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 forth 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.

Blind Pilot’s 3 Rounds and A Sound has quickly become one of my favorite indie, folk-rock inspired recordings of the year. Hailing from Portland, OR is no surprise as that area seems rife with great musical talent, especially in the vein of this style. Patient, delicate, poetic, and gentle. The band started as a project between two college friends Isreal Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski and has grown into a group of musically talented friends that are delivering, what some might argue, are the sounds of the next breakout indie band from Portland. The live show would surely support that argument as would the recent addition to support another little band from the Northwest called The Decemberists. The delicate sounds of the band are only magnified live with the multitude instrumentation, including the sweet sounds of a xylophone, a little bit of banjo, a stand up bass, and many more. Recommended for anyone looking to chase away the negatives of daily life and wanting to put a smile on their face, which is exactly what they did last Tuesday night @ The Mohawk.

I sat down with the soft-spoken frontman Isreal Nebeker for a quick chat and 7 questions. Thanks to Nebeker and company for the music, and taking a moment to answer these ridiculous questions.

1. What’s your favorite color? “I don’t think I have one. I like a lot. I like mauve a lot, it’s interesting color, and it wasn’t even invented until the late 1800′s.”
2. Name one must own album/record: “Paul Simon’s Graceland”
3. Name one person dead or alive that you would like to meet: “I’ll say Jesus Christ. Ghandi. I’m changing it to Ghandi.”
4. First record or song you remember listening to that had an impact on you. “Can I change my record one to Neutral Milk Hotel In The Aeroplane Over the Sea? and this one to Paul Simon’s Graceland?
5. Last record or cd that you played and enjoyed: “I really like MGMT, their album”
6. What’s your favorite season of the year and why? “Fall. Because..Summer is over too quick, and by the time Fall comes you still have great weather and you got to do all the swimming and camping because Winter is coming.”
7. One word to describe your band: “Excited”

Blind Pilot have every reason to be excited, and hopefully you’ll get out to see what this excitement is all about. I highly recommend the music and the live performance.

MP3> Blind Pilot ‘Two Towns From Me’

Watch the video for “Go Say It”

It was a tough night in Austin Tx for any band to try to play an outside venue with the activity that was occurring this past weekend, but Eef Barzelay and company (aka Clem Snide) maintained positive spirits and entertained as best as one could, considering. The rumbling sounds of motorcycles didn’t deter Barzelay one bit as the well dressed trio romped through a lenghty set of past a current fan favs, including a new personal favorite “Born A Man”. The latest release from the band Hungry Bird is a recommended listen.

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I know, enough with SXSW right? This is it. A few more wonderful pics from Valerie Fremin of the sights and silent sounds of the greatest music week of the year.

It seems almost like yesterday, but SXSW is well behind us, and a lot of great memories are we really have left. Well, that and hopefully a lot of hope for some great new music from some of the bands that you experienced that wonderful week. Valerie Fremin’s images secure some of these memories from some of these great moments.

The dust has settled and only a few reminders of SXSW still remain, mostly in memories. Photographer Valerie Fremin captured only a fraction of the event, but the images add life to the memories.

I made a list of all of the bands that I saw during SXSW last week that I really enjoyed, and I have to say that it was a pretty damn good week for some great performances by some seasoned vets as well as some new upcoming acts. Pt 1 consists of some of the bigger acts that played as well as some that I just can’t seem to get enough of their music and their performances.

• Dead Confederate: Long time favorite of mine, Athen’s Dead Confederate played a total of 7 shows this year @ SXSW, and I managed to catch a bit of 3 of those. The one more interesting set consisted of covers of two Sonic Youth songs, one of which is a Sonic Youth classic in my opinion, “Diamond Sea”. I’m not generally one for cover songs, in fact I usually despise them, but DC covers Sonic Youth almost better than Sonic Youth covers Sonic Youth. An outstanding 2 song set that lasted at the least, 20 min. I lost track of time awash in the sea of sonic dreaminess. In a time when our attention span seems to be shrinking into bits and bytes, Dead Confederate are not afraid to jam the lengthy jam.

• Silversun Pickups: I know I might catch some flack for this one, but you have to understand my history with these guys. I first saw them perform 3 years ago @ SXSW and they completely blew me away. The experience of seeing them @ the Filter party on the Cedar Street Courtyard stage, and on the patio of Moonshine will be hard to replace with anything I will ever see from them again. The 2008 ACL performance was atrocious and almost painful, but their opening spot @ Stubbs before Metallica renewed my faith in the bands ability to put on a good show. I may never be the fan that I once was, but the memories of that little band 3 years ago will always be there. The band has a long awaited follow up to their debut hitting streets April 14th.

• DEVO: One would think as long as I’ve been around and being the music geek that I am, I would have seen these guys before, but unfortunately I had not. I was half expecting a bunch of older guys to come out and do a competent job of rocking through their extensive catalog of hits while I relived my youth, but not the case. DEVO came out to play, like a young successful band, with some new material that they had to sell, and they sold it well. They were loud, they were animated, the LED screen accompanied the show with fun imagery, and they rocked both the new material with the hits. Bravo DEVO!

Austin’s own Black Angels hosted their 2nd edition of Psych Fest this past weekend, and as there was still room for a few more bodies, it was by many means a success. Plenty of music for many a music lover, great local eats, $4 Miller High Life, hula hoops for your swinging hips, and plenty of good friends made for an enjoyable weekend @ the newly opened Radio Room.

I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of some of the more traditional styles of psychedelic rock, but when the genre encompasses bands like Dead Meadow and A Place to Bury Strangers, I’m on board for sure.

The hosts of the weekend, The Black Angels closed out a cold wet Friday night, in true modern psych drone rock style, maintaining to keep the vibe intact despite issues with the PA. Issues which seemed to haunt the sound engineers most of the weekend, but failed to put a damper on the audience’s enjoyment of the music offerings. The Black Angels droned through a set that included selections from recorded material as well as glimpse of newer material that I can only hope will see availability some time this year. The band has really found it’s groove, creatively and live on stage, while arguably establishing itself as one of the best rock bands on the scene right now.

Saturday offered up two acts of interest, the first of which was San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips. They dabbled a bit much in what I consider to be the traditional psych rock, but a few songs rocked enough to keep me interested.

I have been spinning the Dead Meadow quite frequently since I caught them for the first time last January, and the live show only confirms the talent that this 3 piece outfit possess. Although the band has been around just over 10 years they are one of my favorite newer discoveries, that I highly recommend to anyone who fans a wonderful modern twist on 70′s hard rock with a slight injection of the psychedelic.

Sunday brought one of the more interesting acts to be included on the bill, Brooklyn’s A Place to Bury Strangers. Self proclaimed loudest band in Brooklyn and deliverers of total sonic annihilation. I caught the band during their last visit here in Austin, and the show was a complete sensory overload complete with throbbing strobe lights, more smoke than a Dead show, and a volume rarely experienced @ a live show these days.  Singer/guitarist Oliver Ackerman lead the trio through a ferocious set once again that attacked the auditory senses slowly working himself into a frenzy that resulted in broken guitar strings while slinging the axe around on stage. Sonic annihilation that was absolutely a grand closure to a great weekend of music.

Festival organizer Alex Maas mentioned that there are definitely plans to continue with this annual event, with a committed effort to continue to build it bigger and better in the future. I’m already planning my wish list for next year.

Punk Rock has been around for years and as the original ideas and images of punk still resonate with many of us in the form of rebellion, spikes, leather, boots, unique hair styles, and attitude, the genre as many see it, has failed to change much. Not that there is much room for change while still maintaining status as “punk” in most listeners opinion. I’ve used the term to describe bands that most wouldn’t consider traditional punk on many occasions, taking it upon myself to use the term to describe bands that possess certain “punk-like” qualities. The Pixies, Nirvana, The Replacements, The Jesus Lizard, would be easy examples.

Before I continue, let me preface the following with this: I understand that Punk is a widely used term to describe a lot of music, and that there are many divisions and smaller genres that can easily fall into the Punk realm, but for the purpose of this piece, I will simplify by sticking to Punk. Not to offend any hardcore fans of any faction of punk music by generalizing, but I just don’t have the time to get into extreme specifics. It’s a blog, and I need to make it quick. That, and it would take too much time for me to brush up on my knowledge of said genre.

These days you don’t see the modern music scene media tossing the Punk genre around much, so when I starting reading about this Punk band from Toronto called Fucked Up, curiosity struck me. First impressions were 1. they look kinda punk 2. they sound kinda punk, but there’s more to what they are doing musically. The music initially struck me as possessing elements that are traditionally labeled Punk, yet there are textures and instrumentation to the music that expand on the hardcore punk foundation while still holding true to it’s origin’s aesthetic. Frontman Pink Eye, while physically a perfect match for his screamed vocals and onstage presence, holds down this aesthetic in perfect form, while the band weaves an intoxicating concoction of sound that begs a listener’s attention.

The band’s live show stays true to the recorded material enough, while staying focused on the guitar heavy aspect of the music. Pink Eye is a natural Punk on stage, circling like a crazed caged animal, screaming at the top of his lungs, half-naked, and engaging the enthusiastic crowd. During Saturday’s show @ Emo’s, Pink Eye took time to discuss his thoughts on band member’s ice cream flavor combinations during a recent trip to Amy’s Ice Cream as well as his personal take on the growing opinion that Animal Collective’s Merriweather  Post Pavilion might be the record of the year. Let’s just say that he’s not sharing that opinion.

Punk’s not dead, and if you are willing to accept that it’s in need of an adjustment, Fucked Up is the new face of Punk. A new face that is needed to keep the hope alive that punk and hardcore can evolve within the current music scene, while still maintaining it’s cred. It’s Fucked Up and it’s alright.

MP3> Fucked Up ‘Crooked Head’

A lot of great live music opportunities took place this weekend in Austin, and to kick things off on Thursday, Minneapolis band Tapes N Tapes took stage @ one of Austin’s finest, The Parish. I’ve been vocal in the past about being less than completely impressed by the band, but my continued curiosity into the band’s popularity warranted a third visit with the live show.

Early comparisons to The Pixies and Pavement are slightly understandable as one can hear the similarities on occasion, but to aspire to the impact that these two bands had on the music world would be a bit of a stretch. What Tapes N Tapes have seemed to accomplish is, establish a new audience for blues inspired, garage indie-rock, clearing the way for similar acts like White Denim and Harlem. Both of which are based in Austin, and have found an eager audience for their sound.

I take it all back. Tapes N Tapes, you guys are alright in my book.

Tapes N Tapes on Tour:

02/03/09 Columbia, Missouri – Mojo’s
02/04/09 Ames, Iowa – Maintenance Shop
02/05/09 Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Nutty’s
02/06/09 Minneapolis, Minnesota – First Avenue
02/20/09 South Bend, Indiana – Legends
02/21/09 Columbus, Ohio – The Basement
02/22/09 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Brillobox
02/24/09 Boston, Massachusetts – Paradise
02/25/09 New York, New York – Bowery Ballroom
02/26/09 Brooklyn, New York – Music Hall of Williamsburg
02/27/09 Washington, D.C. – Rock and Roll Hotel
02/28/09 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Johnny Brenda’s

March:
03/02/09 Carrboro, North Carolina – Cat’s Cradle
03/03/09 Atlanta, Georgia – The Earl
03/04/09 Birmingham, Alabama – Bottletree
03/05/09 Nashville, Tennessee – Mercy Lounge
03/06/09 Louisville, Kentucky – Phoenix Hill Tavern
03/07/09 Chicago, Illinois – Metro

Toronto’s Fucked Up, brought their unique style of punk rock to Emo’s on Friday night, and photographer Valerie Fremin caught these images of frontman fingering.

Nice. It’s as if we are watching an intimate moment between fan and Pink Eye. Quite voyeristic.

Check back soon for more pics and thoughts on the band’s show @ Emo’s on Saturday night.

It came, we saw, we heard, they rocked, and just like that, it’s over. This year’s Free Week presented many more an opportunity to catch as much free music as you could bear in one week, with Transmission Entertainment joining in the 7 day music celebration. Adding Mohawk, Club De Ville, Red 7, and Beauty Bar to the ist of venues participating this year, Transmission’s Graham Williams reminded us of the origin of free week.

Thursday @ Emo’s presented one of the more intriguing line-ups for me. A trio of bands that will surely be on the minds and lips of Red River regulars and Austin music fans for 2009.

Ume has been quietly shredding stages in Austin for the past couple of years, after relocating here from Houston, and the band is set to release it’s first recorded material since 2005. The Sunshower EP will be released on Feb 24th. Sonic guitar assault still intact, the new material introduces melodic song structures, threatening to broaden their audience.

MP3> Ume ‘The Conductor’

Harlem. Quite frankly, I don’t know much about this band other than they seem to be the talk of the scene lately. I know that they recently relocated to Austin from somewhere, and they produce an infectious brand of garage rock tinged with a bit of 60′s style psychedelia, with a carefree, free flowing energy on stage that’s difficult to deny. That, and they have one of the biggest bass drums I’ve ever seen on stage. You need a rock to keep it in place. The band recently released Free Drugs, which lightly captures the essence of the band, which shines most brightly when banging it out on the stage.

MP3> Harlem ‘South Of France‘

And then there’s my most recent favorite Oklahoma export, El Paso Hot Button, aka Mickey Reece. The one man band stringing together soul, punk, and rock and roll as best as a one man can on stage. The recorded material is always a blast to listen to, but when Reece puts it together on stage is a full on performance. Look for this guy @ SXSW 2009. I don’t know for sure, but I would wager a few bucks that he’ll be around.

MP3> El Paso Hot Button ‘Rubies and Pearls’

And now the pics taken by the talented Valerie Fremin:

With Deerhunter, we have a band that takes their name from an impressive war film of the 70′s, but their music has more to do with unnerving Russian roulette scene that seared itself into our collective conscious, than it does the entire film. With every song, Bradford Cox has transformed himself into Christopher Walken’s character and is spinning the barrel of his existential revolver, squeezing the trigger, smiling at his luck, and inviting us to try.

From the onset, we were met with oscillating fuzz and feedback loops that felt more like creatures from the ether swooping down on Emo’s and perching on the rafters as onlookers. Cryptograms kicks in and Cox’s voice swoons over the microphone with a ghostly reverb, the drawbridge extends itself over the hazardous moat, and we are in Deerhunter’s eerie Microcastle.

The Atlanta quintet drew from all of their recorded material to date and followed their intro with the propulsive Never Stops. Josh Fauver and Moses Archuleta held down the fort with a steady-punch bassline and a compelling kick drum, which then gave way to the epic, metal-wind chorus, as the band locked in to drive the song’s message home. It was made clear early, we were witnessing something special, something unaware of its own end.

As they intently moved through their discography, an insight began to dawn on me. The crew’s music functioned more like an incantation, the space we occupied felt more like a meeting ground for the living and the dead, and I was never more comfortable with my own mortality. There was a strange reassurance looming in the air comprised of banshee wail and Deerhunter music. Gone was the contrived head-bob and inappropriate mosh-pit, in it’s place, a committed engagement by a mesmerized audience. This was a full-blown trance, and despite my talkative friend’s wishes that “everyone should be jammin’ out,” I concluded the only thing jammed was her noodle and it prevented her from receiving transmissions from this ghost frequency. I was tired of Cox having all the fun, so I took the gun, spun the barrel, pulled the trigger, got lucky, and smiled back.

By the time they reached Nothing Ever Happened, a song that could make a serious run for song of the year in the underground circuit, I couldn’t imagine anything going wrong for these ATLiens.  Nothing boasted it’s undulating hiss, exclamatory bass, Whitney Petty’s infectious lick, the tandem shimmer of Lockett Pundt and Petty’s guitars, Cox’s math-rock guitar trickery a la Van Halen, a climax culminating into a pitch-bending audio assault, and a challenge to one’s musical palate and sanity. What a great place to be!

Deerhunter’s last half of the set bounced around from new to old, to mistakenly-leaked, and back to new. At one bookend there was the grimy dance-pop of Weird Era release Operation, and at the other Twilight at Carbon Lake, a modern-day version of Santo and Johnny’s Sleepwalk. Everything in between confirmed a peculiar feeling. Although every member of Deerhunter is an integral part of its anthem(ic) sound, it’s Bradford Cox that appears to be in two realms at once, in the here and now and the hereafter, a beacon transmitting messages from a frequency which we should all hope to be attuned to. He possesses a musical soul that extends itself from the beginning of Rock’s musings to places Rock music has yet to go. At Carbon Lake’s thunderous, crescendo into tremulous, guitar fury, abrasive shrill, and percussive cacophony, I was relieved to find that we all survived this daring game of sonic Russian roulette and comforted by this thought. Once in blue moon, we encounter a band that reaches conceptual bliss, and Deerhunter is that band.

It’s been two weeks since the 2008 edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest, but it seems a lifetime away. Looking forward to what Transmission Entertainment has in-store for us next year, and until then a photo recap of our Fun Fest 2008.

Saturday

Sunday

Can’t see the flash player? Check out Sonic Itch Music @ Flickr.

I still find it a bit curious that a lot of people, when mentioning Fun Fun Fun Fest, are not aware of it’s existence. I guess that is still one of the reasons that it remains to be one of my favorite weekends of the year. While it still remains a bit of a secret, I would imagine the secret will be out soon enough. One of the more interesting blends of up and coming indie-rock, punk, comedy, dj/electronica along with some of the well established in the industry all wrapped up in an environment that is as welcoming as it is, as the name would suggest, fun.

Sunday promised to be full of all the previously mentioned, and it couldn’t have started off better than with two bands early on that are among my favorite to watch perform live.

Ume

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Better late than never, someone once said. Is that really true though? I guess it depends on the situation.

The most anticipated festival of the year for me had finally arrived, and as the day presented to opportunity to see a few acts that I hadn’t been witness to as of yet, the main interest for me today lay in one of the last acts of the day, The National. More on that later. Read more