Dig the tunes, dig the video, and dig the work of Fishman (Mac and Cheese). He did a great job at our SXSW show, and we’ll be keeping an eye on what he’s got going on in the future.

Candi&TheStrangers “Tetsu” from Mac&Cheez on Vimeo.

Austin is littered with bands that have come and gone, while reaching a level of success that lay on the brink of something most bands only dare to dream about. Seven Percent Solution is one of those bands. Following closely to the success that the newly reformed Sixteen Deluxe saw in the 90′s, Seven Percent Solution experienced a healthy following outside of the comforts of the Live Music Capitol, while managing to catch national media attention even by the likes of Rolling Stone magazine on several occasions. A band that managed to scrape the ceiling while reaching for the stars, and a band whose music stays relevant even today, seemingly unaffected by the constantly churning and changing music industry.

There’s no telling if Seven Percent Solution is peering skyward once again, feeling the need to revisit the dream, or if this show will be another of a last hurrah.

Saturday night @ The Highball, and it’s FREE! Seven Percent Solution starts the dance @ 11 pm.

MP3> Seven Percent Solution ‘Bruise’
MP3> Seven Percent Solution ‘The Innocentes’

A definite contender for a top 5 album’s of the year spot, Beach House’s Teen Dream is not to be forgotten too soon. And now we have a video to reinforce this wonderful piece of work.

One of Austin’s great dirty little secrets of a band, Monahans, have been patiently releasing newly recorded material on their website, and just recently set loose track # 3 titled “Quell”.

The band will be releasing a track a month for the remainder of the year, so if you “dig” you might want to sign up for the band’s email list.

MP3> Monahans ‘Quell’

Kurt Vile’s Childish Prodigy has seen some decent playing time around these halls, and Vile’s opening performance for the Black Angels late last year stuck fairly well in the memory of enjoyment. Matador Records is offering a FREE download of a Vile EP titled Square Shells available for 24 hours or so, according to the website, so best to get on it…now.

photo: victoria jacob

Is the music industry tapping Brooklyn for the newest, next to be hot indie-rock band around, a bit too much these days? Are we going to have another Seattle on our hands?

I don’t know much about Suckers, but I hear good things, and we’ll soon have more to hear from these guys soon enough. The band sets loose Wild Smile on June 8th and the second track to be released from the recording is available now, and is titled “A Mind I Knew”.

Pre-order Wild Smile and get a bunch of extra goodies from the band.

MP3> Suckers ‘A Mind I Knew’

Tour dates Read more

Good friend and fellow music geek Covert Curiosity has put together a nice little show for this Saturday night over @ Stubbs Jr, showcasing the talents of the Autobus Records label. Label mates Brazos, Mark David Ashworth, Weird Weeds, and Sleep Good will be on hand for the evenings event which is sponsored by Birds Barbershop and Do512. FREE Lonestars for the first hour, and a $5 admission price for the first 50 who have an RSVP from Do512.

Click over to Covert Curiosity for the skinny on the artists

A nice little tune from Brazos

MP3> Brazos ‘Mrs Virginia’

Doors are actually at 9:00 from what I understand as well. Not 9:30 as listed on poster, which follows after the jump Read more

I have to admit, that I had been looking forward to seeing this Besnard Lakes show for awhile, which for me to be this anticipatory of a live show, doesn’t happen that often. Along with that though, comes the fear that the band might not live up to your expectations, leaving a nasty mark when they don’t. Canada’s Besnard Lakes proved any doubts or fears null and void with the performance that they delivered on Tuesday night at Mohawk. And for those of you who might have thought about going, and opted for some other lame activity, you missed out. It was one of those shows that you want to share with everyone.

While the band has the recent release The Besnard Lakes are The Roaring Night to push, they blended previous material into the set seamlessly, while still touching on newer fan favorites “Chicago Train”, and “Albatross”. An enthusiastic response from the crowd after each song prompted casual banter between the band an the audience, with band members displaying the additional talent of well imitated animated character voices. And just as things started to feel as if they were going to reach this beautiful musical climax, it all ended. No encore available, and no more time to play as a result of the noise ordinance. A disappointing jarring end to a set that was on the brink of musical bliss. Maybe more time should have been allotted for the headlining act? Maybe 2 bands instead of 3? One can debate a more appeasing scenario, but then the short amount of time that was spent in the musical presence of The Besnard Lakes would be wasted on wishing and wanting. And that’s just not necessary.

And to the asshole who stole the bands keyboard earlier in the day. You’re a D***! Go steal a television, or some video games. Something we could probably use less of in our lives, not someone’s tools for creating work and art.

And….Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010..I’m talking to you..make this shit happen. Bring back the Besnard Lakes!

Photos from Mary Rehak. Go check out her site.

Portland’s Menomena, a band that hasn’t delivered any newly recorded material to us in almost 3 years, is prepping the release of their fourth full-length titled Mines July 27th on Barsuk Records. Expect the cover art to follow with the band’s interest in the interesting. Stereographic photos on the cover will be visible as three-dimensional images if you manage to look at them just right.

First few spins with this track “Five Little Rooms” bodes promising for this release…

MP3> Menomena ‘Five Little Rooms’

As I prepare to post this, some commercial on the TV that I can’t see, but can only hear, captures my thoughts perfectly..”Oh my god!, Oh my god!, OH MY GOD!”…what in the HELL happened to ACL?

Minus the Bear just recently released their Dangerbird Records debut titled Omni, which has been spending some time spinning around here.

Tenacious photog Mary Rehak took some shots of the band’s recent performance @ La Zona Rosa on Sunday night

I came across this the other day, and as much as I have been skirting MMJ in a self conscious play to stay true to the early creations of said band , this live video of “One Big Holiday” is pretty sweet for a street walker, fan shot video.

Ronnie James Dio passed away yesterday after a bout with stomach cancer at the age of 67. The small package that delivered a powerful voice for many a band including Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf, and Dio, was also credited with the launching of this symbol that we all know so well..

Another legend from my youth disappears..

While I would like to believe that I have a pretty decent grasp of what’s of interest in the music scene to a certain extent, at least hearing or seeing the name of a band, the reality is, it’s a vast sea of talent that sees some slipping through many a crack.

A friend recently suggested this band Wild Beasts, and as my initial reaction wasn’t all that positive to what I heard of their release Two Dancers, there’s something here that I can’t shake. I will admit that my initial reaction was based mostly on the countertenor vocals of Hayden Thorpe that clumsily position themselves with a drunken sense of timing against the music backdrop. The music, in itself is what has managed to save our relationship, bouncing free and upbeat, reminiscent of a carefree, frivolous period of 80′s music that left only pleasure to the imagination.

Wild Beasts hail from Kendal, England and have a couple of releases out on Domino Records, the 2008 release Limbo, Panto and the most recent Two Dancers. The band will be performing @ Lollapalooza 2010 along with a few other North American dates which you’ll find…

Fri. Aug. 6 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle

Sat. Aug. 7 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza

Mon. Aug. 9 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club

Wed. Aug. 11 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom

Fri. Aug. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater

MP3> Wild Beasts ‘The Fun Powder Plot’

MP3> Wild Beasts ‘Hooting & Howling’

Have we got a video? Yes, we’ve got a video!

Our favorite local fest has dates for 2010. The Transmission Entertainment powered Fun Fun Fun Fest is set to deliver you another great event featuring a splendid blend of old school, new hipster, and chuckles this fall. Mark the calendar for Nov 5th, 6th, and 7th, and start penning your wish list…I’ve got mine in the works already.

Follow the Fun Fun Fun Twitter for updates