Saturday, January 29, 2011

Awesome Sunday Night Shows?

Well Austin, it's not very often that I write about shows not to be missed occurring on a Sunday night, let alone TWO bad-ass Sunday night shows. Well this week is an exception to that rule. Firstly I wanted to mention that FunFunFun Fest alumni, Sugar and Gold, will be bringing their ridiculously fun synthesizer-enhanced, dirty-dance grooves to the Mohawk. Bring your dancing shoes and leave your inhibitions at home because they'll be pumping out some slinky, syncopated tunes and your ass will be a shakin' before they're done. Tickets will only set you back $7 if you buy in advance and that price gets you Sugar and Gold as well as Yip Deceiver AND Neiliyo. How's that for a bargain?


Sugar and Gold - Bodyaches video via YouTube


Meanwhile back on 6th street Little Dragon will be taking to the Parish room stage to remind us all what a great venue that place is. That's right, remember when they used to get lots of solid bookings and their beautiful sound-system matched with lovely acoustics in an intimate space melted your jaded heart? Well, Sunday will be a pleasant little reminder of what the Parish room is all about and Little Dragon is just the sort of act that space deserves. Vocalist, Yukimi, has many voices and she'll be showing all of them off. For those of you who don't know, or perhaps have forgotten, Little Dragon's vocalist, Yukimi, was featured on the Gorillaz latest LP. She also made an appearance at their Frank Erwin Center show. To put things simply, hipsters prepare to be mesmerized!


Little Dragon - Never Never video via YouTube

Tickets for Little Dragon are only $12 if you buy them before Sunday. After that point they'll be $15. Since this is a Sunday night show, something tells me it won't sell-out but it is possible so I'd click that ticket link A.S.A.P.

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Zlam Dunk THEN Learning Secrets

It wouldn't be a Saturday night in Austin if there weren't, at least, 3 events worthy of your time, money and attention and tonight is no exception. So, yesterday I told you about the Monotonix show at Mohawk where the music will be kicking off at 9pm but before THAT goes down you should stop by Red 7. They've got a show that starts at 5pm and features Zlam Dunk. These guys are young, energetic and bring lots of melody, percussion and passion. They have been tapped by various resources, including myself, as a local act to keep an eye on in 2011. I first saw them back in the spring when they were invited, by Fang Island, to play the opening slot at their Emo's show. Fang Island liked Zlam Dunk so much they ended up asking them to play a few more shows with them outside of Austin. Like I said this show starts at 5pm so you can start your evening out at Red 7 before moving on to other festivities.


Zlam Dunk - Robots video via YouTube

I also wanted to remind you about Learning Secrets' 7th anniversary bash happening over at ND. Now, you'll want to RSVP for that show as fast as possible in order to get the $8 entry fee. There will be a live performance by Kisses as well as a DJ set from DFA Records' artist, Tim Sweeney. Doors open at 10pm and this event will be thumping into the wee hours of the morning. If you miss the window to RSVP I recommend just paying $20 for VIP access, otherwise you'll be paying $10 to NOT be a VIP. That's your call though.


Kisses - Kisses video via YouTube



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Friday, January 28, 2011

Monotonix return to Austin (again)

I feel like Monotonix spends more time in Austin, than their hometown of Tel Aviv but, seriously, can you blame them? I've never been to Tel Aviv but I seriously doubt their BBQ and Mexican cuisine can compete with Austin's. Although I bet their hummus is WAAAAYYY better. In any case, if you have never experienced a Monotonix performance prepare yourself for one of the most insanely unhinged concert experiences of your life. They crowd surf, they stage-dive, they light stuff on fire, they play in the middle of the crowd and all of this happens while the lead singer is climbing all over the rest of the band. The music itself is somewhere between garage-rock and punk but the show itself is a thing of chaotic rock 'n roll majesty that should be experienced by anyone who considers themselves a fan of live music. If you want to be a part of the chaos Saturday night, I suggest you get yourself a $10 ticket and then head on over to ye old Mohawk.


Monotonix - Flesh and Blood video via YouTube


Playing the opening slot tomorrow night will be, bigger in the UK local band, The Strange Boys. For some reason their reverb-soaked, garage-psychedelia translates better to those cider-drinking slags across the pond but that doesn't mean you won't like them. In fact, I enjoy their music immensely and I think you will too. This is an outside show, which GENERALLY means it will be over between midnight and one so if you want to make sure and catch both sets I'd arrive by at least 10pm (possibly earlier).


The Strange Boys - Be Brave video via YouTube


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The Authors at Lambert's Tonight

One of my favorite local bands is playing one of the city's most over-looked venues tonight. You can catch local, power-pop-rock outfit The Authors upstairs at Lambert's BBQ and enjoy one of the city's great intimate performance spaces. The venue is next to city hall, placing it quite a distance from the hub-bub of the Red River District. I feel like its location means it is often overlooked but the sound is fantastic and the room itself is small so you get a very intimate experience. The show starts at 10:30 with a $5 cover charge, The Authors will be sharing the bill with Denton band, Western Giants as well as Ladycop who came all the way from Brooklyn just to rock out with you.


The Authors - Never Know video via YouTube


I'm not really sure what the set times will be tonight but I can pretty much guarantee that none of these bands will disappoint you so show up early and stay late. I'd especially make a point to see Ladycop simply because they made such a long journey for YOU.


Ladycop - January Tour Promo video via YouTube

Denton isn't as far to travel as Brooklyn but come on y'all we know how bad traffic on I-35 can be and Western Giants took the time to make that journey. I don't know as much about them, musically, but I do trust the taste of my friends over at Above the Radar, who booked them to play this gig.


Western Giants - VLog 1.8 video via YouTube

Just a little side-note to end this dispatch, if you haven't checked out The Authors LP, Get Haunted I highly suggest you do so. It was one of the best local releases of 2010 and I don't say that lightly.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Transmography Yellow EP

Like myself, my friends over at Transmography have a thing for primary colors. Those of you who know me in real life know that I'm generally rocking 1-3 primary colors at any given point. Don't ask me why, it's just a thing that I do. Well, Transmography is now a 3-piece band so I'm assuming that each member represents a primary color (I made that part up). In any case they have completed 3 EPs and will be releasing them one-at-a-time and each one will be named for/themed with a primary color. Logically, the first one will be the Yellow EP and you can stream it now on their website or you can wait to purchase it at their Beerland show Friday night. Technically what you'll be getting is a download card, which you will exchange later for the music. I don't think they are, necessarily, pressing EP's. Although I'm sure if enough people ask they will kind of have to right? In honor of the release of Yellow the band requests that you wear something yellow and/or bring something yellow like a balloon or a flower or something even more creative.


Transmography - Yellow EP Promo video via YouTube



Transmography - Everything Electricity video via YouTube

Allegedly once all three colors are out the 5th tracks on each EP will sync up to create a full-spectrum of sound but I won't believe that until I hear it. Unfortunately I won't be able to test the validity of the musical-sync until March. Red comes out next month, followed by Blue in March. Stay-tuned for those shows. Hopefully they won't all be at the blogger-hating Beerland but if they are I suppose I'm ok with that, it is where I first met my current boyfriend. Romantic right?


Transmography - I Am More Than the Sum of My Bum video via YouTube

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Best Coast | Wavves | No Joy @ Emo's!

The only thing I knew about Best Coast was that Austin Bloggy compared front girl Bethany and Wavves front man Nathan with my personal loves Jenny & Johnny and that my friends listened to them a lot. Needless to say, I was incredibly excited, although clueless about what I would experience.

No Joy, label mates of Best Coast on Mexican Summer, started at 10pm to an already crowded Emo’s. It was probably the earliest I’ve seen Emo’s that busy, even compared to sold out shows I’ve attended in the past. They played a very fast, but pleasant 30 minute set. Shoegazey, lovely lady sounds fluttered through my ears while I secured some drinking options and located my show-watching buddies.

In hardly any wait at all, Wavves took the stage to beach balls a flyin’. I’m pretty sure there were a few inflatable aliens in the air with those beach balls, which was fine because some of the people were dancing in the same vein. Amidst the pumped fists, and I’m sure the mosh pit up front, I found myself ‘ooh-oohing’ along with the rest of the masses.

By the time Best Coast started, Lonestar made me forget to understand what time it was. I became quickly enthralled with the repetitive, simple, yet very effective lyrics. “I love you. I miss you. I hate you. Fun. Boyfriend.” There was a lot of “I love Austin” “I love my cat Snacks” “I love my new guitar that I got in Austin” banter between songs from Bethany. Their set made me super happy from what I remember. What I love about bands that headline at Emo’s is that it is really late and the crowd is mostly drunk by this time. I think I heard that Justin Beiber is going to play SXSW, I heard someone yell BEACH HOUSE! When Bethany started crooning, “I wish he was my boyfriend,” the man in front of me said he wished he were 16 so he could enjoy that song. Listen man in front of me, I’m 30 years old and I completely relate to those lyrics. And judging from the unison voices screaming around me, I definitely wasn't the only one!

--Guest Blog by @wornwhite!

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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Frank Rec. Room


Well y'all, Adi has allegedly finished with what seems like a year's worth of wedding celebration(s) and he is hosting the Frank rec. room festivities tonight. What does that mean for you? Well, it means for a mere $5 cover charge you can get live music, access to Galaga, Ping-Pong and either Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer OR David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Annie Ray will be on-hand taking some beautiful photos of you and/or your friend(s) to commemorate the night and you MIGHT meet your future spouse there?


Providing music this week will be the dance-music stylings of locals, L.A.X. as well as Gentlemen Rogues, whom I know less about but I trust Adi.


L.A.X. - Fakin' It video via YouTube

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Best Coast and Wavves Return

Seems like it was only November when Best Coast and Wavves were last in Austin, hang on a sec, it WAS only November. Well lucky us, the cutest indie-rock couple since Jenny and Johnny (sorry Jenny and Johnny you're less endearing) are on tour together and they both seem to be better and better each time they come through town. Sure they still get high and get drunk but not so much before they start performing. This means fewer meltdowns from Wavves and fewer pitch-problems from Best Coast, which could be in the plus or minus columns depending.


Best Coast - Sun Was High (So Was I) video via YouTube


Although Best Coast's latest LP from 2010 didn't make my "Best of" it was certainly a contender. It's roughly 30 minutes of lo-fi(ish) surf-rock(ish) and I approve. The show is to take place on Emo's outside stage so you might want to wear an elaborate scarf to keep warm but the heat from all of those cigarettes should keep you relatively toasty. As of the writing of this post, tickets are not available on the ticketweb site but that doesn't, necessarily, mean the show is sold-out. You should still head down if you're interested, worst-case-scenario it IS sold-out and you head to Barbarella for Tuezgayz. I'm not precisely sure about set-times for Emo's tonight but plan on the whole thing being over around 12:30(ish), neither act is known for particularly long set times.


Wavves - No Hope Kids video via YouTube

Starting things off tomorrow night will be, No Joy. In addition to their opening-set at Emo's tonight you can ALSO catch an in-store performance at Waterloo Records from No Joy, which will happen at 5pm. That Waterloo set, as always, is free of charge but I'd get there at least 30 minutes early if I were you.


No Joy - Heedless video via YouTube

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