photo : valerie@fremin.net

While we wish that Coachella was to be what we are writing about this weekend, it unfortunately isn’t yet there are many other bloggers covering the event in grand fashion. We quietly spent the weekend enjoying the sounds of Lomita at their CD release party on Friday @ The Beauty Bar Austin and taking in the most entertaining and amazingly intense affair @ the Austin Convention Center, the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls with our friends Lions providing the halftime entertainment. Reigning champs Putas del Fuego took on the Holy Rollers in a match rich with estrogen fueled aggression dressed in tattoos and colorful hair tainting. Our first TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls match and it was fun. We came to see Lions tear it up the way they do, fast and furious, pedal to the metal, southern sweat and heavy.

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Well, the reigning champs lost the bout to The Holy Rollers, and the Lions rocked the halftime show. We have to admit, those TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls are some tough ass bitches and put on a damn entertaining show for a bunch of girls doing it for fun. We recommend you take some time out on a Sunday to check out this event.

Looking for some great coverage of Coachella, then check out Stereogum

Lions myspace
TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls myspace

Check out Lions on the road, where they spend a lot of time and they work it hard Read more

Yes, the Beastie Boys are still around as I tend to forget sometimes these days, and yes they are still putting out records. NME has just reported the announcement of the newest offering from the Boys titled The Mix Up, and according to the report the new record is going be taking a trip back to the earlier days of the band sans sampling and featuring the guys playing instruments throughout. A reference to Check Your Head and Paul’s Boutique is a pleasant thought to me, but younger fans of the band might be surprised by the sound. Quoting Mike D “It might make you flip your wig right off, or your hairpiece, if you’re a casual listener.”Look for the new album in June and you can catch the guys on the summer festival circuit including a stop at the U.S. Virgin Festival as well as the London leg of the Live Earth shows, which are looking to bring attention to finding solutions to the global climate change. Some of the shows on the tour are slated to be exclusively instrumental.

Finger Lickin Good Mp3

The Tour Read more

I know that I have talked much about these guys Lomita lately so I promise that I’ll keep this short and sweet. Lomita played @ The Beauty Bar on Friday night to celebrate the release of Downtown Mystic, and they were good. Lucky enough, if you were a smoker you could register with Camel and receive a free copy of the newest release. I’m not a smoker, but free is free. The set had it’s moments and as it progressed, so did the intensity of the show ending with the rousing rendition of The Cramps ‘Garbage Man’ which concluded with a bundle of noise, electronic warbling compliments of multi-instrumentalist Deluxe Peroux, and the bass player jamming his headstock through his speaker cabinet. nice!

Check out the two page article on the boys in the most recent Austin Chronicle issue as it is revealing as to their history: Gilded Palace of Sin

Keep an eye out for these guys playing live around town…you don’t want to miss.

Lomita myspace

the lacking in photo quality is because I (michael) had to shoot as Valerie was not available.

Check out this video from beloved Queens of the Stone Age for the song ’sick, sick, sick’ off of the upcoming release Era Vulgaris hitting stores June 12th, as it is pretty darn entertaining.

track listing for Era Vulgaris

01 Turnin on the Screw
02 Sick, Sick, Sick
03 I’m Designer
04 Into the Hollows
05 Misfit Love
06 Battery Acid
07 Make It Wit Chu
08 3’s & 7’s
09 Suture Up Your Future
10 River in the Road
11 Run Pig Run

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With most of us in the throngs of the festival season with outstanding lineups being revealed for Lallapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pitchfork, amongst many others, the U.S. Virgin Festival dares to compete with a lineup that is varied enough to keep any music lover interested. Taking place Aug 4th and 5th @ the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md. the Festivals is showcasing acts that fall into the mainstream, those skirting the edges of indie rock threatening to break at any moment, and several who are reuniting years after their heyday. 4th and 5th of Aug??? Isn’t that the same weekend as Lallapalooza??? Looks like a bit of dirty play may be in the works. The Police, Smashing Pumpkins, Amy Winehouse, The Fratellis, TV on the Radio, 311, Cheap Trick, Felix Da Housecat,……you get the idea. Look out Lallapalooza, you may have some dirty competition in the works.

Amy Winehouse “Back to Black” mp3

The Police “King of Pain” mp3

read on for full list of artists to perform Read more

The mighty Coachella Festival is just around the corner, and as music lovers around the globe set their sites on California and head for the polo field grounds in Indio, there are those who won’t be making the trek. Of course you’ll be able to catch up via your favorite bloggers, and there will be tons of posts hitting the pages for weeks to follow, but you can always tune in this weekend and catch the live webcast of highlights of the festival. With much anticipated performances by the Jesus and Mary Chain as well as the reunited Rage Against the Machine, we hope that AT&T has the right mind to capture these for those tuning in for the webcast.

You can see it here: AT&T Blue Room

Go here for a copy of the scheduled performances so that you might tune in and hope to find your favorite band being captured live by those folks at the AT&T Blue Room.

photo: Dániel Perlaky, daniel@cityonfire.us

I have really grown fond of these guys Lomita, after catchin their set last week opening for the Ponys and hanging out on their myspace page listening to the current songs of the upcoming release Downtown Mystic which will be celebrated this Friday at the Austin location of The Beauty Bar. If you aren’t escaping town this weekend to enjoy the abundant modern music offerings at Coachella, then you might want to stop by The Beauty Bar and investigate what I think is going to be one local band to keep an eye on during 2007.

Lomita will be taking the outside stage with Tammany Hall Machine warming up the crowd, and as usual there will be the waxploitation inside compliments of Tittsworth and DJ Klaussen. . Join in the fun this friday 4.27 for the low price of $3.

Lomita myspace

Green Eyes Mp3

Just some quick video fun from those Kings of Leon kids compliments of AOL Sessions, where they performed 5 songs from their most recent release Because of The Times. This video is for Black Thumbnail.

I’ve been listening to Bill Callahan casually over the past couple of years, as it takes a patient ear to appreciate the work that this man produces, and when capable of lending that patient ear one is rewarded with his unique art. Bill Callahan is a man that seems to come from a simpler time and his music takes place in his own time while being serene, indulgent, and gentle. With scattered clouds moving quickly across the night sky and a warm breeze gently blowing, the setting outside at Mohawk seemed almost perfect for the sounds of the man who recently stepped out from behind the Smog moniker to reveal himself for who he wants to be known as these days.

Only catching the last portion of the set, I was pleased to hear two of my favorites from the A River Ain’t Too Much To Love recording, “Say Valley Maker” and “Rock Bottom Riser”. Bill played to sizable, receptive crowd with full band in effect including a couple of guys from another project I’m quickly appreciating these days, Jonathan Meiburg and Thor Harris from Shearwater. Voice forward, as his songs seemed lead by this instrument, and dressed in all black, Bill makes his way through his music on stage with the emotions being revealed on occasion with a slight head shake and quick subtle sidestep leading you to believe that he is going to let loose for a second, and yet he stays secured in the stoic poetic practitioner poise. Everyone in the audience seems as moved as I am by the performance as couples seem to be reaffirming their attraction to each other with embraces and on quick glance there is a fair amount of glistening eyes amongst the group, including myself.

Thanks Bill

Say Valley Maker MP3

Bill on the Road Read more

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Why the night seemed to be such an active night of intoxication, besides the fact that Lucero was on stage which seems to induce its own form of intoxication, escapes us until we realize what the date was. It seemed as most attendees of the show were full of their own divine inspiration and the evening proved to be a bit rowdy and raucous, but not to the point of distracting one from the welcomed performance of Ben and company @ Emo’s on Saturday night. Maybe the date had something do with the nature of the crowd this evening, or maybe it’s your typical Lucero show. Either way, it was enjoyable messy fun.

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Ben and the boys took the stage a bit earlier than most headlining acts do @ Emo’s these days which led us to believe that they had a fistful of whiskey soaked songs in store for the evening and much to our delight they swaggered through a lengthy set peppered with material from their 7 year stretch of recorded material. Spending time with the most recently recorded songs received a warm enough reception, but the older material seemed more tightly embraced by the audience well represented by the younger, those a bit older than the younger, the male, and the female. The girls swoon at their fallen hero who manages to pick himself up, brush himself off, only to write another heartbreak song, and the boys get their boozed up testosterone kicked into overdrive while they try to hide their personal understanding of the heartbreak and tears of which Ben sells himself to time and time again. From the stretched out set we personally enjoyed “Raising Hell”, “Nights like These”, “Sidewalks”, and many other choices that didn’t make it to our notes as we found ourselves caught up in the inebriated celebration of love gained and lost, brought to us by the guys in Lucero executed in a manner evident of veterans of the endless tour. Lucero tap into something primal, intoxicated, and heartfelt, even if it is of a broken heart.

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Don’t miss the opportunity to see these guys live, as it will be dollars well spent, and don’t forget to wear your heart on your sleeve, or a little silver heart around your neck.

Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers, the most recent release is slowing growing on us, and we recommend you visit any of their recordings for your listening pleasure.

Check out more photos compliments of Valerie Fremin at the Lucero @ Emo’s 4.20 Gallery

myspace page: Lucero

Lucero on Tour Read more

hot!

The Bjork camp seems to be a hustle of activity these days as they are getting creative with ideas while giving you the opportunity to get your creative itch on as well. With a schedule full of festival dates, at which most she will be considered the headlining act, an appearance on tomorrows SNL, and a new studio album hitting the shelves/itunes stores soon, the Icelandic Princess is employing you to show off your video making skills. A competition of sorts, as Bjork herself will decide which video idea and maker she is going to work with for completing said project. Of course, this means you get to preview the song Innocence for the video competition before it is release on the upcoming recording Volta, so that’s one perk right out of the gate.

Here is where the full list of details are Innocence Video Competition

If you are interested in a little fun album cover competition, then check out Stereogum’s Make Your Own Volta Cover

Bjork bops around the globe Read more

Looks like the tease is slowly working it’s way into some gratification for Jesus and Mary Chain fans, as the band has added a few more dates to their short list of live appearances, and the buzz is that there may be more in store. In addition to the new dates added, there is detail about what players are going to be sharing the stage with brothers Jim and William Reid, and they ain’t no slacks. Phil King (Lush and 9 year JAMC) on bass, Loz Colbert (Ride) on drums, and English/Canadian Mark Crozer on guitar will round out the band for the shows, and they should be quite treaty.

Tour update:

04-26 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
04-27 Indio, CA – Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
05-21 New York, NY – Webster Hall
05-22 New York, NY – Webster Hall
07-04 Lisbon, Portugal – Super Bock Super Rock
07-13 Madrid, Spain – Summercase Festival
07-14 Barcelona, Spain – Summercase Festival
08-12 Hildesheim, Germany – M’era Luna Festival
08-31 Argyll, Scotland – Inveraray Castle (Connect Festival)
09-01 Stradbally, Ireland – Stradbally Hall (Electric Picnic)

photo : valerie@fremin.net

We like the Ponys, and we have ever since we got our hands on the 2005 release Celebration Castle. Why we like the Ponys is pretty simple, they Rock! In an age of music that is pushing the limits of the imagination, and entertaining us on many different levels of interesting and quirky, the Ponys stay the course and knock down the good old fashioned style of garage rock in supreme style. Granted the most recent release Turn the Lights Out is sporting a newer high octane feel, with broader guitar strokes and a darker heavier feel, at the end of the day it still boils down to good post punk rock, and the Ponys don’t hesitate to deliver it with a courage of consistency. The show at Emo’s Wednesday night was no exception, as there wasn’t a moment during the set that didn’t capture our attention, and was rich in selections from the most recent release on the newly acquired label Matador Records, Turn the Lights Out. Jered casually flirted with the crowd inquiring if they were interested in hearing some older material just after punching out and dragging down several selections from the new record, flawlessly, but for the most part the set was head down, guitar forward Ponys Rock laser beam focused on new material.”Double Vision”, “Small Talk”, “Poser Psychotic” were warming and quite honestly the new material sounded pretty fuckin great live, with no offense to the older stuff, but the Ponys seem to be finding their way in their own style, and we hope that they continue to do so. If you don’t have any Ponys in your collection, we forgive, but employ you rectify the situation soon.

photo : valerie@fremin.net

check out the Ponys photo gallery for more live shots

Wanna rock Ponys style? These guys have a few dates left on their tour and here is where it is happening: Read more

This year’s Capitol Hill Block Party taking place in Seattle, has dates, and a short list of performers with more to join the list. The 2 day party taking place July 27th & 28th is the result of the combined efforts of forces in the Seattle Music Community, which include The Stranger, 90.3 KEXP, 107.7 The End, The Vera Project, Neumo’s, Fuzed Music and Home Alive. Showcasing 40 bands on 3 stages over the course of two days, and taking into consideration the bands that have already been slotted for the shows, one would be readied to purchase tickets as soon as they come available, which by the way is Friday 4.20 @ 10 a.m.. That’s right, 4.20, so put down your bong and buy some tickets.

Up to 30 more bands to be announced May 16th, and until then, this is what you have to look forward to:

FRIDAY July 27- SILVERSUN PICKUPS, GIRL TALK, VIVA VOCE, THE CAVE SINGERS, GRAND ARCHIVES
SATURDAY July 28- SPOON, AESOP ROCK, THE BLAKES, THE INTELLIGENCE, THE WHORE MOANS

Sweet!

MP3 Fun

Silversun Pickups “well thought out twinkles”

Spoon “believing is art”

Viva Voce “when planets collide”

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Walk into Emo’s, grab something cool and refreshing from the bar, and get ready for an evening filled with sounds from the Ponys, Deerhunter, Brightblack Morning Light, and a few other acts we’re not too familiar with, but are always willing to check out. That’s the plan, but 15 feet into the club we find ourselves drawn to the sweet sounds coming from the stage compliments of local guys Lomita, and for the next several songs, until they exit the stage, we can’t seem to tear ourselves away from the diverse mix of sounds that these guys are enthusiastically delivering. Our attention was snatched up beginning with a song that sounded like any solid alt-country song rich with slide guitar, but has us a bit bewildered as to the thought process behind the pairing of some alt-country band with Deerhunter and the Ponys, but the songs to follow displayed the beautifully eclectic working of this band called Lomita. Describing the band is no easy feat, but we are imagining T-Rex, Dinosaur Jr, and Wilco all bundled up into a mess of music rich of elegant vocals, with shimmering guitars and keys, tripping in a funky beat that unravels into a fuzzy, distorted, smoky well managed mess of sound all in one fail swoop that always seems to find its way back to it’s perfect beginning, and there you have Lomita. We’re not sure that what we just said makes any sense, and if we have confused and intrigued you, we recommend that you catch these guys in person soon. We’re ready for the recording, as we are wearing out the myspace player on their site, and the four songs posted there have us itchin for what else these guys could have in store for us.

check out their myspace page for your listening pleasure: Lomita myspace

Upcoming shows:
Apr 21 2007 1:00P
Texas Liberty Fest – “bikes, bands, bbq & cold beer” texaslibertyfest.com
Selma,Texas
Apr 27 2007 10:00P
CD RELEASE SHOW at Beauty Bar (outside) w/ Mr. Lewis and the Funeral 5 + more
Austin, Texas
Jul 19 2007 10:00P
Hi-Dive Denver, Colorado

photo : valerie@fremin.net