New EP From The Black And White Years: Nursery Myths

photo by Jake Holt

The Black And White Years are arguably the biggest Red River all star in terms of indie rock. Their single “Power To Change” is always on the local alternative rock radio station. They took home a bag of Austin Music awards this year. All I can say is that is about time they put out some new recordings on CD, even if just an EP. Nursery Myths, due out September 19th, is your first taste of will be a must own album due in 2010.

The Black And White Years will take to the road to support the release of the EP including their first-ever appearances in Los Angeles in September before returning to Austin for an EP Release Show at Mohawk on September 19th. East coast dates are planned for October and November. The band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, Wireless Music Festival in London, MIDEM in Cannes, CMJ Music Marathon, and the past three South By Southwest Music Festivals.

For more on The Black And White Years, check out the following links:

Black And White Years Official Website

Black And White Years on Myspace

Black And White Years Review on Double Stereo

Black and White Years Double Stereo Page

Here's a little video taste of The Black And White Years. I like this video, although they do have better songs. It's their official video for "Zeroes and Ones".

A Great Night For Indie In Austin

Tonight one of my favorite new local indie bands, Western Ghost House, plays at Mohawk. Austin Vida featured them recently and I am hoping, as Editor in Chief, that we garnered some new interest for them. I have always said that seeing live music during the week is the best time to really discover something new. Since Monday night football has not started yet, come out and join my friends and I at Mohawk.

Also tonight at Mohawk, is my friend Andrew's band called "Isle of White". He's been on me about coming to see them play and tonight it is finally going to happen. I haven't made a judgment on them yet, simply because I haven't seen them live. Either way, I'll have a cold one or two with Andrew.

Here's a look for you at Western Ghost House. It's a video that was shot for their Austin Vida feature, both filmed and written by my friend Ajay Miranda. For those of you who were out this weekend at Mohawk getting your face ripped off by The Sword, check out the drummer. He may look familiar to you.



For more on Western Ghost House, check out their Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/westernghosthouse

For more in Isle of White, check out their Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/isleofwhite

After The Jump at Mohawk

Here's the flyer for a really cool event happening at Mohawk for bloggers. It's called "After The Jump" and is moderated by The Austinist. I'll be there with my friends Ajay (Nites) and Sarah (So Many Bands) checking it out. The event is free so there's no reason not to make it out. This will be my first time in attendance so I'm looking forward to it.

Krum Bums: A Decade Later The Punk Don't Stop

The Krum Bums live at Red 7 on August 14, 2009 (Bob Kinney)

My friend and Austin Vida Staff Writer, Alysha Hernadez, just published one of the best Krum Bums interviews I have read in recent memory. I have always been a big punk rock fan as many of you may know, but I'm also a long time Krum Bums fan. A staple in Austin and at Red 7, they continue on playing headlining shows here. On August 14th, they played thier CD release show for the new EP. I'll talk more about that later. You know I got my hands on one. I wish I could have made it to that show, but I was in San Antonio covering Mayhem Fest. I'll catch them when they get home from tour.

By the way, here is the set list from that CD release show at Red 7:



To find out more on the Krum Bums, check out the following Links:

Krum Bums Interview on Austin Vida

Krum Bums Myspace

New Music Video from Los Bad Apples

"El Ritmo Me Manda" is the new music video from Austin's own Los bad Apples. The video features footage from when Los Bad Apples were overseas entertaining our troops. That alone warms my heart. My boys from Subrosa Union did the same recently. This video is also something of meaning to me as it was edited by my good friend and Austin Vida's Managing Editor, Ajay Miranda.

For those who have seen Los Bad Apples live, you are probably familiar with the song "El Ritmo Me Manda" already. For those who haven't hear of Los Bad Apples yet, do give the video a watch. If you like what you hear, I have posted some links for you to check out below the video. Their next show is at Lambert's here in Austin on September 4th. Show your love for talented Austin bands and check out the show. Lambert's is a good spot and worth checking out.

Los Bad Apples: "El Ritmo Me Manda" [music video] from Nite Owl Media on Vimeo.

For more on Los Bad Apples, check out the following links:

Los Bad Apples Website

Los bad Apples on Myspace

Album Review: La Santa Cecilia EP

Named after the Patron Saint of Musicians, La Santa Cecilia is a musical blessing. Elements of Norteno accordion, Mexican Folklorico, and even Conjunto all come together to form the Los Angeles based sextet. If you listen carefully to their self titled EP, you will hear more subtle elements of Latin music such as Bolero and Cumbia. Fronted by the one they call "La Marisoul", La Santa Cecilia offers traditional sonidos for your parents and grandparents, while having enough soul for all of us to appreciate.

Click here to read the full review on Austin Vida

Back To School Rock N Roll Yogurt Party

On Saturday, August 29th from 12 to 3pm, Girls Rock Camp Austin is having a Rock N Roll Yogurt Party at The Yogurt spot on Lamar. a family friendly benefit for Girls Rock Camp Austin, a non profit music education organization. It is a family friendly benefit for Girls Rock Camp, a non profit music education organization. There at The Yogurt Spot you'll be able to catch acoustic sets by Akina Adderly, Adrian and The Sickness and Girls Rock Camp band 'Rank N File". That should be interesting.

Girls rock camp is a very important part of Austin and the Austin Music scene. It is especially important for girls who face stereotypes that they can't rock it like the guys can. Girls Rock camp uses curriculum that not only provides music education for girls, but is also focused on girls empowerment. The program features music classes as well as classes in a variety of different topics ranging from zine making to music business to music history. Girls Rock Camp bring sin local musicians to work with and teach the girls. Last session the girls got work with Belaire, Ume, and my favorite...Girl in a Coma.

If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and support Girls Rock Camp. Here's more links and info:

The Yogurt Spot: 500 N Lamar BLVD, Suite 150

Girls Rock Camp Official Website: http://www.girlsrockcampaustin.org/

Adrian and The Sickness: http://www.myspace.com/adrianandthesickness

Event on Do512: http://do512.com/event/2009/08/29/rock-n-roll-yogurt-party

Album Review: Another Link In The Chain by The Junction

Having already created some internet buzz in their home country of Canada, The Junction will surely create some indie buzz here stateside once they get a U.S. tour going. This indie trio from Brampton sounds s good as anything else making news in the indie world and has some real strong singles. A new video for their single “My Love Was There” was what first caught my attention. After enjoying that, I wanted the rest of their new album, Another Link In The Chain.

Click here to read the review & check out the video for "My Love Was There" on Double Stereo

Finally! Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 Lineup Announced!

Looks like I'll be alternating between the Black and Blue Stages this year. I'm stoked about Death, Pack of Wolves, GZA, The Cool Kids, The Riverboat Gamblers, Pharcyde and Danzig! I am stoked about Danzig! I'm going to go play some Luciferi right now after playing "Mother" on Guitar Hero.

This year's Fun Fun Fun Fest takes place on November 7th & 8th at Waterloo Park. Other than maybe Pachanga Fest, this is my favorite festival in town. The flyer doesn't mention it, but do bring your boards if you skate. There's always half pipes during FFFun Fest and other cool stuff going on. I love this town.

For more info, visit the Official Fun Fun Fun Fest website at:

www.funfunfunfest.com

Oh, and click on the poster itself to enlarge the poster and get a look at the full line up.

New Interview with La Guerrilla on Austin Vida

On July 29th at The Mohawk here in Austin, some of my team from Austin Vida and I checked out local Latin Fusion Band, La Guerrilla. My friend and Austin Vida staff writer, Sarah Vasquez, knew the lead singer from a previous band he was in a few years ago. I had heard of La Guerrilla before but never got a chance to see them live. In Austin, with so much music everywhere you turn, it is difficult to catch everyone on your list of bands to see.

After I got wind of them opening for Grupo Fantasma recently, I knew I needed to make them a priority on my list. When we saw them at Mohawk that night, I realized that this band was numerous in members. They had the usual guitar, bass, and drummer, yada yada yada. What I didn't know until that night was that La Guerrilla also has a brass section, an extra percussionist, and a violinist. It made for a great live sound collectively. Take a listen to La Guerrilla here on this YouTube video my friend and Managing Editor, Ajay Miranda, shot for Austin Vida:



Click here to read the interview with La Guerrilla by Sarah Vasquez on Austin Vida

Many thanks also to our girl Chantel Clopine for taking some great live shots!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs oficially added to ACL 2009 Lineup

Hipsters rejoice! Get out your best American Apparel and Grecian headbands! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been officially added to this year's ACL Fest lineup as a Friday replacement for The Beastie Boys. It was a totally predictable move but still a good move none the less. It would have nice to see The Beastie Boys though. I am surprised they didn't go with something more in the hip hop realm, but then again I'm not. I read some online rumors that Jay Z was in line to replace the Beasties, but I didn't see that happening.

Other good news includes the addition of former Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl frontman Raphael Sadiq. His solo music is amazing and has not gotten the commercial credit it deserves. Sadiq adds some much needed R&B flavor to ACL Fest and I couldn't be happier about it. He'll be playing that Friday as well. All good things in my opinion.

For more ACL Fest info, visit the website: www.aclfestival.com

Where You Should Be Right Now!

You should be at Red 7 tonight for the CD release show for Austin's own Exeter. It's a free show at a bad ass venue with cool people. There's nothing like a Sunday night show on Red River. All the fuss and wannabe cool kids from Saturdays are at home. On Sundays, it is about nothing but the music and bands themselves. It's refreshing.

For more on Exeter, visit them on Myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/exetermusic

Joe Strummer Birthday Bash at Flamingo Cantina Saturday!

This Saturday night at The Flamingo Cantina is a Joe Strummer Birthday Bash put on by Conexion Rockera and is my Saturday pick. Yes, you can still catch this show after Bat Fest to keep the party going. If Bat Fest isn't for you, this is your show.

There are some cool bands on the bill, but the real treat for me is Austin punk rockers, The Sweethearts (pictured above). I have seen them a few times, both Emo's and Stubb's indoor. Their style of punk is reminiscent of early No Doubt with more of an edge. I think even the casual punk fan would dig The Sweethearts. Give them a listen on their Myspace. I have some info and links for you below on the other bands on the bill as well. Happy Birthday Joe Strummer!

Visit The Sweethearts on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sweethearts


Clampdown is a Joe Strummer/The Clash tribute band. I haven't seen them live yet, so I'm curious to see or hear what they sound like.

Visit Clampdown on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/clampdowntexas


The Jungle Rockers are a garage rock band from right here in Austin, Texas. I have seen their name listed plenty of times walkign down Red River. The Austin Chronicle and Austin Sound have shown The Jungle Rockers some love before. From what I heard on their Myspace, it sounds very 1950s greaser, Rat Fink era rock. It's not my usual musical preference but it isn't bad. I'm glad to see people keeping that sound alive and well.

Visit The Jungle Rockers on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thejunglerockers

Venue: Flamingo Cantina @ http://www.flamingocantina.com/

Official Statement From Remaining Members of Pennywise

August 21, 2009—The members of Pennywise, Fletcher Dragge, Byron McMackin and Randy Bradbury, have issued the following statement regarding singer Jim Lindberg’s departure:

“After 19 years with Pennywise, Jim Lindberg has decided to step down as lead singer. Pennywise has long stood behind the motto that you should always follow your heart and pursue what makes you happy, and we wish Jim the best of luck in his new ventures, whatever they may be. Pennywise has become a way of life for a lot of people, and has definitely become a way of life for us. As the three remaining members of Pennywise we feel that we are not done delivering our message to our fans.

”The band has always been about moving forward in life no matter what obstacles stand in front of you. We will begin our search for a new singer immediately. We will continue to tour the world and we are looking forward to writing new music. We've had a lot of good times and survived the hard times thanks to the undying support of our fans. We're looking forward to what the future may bring."


Sincerely Fletcher, Randy, and Byron

Pennywise is one of the most significant bands to emerge from Southern California’s second wave of punk rock. Formed in 1988 in Hermosa Beach, California, Pennywise has released nine full-length studio albums; one live album; two extended plays; and one DVD. Their most recent studio album, Reason to Believe, was released to over 500,000 fans for free through a limited offering from their new label MySpace Records. The critically acclaimed album was also sold physically and digitally the world over. “The Western World,” the first single from this watershed album quickly became the most successful single of the band’s storied career.

For more on Pennywise:

http://www.myspace.com/pennywise

Album Review: Hot Mess by Cobra Starship

Fueled By Ramen’s pop punk darling, Cobra Starship, recently released their third album entitled Hot Mess. They are already getting radio play around the country with their first single off Hot Mess, “Good Girls Go Bad” featuring Gossip girl actress Leighton Meester. I can't stop singing it. I don't want to love it, but I do.

Does Hot Mess live up to the hype of the smash first single? I wondered the answer to that myself before listening to it all the way through. That’s a lot to live up to.

Click here to read the full album review on Double Stereo

Those Darlins Coming back to Austin in October

Those Darlins made quite a splash online when they were here in March for South By Southwest. I have read several reviews, interviews and blogs on them recently. One source quoted their sound as "Appalachian Indie" and I agree with that. Those Darlins hail from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Their sound is very Carter Family meets Pitchfork. I am actually surprised that I like this group, as it outside of my usual repertoire of musical genres. Maybe it hits my Southern roots or maybe becase it is three bad ass chicks in boots. Who knows?

All I do know is that when I received their album a couple of months back, I had so many albums to listen to at that time that it ended up sitting in a pile for a bit longer than I wanted. Once I listened to it all the way through for shits and giggles one day, I regretted not opening it sooner. It isn't something I'd listen to everyday or regularly, but once in a while when I am grillin' or on a long road trip perhaps.

So as I was looking around online the other day at different venue schedules and check Myspace bulletins, I saw that Those Darlins will be coming back to Austin on October 30th. They'll be playing at one of my favorite local venues, The Continental Club on South Congress. There will be a lot stuff going on that weekend as it is Halloween weekend, but it is definitely something people should consider checking out. Mark your calendars now.

Before concluding, I just wanted to show you a great video I found online of Those Darlins performing my favorite song of theirs called "Whole Damn Thing". I can relate because I too have eaten a whole chicken after drinking heavily. Who doesn't love a good chicken?

Those Darlins "Whole Damn Thing" from Tugboat Productions on Vimeo.

For more on Those Darlins, visit their official website:

http://thosedarlins.com/index.htm

Album Review: Follow by Johnny Cooper

I can’t even begin to tell you about the countless country or Americana albums come through my mail box, digital or hard copy. Most of them sound like your run of the mill “new country” wannabes who would make the country forefathers turn over in their grave. Even as just a casual fan of the genre, I can hear the difference between what’s good and what isn’t. I grew up in the South almost all my life, so country is something you can’t avoid if you tried. Now it is not often I will write about or review anything country(ish), but today I found something worth talking about. Country singer, songwriter, and Texas native Johnny Cooper is worth a listen. His new album, Follow, made it to my iPod.



Click here to read the full review on Double Stereo

Album Review: Y. by Bebe

It’s been five years since Bebe blessed us with her stellar debut, Pafuera Telaranas. At one point I was starting to wonder whether or not the Spanish superstar would put out another album or dive full time into her acting career. I mean, she won a Latin Grammy in 2005 for “Best New Artist”. One just shouldn’t stop there. After a long wait, Bebe truly out did herself with her latest release Y.

Here's a teaser I found on YouTube for a track on Y. called "Pa Mi Casa" to give you an idea of her Spanish-gypsy pop sound:


Click here to read the full review on Austin Vida

New Video for "Despues" by Hello Seahorse!

During South By Southwest this year, some of us at Austin Vida were fortunate enough to catch Mexico City's Indie darlings, Hello Seahorse!. We have reviewed their current album, Bestia, here on AustinVida.com and posted another one of their videos with it.The video for their second single, "Despues", hit YouTube on August 14th.It's a great single to check out if you are unfamiliar with Hello Seahorse!. "Despues" is in Spanish, but if you don't speak Spanish and like what you hear, many of their other tracks are in English. I expect major success from Hello Seahorse! world wide.


For more on Hello Seahorse!, visit their official Myspace page at:

http://www.myspace.com/helloseahorse

Meet The Morakestra on Austin Vida

I first saw The Morakestra last year. What I saw and heard was a group of talented young Latinos doing some fantastic indie rock worthy of everyone's ear. This year I reviewed their latest album, Witness To Connection, for Austin Vida. I thought it was solid album with only a few songs that made me go "huh?".

Originally from El Paso, the Austin based Morakestra is steadily becoming a regular Austin staple around Red River. When I got word of their CD release show, I made sure my Austin Vida team and I included The Morakestra on the website somehow. I am very happy with the way everything turned out. Ajay Miranda shot great video once again, and Sarah Vasquez gave us an insightful interview to help those unfamiliar with The Morakestra get acquainted.

Here is a YouTube video from the Austin Vida YouTube Channel that did not get published with the article that will give you an idea of The Morakestra's look and sound.



Click here to read the full interview and check out our Exclusive Austin Vida live video for "Goodbye".

I can't post the new video for "I'm Broke" by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Today I just realized that I have never blogged about one of my favorite local Austin based groups, Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. Seriously folks, I'm embarrassed by it. Black Joe is amazing, funky, soulful, you name it. There's nothing bad that can be said about these dudes.

Here in Austin especially, they cross over into every genre of music fans, from indie rockers to funksters. Even hardcore fans such as myself get down to Black Joe. They should be even bigger now thanks to recently opening for Austin's indie mega stars, Spoon. This past Friday on YouTube, their label put out their new video for "I'm Broke" off thier album Tell Em What Your Name Is!

This is the part where I'd usually post the video, but it has been disabled by request on YouTube. I hate when labels, bands, artists do that. Why even bother to put it on YouTube? I know the answer, it's exposure. People search YouTube all the time and it will get views. As a fan with a blog, Myspace page, etc I'd like to post it and share it with people. Viewing it on YouTube is free. Watching the YouTube videos are free. The average person can't rip the videos anyway. Even someone who could with a YouTube downloader, could they also edit the video? Those people are slimmer by the number. Would they do it to this video? Not likely. The same thing happened when they put "Sugarfoot" on YouTube. That pisses me off.

Unleash the reigns there suits and watch the views increase greatly! Watch as they sell more albums and downloads. Watch more people buy tickets to their shows in Austin and out of Austin. Why cheat the band out of that? Embrace web 2.0 and social media. When done right, it does wonders for bands.

Click on the album cover to check out the video for "I'm Broke". It's funky. If you are new to Black Joe Lewis & The Honey bears, check out the video for Sugarfoot as well. You'll enjoy that as well.

Cuts & Cocktails at Birds Barbershop

Austin barber staple and local icon, Birds Barbershop, is throwing another party. This party takes place at their South Congress location and features DJ Andy, aka The Mouth. This will take place every Thursday in August and if in attendance, you could win a prize. What I like about getting a haircut at Birds is the music and Lone Star. I haven't been since my girl Jackie Nguyen worked there, but it still is a happening place for a fade or mohawk.

DJ Andy "The Mouth" pictured right with the hipster beard and hat. I dig the sweet gold record.

For more details about the event, visit Birds Barbershop South Congress location online:

http://www.birdsbarbershop.com/south_congress.html