How many more lyrics ornate with “la-da-da’s” and “ta-da-da’s” can we take in filling the space between decorative triangle pings and bouncy drum beats? The Beatle’s certainly started this “revolution,” and it apparently has yet to end. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. will convince any listener that their head will still bob and soul be tickled when pried by the mechanisms of indie pop. Their charm lies also in their curious formation. Josh Epstein called up a complete stranger, Daniel Zott, after seeing his show in Detroit. They trialed an initial project together, and the magic it produced propelled them with enough momentum to charm the audience of ACL. The Beatles would be proud, and probably “la-la-dee-dah-deefend” the songs “Simple Girl” and “Nothing But Our Love.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: Sunday at 1:30-2:30pm on the Honda Stage

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Morning Thought by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

The folks over at Austin Psych Fest are working hard on series #4 of their unique festival that honors the pioneers of the genre while incorporating some of the modern artist that dip from the past while keeping it current. Taking place April 29th-May 1st @ The East Side Drive In, the festival has just released this pretty impressive list of confirmed acts. More to be announced as well.

January 13th will see more artists revealed with early bird tickets and more Austin Psych Fest details.

And don’t forget that the Austin Psych Fest 3 DVD is available for stuffing the stockings of your psych rock loving friends..hint, hint..

Preview the vid and then follow the jump for list of confirmed artists..Atlas Sound.nice!

AUSTIN PSYCH FEST 3 TRAILER from oswald james on Vimeo.

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Coinciding with the ever popular East Austin Studio Tour, Y.EAST is a multimedia event taking place @ Cheer Up Charlies, featuring musical performances, short experimental films, and video installations. Plenty of opportunities to drop by and have your senses tantalized.

Get your details HERE

Dr Dog might be the headlining act for this show, but I would recommend that you show up early enough for the Here We Go Magic. Sure the band has been through town a few times this year, but this, if I’m not mistaken will be the first stop in the ATX since their latest Pigeons dropped legal not too long ago.

Luke Temple and company craft quirky lo-fi pop that inspires a foot tap, a head bob, and the occasional smile, and that, my friend is what it’s all about. Smiles.

Buy Tickets

MP3> Here We Go Magic ‘Collector’

So, the Brooklyn based Suckers have been releasing their own band member versions of videos for the song “A Mind I Knew” and the last in the series just surfaced. This is actually the first I have seen of this project, and unfortunately I just have two of the videos to post. Two completely different concepts to compare, with the Fisher version being made up with CGI scrapes and tests, while the Quinn Walker version features real found footage of real people.

“A Mind I Knew” can be found on the band’s recent summer release Wild Smile, which embarrassingly enough, I haven’t spent much time with, but plan on remedying that situation soon.

I remember, quite vividly, the first time I heard Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. It sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. It shook the childhood simplicity out of my mind and exposed a world that was dark and curious. I couldn’t help but stare at the cover art of the cassette as the sounds contained inside exposed the potential that music possessed to move me emotionally and work my imagination into theater where anything was possible. It shook and questioned the core of beliefs that I had up until that point. But I was only a child at the time, and what did I really believe in at such a young age? I believed in music, more than I understood at that time, and the realization was only to come later in life.

Athens Ga’s Dead Confederate have their sophomore full-length Sugar out legal 8.24, and while the chances of it to have the impact on rock music that Black Sabbath’s Paranoid has had in this current musical climate, I do feel that it’s potential to move new listener’s in a way that has a lasting impact, exists.

From the opening track “In The Dark” it’s evident that while still sounding much like the band that recorded Wrecking Ball, there’s tone and texture about the recording that feels a progressive step in the band’s music. Utilizing the talents of producer John Agnello may have had some impact on this progression in sound. The heavy guitars still present with the fist pounding drums of Jason Scarboro in full force, but a playful tune dancing through the song by keyboardist John Watkins, while Hardy Morris’s vocals a bit more reserved in angst that we have come to know in the past. An acoustic beginning to track 2 “Run From The Gun” begins the trade off in songwriting blows delivered by Morris and bassist Brantley Sean who own songwriting credits divided almost evenly across the entire album.

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You’ve been warned, and here it starts to arrive. The Black Angels have their newest work Phosphene Dream in the pipe and ready for release on 9.14, and single number 2 has just surfaced. I promise you, it might take you back a bit with it’s 60′s garage rock almost upbeat feel. Times they are a changing.

MP3> The Black Angels ‘Telephone’

So, it snuck up on me a bit, but the 2009 edition of ACL Festival is not far away my friends. This year has been a record year for the festival, selling out of 3-day passes almost 2 months quicker than any past years, and achieving a complete sell-out a month before the festival. To what do we attribute this success? I lean to believe it has to do with a little band named Pearl Jam, who still have maintained a rabid following all these years, a bit to my surprise, but I’m sure that The Dave Matthews Band had a hand in achieving the record sell-out as well. Just seeing the name Dave Matthews on my blog, feels wrong.

So, as the next few weeks creep along, I’ll be talking about the bands that I think should be on your list of bands to check out. You know it’s getting to be that time of year, when the frequency of the question “so, who are you excited about seeing @ ACL?” increases daily. To be quite honest, I haven’t put a whole lot of effort into the thought process, as the months pass leading up to the event, are spotted with dropouts and add-ons, disappointing some. The cancellation of Sonic Youth, would be one specific case that I’m completely down about. Does the addition of Dirty Projectors or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs soften the blow? Not really. It’s Sonic fuckin Youth! I don’t care how old they are, they still rule, and always will.

Before I get into specific bands a preview at a quick glance:

Indie Hipster bands that will draw massive crowds and will be the talk of the blogs:

• Phoenix, Fri 4:30 on AMD West: They are French, they been plugging along for a few years now, and seem to have found the audience finally. A blind booking for SNL put them on the map instantly. More on these guys soon enough.
• Grizzy Bear, Sat 3:00 on Dell: Does anything really need to be said about these guys now that hasn’t been said. Get there early and beat Jay Z to the front of the stage.
  
• Passion Pit, Sun 5:00 on XBox360: Their performance last year still has fans reminiscing. I honestly don’t know much about these guys, but on first listen, I might just keep it that way.
• Dirty Projectors, Sun 5:00 on Dell: Ooooh, hipster kids will wish human cloning was legal right about then. Hell, some of them might even give it a try.
  
• Girl Talk, Sun 7:00 on XBox360: From uptown suit to downtown DJ. It’s a guy with some computer equipment and a turntable I’m guessing. What does a DJ do on a big stage towards the end of a festival for thousands of people? Dan Auerbach fear not.

WTF?, Why?, and Who (made this decision)

• Prescott Curlywolf, Fri 11:45 on XBox360: Are there any bloggers in town that even remember who this band is, and when they were somewhat popular in Austin? Doubt it, as the band saw their peak sometime in the mid-late 90′s. I can think of at least half-a-dozen currently active Austin bands that could fill this spot. Are they about to make some huge comeback? Doubt it.
• Poi Dog Pondering, Fri 3:15 on Wildflower Center: Hmmmmm. I didn’t really realize that they were still kicking it around. Another band that seemed to find it popularity at it’s peak, quite a few years ago.
  
• Reckless Kelly, Fri 7:15 on Austin Ventures: I’ll give it to them for maintaining some form of popularity, but they play after Robin Hitchcock? Is there some redneck revolution occurring that I’m not aware of?
• The Scabs, Sat 7:15 on Austin Ventures: Maybe there is a theme here? Austin bands headline Austin Ventures stage? I can understand that. But the Scabs? I get it! You sing dirty songs to chics who like to dance to your music, and make their boyfriends uncomfortable or possibly horny?

No surprises here:

Kings of Leon (festival whores), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (soon to be festival whores), Ghostland Observatory (got to stick with what works), Arctic Monkeys (most boring festival band next to Vampire Weekend), The Dead Weather (being Jack White guarantees your spot on a main stage at a festival).

Now, it sounds like I’m full of piss and vinegar, but not the case. I’ll have a ton of great things to talk about in regards to 2009 ACL Festival coming in the next few weeks. I can’t wait to sink my bare feet into that luscious looking grass. Who wants to join me? We can have a grass party.

stay tuned…………..

The challenge for singer-songwriters to stand out amongst the many others, armed solely with their voice, their lyrics, and the acoustic guitar, isn’t an easy one for sure. Jessica Lea Mayfield has managed to stand out enough to catch the attention of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) who recorded and produced her most recent release With Blasphemy So Heartfelt at his Akron based home studio. Aside from appreciating the dark moody songs, lyrically based in the affairs of the heart with the human and the celestial, an  better understanding of the person who wrote the songs, only increases the value.

Mayfield was born into a musical family and became involved the music scene, playing at the age of 8 in her families bluegrass band One Way Rider. By the age of 15 she had written and recorded her first album White Lies, which caught the attention of Auerbach. Mayfield and Auerbach spent two years working on the follow up With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, which was released in 2008. An album that some of which was written before she was old enough to vote, possibly even before she could legally drive. An album based in the sounds of folk, rock, country, with melodies and ambiance that seems to draw lyrically from a lifetime of experience, while still remaining youthful.

MP3> Jessica Lea Mayfield ‘Kiss Me Again’

Jessica has lent her voice to albums by both The Black Keys, and Dan Auerbach. She has toured with The Black Keys, Avett Brothers, Cake, Lucero, and recently performed at Bonnaroo 2009.

Jessica Lea Mayfield and her band, which consists of her brother David, play Stubbs inside on Tuesday July 21st with doors opening @ 8.

Locals Sad Accordions and Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band share opening duties.

Lollapalooza 2009 is a mere 1 1/2 months away, and if you have plans on heading to Chicago for this year’s event, the lineup is now live for you to start planning your 3 days. Depeche Mode vs Kings of Leon, Beastie Boys vs Tool, Janes Addiction vs Killers (wtf?). Time to start making those decisions and building your schedule with the new Facebook interface that was added this year.

Check it HERE.

I like the Colbert Report, I like The Decemberists, and the two were together last night for a quick interview, that got a few chuckles from myself, and a performance of “The Wanting Comes in Waves”. Not my favorite Decemberist’s tune, but they’ve got a new record to peddle.

Tour dates after the video.

THE DECEMBERISTS ON TOUR
May 19 – Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
May 20 – Fox Theatre – Oakland, CA
May 21 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR
May 24 – Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT
May 26 – Fillmore Auditorium – Denver, CO
May 27 – Uptown Theater – Kansas City, MO
May 29 – Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI
May 31 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
June 1 – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion – Columbus, OH
June 3 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
June 4 – Memorial Auditorium – Raleigh, NC
June 5 – The National – Richmond, VA
June 6 – Tower Theatre – Upper Darby, PA
June 9 – Bank of America Pavillion – Boston, MA
June 10 – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY
June 11-14 – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, TN
July 18 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR w/ Andrew Bird
July 19 – Edgefield – Troutdale, OR w/ Andrew Bird

Being just a few days into 2009 and 2008 quietly slipping into the past, I thought it might be worth some interest to reflect on this most recently passed year as well as look forward.

Some years are better than others when it comes to music, and 2008 just felt like a year that didn’t produce a large enough crop of innovative, new, fresh, or exciting sounds. One could argue that I’m just burned out on the scene a bit, which could be the case to a certain extent, but I think that modern music is finding itself awash in mediocre fluff that’s being sold to us as “the next great sound”. I’m not buying it. In fact, I’m running away from it as fast as I can. It’s almost starting to feel like the 80′s all over again. Hell it’s starting to look a lot like the 80′s in a way. And we all know that the 80′s wasn’t the best time for great music. It had it’s fair share, but it also had an over abundance of utter crap. I haven’t lost faith though, as I’ve been here before, and it always seems to change, and I’ll find myself once again engaged and amazed at some crop of new bands that are making music, real music. Music that is pure, artistic, and original.

And now I reflect:

Highlights:

• Dead Confederate bringing back the rock.
• My Morning Jacket @ The Parish
• Fleet Foxes dazzling me with a style of music I wouldn’t usually give much attention.
• Wilco @ Stubbs proving once again why they are such studs.
• Shearwater’s Rook. A beautiful record that I don’t listen to enough.
• Spoon @ The Parish digging deep into a collection of great song after great song.
• Rediscovering my inner stoner-rock compliments of Dead Meadow.
• Colour Revolt rocking me out all 4 times I saw them.
• Sigur Ros DVD Heima. Amazingly beautiful and inspiring.
• Deerhunter @ Emo’s.
• Monotonix @ Mohawk.
• Fun Fun Fun Fest.
• The news that the Jesus Lizard is reuniting for a 2009 tour.

Disapointments:

• An ACL Festival riddled with poor sound and mediocre performances.
• Portishead’s Third. I know a lot of people love this record, but have they not heard Dummy?
• Harp and No Depression calling it quits with the print.
• The Backyard closes it’s doors.
• The remodeled Music Hall.
• Beck @ ACL Festival.
• Music Blogs
• The direction that the modern rock scene has taken. Down, but not out.

Now this is just a quick snapshot of a multitude of memories, and I’m sure that I’ve left something slightly important out of the list.

If anyone has noticed, I haven’t been writing much lately for the blog, and there are a couple of reasons for this void.

First off, not much really happens during the holidays. Sure there are the holiday events, and the occasional touring shows, but the holidays are full of distractions. Shopping, traffic, traveling, parties, etc.

Secondly, I haven’t been moved to inspiration lately as previously mentioned. Sure, I had some great moments over the year, but overall my music experience seemed a bit lackluster. I’ve spent many an hour trying to understand my lack of interest in much that’s happening in the music scene, and I can’t definitively say that I have an answer. Of course my initial reaction is that I’m just a jaded old music snob, which is the case to a certain extent. I’ve seen and heard a lot of music in my lifetime and at some point I can’t help but to notice how much the newer music reminds me something that I’ve heard in the past. It’s true. Originality is hard to come by these days, and even if it sounds somewhat original and really good, you can usually hear a taint of influence. It’s inevitable.

Aside from the obvious, which narrows my tunnel of acceptance, I feel my lack of interest might stem from the environment itself. 2 parts to this if you may. As already stated, the music that is being suggested and promoted heavily in the media these days seems to have lost it’s edge. A lot of cotton candy bullshit with no truly creative element and no heart. In addition to this, the crop of so called “music fans” who have attached themselves to a scene or an idea of something that really only is an accessory to them. An accessory, not a passion. I don’t expect everyone to be as passionate about music as myself, but at least invest a little time into being slightly interested and/or passionate. And those who attend shows for any other reason than being interested the music.. shut the fuck up when the band is playing! If you came to socialize, go do a bump in the bathroom, text your friends, and at the least, get away from the people who are trying to enjoy the show. I know you don’t know who the band is on stage, and are only there because someone told you it was the “show” to be at, to be seen. How about be seen and not heard?

Sound a little angry? Maybe I’m frustrated a bit, but I’ve found myself longing for a time when people were passionate about the music. Passionate about the good music and understood why. A time when people actually listened to a full recording from front to back and not just the songs that they like stored away in some cutely named playlist on their iPod. A time when you went to a show, people danced, sang along, cheered, cried, and felt connected.

photo:charles peterson

With all of that being said, I’m dedicating myself to 2009 in search of a music scene that lives and breathes passion and creativity as it once did. I’m opening myself up, trying to shake the music snob, and embracing more than before. Taking more time to engage myself in the local music scene and discovering the hidden treasures that I know are out there. I hope that you do as well.

The true artists deserve better and the true fans do as well.

Looking forward to things happening with these local folks in 2009:

• Ume
• Harlem
• Monahans
• Lions
• The Black Angels
• {{{Sunset}}}
• White White Light

And of course keeping an ear out for the next crop of Austin hopefuls.

How about you?

If you have plans for this weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, there are a few details that you might want to take a look at before you do. Keep in mind that there is a UT Football game taking place on Saturday, so it’s going to be a zoo anywhere near the stadium and parking is going to be limited early in the day.

Transmission has a list of things you might want to know: Fun Fun Fun Fest: Important Info

Save yourself some trouble and check it out.

We’ll see you there.

Tom Gabel, Against Me! frontman, has apparently be working on some solo material. A myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/tomgabelmusic) has popped up with two of his acoustic songs, “Graceful Concession” and “Nuclear Cowboys In An Age of Drift.” The myspace links to a studio journal he kept while recording the tracks in late August. Songs that were mentioned for a potential EP (produced by legendary producer Butch Vig) include, “100 Years Of War,” “Cowards Sing At Night,” “I Can’t See You, But I Know You’re There,” “Random Hearts,” “Harsh Realms,” and “Anna Is A Stool Pigeon” (ft. Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music), many of which he performed in Austin earlier this year when his band had a day off from Warped Tour. He will be going out on solo the Revival Tour with Ragan, Ben Nicols of Lucero, and Tim Barry of Avail, so surely these tracks will make many appearances then.

Toadies

photo : valerie@fremin.net

Wednesday night was the beginning of a 3 night stay @ Stubb’s for the Toadies. Until just recently, it’s been a few years since the band has offered up any new recorded material, seven years I believe to be the number. Aside from the lack of activity, the popularity of the band has maintained if not increased over those 7 years. Evidence in the form of 2 sold out nights @ Stubb’s forcing a third show to be added, should prove that the love for the Toadies holds strong. That and the latest release from the band No Deliverance debuting @ #59 on Billboard top 200 and being the #4 best selling independent record.

Starting of this three day Toadie fest, was one of Austin’s local homegrown act Lions. Lions have slowly been increasing their swagger over the last couple of years gaining popularity locally as well as nationally keeping up a constant touring schedule, which currently has them on the road for the next few weeks with the Toadies. Scoring a spot on Guitar Hero 3 with the song “Heavy Metal Lady” surely did well for the bands appeal and their street credibility as well as having songs featured later this year in the Showtime series Californication and a new FX series Sons of Anarchy.

Lions hard work and refusal to do nothing more than rock as hard as they can, while promoting and believing in themselves relentlessly have proven a succesful formula for the band.  Watching the band take the Stubbs outside stage for the first time and working the hometown into a frenzy with their no nonsense style of knock down drag out rock-n-roll, made this Austinite proud. Rock-n-roll is at it’s least popular in years in the music industry, and Lions are doing their part to keep it alive and well.  Sure, most of the fans came out this night to see the Toadies, but the ones that witnessed Lions, surely won’t forget Lions and will be there for the next time they set foot on an Austin stage.

MP3> Lions ‘Get Out Alive’

Lions