Ever since I
caught them at South By in March, I was content whiling my
time away here on Side One without mentioning the likes of
Django Django, because I thought, "Surely, these guys have
been mentioned plenty on here by now." But it turns out I
was wrong. And what a wrongdoing! Not a single mention.
Shame on my Side One brethren; shame on me!
This quartet stumbled onto the likes of each other at an art
school in Edinburgh, and it seems not all art school
projects are crafted out of papier-mâché and the weird. It
was years back that the quartet laid out the blueprint for
their adventurous and psychedelically-bruised art-rock with
the release of a modest double-A single in 2009. It’s taken
all the years since then for the group to properly make
their debut, and it’s one hell of an introduction.
Django Django carries a wonderfully weird sound that you
would only expect to come hurtling out of an art-based
expedition. The British quartet craft a sound that reveals
in music what one gets when subjecting light to a prism -
put another way, their music makes me see colors and shapes,
maaaaan. It’s a cosmic sound of swirling melody, electro
flourishes and bending sound set against a staunch,
percussive, beat-driven base. Add to this perfectly jangled
guitar hooks and sweet, sweet harmonies, and you’ve got an
enormously enjoyable psychedelic wonder of an album that’s a
cohesive mix of the bold and bizarre. It’s an ambitious
debut that’s exquisitely experimental and succeeds in all
it’s endeavors. Django Django firmly hold a spot as one of
my most-played albums and continue to see heavy play. As
early as this call may be, they’re surely set to take a spot
of my top albums come the close of this year.
The lifespan of
a local band is often quite short. The
Midgetmen, however,
have beaten the odds in an ever changing local music scene
by surviving 10 years together as Austin's premiere, or
maybe only, "slop punk" band.
This Friday they're throwing their 10th
Anniversorry (yes,
that is the correct spelling for this special event) party
at the Mohawk and celebrating "a decade of daring to be
stupid." They've put together a packed lineup of local
talent including several of my favorites (The Pons,
The Sour
Notes,
Shivery Shakes,
La Snacks, and
BOY), plenty of
complementary beverages, and a photo booth to document your
possible drunken antics. The party starts early with doors
opening at 6pm and music kicking off at 7:30pm. If you have
the stamina to stay to the end, you'll be subjected to ...
uh, I mean, get to experience the 1985 greatness of The Midgetmen playing all the songs from Weird Al Yankovic's
Dare To Be Stupid. Last year I had my first "Anniversorry"
experience, and it was a blast. I highly recommend kicking
off your weekend at the Mohawk.
You've got to love The Midgetmen because they actually dare
to have fun when they play - no moping or gazing at their
shoes here. They're also sincere supporters of Austin music
and invite a bunch of their friends and favorite local bands
to join them. 10 cheers for 10 years - thanks Marc, Jon,
Justin, and Alex for sticking around.
Today's Quick Mention: Tonight I get to
see Battleship. I imagine that it's
going to be wildly stupid, but I'm at least
intrigued enough by it to give it a shot as a no
brains allowed sort of free for all action flick.
Expect to get a breakdown of it by tomorrow.
Nothing like some semi-new Guided By Voices to make
your Tuesday worth remembering, right? Check
out the track below. The Class Clown Spots
A UFO 7" single was released today, but a new
full length (it actually carries the same title)
isn't expected to be put out for the masses until
June 12 through Guided By Voices, Inc/Fire.
Enjoy.
:Guided
By Voices - Class Clown Spots A UFO:
I referred to this track as "semi-new" because for a couple
of decades it's been floating around in the GBV catalog with
the title of Crocker's Favorite Song. Now, here
it is, all cleaned up, rearranged, and sounding rather good.
Kudos to them for holding onto it and then offering it up
when the time was right.
Today's Quick Mention: I know it's only Monday,
but I need you to go ahead and make plans to be at the
Mohawk on Friday for the Midgetmen's 10th
Anniversorry Party. It's going to be
a great time. BOY, The Sour Notes, La Snacks, La Migra,
The Pons, The Misguided Lemming, Shivery Shakes, the Gary,
Mole People, Treaty Oak, and Teen Noir are all playing.
Plus, the Midgetmen are doing Weird Al's Dare To Be
Stupid in its entirety. SO, mark this down on your
schedule now, or no one is going to like you ever again.
Tix are just $8.
Today's music was found at an estate
sale. Enjoy.
:Fergus
And Geronimo - Roman Tick:
This is a quick track that seems to only offer a catchy
hook, but if you dig around in the lyrics you'll find some
stuff worth remembering. For instance, "Signed up for
online dating/Because I'm a modern man." That line
constantly makes me laugh. Hardly Art will release the
nicely titled Funky Was The State Of Affairs on
August 7.
:The
Maccabees - Go:
I totally missed the news that this band had put together a
new full length. They're a solid act, and I'm curious
to see how it sounds. This is certainly a nice
headphone-worthy tune. Given To The Wild is
currently available through Fiction Records/Cooperative
Music, and you'll be able to see them open for Florence And
The Machine in the fall.
:CocoRosie
- We Are On Fire:
This track kind of weirds me out.
I think the verses sound off, but the chorus is particularly
good at getting lodged in my head. Does that make the
song a winner? I have no idea, but I at least need to
give it up to CocoRosie for consistently throwing out
challenging stuff. Touch And Go will release the We
Are On Fire single on June 5.
:The
Danks - Automocar:
I've seen a lot
people give the band Howler favorable comparisons to the
Strokes, but I think these guys are actually more deserving
of that nod. I mean, just listen to the infectious
everything in this track and try to disagree! Hidden
Pony Records is all set to release Are You Afraid Of The
Danks? to the masses on May 22.
:Family
Band - Night Song:
First of all, you're going to want headphones for
this. It's wonderfully crafted and it for sure
deserves all your attention. Secondly, I can't wait to
hear the rest of the upcoming album Grace And Lies.
I have a feeling it's going to make for a great listen.
You'll be able to pick up the full length on July 24 through
No Quarter.
Today's Quick Mention: Feel free to come down
to the Palmer Events Center tomorrow night for a little TXRD
action. My wife's Rhinestone Cowgirls are playing the
Hellcats. Bout starts at 7pm. Tickets are $15.
I found all of today's songs using a star chart. Enjoy.
:The
Intelligence - They Found Me In The Back Of The Galaxy:
The Intelligence have always been a little hit or miss in my
world, but I can't deny that this is a pretty great song.
It's got a relaxed confidence about it that I really like,
and the lyrics are just snarky enough to not be overbearing.
Everybody's Got It Easy But Me is due out June 19 via
In The Red.
:Superhumanoids
- Too Young For Love:
Back in February this act had a song that I thought was
pretty solid. This one is better. I don't know
if it's the total shift to just having lady vocals, or if
it's the fact that it sounds like it could come from School
Of Seven Bells or Phantogram, but I can say for sure that I
really dig it. You'll be able to grab
Exhibitionists later this year.
:Megafauna
- Love Project:
SOTO's own Dan Corbin gave this local band a nice mention
last year, so I'm probably swiping a post out from under him
by posting this song. It's not my fault, though, as I
just couldn't wait to share it with you guys. Be sure
to slap on some headphones so that all of the nifty guitar
work in it can just go directly into your ears.
Megafauna just released the Eric Wofford-produced Love
Project EP for free on
Bandcamp.
:Ice
Choir - Teletrips:
Kurt Feldman,
who you may know as the drummer for The Pains Of Being Pure
At Heart, is the main brain for this new act. He's
apparently been working on the debut LP for about a year
now, and I'd say it's been time well spent. I mean,
this thing is packed with a variety of ear-pleasing layers.
I can't wait to hear more. Afar is due July 31
via Underwater Peoples.
:Icona
Pop - I Love It:
If you're just looking for something that will help you
dance right into the weekend (and maybe into outer space),
then look no further. This seems to have been made out
of pure feet-moving energy, and you just have to admire that
it goes full out. Now excuse me, I need to catch my
breath. This appears to be a one-off single, but the
band does have an EP available.
Today's Quick Mention: Lots of good
shows around town tonight. Washed Out and
Memoryhouse are at the Mohawk, The Boxing Lesson and
Megafauna are playing ND, Electric Guest can be
found at the Parish, and Wild Child and Sorne are
set for a free appearance at the Belmont. See something, friends.
Because someone out there cares about me,
Langhorne Slim is back with a new album. The
effort is his first since 2009's Be Set Free,
and it's called The Way We Move. Not
much with him seems to have changed, as you'll see
in the single below, but his band is now calling
themselves The Law. June 5 is when you can
expect Ramseur Records to release the LP.
Enjoy.
:Langhorne
Slim And The Law - The Way We Move: The nice thing about Langhorne is that I don't really
want him to alter much from album to album. I'm a fan
because of his great songwriting and the sincerity that
pours out of his voice, so some sort of "new sound" isn't a
priority for me. In other words, while this may not
feature anything I haven't heard before, I certainly still
dig it to no end.
I couldn’t
decide what to write about this week, so I figured I’d
recommend a show, a new album, and a new band to check out.
Look at that, I’m doing all your new music work for you!
You’re welcome. First up, your next show.
Beerland is the place to be if you love dive bars and garage
rock. I love both, so I’ll be there Friday, May 18 forOBN
IIIs,Holy
Wave, and
Dikes Of Holland. It’s the
tour kickoff show for Holy Wave, who will be traveling the
US in support of their excellent new EP,Knife
Hits. If you missed the band at Psych
Fest, you’ll want to catch them before the van departs to
spread chaos across this great country. And if you’ve never
seen OBN IIIs or Dikes of Holland, then you need to resolve
that ASAP.
Need a new album to add a little kick to your life? Then
check outThe
Wolf You Feedby
Austin’s ownThe
Riverboat Gamblers. Its official release
is on May 22via
Volcom Entertainment, but you can check it out now on
Spotify (if you don’t have that yet, you really should by
now). The Gamblers are punk rock vets known for their rad
and ferocious live show. This album has a darker vibe than
past work (especially on songs such as Gallows Bird),
but it’s not creepy or dreary. It’s a power punk punch to
the crotch. The production is pretty slick and honestly it’s
cleaner than the punk tunes I usually listen to, but overall
it's an album that still satisfies.
Unlike all the bands mentioned above, Austin’sThe
Bye And Byedo
not play garage, punk, or psychedelic rock. While they do
bring a punk mentality to their music, the songs veer more
towards traditional influences such as the blues and classic
country while incorporating atypical song structures. They
also work in some nice harmonies and some bad ass mandolin.
I learned of The Bye And Bye while listening to thenew
podcastfrom
the folks atSTUCK.
For those unaware of STUCK, they feature exclusivevideo,audio,
and insight into Texas underground music. They produced a
free EP of The Bye And Bye Austin that can now bedownloaded
at
Bandcamp. Enjoy, my friends.
It’s finals
week and, to be honest, I've been left
devoid of much creative inspiration. However, if
there’s one thing I love as a study aid, it’s a good
ambient or classical song. Just turn it on quietly
in the background to help you sink into a focused
state, or pump it up loudly to wake yourself up at
3:22 AM, when you’re just trying to finish the
chapter notes. Thus I bring you: my top 3 study
songs.
:Sufjan
Stevens - Movement I, In The Countenance Of Kings:
This song is so rich and lush. Listening to it
almost feels like sinking into a moist chocolate
cake, or a thick field of dewy green grass. The
piano is dreamy, the crescendoing horns magnificent.
If you’re a classical music nerd, you’ll love the
arrangements. If you’re an indie rocker, you’ll
adore the signature Sufjan silliness snuck in.
:Explosions
In The Sky - West Texas:
This happens to also double as my favorite song to
fall asleep to. It’s calm and serene and the guitar
tone is absolutely divine. When I close my eyes, I
can see myself looking out across miles of flat,
dry, dirty open space in West Texas. If you’re a Friday Night Lights fan, it might bring a tear
to your eye - yeah, I miss it too.
:The
Octopus Project - Fuguefat:
The first time I heard this song was at "Hexadecagon"
at SXSW 2010. I became obsessed. The Monday after
SXSW I went to Waterloo to buy the record, and then
I went over to my friends house, laid on the floor
listening to this song on repeat, and pronounced it
the answer to all my big life questions. I stand by
that statement. Sure, on the face of it, it’s a
great wake up song for sleepy studies. But if you
listen closely enough, you might just hear something
deeper than just brilliant keys and wild energy.
Today's Quick Mention: If you're not
catching The Avengers for a second or third
time tonight, I hope that you made plans to attend to the sold out Tennis and Vacationer show
that's set to go down at the Parish. I
think it's going to be a really good one.
I know there's some sort of Passion Pit backlash
that's been going on since they graduated from blogs
to the Rolling Stone, but I think they're a pretty
solid act. They've had some rather nice
singles, and now they have a new full length that
seems to be heading in a neat direction. Gossamer is due out July 24 via Columbia.
Enjoy.
:Passion
Pit - Take A Walk:
I think this is a nice number, but know going in that there
really isn't a strong hook and the lyrics are sort of silly.
On the bright side, though, there's an infectious amount of
energy in it, and I especially love that it doesn't feature
an inordinate amount of falsetto vocals. It gives me
some hope that the new LP won't just be more of the same
from them.
Today's Quick Mention: As expected, The Avengers took in all of the money available
over the weekend. At this moment it stands at
nearly $650 million worldwide, and that's after just
a week in theaters. Wow.
I found these five songs on the ground. Enjoy.
:Metric
- Youth Without Youth:
This plays like the safest possible choice for a
first single, and yet I think it still serves as a
sweeping statement for the band - their indie pop
days are 100% gone. You can probably expect to
catch Metric in an arena the next time you see them
play. Synthetica, which is their first
album in three years, is due out June 12 via Mom And
Pop.
:Turbo
Fruits - Sweet Thang:
My level of affection for this act has always been
inconsistent, but I think that's all about to
change. I saw them put on a really nice set at
SXSW, and now there's this infectious track that I
seriously can't get enough of. I really hope
that the Jim Eno-produced Butter is a winner.
It's due out on September 11 via Serpents and Snakes
Records.
:Eternal
Summers - Millions:
Here's an act that just continues to get better.
They started with fuzzy, simple pop tunes, and now
there's this song, which just shimmers and makes you
want to spend the day with it on repeat. If
you have an album release calendar, be sure to mark
July 24, as that's when you'll be able to snatch up
Correct Behavior via Kanine Records.
:Fidlar
- Got No Money:
I'm starting to
think that if this band ever bothered to try and
write a song without an infectious hook, they'd fail
miserably. If you ask me, that's
certainly not a bad thing to have to lay claim to.
You can currently hit up iTunes or Soundcloud for
the Don't Try EP. It was released a
couple of weeks back through Mom And Pop.
:Crocodiles
- Endless Flowers:
I was hoping these guys would continue to show
they've left behind their often too-fuzzed-out
sound, and that's what they've done. This is
another great pop single. We get to find out
if the shift is an all-around thing when Endless
Flowers is released on June 5 via Frenchkiss.
FYI, the band will be at Stubb's on June 11 as
support for the Temper Trap.
It has
been less than a "Happy Metal Fun Time" this month
for those who know the history of modern metal. The
legendary Roadrunner Records had its clocked cleaned
after their recent buy out by WMG. You may not know
it, but this signifies so much more than just
another conglomercorp swallowing an already inflated
label, as RR was one of the only majors that still
gave metal a chance on their roster. Yes, they have
Nickelback and Young the Giant, but that's what made
them appealing to be bought out.
Metal fans discovered Fear Factory, Sepultura,
Obituary, Cynic, Devildriver, and so many more
through their ongoing support of the top end of the
genre. With declining sales and bloated budgets it
becomes harder and harder to sustain a label of that
size. So, I'm guessing we will see trimmed rosters,
limited variety, and less promotion in the name only
version of RR.
Fortunately, it's hard for me to worry too much
about the state of metal when there's good music
still getting cranked out by so many others.
Whether it's Metal Blade’s Cattle Decapitation,
Victory’s God Forbid, or Nuclear Blast’s Unleashed, there are some great releases on the
shelves right now you should check out.
Chuck hosts
NO
CONTROL Radio every Friday on 101.5 KROX
in Austin, and he programs an HD2
stream of pure metal. Feel free to
get in touch with him via
e-mail,
Facebook, or
Twitter.
Today's Quick Mention: If you're slick
and plan your night just right, you could catch the
Strange Boys at the Mohawk, and then head over to a
theater for a midnight screening of The Avengers.
Just remember to try and not have too much fun.
While Twin Shadow's last album (2010's Forget)
wasn't something that I can say I've been unable to
live without, I am interested in their new full
length. I think it's largely just because they
seem like the sort of act that's going to keep
getting better with every release. The band
will put out Confess on July 10 via 4AD.
Enjoy.
:Twin
Shadow - Five Seconds: I really like this song. It's probably a bit too
80s for its own good, but you're crazy if you can listen to
this and not get caught up in the energy of the quick-paced
arrangement. Also, it's just one of those songs that
feels like one big hook, which makes it easy to sing-a-long
with. Confess is going to be a winner if the
whole album is this good.
The Wave
Pictures are a British threesome packing a rather vintage
sound in all their makings. Their recordings are pleasantly
fuzzy - a vacuous sound with vocals that sound like they’re
coming from the receiving end of a Dixie Cup telephone.
There’s a string of melancholy to their songs, a rundown
feel that’s in no doubt attributable to the notion that all
of this is being sung by some poor sap. This vocal handiwork
by their lead, David Tattersall, is a defining factor of the
trio, and his wry, anguished crooning works alongside a
comparatively more upbeat set of tune built on intricately
picked guitar work and simple, throwback drumbeats.
It’s moody surf music, pick-me-up punk, underdog antheming -
call it what you will. It’s incredibly skillful and
well-done music, and it’s all the less surprising when you
consider that they’ve been around since the latter part of
the '90s. The Wave Pictures have built up a prolific pop
discography in all their years together, and their latest
offering, Long Black Cars, was released just last
month. The band are currently on the US leg of their tour
with British pop darlings, Allo’ Darlin. Whether or not
you’ve got a British sensibility, be sure to catch what’s
sure to be a great night of music if they run near you.
I first
heard
Melogrand in 2010 when they released a two
song EP. Their brand of psychedelic, folk
tinged pop (think Fleet Foxes and Band Of Horses)
really won me over. Things went quiet for a bit, but
now they have a full length titled Waves For The
Ages. A lot of the album features a mixture of layered
harmonies and guitar riffs alternating from driving
and psychedelic to gently strumming and jangly, and
I greatly enjoy it. The band is having an
album release party on May 11 at Frontier Bar.
You should go.
May 11
will also see one of my favorite UK bands,
The Duke
Spirit, arriving in Austin. They're playing a free
show at Frank with Ringo Deathstarr and Rebecca
Butler and The Richards, and then on May 12 they're
opening for Jane's Addiction at the Bass Concert
Hall. I've been a fan since hearing them on
BBC 6Music and seeing them a couple of times at SXSW.
The band is led by the captivating Liela Moss, who
draws you in with her smoky, sensual vocals and
charismatic stage presence. Credit is also due to
the bluesy, punk-infused guitar riffs from Luke Ford
and Toby Butler, and the tight rhythm section of
Olly Betts and Marc Sallis. I'm looking to seeing
them again in the intimate environment of Frank.
They don't play Austin a lot, so I highly recommend
going to the show. Their latest album, Bruiser, was released in the US back in February
via Shangri-La/Fontana.
Today's Quick Mention: There are two
things that you may have missed late last night.
The first is my
breakdown
of The Avengers, and the second is the brand
new
trailer
for The Dark Knight Rises. Both should
do a good job of making you excited about moves this
summer.
I'm at that point with TV Girl where I'm just
convinced that they don't know how to craft a bad
song. It's actually sort of incredible.
Kudos to them. The band is revving up to
release a free 15-track mixtape called The Wild,
The Innocent, The TV Shuffle this Friday via
Greedhead.
Below you'll find the latest song meant to support
the effort. Enjoy.
:TV
Girl - It Evaporates:
While this exudes the high level of warmth that I've come to
expect from every TV Girl tune, I will say it does showcase
a slightly different approach from them in the sound
department. They usually churn out very peppy pop
tunes, and this is somewhat of a slow burner. It works
well, and I'm actually hoping there's a few more like it on
the mixtape.
Today's Quick Mention: I get to see The Avengers tonight. I'm really excited.
Anyone been lucky enough to catch it yet? I've
heard nothing but great things.
Tunes assemble! Enjoy.
:Ty
Segall Band - Wave Goodbye:
I'm really beginning to think there won't be a
moment in 2012 without something that doesn't have
Ty Segall's name attached to it. The guy is
everywhere these days. Anyhow, this fuzzy
scorcher of a track can be found on Slaughterhouse, which is due out June 26 via In
The Red. You'll be able to catch the band on
May 25 at the Mohawk.
:Donora
- And Then The Girls:
I actually had to salvage Donora's info from my
deleted items after I stumbled across this single on
another site and realized that I had made a mistake
in not lining it up to be shared. Hooray
redemption! Hope you're ready for some sugary
sweet pop. Boyfriends, Girlfriends is
currently available for your consumption.
:Fiona
Apple - Every Single Night:
To be honest, it took a sizeable handful of
playthroughs for me to actually listen to this once.
It's such a quiet, subdued effort that I kept not
paying any sort of attention to it while it played.
With that being said, I do like the song. I
advise headphones, solitude, and no distractions.
The Idler Wheel is due out June 19 via Epic.
:Action
Bronson - A Simple Man:
Up until this
weekend I had never really paid much attention to
Action Bronson. His stuff just didn't seem
like my kind of stuff. Or something. In
any case, I really dig this overly chilled track.
Feel free to recommend some other cuts for me to
check out. I believe this is a one-off single,
so grab it while it rests in front of you.
:Todd
Tobias - Manatoc Enters The City - The Long Fall:
If Todd Tobias is a name that sounds familiar, it's
probably because the guy has produced Guided By
Voices and frequently collaborated with Robert
Pollard. He's good, and so is this oddly
paced, swirling number.
You can
expect to be able to snatch up Medicine Show
on May 24 via Hidden Shoal.
I don't
know about your time perception abilities, but my
April went by very, very quickly. When John sent out
his traditional PajamaGram(TM) to remind me of my
column due date, it definitely came as a surprise.
Luckily I had taken the time to acquire some pretty
good new music to share with you in the last 30
days. The mix below features new tracks from Aesop
Rock (new release forthcoming), El-P (new release
awesome), I Self Divine, and many more. I put the
Nicki Minaj track in there because if you haven't
heard it you should - if only to be able to have any
kind of informed conversation about popular hip hop,
mainstream misogyny, and dope-ass beatz. Enjoy this
last Friday of April mix responsibly: it is NSFW and
if consumed in large quantities can lead to poor
decision-making.
Today's Quick Mention: Album stream
time! You can find Reptar's Body Faucet
over at
Youtube,
Sucker's Candy Salad is settled in at
Noisey,
and Ramona Falls' Prophet is waiting for you
at
Stereogum.
All three of those are worth any time you'll give
them.
Naturally, one of the main things I wanted to grab
at Record Store Day was a 7" from the always
fantastic St. Vincent. I really think Annie
Clark is one of the best artists around right now,
and anything new from her is a must have item.
Hear the a-side of the 7", which took me until about
yesterday to really appreciate, just below.
Enjoy.
:St.
Vincent - Krokodil: I think my brain just totally shutdown during the first
few times that I listened to this. I'm rather used to
Annie sounding like she could heal the Earth, and this is a
rapid succession of jabs to the ear. Will you like it?
I think so. Just know that there are no punches pulled
at any point. This is St. Vincent sizing you up and
seeing if you're willing to get a little crazy.
When I
first started writing this column, Laird told me
that I could write about anything that I wanted.
"Anything?" I asked. "Really? You know I listen to
some pretty terrible music." "I know," Laird said.
"Just write about whatever you want."
So I’m taking him up on it. And I’m going public
with my love for Nicki Minaj. Sure, I could write
more about indie classics or hardcore jams, but what
I’ve really been listening to lately is a whole lot
of booty bouncin’ music. When the weather gets warm,
I wanna dance, and who better to dance to than Nicki
M?
Although the messages of Ms Minaj may sometimes go
against many of my feminist principles, I have to
admire her boldness, and the fact that she is loud,
proud, and in charge. Her latest hit single, "Turn
Me On" with David Guetta, is a total party jam. The
first time I heard it, I thought it was alright. By
the third time, I was fist pumping and singing
along.
I understand that Nicki Minaj will probably be
thought of as "just teenage girl music" to most
readers. But I don’t see how her dancey songs are
that different than all the hip and cool indie DJs.
I’d also like to think that you have to respect a
woman that’s not afraid to get really weird in her
verses sometimes. And as much as she may sexualize
herself, Minaj is also well known for her single
with Rihanna, "Fly" which is all about empowerment.
As Rihanna sings on the chorus, "I came to win, to
fight, to conquer, to thrive / I came to win, to
survive, to prosper, to rise/ To fly." True to her
works, Nicki Minaj is definitely conquering the
charts. You can dismiss her as another fad, but I
think this lady has staying power.
This
weekend is the 5th Annual
Austin Psych
Fest, which is a three day long
event featuring some of the nation’s best
psychedelic bands. For the first time the festival
is being held at Emo’s East and the Beauty Ballroom
on East Riverside Drive. While the festival doesn’t
begin until Friday, there will be a pre-fest party
at Red 7 tomorrow night featuring Indian Jewelry,
Christian Bland and the Revelators, the Wolf and
more.
For those lucky enough to be going to this highly
underrated festival, there are many, many bands I
recommend you do not miss. The first of which is
Mind Spiders, a band I’ve proudly championed here
many times before. Other bands you need to see are
Austin’s own Holy Wave and Pure X, Woods, the Black
Lips, and Thee Oh Sees. Honestly, the whole lineup
is impressive from top to bottom, and I’m kind of
surprised there isn’t more buzz and excitement for
this event. Outside of SXSW and the Fun Fun Fun
Fest, you’re not going to find a better collection
of bands playing over three days here in Austin. You
can sample the sounds of the festival by downloading
this a
mixtape
which features 23 of the groups on the bill. The
schedule for each day of APF is listed below.
The Black Angels, Dead Meadow, Psychic Ills, Peaking
Lights, Disappears, Night Beats, Sun Araw, Ringo
Deathstarr, Feeding People, Allah Las, Acid Baby
Jesus, Moon Duo, Lotus Plaza, Sleep Over, Stranger
Family Band, The Meek, Cosmonauts, Holy Wave, Al
Lover
SATURDAY
The Black Lips, Olivia Tremor Control, The
Telescopes, Pink Mountaintops, Woods, Entrance Band,
Spindrift, Pure X, Amen Dunes, Quilt, Asteroid #4,
Prince Rama, Mind Spiders, Feathers, Singapore
Sling, Mmoss, Quest For Fire, Vacant Lots, Smoke and
Feathers, The Band In Heaven, The Cush, The Ripe,
The Stepkids
SUNDAY
Brian Jonestown Massacre, Meat Puppets, Thee Oh
Sees, Bombino, Wooden Shijps, Dead Confederate, The
Golden Dawn perform "Power Plant", The UFO Club,
Federale, Blue Angel Lounge, Headdress, New Fumes,
Wall of Death, Paperhead, Brooklyn Raga Association,
Orange Revival, Ancient River
Some tickets are still available for purchase
here.
A three day passes runs $120 and daily passes are
$45.
Today's Quick Mention: Tuesday is
actually delivering a couple of shows worth getting
out for. Bear In Heaven, Doldrums, and Blouse
are playing the Parish, and Sleepy Sun and White
Hills are set for the Mohawk (one is outside, the
other inside).
I've haven't heard much recorded material and I've
only seen the band play twice, but I still have an
immense amount of love for Purity Ring. Those
two just make me want to be a better person.
The rather highly anticipated Shrines will be
released on July 24 via 4AD, and then hopefully some
sort of elaborate tour will follow. Enjoy.
:Purity
Ring - Obedear:
I'm guessing that all of the Purity Ring hype has you
thinking this track is going to give you something you
haven't heard before. Nope! Everything in this
song will sound familiar. Unless, of course, you just
haven't listened to any electronic music ever,
Here's hoping you'll be able to get by with it just being really good. By the way, you're definitely going
to want a throw on a nice pair of headphones.
Today's Quick Mention: You should do
yourself a favor and peruse the "news"
section
of Pitchfork at some point today. They've done
a pretty good job of collecting streams for a lot of
the exclusive Record Store Day tracks.
And then, I gave you music. Enjoy.
:Pop
Etc - Everything Is Gone:
As many of you probably already know, the Morning
Benders are now known as Pop Etc. I can't
exactly say I'm a fan of the new name, but I
understand their
reasons
for changing it. This slinky tune is off a
free
mixtape
that the band recently put out, and it's expected to
show up on their self titled semi-debut on June 12
via Rough Trade.
:Feist
- Black Tongue (Mastodon Cover):
The only thing that Record Store Day didn't deliver
unto me was the split 7" from Feist and Mastodon.
Fortunately though, the internet coughed up the
tracks. Feist's cover is surprisingly not
cute. If you hit up eBay you can probably get
a physical copy of this for a small fortune.
If you don't have a small fortune, grab it here
while you can.
:Mastodon
- A Commotion (Feist Cover):
Oddly enough, I think
this was the perfect Feist track for these guys to
cover. The original is kind of weird and
moody, and Mastodon took that and enhanced it in
every possible way. Be ready to occasionally
feel the need to headbang and/or throw up a rock
fist. As I said up above, it's either eBay or
a download now if you want to hold on to this track.
:The
M Machine - Faces:
I almost didn't
even listen to this song. When I was sent a
download link there was a blurb that mentioned how
this San Francisco-based act call Skrillex's OWSLA
home, and I just figured they were going to sound
like a computer having a seizure. Nope!
This track is actually an ear pleaser. Expect
to find it on Metropolis Pt. 1, which is due
out tomorrow.
:Milk
Maid - Do Right:
If you're not yet ready for the summer, this track
should help you get there. It's loud and
catchy, and I'm fairly certain it would serve as a
great soundtrack for any shenanigans that you may
feel the need to engage in outside. MM will
release its sophomore full length, which is titled
Mostly No, to the masses on June 26 via
FatCat.
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licensed by John Laird under a
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