Northern Paradox-Self-Titled EP: Self-described as audio art with a progressive and energetic sound, this Austin quartet captures its audience with influences from ambient punk, folk, blues and dark, indie rock. Beginning in 2005, the band took full shape after moving to Austin and inhabiting its bassist. The new self-titled EP is one that they call a mini album with a release date later in the year. The three dynamic tracks set forth pulsing with odd time signatures, strange changes in rhythm and a vocal hallmark. Emotive sounds accompany lyrics that evoke political and poetic renderings that are often brooding. Pairing the guitar and piano with driving bass and drums rounds out the band’s sound quite nicely.
Somebody’s Darling-Self-Titled LP: Dallas, TX is no slouch in producing bands that garner attention. This band is no different. In fact, they’ve put quite a few notches in their proverbial musical belt in the last few years—one of which provided them the opportunity to secure a recording contract with Shiner Records. The four-piece rock band has country sensibilities and a sense of themselves to boot making them a local favorite and gathering a large, diverse fan base in the making. Forming in 2007, they quickly began to make a name for themselves. They have supported artists like Ray Wylie Hubbard, James McMurtry, Lucero, Corb Lund, Stoney LaRue, Walt Wilkins, Same Roberts Band, Sleepercar and more. Each member is fully capable of holding their own—lyrically, vocally and instrumentally. Their self-title LP is a magical blend of country, roots rock and plain ol’ good times. They intertwine their musical talents beautifully and without much fodder. They play out authentic effortlessly.
Tennis System—The Future of Our History: To best describe this band it’s important to know just what happened during this year’s SXSW. They were shut down. Twice. Due to noise complaints. Not only do they do loud, they apparently do it quite flawlessly. Even though loud as hell, they manage to tuck in songs that are precious and pop tunes that are catchy throughout. They are able to mix high energy with a chill, ethereal temperament. Together since 2008, they’ve opened for bands like Japandroids, Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Harlem. They power the album with their thundering drums, bass, and two guitars full of distortion-like antics that play out well. Exported out of Washington D.C. they are apt to follow well in their predecessors footsteps (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and My Bloody Valentine) as their sound is both on par with powerful instrumentation and extremism.
The Figurados—Lesson Two: Two men, Timothy Abbott and Gregg Kirk come together again to define their version of alternative classic rock with “Lesson Two” their follow-up to their debut album “Divine Spirits, Holy Smoke.” They pull songs throughout the album that have a broad range which sometimes leaves the listener a bit focusless dabbling in everything from ‘80s power pop, gospel, traditional rock and blues of the Texas persuasion. They came together after various individual efforts with other outfits and use their vast experiences to express angst, urban depravity and pure Texas. They state that their albums are “meant to be played at maximum volume and savored… like a fine figurado… preferably with a glass of absinthe or a choice Belgian beer.”
Holy shit folks! I dug this film. What happaned to this in theatres? I remember hearing about it, but then it disappeared.
Just the right mix of great characters, superb acting, great story and right on direction. This fim is dark as all hell. The three interweaving stories are depressing, shady and tragic. The acting is so well done. This director knows how to elicit great performances. He proved this true with Denzel in “TRAINING DAY.” Here he does it again with Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and Richard Gere. The fine line between right and wrong is relative. I can find only one problem, I wanted more of each story. If dark tone does not bother you, I implore you to go out and rent this today. I do not want to delve into the stories here. See it with a clean slate. Not knowing anything but it it is awesome is the way to go. RECOMMENDED!
An insanely funny and wickedly debaucherous new documentary about crime, sex, art, drugs, music and life in the Austin underground. This is a follow up to Russ’s original post which asks the question, Can Chad clean up his life? Hear the answer.
Austin is pitching in to help the clean up efforts on the Gulf. Here is a benefit at the Beauty Bar this Saturday for the Endangered Species Coalition and their oilspill wildlife rescue operations.
Black Gold Disco | Saturday, July 24th | Beauty Bar | $10 Suggested Donation
For every Lone Star ordered, Birds Barbershop is donating an extra $1 bill to the night!
Along with classic Disco inspired Learning Secrets DJ sets provided by Ian Orth and Jeramy Neugent, both Bodytronix (featuring Eric Archer who was on the cover of last weeks Chronicle) and Candi & The Strangers featuring local producer/engineer, Eric Woffard, notably know for his work with Explosions in the Sky, Octopus Project, Black Angels, and other great artists.
Those crisp cool nights back in November & December flood on in. The time passed through our dancing bodies, oh so fast. If you were one of the fortunate souls to be at The Continental Club you know the magic on this new cd by Alejandro Escovedo, called; Street Signs of Love. Last November AND In to December he played a stint of Tuesdaze nights after Toni Price. I was waiting for a ride to snag me so I stayed for the first one. I knew who Alejandro was, maybe had seen him a few times, but nothing really stuck with me. He started and I was sucked in. Needless to say, I did not miss a gig after that first one. Anyway, at these shows he would introduce two new tracks from the (yet to be recorded) new cd amidst his repertoire. Magic ensued. So, I knew for many months that this cd was going to be amazing.His backup band, the sensitive boys and sensitive girls are smokin. The Boss (Bruce Springsteen) sits in on a track. Yes it is that cool. It is also produced by Tony Visconti! This disc is gold. It ranks up there among the greats in my cd collection. Part of this disc includes the lyrics to each tune. You just don’t get that in cds anymore. I thought I knew the song but they become cooler when the real words are seen. Cooler and shattering at the same time. The riffs of “AFTER THE METEOR SHOWER” send me into a state of beauty and lost love. Really an awesome piece of work. Powerful. I am full of joy and tears when i listen to this cd. We plan to interview Alejandro when we can catch him………………… GET THIS DISC!
Say what? “Man ay ha bay toe.” Or just pronounce it “Indie Rock in Espanol.” Better catch these guys at the Mohawk July 31st if you want to get one of their new CDs. Limited edition CDs will be available at this show only until the wide release November 10th.
The Shed has been around only a short time, but it’s quickly become a favorite eating spot. The Shed is located by Rabbit’s lounge at the intersection of Chicon and 6th street. The eatery, built by friends on a flat bed trailer, is a great example of American ingenuity and determined entrepreneurship.
Taping for Austin City Limits 36th Season is underway and just wrapped up a great session with New Orleans’ Trombone Shorty. It’s no secret the Austin Daze likes both Austin City Limits and New Orleans music. When the two combine we can barely contain ourselves.
Trombone Shorty is not all that short anymore, but you can see how he got his nickname in this photo by clickinghere. This historic Michael P. Smith photo from Jazz Fest 1990 shows a 4-year old Shorty playing the trombone with Bo Diddley looking on. You know Bo, an originator of Rock-n-Roll. Shorty hung with him at age 4. Before being christened “Shorty” he was born as Troy Andrews. Then big brother saw the little guy with a horn in a street parade, and shouted “Trombone Shorty”. The nickname stuck, even when Troy grew up tall and made a name for himself playing trumpet.
So who is Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews? Well for one thing, he’s a man generating a lot of word of mouth buzz right now. He’s 24 years young, but has accomplished a lot. He’s toured the world as a horn player in Lenny Kravitz’s band. He’s had primetime acting gigs on NBC’s “Studio 60” and HBO’s “Treme”. Last year, he was the youngest artist ever to be featured on the prestigious Jazz Fest poster. He’s got a hot new album produced by Galactic’s Ben Ellman that was the highest selling record at Jazz Fest. His band is in demand and currently booked at several world class festivals from Japan to Brazil to the Austin City Limits Festival in our own backyard.
It happens. Had this disc in plain site, wrapped for some time. People kept telling me about it. Shit just kept me from opening it, or getting it to HUX (cd reviewer). Today I got to it and gave it a spin. Actually, that was a few hours ago and it is still spinning. God damn yall, this is the funk! If you dig funk like I do, you gotta pick this up. My experience with this genre of music is that the live shows are always way better than the recorded material. I think it has something to do with the room left for improvisation at live shows and the energy and groove of live expression. Yes, yes I am a spoiled bastard to have the luxory of catching live shows on a nightly basis. That’s why I live in this town. I know many of you agree. That is why the heat doesn’t bother me that much. Do yall remember GNAPPY? I liked that outfit. Two guys from that band are behind FLYJACK, Brad and Buck. The players on this cd can be caught in many different jams on a nightly basis. The drummer here used to be the beats for JAMES BROWN. This cd is damn good. My only complaint is that it is too short. That issue is solved by putting the repeat/shuffle function on. This is a groovy disc. “Ain’t it funky now” is my favorite track. I wanna catch a live show. The Momo’s stage would be a nice fit. Maybe double billed with BROWNOUT!, Akina Aderly and the Vintage Playboys, Hector Ward & the big time or Bruce James Soultet. The choices are endless. I just hope FLYJACK plays more often.
The .44—In The Red (EP): Ricky Stein was well received as a solo act just over a year ago when he released his 2009 record “Crazy Days.” At the time he was a weekly resident at the legendary Hole in the Wall. During some of those sessions Stein’s high school friends would back the set with bass, keyboard, and drums. Shortly thereafter, the group hit the road for a 17-date East Coast tour for Stein’s promotional release tour. While on the road Stein wrote a few new songs that seemed to point the band in a different direction. Stein’s solo sound was incredibly Americana meets old-school blues, perhaps even with a little Motown twist. He was a blast to watch on stage because he truly embodied his music. He vibrated it just as much as it came straight out of him. On this EP, the twangy down home blues sound is muted to the point where it might be missed altogether (“Trouble All the Same” brings it as much to the forefront as they will put it). The songwriting is strikingly, lyrically strong, but it moves from a darker tone to a mellow vibe just inside the four-song EP. The instrumentation that is the .44 works well with this direction and is noticeable without being distracting. Somehow, even though there is a lot to absorb when listening to the intricacies of the EP it appears incredibly simple. Engineered at Baltimore House Studios, the EP released is apparently just a smattering of what the band is going to lay down on the local scene.
The Literary Greats–Ocean, Meet The Valley: Out of Houston comes this band that managed to climb its way to debut 153 on the CMJ 200 while unsigned. Not too shabby. The band puts together a sound that is Texan at the core with a rock back and a sprinkling of Americana and alt-rock somewhere in between. Differing from their previous release, each song on the album was written as a group. There’s an underlying darkness in the album, but it isn’t so palpable that it makes the listener uncomfortable, it’s perhaps more of a feeling of longing that comes through. Opening with “That Mountain Yonder” the album folds you in quietly and then starts smacking you around a bit with the sharp percussion and moody guitar riffs. That opener is the first of many treats on the album. Wisely blending poetic lyrics to an addictive musical backing that grips you is this band’s strength.
Jeffrey Moon—Conscious Pilot: Moon is a sing-songwriter. But he’s also a bit more than that. He primarily uses a nylon-string guitar and ‘no picks’ approach while interweaving vocal and guitar lines. His sound is soft and his voice generates a bit of the old Cat Stevens with a range to match. His CD plays beautifully, melodically and captures the listener in its sweet simplicity.
Bemba Entertainment introduced me to one of my new favorite things; music on a boat on town lake. How long have I been here that I have not had that experience? Kinda strange. I have been invited to various boat music parties, something has alwaze come up and the idea is forgotten. NOT GONNA MISS ANOTHER ONE. I have been on a canoe on town lake and been on a music boat halloween thing ON LAKE AUSTIN with The Hairy Apes BMX. That was cool, but this is on town lake. I pass over it many times on normal day. To cruise up and back listening to live music, JESUS, that Is just awesome.
HERE IS HOW IT WENT DOWN.We arrived before takeoff, made our way( with the help of some good folks. Gotta love those spiral staircases) up to the full top deck. We chilled, mingled and made small talk. I smiled and took in the sceenery. It was a super hot day, really unbearable, but when we got near the water everything changed, It was cool. There was a breeze. It was nice. The band was warming up. It was the first time I’ve gotten it together to dig HARDPROOF AFROBEAT. They kick ass!
I won’t miss an opportunity again. We began to move. Jason Frey (an old friend and sax man) took the mic , greeted us and said; ” we are on a boat!” And with that the sun began to set and the music began to flow. The deck became an electric dance floor for the next 2+ hours. We floated west under the bridges. with music blaring. Joggers and walkers dannced TO THE BEATS. We turned back east and rocked out the bats. We danced and grooved. Twas much fun.
Bemba Entertainment is doing this every last Thursday’s through September. I will update you on the next one. Oh yeah, all the drinks were complimentary on the boat. SUPPORT THESE EVENTS FOLKS. C U ON THE NEXT ONE!
HERE WE GO AGAIN. This is yet another train that I caught late. Chances are that you have seen them, maybe heard about them. Whatever the case may be, they are smoking right now. The show I caught on tuesdaze was magic. Everything jelled. These folks need to record this. I am all about the live capture. I know some folks disagree. But gathering these talents on a stage and having them play together and off of one another, well, thats just awesome and I think that this experience should be bottled and shared. Oh how I miss DAZE ALIVE RECORDS. Anyway, these folks need to record if they have not done so already. This is a musician band. The talent is just overflowing. I guess or I imagine that everyone came together at a party and hit it off so well that they just decided to make a magic band. However it happened. It did.
I knew of all the players but one and was impressed by her the most. Suzanna Choffel mixed in with great vocals and guitar licks that kept her on stage with the other guys. Her singing is a double edge sword it is smooth and draws you in but it also cuts in deep and you can’t help but to pay attention to her. Mesmerizing. She plays often in town, I will check her out. On fiddle there is Warren Hood, what can I say about this guy? He is a master musician for sure. I have been fortunate to call him a friend and to watch him grow into an unstoppable talent. If you are reading this, chances are you know of him and share the affinity for his craft. If not, you are lucky because he plays often when he is in town (on the road with The Waybacks often) and he will blow you away. Google Warren Hood and The Hoodlems. Jeff Botta on Drums and vocals. Over the years, I have seen the many faces of Jeff Botta in action. He is all over the music scene here in town. I have become friends with him over the years. He adds the back beats & vocals and a sense of humor to the players. Then there is Brad Houser on bass. This guy is everywhere and playing with everyone. From the Dead Kenny G’s to 7 Walkers, I am sure this guy plays multiple gigs almost every night. My friend calls him the “secret weapon” and for good reason. Lastly, there was Ed Jurdi on keys. He normally plays guitar in this outfit but he fills out the spot for Dan Dyer when he is awol (i could be wrong). Awesome. I was recently (very late) turned on to The Band Of Heathens, which he is a part of. I just went back and reread an interview we did with him. The sarcasm is still dripping. This band is chock full of humor. I bet practice is a riot. Ok, Dan Dyer was not there last week. He is regularly on keys. I asked my photographer, Rockslide, to tell me something cool about Dan Dyer in this band. Rockslide texted back that “Dan has a sexy beard.” Take that………… Dan Dyer has much god damn soul.
God damn, there is so much happening on stage. Get out and dig these folks. Trust me.
They are playing every tuesdaze after Toni at the continental club. TCE TUESDAZE at the continental club. Toni Price then The Coveters then Ephraim Owens Experience (gallery). C U THERE…………….. Their site: http://thecoveters.com/
THE MUSIC IS ALIVE THERE. The vibe is good. IT IS A PLACE THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE ALL ABOUT LIVE MUSIC. REAL & LOCAL LIVE MUSIC. On occasion, SOME NATIONAL ACTS PASS THROUGH THE STAGE. TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEEKLY LINE-UP AND YOU’LL SEE THAT THE BLOSSOMING LOCAL TALENT HAS A HOME THERE. GROUPS LIKE BAND OF HEATHENS, BELLEVILLE OUTFIT, WARREN HOOD & thE HOODLEMS, COVERTERS AND TOO MANY TO MENTION, ALL GOT THEIR START THERE. THIS IS A PLACE ABOUT LIVE MUSIC. Didn’t I just say that? IT SEEmS ThEY ARE WILLING TO BE A TESTING GROUND FOR MUSIC. And in this business that is an admirable thing. Another positive sign is that local promoters flock to the venue with their shows. FunkyBatz and Bemba entertainment as well as others can be found producing stellar gigs there many times a month. I HAVE SOME ACCESS ISSUES WITH THE CLUB (not the club but the building that the club is in) AS I AM IN A WHEELCHAIR. BUT EVERYTIME I AM THERE I AM TREATED VERY WELL AND CARRIED (GRAND PUBAH STYLE) UP THE STEPS AND EVEN ON TOP THE PORCH, (WHICH IS A MUST HANG) TRUST ME. Watching the stars while taking in a show is a pretty cool experience, feels almost festival like. I dig and recommend it. I HOPE THE BUILDING OWNERS PUT A FEW RAMPS. So go to Momo’s. This is a place to support. One of the main reasons I live here is music, and it is good to have a venue that shares that interest.
The Continental Club and Gallery are still my favorite ( almost churchlike, for me) but Momo’s runs a close second ahead of the Saxon and Antones. Check out their site here http://www.momosclub.com/
See you There
Christine asks Chris Simmons for his opinion on the “state of the blues,” and what it’s like to play and compose with Leon Russell. For more info on Chris’s new CD “Old News To Me”, including the song “Hallelujah Man” he co-wrote with Leon, please go to www.getchrissimmons.com.
Not sure what happened. I wanted to love this film. Everything was set for gold: the director, the producer, the actors, the characters even the damn premise. LOOK AT THE POSTER, SOUNDS AWESOME RIGHT? Something happened with the execution of the storyline. Maybe there was no story. Ug…?>?
This film is the further adventures of characters created in “Forgetting Sarah Marshal.” I love that film and re-watch it often. Everything worked. Sure, it was a romcom (romantic comedy) but they fleshed out the characters so well that the humor was dead on. I really could feel for the main character’s dilemma. And that was the magic. How could they go wrong with this spin off , when the persona’s had already been created?
I’ll tell ya…
There was no real character substance or development to associate and connect with. There were plenty of conflicts, but if the front and center people don’t have substance, then who cares. For the first 45 minutes or so, I kept hoping for the main guys to develop substance beyond the premise, but it just didn’t happen.
I guess I have a problem with lowbrow humor. The jokes wear thin on me. And if the lines or situations involve cutouts that are just poster images, well, you can see why I didn’t dig this flick. A good character was the record exec played by Sean Combs. Puff Daddy stole every scene he was in.
I wanted this film to be great. I must say that the audience that was at the screening ate it up. They loved it. Maybe, I am too critical, but that’s my take.
Bemba Entertainment introduced me to one of my new favorite things; music on a boat on town lake. How long have I been here that I have not had that experience? Kinda strange. I have been invited to various boat music parties, something has alwaze come up and the idea is forgotten. NOT GONNA MISS ANOTHER ONE. I have been on a canoe on town lake and been on a music boat halloween thing ON LAKE AUSTIN with The Hairy Apes BMX. That was cool, but this is on town lake. I pass over it many times on normal day. To cruise up and back listening to live music, JESUS, that Is just awesome.
HERE WE GO AGAIN. This is yet another train that I caught late. Chances are that you have seen them, maybe heard about them. Whatever the case may be, they are smoking right now. The show I caught on tuesdaze was magic. Everything jelled. These folks need to record this. I am all about the live capture. I know some folks disagree. But gathering these talents on a stage and having them play together and off of one another, well, thats just awesome and I think that this experience should be bottled and shared. Oh how I miss DAZE ALIVE RECORDS. Anyway, these folks need to record if they have not done so already. This is a musician band. The talent is just overflowing. I guess or I imagine that everyone came together at a party and hit it off so well that they just decided to make a magic band. However it happened. It did.
and The Hoodlems. Jeff Botta on Drums and vocals. Over the years, I have seen the many faces of Jeff Botta in action. He is all over the music scene here in town. I have become friends with him over the years. He adds the back beats & vocals and a sense of humor to the players. Then there is Brad Houser on bass. This guy is everywhere and playing with everyone. From the Dead Kenny G’s to 7 Walkers, I am sure this guy plays multiple gigs almost every night. My friend calls him the “secret weapon” and for good reason. Lastly, there was Ed Jurdi on keys. He normally plays guitar in this outfit but he fills out the spot for Dan Dyer when he is awol (i could be wrong). Awesome. I was recently (very late) turned on to The Band Of Heathens, which he is a part of. I just went back and reread an interview we did with him. The sarcasm is still dripping. This band is chock full of humor. I bet practice is a riot. Ok, Dan Dyer was not there last week. He is regularly on keys. I asked my photographer, Rockslide, to tell me something cool about Dan Dyer in this band. Rockslide texted back that “Dan has a sexy beard.” Take that………… Dan Dyer has much god damn soul.
Not sure what happened. I wanted to love this film. Everything was set for gold: the director, the producer, the actors, the characters even the damn premise. LOOK AT THE POSTER, SOUNDS AWESOME RIGHT? Something happened with the execution of the storyline. Maybe there was no story. Ug…?>?
Awesome interview!
