, whom I saw a few years ago at a Roller Derby match of all places. Glynn Wedgewood fronts this semi-new band at Beauty Bar Wednesday night, so fans of IV Thieves who want some more Wedgewood can get their fix for FREE. Check them out here on this 'Nites video where I first saw Stereo Is A Lie:
New Roman Times and The Strange Attractors are also really good bands worth seeing on their own, much less together for Free.For indie lovers and Austin bloggers, this is your ideal showcase. Even I have to tip my hat to whomever booked this as it is the best overall bill of the night. Oh, and Beauty Bar is a good spot despite the uber hipstery clientele. It's only supposed to be around 56 degrees so don't be afraid to leave the house and take advantage of Free Week. Here's some more quick video goodness for you of New Roman Times from their in-store at Waterloo Records.
Tuesday will take me to Austin's best hardcore venue, Red 7, for a pretty good pop-punk show of all things. A genre that really blew up in the '90s and got mainstream in the early part of the previous decade, pop-punk had a real strong hold in Austin a few years ago it seemed. Bands like Dynamite Boy, Riddlin' Kids and Tuesday's headliner, Cruiserweight, were a big part of that movement. Around ten years later, when all those other bands they played with in those days are making their reunion show circuit, Cruiserweight have sustained.
It is really refreshing to me that they have sustained. In a day where most local blogger blow hards and snobby Austin music media fail to acknowledge the relevance or existence of pop-punk, Cruiserweight remains. When I see them live now a days, I see myself in their young teen and early twenty-something fans. I was around that age when I first saw them live. Those same young teens and early twenty-somethings make me feel really old when I catch their shows now, but there are always a few old fans my age hanging around to make me feel less cool. I'm also glad to see front woman, Stella Maxwell, still battles on the dance floor at the end of every set. She hasn't lost a step or her passion. If you've never seen them live, you're missing out. You'll see me there as I'll be the old guy who knows the words to most, if not all, of their songs.
I'll be talking about Cruiserweight more later I'm sure, so I'll save my rants, raves and odes to Cruiserweight for another day and an actual publiction. I know they have yet another new record in the works, so maybe they will perform some of those. I'm crossing my fingers that they are. What I will bet the house on is that they play the following classics I've posted below. If you have never seen or heard of Cruiserweight, then I strongly encourage you to watch and listen to both as well as check them out for free on Tuesday night.
"Cautionary Tale" off their album This Undoubtedly Come Out Wrong
"Yellow Lights" off their album This Undoubtedly Come Out Wrong
Playing before Cruiserweightwill be The Anchor and Buffalo's own Lemuria who are on tour. Oh and I almost forgot, O'Pioneers. They are one of my favorite post-rock or post-punk bands (depending on who you ask) that I saw for the first time in 2008 when they opened for Less Than Jake. Get to Red 7 at 9:00pm so you can find parking and absorb it all.
Monday night is the first night that will bring me to Red 7, Austin's premiere hardcore venue. With nothing else that really interests me anywhere else Monday night, an old local punk rock favorite of mine headlines. Austin's own punk rock outfit, Head Panic, is a great band for punk rock lovers to check out. I admit I haven't seen them in over a year. The last time was at Room 710, may it rest in peace. I reviewed their album, America, on cdFuse in 2008 before it made the change to Double Stereo. It was one of the better, lesser known punk releases of 2008.
Fronted by the talented Phil Bracey, Head Panic is a punk band with a bi-coastal sound that incorporates dub, hardcore and ska. They sound like a '90s punk band actually, which is a good or bad thing depending on your personal tastes. They don't have huge mohawks or skinny jeans. They probably fall somewhere in between which makes them approachable to all sorts of punk fans. They are both political and fun, while always being a good live band to see. I don't think they have taken off locally they way I thought they would, but then again they do their fare share of touring regionally and nationally. Most of the shows I caught from them were at head Hunter's and Room 710. I hope they move into the bigger Red 7 level gigs that enable them to open for bigger touring acts so more people can get exposed to them. Check out this cool widget that has some of their music on it and give them a listen. If you like what you hear, head to Red 7 Monday night and enjoy Free Week.
I almost hate making this show as my Sunday Free Week pick, but I couldn't help it. Both Quiet Company and The Boxing Lesson are what my friends and I refer to as "blogger bands". Every hack job of a blog in Austin has mentioned both bands periodically last year, but in this case the coverage or mention is well deserved. Both bands, while on the same bill, are completely different. They couldn't be more different actually.
Quiet Company is a young Ben Folds Five style indie band, some even referred to them as a "piano rock band". While they do have a piano and it is prominent in their music, I don't see them as a piano rock band. They are like a indie pop band for adults. They have intelligent lyrics, take their music seriously and an obvious desire to "make it". They've played a lot around town and regionally this year, improving every step of the way. I saw them in spring, summer and fall in 2009. They were their best in the fall, which is no surprise. Their most recent album, Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon, is a good album. I only really loved a couple of songs on it, but I can see why people like it. As with many bands, seeing them live is the way to go. Seeing them for free is the best way to go fro new fans or casual listeners. To give people who are new to Quiet Company an idea of what I just wrote, here's their video for my favorite Quiet Company song,"It's Better To Spend Money Like There's No Tomorrow". I dig the Iggy Pop sounding, "Lush For Life" intro.
Also on the bill for this Free Week show at Emo's is Austin's most blogged about psychedelic indie band, The Boxing Lesson.This band grew on me last year. They were talked about so much on the local blogosphere, largely in part to the arrest of their drummer at the time and because they have one hell of a publicist. Now they don't even have a drummer, their down to just two. If you are just seeing this band for the first time, notice how lead singer Paul Waclawsky looks like an older, bearded Ryan Reynolds.
I reviewed their album, Wild Streaks and Windy Days, on Double Stereo and was only mildly satisfied with what I heard. Like the Quiet Company album, there were only two songs I liked enough to keep in my iPod. That being said, I enjoyed them a lot more live than on CD. Somehow they managed to open for a lot of headlining touring acts I checked out and I saw them five times. I never left the room during their set except maybe if the bar or bathroom was outside. Something kept my attention, maybe the synthesizer sounds. I do dig synths. Check them out live Sunday and maybe you can tell me what it is. For those not familiar with The Boxing Lesson, check out their video for "Brighter" off of Wild Streaks and Windy Days.
Also on the bill for this great Sunday night Free Week show are Corto Maltese and Many Birthdays. Doors are at 9:00pm. Enjoy the show.
I hope you guys got to check out Amplified Heat at Emo's Friday Night. If you were at Beerland, I hope you saw Sober Daze, a crazy ass punk rock band I've been following for a few years now. Well if you are like me and took the day to recover and rest Friday, then Free Week starts for you on Saturday night. For those of you in clouds or from out of town, Free Week is where the best venues on and around Red River waive the cover charge. It's like five bucks or so if you are 18+, but still a great deal none the less. It goes from January 1st through the 10th. I'll pick the best of the best of stuff to check out that may not be on the average readers' radar. Let the Free Week picks begin....
Get downtown early at Emo's to check out Mike Wiebe of The Riverboat Gamblers and his side project, Ghost Knife. I saw them open for Mike Herrera's Tumbledown this past fall and they sounded good. They aren't as punk-ish as The Riverboat Gamblers, but in the same realm of taste for fans. Think post rock and indie with a slight hint of hardcore. Weibe has a great rock voice, so you already know they are good. You won't be able to find them on MySpace or online anywhere that I know of. When I last spoke with Mike maybe a couple of weeks ago, he was showing me his stitches in his left hand and telling me about Ghost Knife. He told me he hadn't made anything for it yet as far as online stuff. So, you have get to Emo's early as Ghost Knife opens.
The Lions (photo by Katrina Hercules)
After Ghost Knife finishes, I'm heading over to Mohawk on 10th and Red River to see one of my favorite local rock groups, The Lions. They're kind of a '70s throwback to the time when psychedelic, cock-rock was king. I've heard older folks call it "camaro-rock". Either way, it's bad ass. I am listening to their album, My Generation, as we speak. Some of you may have even played one of their songs on Guitar Hero called "Heavy Metal Lady". That song doesn't appear on My Generation, but it still rocks. Check out this clip.
Playing before The Lions are local rock bands Vinhomudeh and Eagle Claw. Don't let any kind of cold weather keep you home. Mohawk has those tall space heaters and the wall around the outside stage blocks the wind pretty good. Also, it's Free! Free! Free! So get there and support good local live music. For more Free Week selections, check in again with soon. I'm always available by email for questions and/or suggestions.
Yes! The best week of the year in the entire country and world even, is Free Week. I'll be previewing some bands and making show pics, but for now you need to check out the following link to Transmission's website about what they have going on. I can't wait!
The Boxing Lesson is an Austin based rock band that could very well be the bastard love child of Pink Floyd and any indie rock band. Over the past year they have become an Austin staple of sorts, playing everything from Free Week to weekend gigs at Emo’s. They have gotten a lot of buzz and press around town, but all the Pink Floyd references had always kept me from being interested. After seeing them live for the first time at Antone’s recently, I finally got a hold of their album..
I first discovered Austin’s own The Calm Blue Sea at this year’s Free Week, a January tradition here in Austin. They were actually the first Free Week performance I caught and was no doubt one of the best I have ever seen. It was a beautiful night for a concert at the Mohawk on January 2nd. The CalmBlueSea played early and on the outside stage. I admit that I wasn’t there for them, but I couldn’t be happier about what I heard and saw that night. They took me by total surprise and I have been hooked on their music ever since.
I just read on myspace today that my favorite Austin female punk rock group, The Applicators, are reunited for Free Week. They will be playing at Red 7 on January 10th with another local favorite of mine, The Lower Class Brats. You can check your listings, but I assure you that there is no better Free Week show that night. The last time I saw The Applicators play was at last year's Free Week inside Emo's. They played right before Cruiserweight that night. I still listen to their album, My Weapon, from time to time. I figured that was all I had left of my sweet Applicators as they supposedly played their last show during last year's Free Week. I remember reading something about one of them going to school or something. If you are in the San Antonio area, you can check them out at Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar on January 9th. I am not sure they will play again, so take advantage folks.
What's up everyone? After you recover from all the New Year's stuff, the real fun begins with Free Week. There will be many free shows (for 21 and up, small cover for under 21) all over downtown at venues like Emo's and Red 7 just to name a few. My first Free Week show I'm recommending to you is Built By Snow at The Mohawk. On the bill with them is my new favorite band, Zlam Dunk, and The Always Ready. I'll be out and about all week, discovering new bands I like, learning about bands I don't like and enjoying my current favorites. See you on Red River.
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.
