I’m ashamed to admit that for as long as I’ve lived in Phoenix – or at least for as long as I’ve been attending shows – I’ve yet to see Reubens Accomplice, one of our local scene’s best bands.

The band’s principal members are Chris Corak and Jeff Bufano, although they seem to have stabilized the other half with Ryan Kennedy and the great John O’Reilly on drums, who apparently tracked some drum work in the studio for the Format’s latest LP Dog Problems.

Reubens has been quite active lately on the show circuit, which probably means they’re trying out new songs from the forthcoming LP, tentatively titled Mammal Music. If it’s as good as their last effort, The Bull, The Balloon, and The Family, then we’re in for a treat. The guys have a great ability in their writing to capture the vacant feelings of this city, its nostalgia and the sometimes depressing feeling that creates. There’s lots of sincerity in their irony.

If you’re on the West Coast, Reubens is playing a few dates with Maritime in Southern California in September and opening for the Format Friday night in San Diego. (Check their tour page.)

Limbeck and relative local newcomers Alcoholiday open the show tonight.

Reubens Accomplice | Underneath the Golden Grain
Reubens Accomplice | All Chorus

This may be old news to faithful followers of ”Rock Star: Supernova,” the quest to find the lead singer for Tommy Lee’s latest project, but others may not be aware—Austin’s own Patrice Pike got the boot on last week’s show. Now I have to admit that I haven’t watched one episode in its entirety, but I have seen bits and pieces of several airings - enough to name three of the six remaining competitors. That said, media in this music-obsessed city has done a fantastic job of covering Pike’s Hollywood journey.

Pike is a local music veteran, having fronted one of Austin’s most revered rock bands, Sister 7. This upbeat group had a tumultuous time that included a Billboard Top 10 hit ("Know What You Mean,") a massive following, and a personal courtship by Clive Davis at Arista Records that ended abruptly with Davis’ forced departure in 2000. Despite the roller coaster ride, Pike has maintained her musical focus, leading her straight to this die-hard competition. Her thin frame, offset by an impressive amount of ink, camouflages her intense vocals—think a much sexier Melissa Etheridge. Although the attention that the lead singer position with Supernova would have garnered had she won, it makes more sense that she walked at this point. Bluntly put, her talent outshines anything that a been-around gang of rockers could appreciate. Check out her brand-new solo album, Unraveling, available within the next few weeks.

Pike’s MySpace features streaming audio from this upcoming release, including the first single, “Beautiful Thing”
Sister 7—”Know What You Mean” from 1997’s This the Trip
Sister 7—”Under the Radar” and ”My Three Wishes” from 2000’s Wrestling Over Tiny Matters

Eric Bachmann does have “warm” vocals.  They are welcoming and heartfelt.  I caught Bachmann sometime last year here in Indianapolis when he came with his other project, Crooked Fingers.  I picked up their album Dignity & Shame and I enjoyed every minute, but this solo effort, his second, is even more interesting, and it is definitely more honest, giving it more power.  To The Races came out this past week on Saddle Creek.  Most all the songs are acoustic, simple and elegant, displaying his Appalachian roots still, and I was pleased to note one of the members of my current obsession (DeVotchKa’s Tom Hagerman on violin) had even joined in to help out.  I guess he wrote most of it in June and July while “voluntarily living in his van”.  Getting back to simplicity and staying grounded I guess.  We all could probably use that.  Anyway, there’s not much this guy’s been involved with that I haven’t liked.  The early work from his band Archers Of Loaf still got called out at the show last year.  Bad form, but whatta ya gonna do?  The fans are there and they’re still passionate for what he creates.  And so am I.  Eric Bachmann’s MySpace.

Eric Bachmann - Lonesome Warrior (highly rec’d)
Eric Bachmann - Carrboro Woman (highly rec’d)

Continue reading "deer tick"

A couple of months ago, I posted on irreverent Philly hip-hop group Plastic Little (which, I think, is also the name of some anime character. Anyone? ... Anime ... Hello?) and the single The Jump Off, one of the more refreshing hip-hop tracks of the year.

Continue reading "DJ Low Budget: “She’s Mature Mini-Mega Remix”"

So this past weekend was the big Indie Unlimited to-do at Harbourfront, an excellent festival with a bad name.  It seemed Mother Nature is more a classic rock kinda broad because the weather was far from co-operative for the Summer send-off, raining Friday, threatening all day Saturday and a mix of the two Sunday.  Granted, the main Harbourfront stage is well-protected from the elements but grey skies don’t really encourage trips to the waterfront.  I made the trek down Saturday expecting to stick around through the whole afternoon and evening but ended up making it two separate trips and that turned out to be a logical thing to do as the contrast between the daytime performers and the evening ones was, if you’ll pardon the pun, day and night.

Continue reading "AWOO"

In anticipation of the new Badly Drawn Boy album, Born in the UK (due on Oct. 17 on Astralwerks), I dusted off his back catalog over the weekend to reacquaint myself.

Continue reading "Badly Drawn Boy: “Born in the UK”"

Continue reading "my love is so mashed up"

This post is long overdue on what’s quickly becoming one of my favorite albums – hip-hop or otherwise – of the year.

Continue reading "Cadence Weapon: “Breaking Kayfabe”"

Continue reading "Link Wray 1971 :: S/T"

Rhymesayers Entertainment, the hip-hop label run by Slug of Atmosphere, is all over the place this year. Releases by Psalm One (The Death of Frequent Flyer) and Soul Position (Things Go Better With RJ and Al) rank right up there with any hip-hop albums of the year, and now Brother Ali is off to tour with none other than Rakim in September. 

Continue reading "Unreleased Brother Ali: “Original King”"

Continue reading "Trainspotting :: Ten Years Gone"

So last night was the Shoegaze Cover Show I’ve been babbling on about all week.  This wasn’t the first time I’d been to a show dedicated to paying tribute to the dreampop bands of yore - there was a Creation Records tribute night at the El Mocambo way back in the Spring of 2001 that was heavy on the shoegaze and even featured some full frontal nudity courtesy of White Cowbell Oklahoma.

Continue reading "Today Forever"