New Gaslight Anthem info: "American Slang"

Here is the new cover art for the upcoming Gaslight Anthem album, American Slang, due out on June 15th. I know that's a ways away, but anything I can get from Gaslight Anthem is gold. I absolutely love this band. They posted a the new title track on their MySpace page.

Music I Listen To: The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad

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"


The Twillight Sad - I Became A Prostitute from TLOBF.COM on Vimeo.

For more on The Twilight Sad, visit their official website HERE.

Kanye Sent Me a Birthday Card!!!

I thought this was funny when I opened up my inbox this morning. Kanye was thoughtful enough to send me a birthday e-card. That was nice of him....if only he'd send me a pair of Yeezy's in a size 10.5.

Album Review: My Everest by The Swellers

The Swellers hail from Flint, Michigan…not exactly the punk rock haven in comparison to places like California or Boston. Still, somehow up there in the Midwest The Swellers produced great punk rock that is worthy of the whole country’s attention. When I first saw them in Austin a couple of years ago or so at Red 7, I thought they were the poor man’s Rise Against. Their latest album, My Everest, sets them apart from those kind of comparisons.

Read the full review here on Double Stereo

Find Me on Last FM

This blog goes out to my friends really, but if you are on Last FM feel free to hit me up. Last FM is a social music site that exposes to the world what it is you listen to from your computer. It also has cool radio stations that you can create or that it automatically customizes to your tastes based on what you already listen to. I love it and have used it for a while now, but only six of my friends use it. The fun part other than discovering new music from your friends is making fun of what they listen to. Are there any other music bloggers in Austin out there who use it? I am looking to see what other influential music aficionados are listening to.

If you are in a band and you don't have a Last FM profile, you need to get on it. It is as easy as adding stuff to Wikipedia. You should also have a Last FM button on your myspace page or a link to your Last FM profile on your Facebook fan page.

Ian on Last FM

My A.C.L. Blog

After all these years of not going to Austin City Limits (ACL) Fest, I finally gave in. It's not that I am not a festival person, because I love music fests. It is just the music fests I prefer have better, faster, more hardcore or danceable music. ACL is also a place where posers and real hipsters alike go to listen to indie rock bands and act too cool for school. I mean, even though they weren't on any signs or promo material, I'd have sworn American Apparel or Urban Outfitters was a sponsor. It was headbands and bandana scarves galore.

Why go then if that stuff bugs me? Why put up with that and the heat? Well because Sunday The Foo Fighters and Against Me were on the bill. Not to mention Texas's own (Christian) rock group Fly Leaf. Sunday was a day where I could bypass the indie rock and see groups I actually wanted to see. I am not saying ACL "gets it" or does a good job of catering to my musical tastes, but Sunday was a good day for non hipsters to check out.

I arrived at Zilker Park, via the Capital Metro shuttle bus, at around one o' clock. The first band on my list was a local favorite of mine, The Octopus Project. Words can try to explain what The Octopus Project sounds like, but seeing them live is the only way you can know. They are unlike any band I have seen before. Even though they are often labeled as "experimental", they are way past the experimenting stage of their music. Their unique sound is so in tune and polished that they own whatever genre of music they are in. With no vocals and a theremin, they are sure to capture your interest. By the way, I had no idea what a theremin was until I saw The Octopus Project for the first time.

The Octopus Project played a good set, with guest instruments played by a local group of middle school aged kids accompanying them on stage for a few songs. The crowd loved it and cheered, and it was fun to see their reactions. It was evident that many had not seen or heard of them before. One guy next to me was just wondering why they didn’t have a singer. I told him they don’t need one. There were hundreds of other curious faces and looks of bewilderment. They are the quintessential festival band…a must see.

The next band I wanted to see was Fly Leaf, playing across the park over at the AT&T stage. Understand this about ACL and festivals in general. If you don't camp out at the front of the stage early, you will be far away watching from the jumbotron screen. I ended up close enough to see but far enough away to leave easily to catch a show after. I was actually surprised and pleased that Fly Leaf was at ACL. I would have figured they were too metal (even though they are not metal) for this festival. I had never seen them before and loved their set. Fly Leaf singer, Lacy, can sing and scream really well. There was also a larger crowd than I expected watching them, and many were older (as in no one in high school or college aged).

Something else about Fly Leaf, is that they are indeed a Christian rock band. Did C3 know that I wonder? I don't mind that about Fly Leaf. Yeah they don't hide their faith in their music, but it is not too preachy or hitting you in the face with their beliefs either. Lacy did say before singing All Around Me that this song was about Jesus Christ. Good for her. No shame in letting people know where the song's inspiration came from, whether it be JC himself or anything else. There was no shame in their performance either as they rocked liked nobody's business. I only wish I were closer and could have made it to their autograph session at the Waterloo tent.

Right after Fly Leaf, it was time to make way to the front of the Dell Stage for Against Me. This was a group I hadn’t seen live before and was really looking forward to seeing. They spent their summer touring with ACL headliner, The Foo Fighters. Not just anyone can open for The Foo Fighters. Dave wouldn’t have it. That being said, I had high expectations for Against Me.

My expectations were totally met. I felt that I could have gone home after their set and been just fine. They sounded just like they do on CD. I say this now but I only began listening to Against Me this summer. Having listened to them online, I find I like their new sound better than their older, more punk rock sound. Against Me is good blend of punk, rock, and alternative….my three favorite genres. They played mostly songs from their most recent album, New Wave. It’s funny because all the hipster type kids were at another stage and the cool kids were at Against Me. I felt at home for the first time at that stage. Check out this clip from their set Sunday:

After Against Me rocked my socks off, I walked across the park to the big AT&T main stage for none other than Gnarls Barkley. I managed to get semi close on the left side facing the stage. Gnarls, Cee Lo Green from Goodie Mob and DJ Danger Mouse, play live shows with a house band consisting of a guitarist, a piano player and bass player. Danger Mouse plays piano/organ and Cee Lo sings. It is quite the musical collaboration. Their perfect blend of hip hop, old school soul and techno appeals to a broad audience.

For Gnarls, ACL was the last stop of their summer tour. What a way to go out, playing for thousands and thousands of people. Cee Lo sounded good despite being a little hoarse from all the touring. They performed all their hits from both their albums, including Crazy, which made the crowd go nuts. It was at that point, with all those people by the main stage, when ACL really felt like the massive music fest that it is. The sun was just about to go down and there was more of a breeze than before. All the fore mentioned elements, combined with Gnarls Barkley’s performance, made ACL even more memorable and it wasn’t even finished yet.

Before the main headliner (The Foo Fighters) came on, there was one more band that was a must see for me. I made my way back over to the Dell Stage to catch an old favorite from my teen years, Blues Traveler. I thought the window to see Blues Traveler live closed a long time ago with lead singer John Popper’s personal struggles and all. I always credit them with building my tolerance and eventual acceptance of the harmonica. Too many musicians think they can play it and cannot, just killing it for me. Popper is the real deal though. On Sunday he and the rest of Blues Traveler proved they still got it.

The start of their set was a memory lane trip right off the bat. They started with a cover of the Cheap Trick classic I Want You to Want Me and their own 1995 hit Hook. Oh the smile that brought to my face. I remember being 15 years old and not being able to get into their Austin show at Antone’s. That sourness I carried with me all these years went away with the beginning of Hook. Popper sounded so good live, almost as good as the CD itself. His adlibbing is the only thing keeping me from suspecting him of lip singing. He was that good. It was also pleasing to see people of all ages in the crowd for their set, as it is a testament to their timeless music that was able to transcend genres even then.

It would have been a perfect experience if not for these two drunk, snobby women spilling beer on my blanket telling me I had issues with my “personal space”. After asking them to their face if there was a problem, they had the nerve to tell me that I was taking up too much space, when there were empty spaces all around the stage they could have easily walked to. We have all encountered “these types” of festival goers before. I don’t know what made me think I was immune from it.

None the less, Blues Traveler was so great that even those two she-beasts couldn’t take away from my experience. Kudos to the band, as they were on point all throughout the whole set. I wanted to be sure to mention that so people wouldn’t think Popper is a man crush of mine or anything. But lets face it folks, he makes Blues Traveler.

After the ever so ear pleasing set from Blues Traveler, it was time to go back to the AT&T stage for The Foo Fighters. The good fighters of the evil foo (I hate foo!) were set to go on around 8:30 pm. I made it pretty close to the left side of the stage, but still felt so far away compared to how close I get to all the other concerts I usually attend. By then it was totally dark and all the crowd could see was the stage lights and spotlights.

The Foo Fighters immediately came out and owned the stage, giving the people their early hits from the late 90’s. I think they were the perfect headliner for closing out ACL this year. They appeal to fans of many ages, have had lots of radio hits, and are now revered by many as rock Gods. I mean, Dave Grohl was in the most important band of the last century (Nirvana in case you didn’t know).Needless to say they were amazing live. Experiencing them live with all those thousands of people was something else. Sunday night was the only night where literally everyone in the park was at one stage. Friday and Saturday nights people had two headliners to choose from. Sunday it was all about Foo Fighters.

Dave Grohl was hilarious in between songs. The highlight of their set for me was the acoustic version of Hero. That was the sing along song of the whole day, and probably the whole festival. Only the triangle solo could compete with that. Yes, a triangle solo. Grohl was correct in saying we would never have expected that. Nothing says rock festival like the triangle. And here I was impressed with the theremin earlier. What was I thinking?

All in all ACL was a good time. It doesn’t come around every day and the weather in September is beautiful in Austin. Just know if you come next year that you will need a mask or scarf to put over your face. I think I am still coughing the dust I inhaled all day at Zilker. Finally I leave you with a Foo Fighters video interview that Roxwel sent me. Check it out:

Foo Fighters - ACL Music Festival Coverage
Download Music Video Code at www.roxwel.com

Ian's Music Blog Intro

Lately I have gotten more questions from friends and classmates about music groups I listen to or recommend. I don't know why that is all of a sudden, but I think its cool that people care to ask me of all people. Then I thought: I do collect records, have tons of mp3s in my laptop & Ipod, go to shows all the time here in Austin, and read a lot of music mags both local and national. So I figure it is time to start a blog of the different groups I discover or come across. Why keep all the information to myself? After all, sharing is caring. I realize I may be late on the bandwagon for some bands, but again this is my blog about when or how I discover a group or artist I like. I will tell how I came across them, if and where I saw them, and give thoughts about them. Some bands may be major, mid-major indie level, unsigned and local. The music I like and listen to comes literally from all walks of life. I listen to music in English and Spanish as I am Latino and bilingual. I welcome comments, criticism, questions, and suggestions. I primary use myspace when it comes to looking for bands, but myspace is only about half of my music discovery. I get tons of magazines in the mail and still watch Music video channels such as Fuse and M.E. TV in Austin. Although I grew up watching MTV, I do not watch anymore except for rare occasions. I am even disappointed in MTV2 and now MTV Tres. I think MTV chose to get younger while the first MTV generation got older. That's the way it goes I guess. I just wish they played more videos. I didn't forget about MUN2, although I will forget them on purpose. They are just as bad as the other joker networks I mentioned. Great concepts for channels but lacking quality content. So there you have it, my music blog is born. Postings will occur randomly but hopefully frequently. My goal with this blog is share with the world music they might like and would have never discovered without my help. Thanks for reading.