Austin

 

Now that the New Year has sprouted, official developments of the South by Southwest Music Conference are being announced with more regularity given its a mere two months away. Just today, the festival's monthly listserv confirmed a handful of scheduled acts as well as keynote speaker and veteran rocker Lou Reed.

Officially on the showcase roster:
R.E.M. (in support of new album, "Acelerate," due April 1)
My Morning Jacket
Mala Rodriguez
Bun B
Black Keys
Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong
Nortec
Barbara Mason
Uffie
Pato Banton
My Brightest Diamond
Vampire Weekend
Ralph "Soul" Jackson
DeVotchka
MGMT
Tech N9ne
Sia

There are a slew of unofficial sources claiming to know other bands/musicians slated to appear at this year's conference. Included in this 'take it with a grain of salt' roster are: the Black Crowes, the Hotel Cafe tour, Model/Actress, Radar Bros., Wye Oak, Breeders, The Kills, The Ravonettes, Sons & Daughters, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Lightspeed Champion, and many, many more. Stay tuned for more info on day parties, official showcase announcements, etc.

There's something about Brazos' single "Mrs. Virginia" that evokes a loose comparison to another Austin band--Spoon. It's not a blatant similarity, more of a Rorschach inkblot type of reaction. It might be the initial rhythm that makes me suddenly conscious of my own heartbeat or the slow, succinct build into a faster, bouncier pace. It's the perfect song in that it's catchy enough to love and add to regular rotation, but not enough to get stuck annoyingly in your head for hours.

The indie foursome are pushing their latest EP, A City Just As Tall, which features the aforementioned tune as well as four other worthwhile tracks. Grab a copy on their official website and they'll also throw in a handmade copy of another EP, Feeding Frenzy.

From A City Just As Tall:
Mp3—Mrs. Virginia
Mp3—Mary Jo

From Feeding Frenzy:
Mp3—Feeding Frenzy
Mp3—Travel

 

With American Idol and other reality competitions claiming the majority of television viewers on a consistent basis, it makes perfect sense that this competitive spirit has taken to the internet as well. One such contest is FameCast, an online attempt to find America's next big musical thing. Musicians can enter themselves by simply completing a profile and uploading a performance video in one of 12 genre categories, or "stages." Within five rounds, the loads of contestants are whittled down to five finalists per stage based solely on online audience votes.

The process, which seems simple enough, is currently in the fifth round with the final live performances occurring this weekend right here in Austin, Texas. All the finalists will take the stage to perform two songs before fans and a panel of three genre-specific judges pulled from an array of industry experts. One lucky winner in each stage will walk away with $10,000. Not too shabby.

Local rock star Wendy Colonna, a laid back soulful singer that I mentioned way back in July, will represent the Lone Star State in two categories, pop and singer/songwriter.

Austinites looking for an exciting evening of new music can head over to Stubb's and/or Antone's December 1-5 for a front-row experience.

For me the word 'buttercup' brings to mind a handful of cutesy images like the vibrant yellow flower or the green-dressed Powerpuff Girl, not so much a four-man band based in San Antonio that's known for bizarre live performances. The quirky quartet are bringing their custom guerilla art to Austin's Mohawk every Tuesday night from 9pm to 11pm through December 18; all ages welcome. 

Continue reading "Buttercup brings it"

The effervescent Austin duo known as Ghostland Observatory has taken this town by storm over the last 12 months with an endless supply of contagious energy and a steady stream of engaging rock shows. Now they're taking on the rest of the nation beginning tomorrow night at New York's Webster Hall and continuing on to New Orleans, Las Vegas, Houston, San Francisco and L.A. While in NYC, Tom Turner (the caped one) and Aaron Behrens (the braided one) visited Conan O'Brien Wednesday evening, performing their most popular single, "Sad Sad City."

Continue reading "Ghostland Observatory on late night"

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Anytime I hear Ghostland Observatory's "Sad Sad City," particularly the opening, I think of roller skating. (I'm a retired elementary school speed skater from the mid-'80s; it's in my blood.) Initially I didn't really get the connection, but upon further inspection I realized it had to be the '70s style sound effects and bouncy drums.

Continue reading "Ghostland Observatory"

I loved Austinite Nina Singh back in the late '90s when she fronted Kitty Gordon with her ultra-feminine, supersoft voice and uncontrollable energy that she often took out on her drum kit. I kept up with her for a couple three years until my college days (read: consecutive nights out catching live music) turned into true adulthood with morning-after accountability and everything boring.

Since that time, Singh has worked her way through a couple different projects, leading directly to her current gig with Adrian and the Sickness, a three piece, dead-on rock group that, according to their MySpace bio, draws comparisons to The Donnas and AC/DC.

Continue reading "Adrian and the Sickness"

Austin's own Derailers have proudly released a new tribute to their collective idol, Buck Owens.  Aptly named "Under the Influence of Buck," this 14-track gem is the twangy group's eighth album, revisiting several of Owens' most beloved creations, such as "Together Again," I've Got a Tiger By the Tail" and "Down On the Corner of Your Love."

Continue reading "The Derailers | Under the Influence of Buck"

 
Sometimes, when I'm introduced to a local musician that I haven't discovered for myself yet, I realize just how much I take this live music capital for granted.

I was lucky enough to assist with a photo shoot recently. The subject was the young, beautiful and amazingly soulful Wendy Colonna. I had yet to hear her music, but based on her relaxed nature and happy-go-lucky attitude, I had a good feeling that I'd like whatever she'd created. When the photographer popped in her latest release, a double-disc live set complete with DVD, I was floored. There's such a timeless quality to her voice--a hearty, strong voice that immediately implies  she's a wise woman who's lived through some times if you know what I mean.

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At least that's what his website says. It also says he can pick me, and you for that matter, up with one hand and that he's been 27 years old for ten years now. Even if you don't dig his music, his website is freaking hilarious. His name is Billy Harvey, and he's been around Austin for awhile now. His style is not one that's predictable or consistent throughout his songs, but that's what makes him fun. Listen to "Soft Blade," with its spoken-word feel reminiscent of a softer, gravel-free Tom Waits attached to a melancholy Hawaiian-style slide guitar or lap steel, or "Kaleidoscope Gun," whose intro immediately brings Beck to mind. 

Continue reading "Billy Harvey is Scared of Fire"