photo : michael maly

There is no denying that Ghostland Observatory have become a hot topic over the last year, and you can see the interest in the band spread like wildfire across the country right now. Banking on the current interest in the band, New West Records has decided to release the bands performance (the television show, not the festival) on DVD as part of the “Live From Austin, Tx” series before the show airs on PBS. Look for the DVD to be available Nov. 13th while the television airing date has yet to be announced.

Here’s a peak at what’s in store for you on the DVD:

Mp3>>Stranger Lover

Ghostland Live Dates:

Nov 9th 2007

Warehouse LIVE! Houston, Tx

Nov 29th 2007

Mezzanine San Francisco, CA

Nov 30th 2007

The Music Box @ Fonda Los Angeles, CA

 Fun Fun Fun Fest is quickly closing in on us, and we’re going to be featuring bands that are of interest to various folks over @ Sonic Itch Music, over the course of the next week. The lineup is quite diverse and there should plenty of great performances and discoveries for everyone attending. We’re hoping to discover a few of our own as well.

Lifetime – Stage 2 – Sunday, 11.04 – 6:40pm

Another band I have yet to see live, Lifetime, takes what appears to be my stage of choice, Stage 2, Sunday evening. I bought the new album awhile back and it is still a staple listen in my car. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to belt out loud, while doing your best to dance along with, though you are trapped behind your steering wheel and seatbelt. This “melodic hardcore” staple formed in 1990 and has achieved a near cult status since their inception. The band broke up in 1997 while the members went on to join or form other bands such as Kid Dynamite, Zero Zero and Paint It Black. The band re-grouped in 2005 to play a handful of festivals and shows but much to the delight of fans, decided instead to officially get back together in 2006, marking their return with 2007’s self-titled full length release.

Several die hard fans I have spoken with have cited this show as their sole reason to attend the festival, making it another must see for the weekend. If you haven’t seen or heard of Lifetime yet, you best do so.

-Kristin Owen

Mp3>>Can’t Think About It Now

Something else to do on Halloween if you find yourself at home.

I’ll have to admit, Halloween isn’t on my list of favorite holidays, if it qualifies for a holiday at all, but this year is different. I actually have plans for Halloween that I’m excited about, and if you haven’t planned where you are going to be this year for Halloween in Austin, Tx, here are some suggestions:

• Galactic, Lifesavas, Chali 2na, Mr Lif @ Stubbs
• The Warlocks, Darker My Love, Low Line Caller @ The Mohawk
• The 4th Annual Halloween Fire Show “Dames and Demons” @ Austin Haunted Forest
• Car Stereo (Wars), The Carrots, DJ Rubix (Clap! Clap!) @ The Beauty Bar
• Jay Retard, Marked Men, Boston Chinks, Wax Museums, Teeners @ Beerland
• Flametrick Subs, Grady, Nebula, Bonk, Les Breastfeeders (Norway) @ Emo’s

And of course………

Guess where I’ll be??

Mp3>>You Were The Last High

It’s that time again. Time to support the greatest radio station in the country, KEXP out of Seattle, WA which is quite possibly responsible for turning me on to most of the music that I cover on this site. Free of corporate corruption, and completely listener supported is what makes this radio station great. The station has been very supportive of many Austin bands, and if you haven’t noticed have become more involved in the local scene by sponsoring shows around town. John Richards in the Morning and Cheryl Waters on the Midday Show have kept me company on many a day while banging away on the key pad, and they never fail to put a smile on my face with the diverse selections that they continually play. Do yourself a favor and start tuning into KEXP @ KEXP.org and discover a world of radio that you always wanted to exist, because it does, and it’s great. Oh yeah, give them a little love $$$ so that they can continue doing what they do for years to come.

Bands I’ve discovered as of recent because of KEXP

The Blakes Mp3>>Modern Man

Dead Confederate

Manchester Orchestra Mp3>>Golden Ticket

The Shackeltons

Just to name a few.

If you needed a reason to stir up your love for locals who call themselves Lomita, then this would be a good one. Mouse your way over the link for the latest video from the band for the track “Broken Boy” off of this year’s release Downtown Mystic, directed by Jose Jones. I have opted to send you to the high quality version of the video as opposed to posting an inferior YouTube version. Be patient as it may take a minute or so to load.

The next live opportunity to catch Lomita will be Nov. 10th @ Stubbs.

Now go watch the video, it’s pretty darn good!

photo credit: marco rutiaga

Amidst a crowd of beer slinging rabid fans, Lucero took the stage at Emo’s Wednesday night for an evening of good ol’ rock and roll. The night started out on a high note for me, as vocalist Ben Nichols first growled out the opening lines of That Much Further West, possibly my favorite by the band. It only took those first four minutes for the Emo’s crew to start removing some of the more obnoxious of the hardcore Lucero fans.

The night continued on in the same manner; Lucero played a multitude of fan favorites while the crowd sang and cheered them along, fans crowd surfed and got rowdy, and every so often another body was removed. The country/punk infused rock show was quite the refreshing change from the various indie/hardcore/punk shows I tend to frequent. Topics such as women, beer drinking, grandparents, women, and whiskey weave their way through the majority of Lucero’s songs, and when interlaced with that sweet twang of Nichol’s vocals, tug at your heartstrings and make you want to scream from the top of your lungs all at the same time. I was pleased, but not surprised, to hear Austin’s very own shout-out, courtesy of Raising Hell, a song about Nichol’s brother’s hard partying ways here in Texas.

I wasn’t able to make it until the end of the show as I was warned ahead of time that the guys like to play until the power is pulled on them and this lady can’t seem to stay out ‘til the wee hours anymore. But as I elbowed my way through the crowd of rabid fans who, so enraptured by the band, were completely unaware I was pushing them, I wondered how a band that inspires so much passion and dedication hasn’t yet been able to take it to that next level of success. Let’s hope it’s only a matter of time before they get there, and in the meantime I’m sure all of us fans can agree that we will be at every show rooting them along whole-heartedly. Maybe spraying a couple of beers on them as well.

-Kristin Owen

Mp3>>That Much Further West

photo credit: marco rutiaga

photo credit: marco rutiaga

photo credit: marco rutiaga

photo credit: marco rutiaga

What promised to be a night loaded with great bands and great performances, last Friday @ Emo’s, turned out to be just that but sprinkled with a bit of frustration on my part. Sometimes things can be too good to be true. Scheduling conflicts prevented me from catching a full set from 2 of the bands that were of a high priority for the evening, Dappled Cities and Cave Singers. Separated by a few hundred feet and a couple of walls, both bands started at the 11 o’clock hour and as I found myself being drawn in by the quirky indie-pop styling of Dappled Cities, shaking myself loose to catch the last portion of the Cave Singers mesmerizing set proved to be a conflicting effort. Happy to see both in fractions, but craving the full meal deal soon enough. The Cave Singers in-store set early in the day @ End Of An Ear only awakened my senses to the hypnotic simple beat set punctuated with the sweet folk vocal sounds of Pete Quirk, and can’t wait to catch them again at Fun Fun Fun Fest.

Cave Singers

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Unfortunately for Tiny Vipers the venue and crowd were not suited for the patient subtle sounds that the band produces. Maybe another time in a different place I hope, as I really do like the recorded material.

Minus The Bear, was tight, on, and rocked. The show was a sold out as I expected and oddly enough there were folks outside of the venue who seemed surprised by the sellout? Have you heard Planet Of Ice? These guys are extremely polished and should be graduating to the next level if is someone is managing their talent as it deserves to be managed. I do have to admit, that I stepped away from the Minus the Bear set for awhile to check out Black Mountain. Another sampling of something I need a full portion of in the near future.

Pics from the day:

Dappled Cities

photo : valerie@fremin.net

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Cave Singers

photo : valerie@fremin.net

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Minus the Bear

photo : valerie@fremin.net

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Mp3>>Cave Singers “Dancing On Our Graves”

Mp3>>Tiny Vipers “Forest On Fire”

Mp3>>Dappled Cities “Granddance”

Mp3>>Minus The Bear “Part 2″

If you aren’t familiar with the Plug Independent Music Awards, chances are you’re not alone. I just learned of the awards last year, and am looking forward to taking part in the voting process that is scheduled to begin 11.13.07. Here is a description of the process via a recent press release:

“From now through November 4, the nominees for the year?s best independent music, video, label, festival, website, print and online media, radio, record store and DVD are being selected by the PLUG Advisory Board.

On November 13, the official 2008 Nominees will be announced and fans worldwide will vote to determine the winners. The nominees are announced in the form of an online ballot, which goes live at www.plugawards.com where fans from all over the world can begin casting their votes to determine the winners.

Winners will be announced at the 2008 PLUG Independent Music Award ceremony and concert scheduled for March 6 in New York City.”

Previous performers have included The Flaming Lips, Ted Leo, Silversun Pickups, The National, and many more. Who knows, maybe Sonic Itch Music will be nominated sometime over the coming years?

You can check out previous nominees and winners here.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is quickly closing in on us, and we’re going to be featuring bands that are of interest to various folks over @ Sonic Itch Music, over the course of the next week. The lineup is quite diverse and there should plenty of great performances and discoveries for everyone attending. We’re hoping to discover a few of our own as well.

Sick Of It All – Stage 2 – Saturday, 11.03 – 5:50pm

One of the greatest and longest playing New York hardcore bands will be hitting Stage 2 Saturday. Sick Of It All have been playing together for over twenty years, and in my humble opinion have only improved with age and experience. This will be my first time to see the band live and I would venture to guarantee it will not disappoint. Touching on social topics such as politics, injustice, and life on the streets of New York, their music is the kind that keeps you thinking, and for many fans, thrashing around in a mosh pit all at the same time (I would join in but not so sure I would survive). For me, Sick Of It All completely encompasses what hardcore is all about and for hardcore fans and non hardcore fans alike, I would recommend not to miss this show, it is definitely ranked up in my top five for the weekend.

The guys will also be playing The White Rabbit in San Antonio November 1^st if you can’t make the show Saturday, or if one show just isn’t enough.

-Kristin Owen

Mp3>>Machete

It’s been a busy successful year for the boys in Manchester Orchestra so far, and the year holds more in store for the band. Reading, Leeds, ACL, Letterman, opening for Kings of Leon, a new label, and now a documentary. What else could be in store for the guys? Playing Wembley Arena? Director Sam Erickson (My Morning Jacket Okonokos and Dave Mathews Live @ Radio City) offers fans a look into the day to day experiences of the band on the road and their personalities. Erickson filmed and directed the documentary over a week of touring.
Manchester Orchestra will be performing Oct 31 on Late Night With Conan O’brien.

Just push play for the trailer. Oh yeah…..and enjoy.

FreeVideoCoding.com “Wolves @ Night” clip from the movie:

Wolves At Night

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It’s no secret that Austin’s Black Angels are one of my favorite listens currently, and the live show is nothing to shake at stick at either. Unless you do that at live shows, and then I would recommend that you stop, for both safety reasons and to avoid ridicule. The band just finished up a round of shows with Josh Homme & Co. (QOTSA), have a Halloween gig with a band that I’ve recently discovered and am quickly coming into much admiration of (Dead Confederate), and forge on with a smattering of dates with Spindrift.

Mp3>>Bloodhounds On My Trail

Black Angel Tour:

10/23 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, Michigan
10/24 The Rave Milwaukee, Wisconsin
10/25 Riviera Theatre Chicago, Illinois
10/26 Cowboy Monkey Champaign, Illinois
10/28 The Grey Eagle Asheville, North Carolina
10/29 Zydeco Birmingham, Alabama
10/30 40 Watt Athens, Georgia
10/31 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
11/01 Exit/In Nashville, Tennessee
11/03 Barley?s Taproom Knoxville, Tennessee
11/04 Rock and Roll Hotel washington, Washington DC
11/06 Johnny Brenda?s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11/07 Bowery Ballroom New York City
11/08 Middle East Upstairs Boston, Massachusetts
11/29 Warehouse Live Houston, Texas
11/30 The Granada Dallas, Texas

Videos like this have me heartsick for the good ol days when MTV was just that…Music Television, not Reality Bullshit Television (RBTV). I’m not the biggest Modest Mouse fan, but sometimes videos make the songs better.

Modest Mouse – Invisible

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Menomena have just gotten back from touring Europe and have some news bits and fun stuff for their fans.

1. A diary style documentation of the tour in Europe can be found @ Menomena: European Tour 2007
   
2. “Weird” has been remixed by someone(s) unknown to the band and the band liked it so much that they have made it available for download on their Myspace page for the next few hours. Until about 8:45 p.m. (central time) today.
3. The bands website has been redone and is even LESS user friendly, according to the band. It is fun to look at though.
4. The band is heading back out on the road and Brent from the band wants a hand at discovering your city while visiting.
   “To the Menomenauts of North America: Greetings from Brent! If you feel so inclined, I was wondering if a few of you might share with me a description of your favorite place or experience in one of the cities on our upcoming US/Canada tour. Here’s why I ask: Every now and then, I’ll find myself with an extra 2 or 3 hours in a city I’m unfamiliar with, and I would want to go out on an adventure, if only I knew what to do. If you have any recommendations, could you email them to me at menomenatour@yahoo.com? Whether it’s a book-store, chocolate shop, oracle, magnetic vortex, swimming hole, or secret labyrinth, I’d love to learn about it. Thank you so much. Love, Brent”

Mp3>>My My

Menomena Tour: Read more

photo: sam holden

A Do512 sponsored event:

Lucero will be playing @ Emo’s tomorrow night, Wednesday 10.24 with Bobby Bare Jr. and Whiskey & Co performing opening duties. Lucero will be bringing their uniquely personal style of country influenced southern rock with a punk attitude from Nashville, TN to the Austin for the second time since the release of Rogues, Rebels, and Sworn Brothers earlier this year. The band has an extensive catalog of songs about drinking, women, guitars, and life on the road that is best experienced being performed live by the band. The last performance in town was solid set of whiskey soaked sing-a-long rock-n-roll songs that seemed to last well until the band was asked to leave the stage as the club closed down. Hope to see you there.

Emos Austin

Doors @ 9 show starts @ 10

Tickets

Mp3>>My Best Girl

Mp3>>Until The Day I Die