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Words Archive
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.
Wed Oct 1 2008 · Posted in Daily
From the Mind of Adi (#5)
This Week: I'm an Austinite in New York.
I needed a vacation and what better place to get some rest than in NYC, "The city that never sleeps." Besides meeting old friends, going to the 2008 US Open at the USTA /Billie Jean/ King /National/ Tennis Center, and eating some delightful grub, I did manage to take in some live Music during my trip.
The first of these was at a retro bash in Manhattan, at Andrew WK's new club, Santos' Party House. Some quality DJs (including Calvin Johnson), a Go-Go dancer (Anna Copa Cabbana), and the The Crystal Stilts made for a quite an entertaining evening.
Thu Sep 25 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#12) - TV on the Radio & Cold War Kids
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 of Montreal, Peter Bjorn & John, Vivian Girls, Bodies of Water, White Denim, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, The Bug, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
TV on the Radio – Dear Science,
released September 23 on DGC/Interscope
Report Card: A
There has always been the foul stench of drama around TV on the Radio. Maybe it has something to do with their obnoxiously broad appeal, or their innately overblown sound, or maybe it has something to do with band’s position as one of the very, very few notable bands of racial diversity in indie rock, a reality that has seemed to make the frustratingly pasty music media a little comfortable and self-congratulatory in their praise. All this put together has bred a certain stink about the band, as if they weren’t actually that good at all, and their bombast and the resulting acclaim was merely a token reward from the affirmative-action minded who have been wounded by indie rock’s apparent elitism. Unfortunately, though, for the conspiracy theorists who want to diminish the band, TV on the Radio—separated from all this sorry gunk—can be pretty fucking good.
Wed Sep 24 2008 · Posted in Daily
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#8)
Plenty going on this weekend, as Austin welcomes ACL festival-goers to our beautiful city limits. While I won’t be attending the Austin City Limits Festival itself, there are plenty of good bands playing and plenty of events going on around the Transmission community worth the price of admission, as they say. This is one of those weekends (like the week of SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest weekend, etc) where you really just have to step back, look around, and say “Damn… I live in a great fucking town!” Assuming you stay sober enough to piece together a coherent sentence.
Monday: Mohawk welcomes DFA Records’ Juan Maclean Monday, with LAX and Learning Secrets’ Ian Orth. I can’t say I’m particularly impressed with Juan Maclean’s music… I mean, next to labelmates like Hercules & Love Affair, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem and Fun Fun Fun Fest participants YACHT (get your tickets here), Maclean’s music seems awfully run-of-the-mill. But LAX and Ian Orth? Hot shit. If I were you, I’d get down and dirty at this dance fest Monday, then just chill out the rest of the week, in preparation for a weekend that will surely kick your ass.
Mon Sep 22 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#11) - Peter Bjorn and John & Grouper
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 of Montreal, Vivian Girls, Bodies of Water, White Denim, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, The Bug, Fight Bite, and Grizzly Bear.
Peter Bjorn & John – Seaside Rock
to be released on September 23 by Almost Gold Recordings
Report Card: B
Nothing like flaunting the international fame and acclaim you got with a dyed-in-the-wool pop album by making its follow-up an instrumental collection destined to be slept on by most everyone who was chanting your name last year. But at the same time, while Writer’s Block got all the teenagers in a tizzy with the dazzlingly poptastic “Young Folks”—not to mention the rest of the album, which was undoubtedly one of the last five years’ most solid and unabashed homes for catchy-as-hell sugar hooks—Seaside Rock is a testament to a band who’s willing to say a little bit of “fuck you” to the slavering masses, a testament that declares that musical integrity and continued exploration are more important to this band than a continued assault on the tender eardrums of the thoughtless youth. Either that or they’re running away, like pansies, from expectations.
Wed Sep 17 2008 · Posted in Daily
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#7)
Sticking with the format that worked so well last week, we start things off today with a spotlight on a band that I think is destined for some big things, this time a local folk-punk foursome, The Van Buren Boys. Then we run down all the shows you need to check out for the coming week – and trust me, there are a LOT of good shows coming up, so I hope you’ve saved your pennies this past week.
Local Spotlight: The Van Buren Boys
The Van Buren Boys are fast becoming one of my favorite bands to watch live. Every performance is inspired and authentic. Don’t get me wrong, the band’s recently released debut full-length Planet Kickass is a damn good record, but it’s in their fiery live performance that The Van Buren Boys excel.
With the greatest bandname ever taken from a Seinfeld episode (check the reference here), The Van Buren Boys carry the torch of great protest song writers, from Joe Hill to Dropkick Murphys, with songs that refer to miners and factory workers, starving artists and drunken soldiers. Kickass is classic folk-punk – for peers look to This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Defiance Ohio and Andrew Jackson Jihad. The bands live show is no-holds-barred and confrontational, with Erick Van Buren often times hanging from rafters, upside while screaming about union politics.
Mon Sep 15 2008 · Posted in Daily
HOT OFF THE PRESS (#10) - Fight Bite & Department of Eagles
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 of Montreal, Vivian Girls, Bodies of Water, White Denim, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, The Bug, Lackthereof, and Grizzly Bear.
Department of Eagles – In Ear Park
To be released October 7 on 4AD
Report Card: B-
It’s not hard to get excited about the potential behind Department of Eagles. After all, the band’s frontman is none other than Daniel Rossen, Grizzly Bear extraordinaire, and of late it’s seemed that anything Grizzly Bear touches turns to gold. And while the deeper-voiced Ed Droste is perhaps Grizzly Bear’s most recognizable member, Rossen is a big reason for the band’s Midas-touch, as he sings lead regularly, and got the ball rolling on the band’s assault on the most-anticipated-album lists with his stirring “While You Wait for the Others,” the first post-Yellow House track the band released. And if that wasn’t enough, Rossen’s cover of Jo Jo’s “Too Little Too Late,” a mostly terrible song in its original incarnation, kicks ass. So yeah, it’s easy to get excited about Department of Eagles, where presumably Rossen would be able to differentiate himself from his Bear brothers, not to mention giving the music world another class A release.
Fri Sep 12 2008 · Posted in Reviews
MONDAY TRANSMISSIONS (#6)
This week we’re gonna try something a little different for Monday’s Transmission. Still got a calendar below, with all the hot shows you should check this week, but we’ve got a little more in here too: a profile of a great new band out of LA (via Seattle) called Army Navy, and a short review of the flick Heavy Metal in Baghdad. Enjoy.
Army Navy
There are plenty of reasons for you to check out Army Navy. The band’s self-titled debut was recorded with Adam Lasus, who also worked with one Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (hey – aren’t the playing Fun Fun Fun Fest this year?), not to mention Yo La Tengo and Helium. Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello’s The Attractions played drums on the record, following their first drummers departure to pursue a screenwriting career. The band has two songs featured in the film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (out early next month) and one on the soundtrack. Not to mention that Army Navy funded the recording of their self-titled debut themselves and are releasing it on their own label The Fever Zone next month despite offers from other labels both big and small. Oh and the record is damn good too – a jangly mix of Teenage Fanclub-style infection with nods to The Pogues, The Smiths and/or The Libertines.