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Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 - AFTERPARTIES
Get ready. Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008 is coming.
And, once again, as part of the FFF experience, Transmission presents the FFF Afterparties, held Friday-Sunday of festival weekend (Nov. 7-9) in the Red River District.
Your FFF wristbands will get you into all of these events for either half-price or free. Here's the schedule:
Wed Oct 29 2008 · Posted in Daily
From The Mind Of Adi #7: R.I.P. The Metro.
From The Mind Of Adi #7: R.I.P. The Metro.
I'd be hard pressed to tell you the name of the bar that now occupies the space on 6th St. that briefly was The Metro.
In fact, I probably would not be able to tell you what the name of that
space has been through the years, except in 2001, when it was called,
well, The Metro, and it was home to some scintillating performances by
a few acts (literally). (And yes, the bands on display this week are
not too dissimilar from last week's.)
Two of the fine shows The two shows I witnessed at the self-proclaimed "Austin's Premier Live Music Venue" were Slash's Snakepit and a killer double bill featuring L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. Slash brought along the Snakepit for the Ain't Life Grand tour but naturally he was still the focus of attention. He proved his
mettle throughout in a stellar display of six-string wizardy even if
the polished rock sound of the band was a tad disappointing. I enjoyed
the latter concert a lot more; L.A. Guns' Cocked & Loaded was a bible for me in the 80's with pop-metal hits like "The Ballad Of Jayne" and "Never Enough" and my personal hits like "Slap In The Face" and "Showdown (Riot On Sunset)" on constant
rotation in my 80's bedroom. This was one of their first tours after
original singer Phil Lewis re-joined the band and they did not disappoint despite the inclusion of material from 2001's Man On The Moon. Faster Pussycat seemed to take forever to set up behind a huge curtain; they finally emerged with Taime Downe (now with jet black hair as opposed to his 80's bleached blonde look)
still as adept at being the showman he was back in the day. I was
treated to both, a goth and a glam version of "Bathroom Wall" and yes,
there was still no one home in Downe's "House Of Pain." Phil Lewis
signed some chick's boob during the Faster Pussycat set.
As always, the images below tell the story best. (No photograph of
autographed breast, sorry.)
Slash's Snakepit, 2001
Thu Oct 9 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#14) - Deerhoof & Megapuss
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#14) - Deerhoof & Megapuss
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, of Montreal, Juana Molina, Final Fantasy, Peter Bjorn & John, White Denim, and Grizzly Bear.
Deerhoof – Offend Maggie
released October 7 on Kill Rock Stars
Report Card: B
Despite their oft-indiscernible lyrics, the obscurity of their songs, and a distinct lack of sex appeal, Deerhoof has successfully built an adoring fan base eager for even the slightest scrap of new material. The fact that they’ve done it all with an uncompromising dedication to pushing the envelope sonically—an approach which has led them to one of the most unique and immediately recognizable (and delightful) sounds in contemporary music—makes them almost impossibly endearing. These realities make it all the more mystifying and disappointing that Offend Maggie lacks the spikes in extreme glee that their last couple albums have provided so willingly, as its overall uniformity results not in a fantastical dynamism but in a blandness the band’s fans have never experienced.
Wed Oct 8 2008 · Posted in Daily
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#9)
Well, after a week off I am back like Air Jordan. Sorry regular Monday Transmission readers, the fun and festivities that surround Austin City Limits Festival frankly got the best of me and I just couldn’t get this damn column written last weekend. Must learn to say no to some things. No worries – here are your Monday Transmissions for the week of October 6th.
Monday: Shaking off the lengthy moniker and relentless angst of youth, Fear Before (formerly Fear Before the March of Flames) return to Austin Monday, headlining at Red7. The Equal Vision Records six-piece plays artsy, experimental indiecore in the vein of Portugal. The Man, Chiodos and Fall of Troy. Pretty stoked about this show – no, not just because my own band Consider the Source is opening, but because I’ve heard Fear Before have a pretty intense live show. Rounding out the bill are Exotic Animal Petting Zoo (I’ll take Absurd Band Names for $800, Alex), I am the Ocean and local chug-chuggers The Cabaret. Pretty solid lineup, cheap at $8 for 5 bands, and just about the only thing going on tonight worth checking out – I’ll be there, and so should you.
Mon Oct 6 2008 · Posted in Daily
From The Mind Of Adi #6: R.I.P. (the music venue that was) The Back Room
From The Mind Of Adi #6: R.I.P. (the music venue that was) The Back Room.
The Back Room in Austin brought many a rock act to town when live music on Red River St. was still in its infancy. I'd love to write up the plethora of shows I saw there but pictures tell the story best. Scope out some classic images I dug up from my personal archive below; also check out this great article on The Back Room written by the Austin Chronicle in 2006.
Thu Oct 2 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#13) – Juana Molina & Final Fantasy
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#13) – Juana Molina & Final Fantasy
by Nick Courtright
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for Nick Courtright’s weekly first glance at music discovered in the last seven days, whether it be just-released, just-leaked, or some long-lost gem that has remained under the radar. Click here for other recent editions of Hot Off the Press, featuring acts such as TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Vivian Girls, White Denim, The Walkmen, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
Juana Molina – Un Día
to be released October 7 on Domino
Report Card: A-
It’s been well over a year since Panda Bear released Person Pitch, an astounding and groundbreaking album that was practically impossible to dislike, not to mention qualified enough to land near the top of the best of 2007 lists for almost every major (intellectual) music publication. With its relentless looping of vocals, instrumentation, and sonic textures, as well as its propensity for the long song, Person Pitch reshaped what was expected of an avant-pop album in the twenty-first century, and intimated that a sea of imitators would eventually rise in its wake. That said, while it would be ridiculous to cite Juana Molina’s oft-excellent Un Día as a sad-sack imitation or mere trifle, the influence of Panda Bear (and those other looping aficionados, El Guincho and Andrew Bird) is pretty apparent, and acts as a testament to the continued viability of the technique as a way to make engaging and addictive “thinking person’s” music.