I know that Fun Fun Fun Fest 09 is still months away, and we’ve only been allowed a peak at to what’s instore for us this year, but if there is one reason to plunk down your hard earned cash this year for the festival, it’s Jesus Lizard. I cannot stress how excited this guy is about this show.

The reunited band, is currently on the road bringing the sweat, energy, rock, and glory it’s so well known for delivering on stage. Here’s a couple of videos from the Pitchfork Festival, in which the band performs “Nub” and is interviewed by Fucked Up’s Pink Eye. Enjoy.

Now, if only Transmission would manage a Jesus Lizard aftershow at Mohawk? That would rule.

Photo by: Briana Purser

We all love reading interviews with our favorite bands, and the interviews usually cover a lot of the same stuff, how the band got started, new album details, etc., etc., etc. Coming into contact with quite a few artists on a regular basis, I figured I could prepare a short set of short answer questions that I could deliver without having to go into a lengthy sit session of talking and editing. This is the third in what I hope to be a long series of “Get To Know In 7″ and any suggestions or recommendations on questions that you might want used in future editions, please, please, let me know.

The self proclaimed “loudest band in Brooklyn” (and I’m not one to argue), A Place to Bury Strangers are currently touring the country in support of NIN, while taking the occasional gig on off days supporting Reznor and company. The band made a stop in Austin, to bring it’s “total sonic anniliation” agenda to Emo’s. Once again, I cannot argue the claim of “total sonic annihilation”, as it was truly an aural onslaught of effect drenched guitars and vocals cutting through the smoky haze like a chainsaw thru jello. I’ve seen a few bands that push the envelope of loud, and until this night, Bob Mould’s band Sugar, held the top spot on this list. It’s taken a few years, but I believe that spot may now belong to APTBS.

Aside from leading the sonic charge for the band as guitarist and vocalist, Oliver Ackerman also designs and builds guitar pedals. Ackerman’s Death by Audio is not just a pedal company, it’s also the name of a compound that serves as a practice space, workshop, art collective, and live music venue to many, including the members of APTBS. Aside from being essential to APTBS’s sound, Death by Audio pedals have found their way to the stage and studio with members of Spoon, T.V. On the Radio, Wilco, and NIN.

Ackerman took a few minutes before the set on Sunday night, to answer 7 questions, for my continuing series Get to Know In 7.

1. What is your birth city? “Allentown, PA.”

2. What is your favorite season and why? “I guess I like Fall, cuz it’s cool, everything’s dying, and it turns all pretty colors. You know it’s kinda psychedelic, and I like some psychedelics”

3. What is your favorite physical attribute of women? “Shoot, I don’t know man, I like the whole thing. It’s hard to say, I like women..I like all sorts.

4. What’s your favorite part of being on the road? “All the different parts of women. No, I’m just joking. You know, just getting out, meeting different people, getting away from home.”

5. If you had to choose one pedal that you couldn’t live without, which one would it be? “I would choose the Octave Clang. Even though I don’t use it all the time, it still sounds f****** sweet.I’m always surprised by the great sounds, and love it.”

6. Last album/recording you selected to play. “Probably some band nobody’s ever heard of before, Heaven Piano Company.”

7. Vinyl, CD, or Mp3? “I like vinyl you know. I like records, but I love Mp3′s too. I like having records, I like holding mp3s though, I like the feel. Not the cheap ones though, extra bitrate, those are the best ones.”

Oliver Ackerman has a funny side. The band has a full shedule of shows in North America booked well into the later part of October. I recommend you check them out, but be sure to bring ear plugs. Seriously.

MP3> A Place to Bury Strangers ‘I Know I’ll See You’

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Plenty of positive entities that fulfill our lives come with one-worded brand names; Oreo’s, Lego’s, and now, local promoter Nardo. Established in 1997 and originating from Detroit, Michigan, Nardo finally came to Austin around 2007 to continue his positive message through live, music shows.

What started off as a passion for music, can now be heard on a weekly basis at The Parish with local bands like The Boxing Lesson, {{{Sunset}}} and more.
Nardo began his music passion through instruments, like many of us do. He learned the basics (guitar, programming and synthesizers mostly) and even put a few bands (Le Ren and The Chocolate Thunder Experience) together. Thus his musical journey led him to Los Angeles for about four or five years, where he began Navdo Records and started helping out talented friends with their musical ventures, as well as his. After the industry slowed, he knew he needed another angle to keep doing what he loved; being involved in music. Lucky for us, he came to Austin.

“I came to Austin just to make music and hang out, but then I started seeing a lot of shows in town and seeing how certain venues were treating the artists and I was bummed out about it, so I wanted to find a better way to do it,” he says. Los Angeles definitely contributed to his start as a promoter, but Austin has helped it thrive.

“In L.A. you have a million different people doing what you’re doing. And even though your game is different from the rest, it’s still hard to stand out because there are a million other companies with big names backing them up. So when you come to Austin, you see that it is the ‘Live Capital of Music,’ but no one is putting these great bands together.”

Fast forward to today and it’s no wonder he’s starting to put together one of the few, great monthlies in town.

“Well now that I’ve started, my goal is to change the game, here in Austin,” he says with utter deliverance. “Mainly it deals with hospitality and taking care of our artists and taking care of the supporters that come to the show. And what I’ve loved so far when people come is that the leave with smiles on their face. And that’s priceless right there.”

Nardo’s non-stop smile and passion is a contagious commodity, making me a believer in my cynical head about the status of the industry today. His message of love with a smile is what he sends to anyone he meets.

“We all like to feel good and smile, and love. Love is free; it’s something you’re not charged for, some places,” he says.

photo : valerie@fremin.net

With his positive message and incessant need to please the artists as well as the audience, it finally seems like someone is doing something right for the music-lovers in this town. Taking care of those who contribute is a major attribute to a great show.

“That’s what it’s about because if you didn’t have the artists, you wouldn’t have the shows. And the best thing is seeing an artist happy because when they’re happy, they’re putting on a killer show. What more can you ask?”

I couldn’t.

-Sonya Gonzales

Help spread his heartfelt sermon by heading to his myspace. You can also check out his bands Le Ren and The Chocolate Thunder Experience as well (Le Ren will contribute to a compilation that will be out in September). But definitely don’t miss out on his amazing shows at The Parish (which are greatly complimented with the help of The Roux, Jimmy John’s and Synaesthesiax Lighting).

April 10th: 9:00 pm: Navdo Presents: {{{Sunset}}} w/ Gulf of Mexico and The Boxing Lesson

April 11th: 9:00 pm: Navdo Presents: {{{Sunset}}} w/ Lomita and The Soldier Thread

April 17th: 8:30 pm: Navdo Presents: Psychedelic Shack w/ Ringo Death Starr; Soundpool; All in the Golden Afternoon; She, Sir

April 18th: 8:3o pm: Navdo Presents: Psychedelic Shack w/ The Boxing Lesson; Soundpool; My Education; Skyisfalling

photo credit: Nabil Elderkin

Lollapalooza August, 2007

I was more than excited to make it to Lollapalooza in Chicago last year. It was my second time to attend the festival and my first to attend it in its new home base of Chicago. A long line up of my favorite bands were playing that weekend; Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper, Silversun Pickups, the list could go on and on. While Silverchair was on this list, they were admittedly on it for all of the wrong reasons. Visions of Tomorrow and I Miss You Love danced through my head, and I couldn’t wait to see what had become of one of the precious bands of my youth. (Now, none of my words should be taken as criticism, as I had been utterly ignorant of what had become of Silverchair since around 1999.) In my mind, Silverchair had retired, moved on to other projects, and were simply feeling a bit nostalgic, were in the right place at the right time, or maybe even couldn’t resist the paycheck, so decided to play a handful of reunion shows, mostly recycling their old content, to the delight of a crowd of washed up fans like myself chanting along. So after a long Friday night of alcohol consumption and otherwise sordid debauchery, I dragged myself to the two o’clock performance and weaseled my way front and center to prepare for a mid-afternoon blast of mid-90’s alternative/grunge at its finest.

At this point it is fairly obvious where this story is going and I assume every reader has gathered that I, in fact, was not met with what I expected, however this is my story and I will choose to move forward with my obvious plot line…

Absolutely not one of my expectations, other than that of a delighted crowd and exceptionally fine music, were met. Within the first five minutes I was won over. Silverchair, as a group, and as individuals, had grown into adults (obviously) and their music progressed and grew at an equal, if not greater pace. Their music was soulful, it was true rock; for me it was truly amazing. The show was truly brilliant and inspiring. I immediately became a fan, not of what Silverchair once were, but of what they had become.

La Zona Rosa November 2007

Obviously, after my newfound admiration for the boys in Silverchair, I was more than stoked to have them arrive in Austin a month and a half later. During their time here, I had the lucky opportunity to sit down and pick the brain of drummer Ben Gillies.

Gillies met up with me backstage at La Zona Rosa a couple hours before their set and told me his thoughts on footwear (he was ready to update his Puma’s), McDonald’s, Boxing Day, and most importantly, music.

As we settled into the interview, exchanging pleasantries and thank you’s, etc, Gillies was polite enough to feel the need to apologize for the absence of bassist, Chris Joannou. While of course we missed getting a chance to talk with him, Joannou had been the lucky nominee to take on the brunt of us journalists for the day and needed a well deserved break.

Quick to the point, as we were working with a limited amount of time, we got straight into talking about the new tour, the new music, and how the fans are responding to the notably new sounds of Silverchair.

Kristin: Let’s talk about how the tour has been going so far.

Ben: Yeah it’s been fantastic. It’s been nice to be back in America doing a tour. The reception over here has been pretty overwhelming as well. Particularly being away for so long and, I don’t know, I think being out of people’s kind of conscience. A lot of people are rediscovering the band and really excited about the band again and it feels like there is a real kind of buzz in this country about Silverchair again.

B: We came over and did a couple showcases earlier in the year. We just went to LA and New York and somewhere in Canada and that was basically just to show us off to record companies. And then we came back now. And before that, geez, I think we did a quick three weeks back in 2003 in support of Diorama.

As previously mentioned, Silverchair has been out of the scene for awhile. Although they never lost their loyal fan base in Australia, American fans are often as fickle as they come and have somehow grown to expect a new record from their favorite bands almost yearly. A yearly release is imaginably a difficult feat for any band, but Silverchair was dealt a series of hands that made it literally impossible to keep their momentum going. Read more