Fun Fun Fun 2011 is still fresh in many’s minds, but the Fun crew is already plotting and planning their next smash hit festival for 2012. Mark your calendars for Nov 2, 3, and 4 in 2012 for the next weekend of Fun Fun Fun happening at the expanded grounds Auditorium Shores.

A limited number of “earlybird” ticket are to be released soon, and those who purchased tickets last year will be notified via email when they become available…sit tight.

Keep an eye on the Fun Fun Fun Fest site for updates and register to receive updates.

And watch this little diddy of a tribute to FFF Fest 2011

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 from Guerilla Suit on Vimeo.

You can’t say that you didn’t expect this ugly dog to awaken from it’s slumber, and rekindle the flame that brings the much heated, frequently addressed debate between the residents of our neighborhoods and the businesses that work to support the city’s self appointed title of “Live Music Capitol Of The World”. It reared it’s ugly head on Red River years ago, and on South 1st at Freddie’s Place, and not too long ago struck down one of the giants KGSR’s Unplugged At The Grove. Follow the ever changing trends in hot spots in town, and you are sure to find this debate lingering in the shadows waiting for the perfect moment to resurrect itself. The increasingly popular, newly developed Rainey Street area which houses Lustre Pearl, Clive Bar, Bar 96, and a handful of popular rolling eateries, with more projects in the wings, is the battle ground currently. Heating up the debate is the lingering SXSW festival which would find the Rainey Street area a prime destination for all things SXSW and non-SXSW related IF they can continue on with their pursuit of providing live music.

Personally, I tend to favor the live music scene (obviously), but I find myself thinking that I should have a better understanding of the ordinances and zoning issues involved in this process, which admittedly I don’t. If you find yourself in the same boat, there’s an opportunity for you to learn a bit more by attending the City Council meeting this Thur 1.13 @ 4 p.m. to hear the owners of Clive Bar, Lustre Pearl, and Bar 96 plead their case. The following is a letter that has been released by the owners of these venues.

January 9, 2011

Dear Rainey Street Patrons,

This letter is a request for action and support from you, the patrons who gather on Rainey Street. Please
come to the City Council meeting and voice your support on Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 4:00PM.

It has been a pleasure taking care of your food, drink and entertainment service. The growth we’ve
experienced over the past year and a half is due largely to high-quality customers like you who faithfully
support and promote our business.

I immediately saw the potential on Rainey Street when I drove through your neighborhood in December of
2008. This historic neighborhood looked like it had fallen on hard times and needed some fresh investment
to help in its regrowth. The neighborhood was already Commercial Business District (CBD) zoned. I brought
my vision and confidence to the neighborhood and opened Lustre Pearl in April of 2009, a time when other
investors were hesitant to bring business into your neighborhood to boost an economic revitalization. Since
then we have grown, and the old Rainey Street has a fresh vibrancy. While growing Rainey Street, we have
always followed the rules, complied with the city, and tried very hard to be a good neighbor.

We have earned and kept our clientele by paying attention to detail, demanding excellence, and providing
the quality service that you have come to expect from Lustre Pearl, Clive Bar, and Bar 96. As a small
entrepreneur, I incorporated Austin’s fun and intriguing character into the design and upkeep of our bars.

Our quality business in your neighborhood is at risk due to the concern of other neighbors about the
Outdoor Music Venue (OMV) permit Lustre Pearl applied for and received. I want to keep in mind the
interests of the people within the 650 foot radius noted in the guidelines for this permit while also increasing
my investment in your neighborhood. While some are concerned that by offering live music, we will attract
too many guests, but the size of the crowd at Lustre Pearl will not change, as the Austin Fire Marshall has
already established capacity limits for this business.

We are more than happy to work with the DANA association and other neighborhood associations to do
what we can to come up with a fair and amicable solution.

I would like to ask for you again to give us your support by coming to the City Council at 4:00pm, Thursday,
January 13, 2011 meeting and speaking out in favor of the Rainey Street revitalization.

We appreciate your continued trust and business, and we’ll keep working hard to give you the outstanding
service you have come to expect of us.

Thanks again for your business and your support. Please feel free to contact myself at
bridget.dunlap@gmail.com or Scranton Twohey at Scranton.Twohey@gmail.com.
Sincerely,

Bridget Dunlap
Owner of Lustre Pearl, Clive Bar and Bar 96

Just the whisper of “new album” from Radiohead draws more attention than Lionel Messi receiving the ball at the top of the box, and we’ve got more than a whisper about a possible release in 2010 for the band. During an interview on BBC 6 with Adam Buxton, guitarist Ed O’Brien reveals that the band is in the studio recording what will be their 8th release. The sound of Radiohead fans gasping is deafening…..

Listen to the interview where in addition to the exciting news, O’Brien discusses the recording of In Rainbows HERE

The Austin based Transmission Entertainment, responsible for bringing you music joy @ The Mohawk, Red 7, Club De Ville and the hot, hot, hip Fun Fun Fun Fest, is seeking interns and street team members for the 2010 year. Free shows anyone?

Details from the mouth of Transmission after the jump.. Read more

So, what the hell is going on with Radiohead? It seems as if the band is out to baffle and amaze fans once again with their unique way of getting their music out. If memory serves me correct, there was news that they were recording awhile back? Obviously they are doing something, because two new tracks have surfaced in the matter of a few days.

First the track “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)”, which is a tribute to the last surviving veteran of WWI who passed at the age of 111. You can listen here, and download for a small price here.

Next, shortly after the track surfaces, reports that Radiohead are not planning on releasing a full length anytime soon, if ever again. As a band that is, as several side projects are in the works. In an interview with Believer Magazine Thom Yorke states:

“None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again. Not straight off,” Yorke said. “I mean, it’s just become a real drag. It worked with In Rainbows because we had a real fixed idea about where we were going. But we’ve all said that we can’t possibly dive into that again. It’ll kill us.”

He clarified that Radiohead doesn’t inherently hate the concept of the full-length. He said, “I mean, obviously, there’s still something great about the album. It’s just, for us, right now, we need to get away from it a bit.” Later, he added, “In Rainbows was a particular aesthetic and I can’t bear the idea of doing that again. Not that it’s not good, I just can’t… bear… that.”

Much to the chagrin of many a Radiohead fan I’m sure.

Then this new song surfaces yesterday 8/12 seemingly out of nowhere? What’s going on here? No confirmation that this is really Radiohead, but a convincing imitation if that’s what it is. The titled “These Are My Twisted Word” was pulled from the MP3 file along with this cryptic message:

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiii radiohead – these are my twisted words iiiiiii
iiiiiii iiiiiii
iiii artist…….radiohead iiii
iiii title……..these are my twisted words iiii
iiii label……..?????????? iiii
iiii cat.nr…….????????? iiii
iiii style……..’dificult’ iiii
iiii nr of tracks.1 iiii
iiii total length..5.32 iiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiii audio source.CD Advance iiii
iiii encoder……LAME 3.93 iiii
iiii quality……320kbps/44.1kHz/Joint Stereo iiii
iiii size………12,70 MB iiii
iiii ripper…….sca[GG]er iiii
iiii rls.date…..2009-08-17 iiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiii i just wanted to reassure readers iiii
iiii that following representations iiii
iiii seeking confirmation iiii
iiii that before your very eyes iiii
iiii behind the wall of ice iiii
iiii that the box is not under threat iiii
iiii however they are set to remove iiii
iiii other boxes iiii
iiii in fact i have the list in front of me iiii
iiii i went to a briefing on their plans iiii
iiii and challenged them to tell me iiii
iiiii exactly what the cost would be iiiiiii
iiiiii iiiiiiii
iiiiiii they spoke in broad terms iiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiii we’re looking for: talented puppeteers iiiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiii worms, disgruntled executives, sacked flies iiiiiiiiii
iiiiiiii genres: doomcore, folktronica, ukf iiiiiiii
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Listen for yourself

MP3> Radiohead ? ‘These Are My Twisted Words’

Update: Billboard.com article on 8/14 titled “Radiohead EP Release May Be Imminent” Doesn’t really provide any concrete proof though. Pure speculation.

1 comment

By now, I’m sure that most of you have seen the reports of the shooting that took place early this morning outside of the downtown club Spiro’s, injuring 6 people. Spiro’s happens to be next to one of our frequented haunts Emo’s. As we happened to leave the area just a few hours before, two bands that we had just watched perform @ Emo’s, got caught up in the scene. Austin’s Boxing Lesson and the LA band Gliss were loading gear into their vehicles when the shooting took place, luckily escaping any physical harm. A few accounts of the situation from the bands:

The Boxing Lesson’s Paul Waclawsky posted on Facebook:

“So happy to be alive. Loading out of Emo’s and a fight erupts in front of Spiro’s and people start getting shot. Ryan and I jumped in the back of the truck to safety. The Boxing Lesson truck filled with gear is part of the crime scene in the middle of Red River and they aren’t letting us leave. WTF”

“there is blood on the grill of our truck. so, do i have to clean it up or do the cops???”

And this was posted on the Gliss iLike site

Jay Bennett, multi-instrumentalist and ex-member of the band Wilco, passed away early Sunday morning (May 24th) at the age of 45, in his sleep. According to sources, the cause of death is unknown and an autopsy will be performed.

Bennett was most well known for his work and contributions while as a member of Wilco during the earlier years of the band. Bennett was on board for the recordings Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as the two Billy Bragg collaborations celebrating the work of Woodie Guthrie, Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue II.

The departure from the band was well documented in the 2003 Wilco documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”, in which differences in musical direction and creativity between Bennett and founding member Jeff Tweedy revealed themselves. Bennett continued on producing solo works, but never found the commercial success that he had experienced during his time with the band.

Bennett’s death comes a short 3 weeks after he had filed a lawsuit against Tweedy for “breach of contract” for alleged non-compensation for his appearance in the film, as well as for unpaid royalties for his work while a member of the band.

A talent that made memorable contributions to music that shall live on, and be appreciated for years to come, leaves us.

This might come as a surprise to many, and considering that I don’t regularly agree with or much respect his opinions these days in regards to music, Michael Corcoran made a point that I find interesting. But, I believe that it goes much deeper than what he expressed in this short quip  on Austin360.com. The gist of his point was that the situation with Freddie’s Place having to discontinue the live music on their outside stage because they couldn’t abide by the new regulation set for outside amplified sound tied into a restaurant establishment by code, was just. Well, maybe not completely just. but it got me thinking. I know, I’m just as surprised as you might be.

Now, before you get all worked up over this, let me explain my thought process.

I, for those who know me well, am one of  the biggest proponents of live music in this city. That is why I moved to this wonderful city, and that will probably be the solidifying component to keep me here the rest of my years. I understand the importance of the city’s claim of “The Live Music Capitol” and support it 100%, but with that statement, I believe that we have entitled ourselves to bestow an unnecessary burden upon ourselves.

This isn’t going to be easy, but let’s start with this: Music is art. I think we all agree on that, although comparing art genres will show that creating music is a bit different. The reality is, that music is possibly the most recognized form of art on every scale. It translates in every language and is probably the most heavily produced form of art in our modern world. Austin, supports the art of music wholeheartedly, and it’s a great environment to exist in as a fan. But, does the city and our mindset, enable the existence of an environment that works against the artist?

I see my fair share of live music, and can say that if I’m going out to eat, I don’t want to watch a band. For one, if a band is playing while I’m eating, they aren’t getting my full attention. Two, if you are a band playing for a dinner crowd and are expecting to gain fans, you might want to rethink your agenda. Maybe you just want to get fed? And that’s understandable, we all need to eat. My opinion mind you.

I appreciate the fact that some bands are cool with just getting up and playing with some friends for a few drinks or maybe a free meal, but they don’t necessarily represent the majority. We have a community of individuals who believe that this town holds the key to their success, their future, their survival in the near years, and we struggle to provide any hope for many. Sure, we have successful bands, but the success rate comparatively is surely not as favorable as to other cities. Although we have discussions going on within the government that provides the infrastructure, I’m not seeing any solid solutions that make much sense at this point.  I’m not saying that it won’t happen, but I think that we might be avoiding the reality of the monster that we have allowed to be created.

If we, as a city, convey the idea that we can support any “Joe” with providing a venue for that “Joe” to perform, and not take into consideration that “Joe” can’t live on what this city has to offer, we have done a disservice to the artist.  Having live music on every patio, outside stage, or deck available doesn’t make us the “Live Music Capitol” of the world. It just feeds our ego. Providing the appropriate venues, and support for the music scene and venues that honestly support the future of the scene, proves more significant.

I support any artist pursuing their passion, but there is a responsibility that we owe to the artist as consumers. They deserve an honest chance, and an honest response. Are we providing that to them as a city? That’s the question that I’m asking.

Update: An interesting post on Austin Sound “Did City Council Surreptitiously Screw Live Music In Austin?”

The Chronicle hints at it today in the latest issue, and I have a feeling that there might be a little bit of truth to this suggestion.  Maybe a lot of truth? Just a gut feeling.

Can you imagine the mayhem stacked on top of the already happening mayhem? Crazy it might be.

Who’s excited?

Not this guy.

I’m sure that some of you out there are wondering what sort of complex process that SXSW has put into place this year for wristband access. Here’s the breakdown straight from the horse’s mouth, or rear. Depending on how you feel about them I guess.

SXSW Music Fest Wristband Sales Date Will Be Announced Soon

• This year all advance wristband sales will be online at http://wristband.sxsw.com.
• In this first-come, first-served sale for area residents only, wristbands are $129 (includes sales tax).
• You will pick up your wristband at the event (March 17-21), and will need to place it on your wrist at the time of pick-up.
• You can only buy one wristband for yourself and one for a friend whose name and email you must provide at time of purchase.
• All purchasers must use a credit card with a local billing address. The name on the credit card must be one of the wristband users.
• Wristbands will be put on sale on short notice, and will be available online at the $129 rate until they sell out or until March 9, 2009, whichever comes first.
• All wristbands are assigned by name and are non-transferable and non-refundable.

To be notified by text message of the sales date, text the word “join” to 47979.

Black Angels @ Psych Fest 2008   photo:valerie@fremin.net

With the success of Psych Fest #1 still in the minds of psych-rock fans, organizers and Austin’s own, the Black Angels have set their minds to expand the 2nd installment of the music fest to 3 days in 2009. Not officially announced yet, but the word is that this year’s music fest is set to take place March 13-15th, a mere few days before the music portion of SXSW 2009 gets underway. With the indie music world positioning itself for it’s yearly spring takeover of Austin, TX, one can only speculate the number of acts potentially available for this year’s event. I have already heard the name Dead Meadow mentioned as possible acts for the event. Have I mentioned how much I love me some Dead Meadow?

Mark your calendar for March 13th-15th 2009, and get some sleep now. It’s gonna be a long week.

MP3> Dead Meadow ‘Get Up On Down’

After the break-up of Austin’s noise rock/punk outfit Scratch Acid, David Yow relocated to Chicago and formed The Jesus Lizard with Duane Denison and former Scratch Acid bassist David Wm. Sims. Noise rock/post punk/alternative were used to describe the band’s music, which featured Yow howling like a tortured animal at times while forming lyrics that painted the darkest of images. The band was known most for it’s live shows, where Yow was known to flail around the stage recklessly, expose himself, and inevitably end up in the crowd.

The band’s career spanned a little more than a decade, and produced numerous albums on both Touch and Go and Capitol, while building a reputation as one of the best live shows around.

May 2009 finds all of the original members reuniting for a string of dates that begins with All Tomorrow’s Parties and ends sometime in November in the band’s hometown of Chicago. All that’s left is to fill those 7 months, and chances are good that Yow and company will return to the city where it all really began. I for one, am quivering with anticipation.

MP3> The Jesus Lizard ‘Gladiator’

MP3> The Jesus Lizard ‘Whirl’

Yes, it’s that time of year, and the lists have begun.

I picked up a copy the Dec/Jan issue of Paste Magazine, and they have their year end “best” of lists, including Album of The Year. I listen to a lot of music, but not nearly enough to argue too many lists that will come out, so no personal commentary on their number 1 pick. She & Him take the prize with Volume One.

As I begin to think about my list, I’d be curious as to what some of you folks out there might be thinking. That is, if anyone reads this blog anymore?

Okay, I’m not ashamed to admit how much I really love Death Cab for Cutie. I really love their music and own all of their albums.

However, this did not stop me from giggling when I read via the DCFC blog that vocalist Ben Gibbard got stung by a scorpion not once, but twice.

As the story goes, Gibbard had changed into his outfit before their show in San Diego yesterday and felt what he said like a wasp sting in his thigh. Much to the band’s surprise, a small scorpion came scurrying out when he pulled off his pants. Awful? Yes. Kind of really funny? Yes.

Gibbard was checked out and was fine. He played the show that night, like a trooper. He even went on to claim that he now had scorpion powers in his veins. Bassist Nick Harmer, who wrote the blog post, also added:

“I’m still not convinced that he is 100% fine because nobody eliminated the possibility that it was a radioactive scorpion and that Ben will now develop super powers, so I’m keeping a close eye on him just in case.”

Clearly, the only way to recover from a random scorpion attack is to gain some kind of superpower in the process. Sadly, I think Ben Gibbard would make a sub-par superhero. Stick to the songwriting.

I’ve classified this as a WTF moment because, well, how do you not notice a scorpion in your pants? Honestly. You don’t see this happening to Neil Young, do you?

Bless your heart, Ben Gibbard. You’re lucky I love your music so much.

MP3> Death Cab for Cutie ‘You Can Do Better Than Me’

A small issue with the laptop which landed it in the shop for a few days, semi-forced a short break from the blog grind and the constant search of the Internet for interesting reads. The machine is back in action and while playing catch up, I’ve come across a few notable mentions on the web.

-This joke isn’t funny anymore, but I’m sure that there are folks that will hold their breath anytime anyone wants to try to put this rumor back into circulation. It would be pretty awesome though, and seeing as how 3/4 of The Smiths seems to be spinning their wheels out of the music limelight for some

time now, the right amount of money just might tempt them enough. Smiths ‘closer than ever’ to reunion. It is the Sun reporting this, and their reliability is always in question.

On a side “Smiths” note: I recently watched a DVD documentary on the Smiths from the A Classic Album Under Review series which you can find on Chrome Dreams. If you are near the music documentary geek that I am, I highly recommend this film that examines the legendary album The Queen is Dead.

MP3> The Smiths ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’

-I subscribe to the Bob Lefsetz letter for a couple of reasons. He knows a bit about the music industry and has been around it long enough to call bullshit when he sees it and does so in an informative and humorous manner. He also picks the most random shit to write about, which is the case in a more recent post about a Kenny Chesney song titled ‘Fat Girls and Weed’.

If you don’t subscribe to Bob’s letter, I recommend that you do, if it only is for a good laugh now and then.

-Local blog site Flux=Rad, has an interesting post about the newest AC/DC video being released as an Excel file. Sounds interesting, and might be a little more interesting if it weren’t AC/DC, who I once loved dearly, but now believe should be riding first class on the Highway to Hell since their Wal-Mart deal.

Check out AC/DC Video Distributed As Excel File @ Flux=Rad and download your copy of the video in Excel.

-Over @ The Austinist they posted Fun Fun Fun Fest Anounces Vendors, Green Initiatives. More reasons to get excited about this year’s installement of the local music fest.

Not thinking about attending Fun Fun Fun Fest? I would suggest that you rethink that think. It’s gonna be a good time. I promise.

-A more recent site that I have discovered that is full of great industry information and insite provided by some pretty knowledgeable folks in the biz, is Music Think Tank. Another highly recommended read for anyone interesting in the workings of the current state of the music industry.

Bands and musicians might want to check this post out in particular: 10 Mistakes Bands and Musicians Make

-Local music blog site new to the scene, Austin Town Hall starts up a new feature for Fridays, titled Friday Top Five. The initial installment is titled Friday Top Five: Worst Things In Music.

I can probably name a few more than five things about music that completely suck these days, but this is good working base. MySpace…what a horrible wreck this has turned out to be. And for crying out loud, take some time to sit down with an album and listen to it all the way through!

Man, it feels good to be back with the ol laptop, and back on the blog.