I Heart the Band: Gems

I'm not exactly sure when I first heard the band Gems because I feel like I was mixing them up with Gem Club and/or Gemini Club? Regardless, I was already following them on Soundcloud so they were at least marginally on my radar. Then a couple of weeks ago whilst trolling my Soundcloud stream, the song Scars came up. I was floored. The way the tracks drops in is huge. Then the vocal comes and it starts out as a fairly straight-forward R&B vocal until the chorus comes and it melts into ethereal Cocteau Twins arena. Is Trip-Hop being reborn? In a post-iPod world everyone listens to every genre and contemporary artists don't feel hemmed-in by what sounds they're supposed to use. Last night's show at Red 7 featured three bands who are blurring the line between indie-rock and R&B music.



Austin band, Young Pharaohs started things off last night. I had seen the name but had not heard them before. I was excited to discover that Austin has its own Vaporwave/PBR&B band. I don't really know what to call the genre so I'm borrowing two ideas that loosely apply here. Think How to Dress Well, Active Child, inc. and artists of that ilk. Basically it's pop music for serious people like me.



Gems performed the middle set last night. The band consists of one man and one woman both of whom have keyboards, pedals, sequencers and the there's even a guitar! There wasn't a lot of chatter from the stage but the band did seem humble and approachable when they did speak they were gracious and seemed generally excited about performing. When you hear pop music recorded it can be very deceiving so I always reserve full-on adoration until I see a live performance. I can assure you, Gems deserve full-on adoration. The vocals were incredible, they had great stage presence. They were very presentation conscious. They had white lights at their feet that were cued only occasionally to create dramatic stroboscopic lighting during key performance moments. They also had a projected image that eventually became animated. The audience was definitely drawn into the performance and a lot of people who were there for the headliners became and remained attentive throughout Gems' set. They don't have very much released, purchasable material at the moment but as soon as they get an LP or two under their belts, they'll be a headlining act. Last night they delivered one of my favorite sets of the year, I look forward to the band's return to Austin.

Hundred Waters headlined last night, touring in support of their newly-released LP, The Moon Rang Like a Bell. I appreciate the new LP and I thought their performance last night was good. I'm just somewhat reserved about overall adoration. Maybe if I hadn't been so head-over-heels for Gems' performance I would have enjoyed Hundred Waters more? It's not that I didn't like it but I didn't feel entranced by the performance either. There was something about the performance that fell flat for me. The songs aren't super dynamic and it felt very performance-y. It seemed like the members of Hundred Waters earned their chops playing more recitals than gigs. That's not coming from any sort of place of knowledge, that's just a snap judgement based on a style of performance. I felt the same way a thousand years ago when I saw Antony & the Johnsons. Antony is an incredible talent but he sings so effortlessly it didn't feel like it came from his guts.



I suppose if I'm being honest, the other reason I wasn't blown-away by Hundred Waters is because I've seen Braids twice and they do a similar thing in a way that makes you question your own existence. Also, if I were to review the bad review I've just written I would say it's not good. Lacks balls. Carry on.



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LGBTQQIAAPunk at Red 7

As a member of the LGBTQQIAAP community, I don't judge or define people based on their age, race, sex, ethnicity or gender identities. With that being said, it's hard to ignore the high percentage of killer rock musicians who happen to have vaginas playing at Red 7 tonight. Arrive early to catch Austin's-own Feral Future. The first time I saw Feral Future I was completely blown away and they are the perfect tone-setters for this lineup. If you don't have the patience to listen to three complete songs embedded below, then start with Blackout.



Brooklyn-based band Swearin' are next on the bill. With hooks for days, riffs you wanna learn and vocals we can all sing along to, you'd be a real shitbag if you talked through their whole fucking set. Hypothetically speaking, of course. I think Fat Chance is a good starter song if you want to check out Swearin' below but I'm a sucker for songs that lean ballady/R&Bish.



As a native New-Englander and a person who appreciates a good band moniker, I am predisposed to love Potty Mouth. The band describes their sound as being inspired by 70's punk and 90's college rock. Who am I to disagree? Their debut LP, embedded below, was released last fall. Don't be embarrassed if you don't own it already or it didn't make your favorite albums of 2013 list just be happy you found it and maybe spend legal currency to prove your devotion? You could at least buy a fucking pillowcase! How can you resist that pillowcase? You can't. You bought it already.



Speaking of bands with good monikers, Perfect Pussy will play the final set of the evening at Red 7 tonight. I have seen them three times this year and each time I noticed something different about the performance that I was captivated by. The first time I wrote about Perfect Pussy I talked about the live experience as a piece of performance art from the line check to the teardown. I won't take you through all of that again, I just wanted to prove that I'm smart and pretentious because clearly you needed to be reminded of those facts. Incidentally Perfect Pussy's debut LP is getting more buzz than redacted vibrator joke and if you haven't listened to it, you should. If you have listened to it and you love it, then you should probably own it?


Perfect Pussy - I video via YouTube

Don't hold me to the order in which these bands are appearing, just show up early and you won't miss any sets. Buy me a Topo Chico while you're at. Thanks.

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Contest: Eagulls & Twin Peaks at Red 7 Saturday

English-band, Eagulls return to Austin this weekend and they've got Twin Peaks in tow. If you did your homework before SXSW this year, then chances are you're already familiar with Eagulls. For those of you seeing their name for the first time right now, they are a post-punk band from Leeds that glowers at the audience while playing kick-ass tunes. Advance tickets will only set you back $10 but you have two opportunities to see them for free as well.


Eagulls - Possessed video via YouTube


First of all, you can catch Eagulls performing in my favorite record shop, End of an Ear, at 4pm on Saturday. It's an intimate space and a great opportunity to catch a band outside their natural environment. Not mention, it's a record shop and hello that's awesome.

Your other chance to see Eagulls for free in Austin this weekend involves participating in a very simple contest. I have run contests on this site before and people barely even participate so if you e-mail contest@austinbloggylimits.com with Eagulls in the Subject line and your name and age in the body of the e-mail your chances of winning will be really good. For real, no one looks at this website except you and the people other than you that are reading this probably have ticket giveaways on their own sites for this as well. That's right, it's you and the other bloggers in town reading this right now (Hey y'all) so just enter the damn contest.

By the way, in addition to being a great TV show, Chicago-based Twin Peaks is a good band and it would be lame if you missed their set. They have a new record coming out in August and I bet they are playing a lot of new songs on this tour. #conjecture



Incidentally, Twin Peaks will be back in Austin in the fall for FunFunFun Fest. Passes for #FFFfest are on sale now and this year's line-up is one of the best yet.

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The Weekend Starts Tonight!

The weekend starts tonight if you're awesome and you are so let's go out! We Are Scientists return to Austin this evening and they're playing one of my favorite rooms, Red 7 inside. Tickets are still available at the moment but I expect it will sell-out at the door or sooner. Doors for tonight's show are at 9pm and Paws is opening so be sure to arrive early.


We Are Scientists - Sprinkles video via YouTube

If you're a serious locavore and you want to partake in Austin music, then I recommend you head east to catch Big Bill at Hotel Vegas. Their Bandcamp tags tell you more about Big Bill then I ever could: "atx rock alternative billwave garage indie new wave punk surf punk Austin". The only tag they really need is "Billwave". Arrive early (10ish) to catch sets from Basketball Shorts and Barf Bag.



Perhaps you want to keep things local but you'd prefer something a little more hip-hip/soul/R&B flavored? Well, you're in luck because Riders Against the Storm (RAS) perform at Sahara Lounge this evening. Austin's music scene is more than just a bunch of ugly dudes with guitars throwing microphones...allegedly.


Riders Against the Storm (RAS) - Shake video via YouTube


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Review: Damien Jurado at Red 7

I want to start this post by acknowledging that I know very little about Damien Jurado. One of my good friends from High School has been trying to get me to listen to Damien Jurado for a decade or more and thanks to Jurado's most recent LP, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son, I finally started paying attention. With that being said, I really can't report much about which songs were or were not played because I'm not that familiar with his catalogue. What I can tell you is that I almost didn't attend last night's show and that would have been a travesty. I arrived at Red 7 shortly after 10:30. I was expecting the first of three artists would be on stage when I entered but it turns out the second of three was already midway through his set. I was kind of bummed that I only got to hear two and half songs from Ola Podrida's David Wingo but what I did hear was beautiful and atmospheric.

Jurado took the stage shortly before 11pm and he started his line check. There was a distinctive hum/buzz in the line and the sound guy asked Jurado about it. Jurado said it's been doing that for the past few days but he didn't seem too concerned. The buzz was very audible and I could tell the sound guy was annoyed that he couldn't get rid of it but he was resigned to just try to lower it in the mix and accept that it would be there throughout the performance. When Jurado first started performing all I really heard was that buzz but by the time he hit the chorus of the first song not only was the buzz not a distraction it complimented the atmosphere of the songs with a distant AM radio vibe.


Damien Jurado - Jericho Road video via YouTube

For the first twenty minutes of the set I had total tunnel vision. I was so focused on the lyrics and the performance that when someone standing next to me accidentally brushed my arm I was completely startled because I had forgotten there were other people in the room. The audience was so completely quiet all you could hear was the songs and the distant hum of cars on 7th street. Not only was the audience almost completely silent, they kept their phones in their pockets and they simply listened. Needless to say, it was an eerie experience considering the utter disregard most Austin audiences have for a performance. There was a moment where it felt like we were all getting Langoliered and the show was going to end with the sound of Jurado cooing as the audience was blissfully eaten-up by those time creature things. Maybe that was just me though?

Jurado was by himself on stage armed with an acoustic guitar, some chorus and reverb affects and his voice. The performance felt naked, vulnerable and honest. He emoted in a way that didn't feel like a contrived performance as much as a genuine expression. This is a man who has lived the majority of his adult life on a stage A performer who has learned how to command a stage without resorting to any sort of tricks or gimmicks. The set was an hour long, with Jurado returning for a three song encore. The library-like quiet wasn't maintained throughout the entire performance but it was pretty damned close.

This is a crazy week for sold-out shows in Austin and last night's performance at Red 7 was the antithesis of most of those other shows. For me an ideal live music experience involves both the performers and audience giving in to the moment for as close to the duration of the performance as humanly possible. If you're in the audience, that means yielding attention from yourself for the duration of a band's set. It means talking time is later, right now let's all be together and listen. It means, taking some photos is cool but try to spend most of the time enjoying your actual reality. The folks who turned up for Damien Jurado last night get it, the people shouting along the lyrics in Orville's face at an OBN IIIs show get it too. It's not about being quiet as a mouse, it's about respecting the performance and getting what you paid for by enjoying the moment. Most importantly it's about trying not to annoy me. Can we all just work together toward trying to annoy me less? Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

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Review: Angel Olsen at Red 7

The buzz behind Angel Olsen has been building steadily surrounding the release of her latest record, Burn Your Fire For No Witness. Angel is not new to the indie scene by any means but it seems audiences have finally caught up to her sonically. Like many contemporary indie artists, it is almost impossible to nail down what genre she plays and I'm sure that's just the way she likes it. Contemporary musicians live in the same iPod universe you live in and they listen to a huge array of musical styles just like you, and the best of these musicians have found a way to acknowledge their many influences without merely ape-ing them. I could hear Grace Slick, Loretta Lynn and Ronnie Spector in Angel Olsen's songs last night. As a performer she is absolutely captivating, she has that quality in which each audience member feels as though they are being personally serenaded.


Angel Olsen - Hi-Five video via YouTube

Before leaving my apartment last night I was dreading a disrespectful audience. I knew that there was a lot of buzz surrounding Angel Olsen, which means there are a lot of people who will want to say they were there who might not actually care about listening. I haven't listened to a lot of songs from Angel but I knew that the arrangements were delicate and that there would be lots of quiet moments during the performance. Luckily, the audience last night was incredibly reverent. I'm not saying that it was pin-drop quiet and that's not what I expect but people weren't yelling over the music about completely inane matters. For the most part the sold-out crowd just stared, trying to catch all of the lyrics as the dark, brooding music swelled. There was a moment during the last song in which a dude started shouting at someone who was apparently trying to quiet down their section of the crowd. The yelling dude kept saying that the shoosher was the rude one for scolding everyone around them. The outburst was HIGHLY noticeable and it made Angel Olsen visibly uncomfortable. She continued performing her song but that song turned out to be the last one with no encore, which the audience was DEFINITELY waiting for. Even when the houselights finally came up, at least a third of the crowd stood in place staring at the stage in hopes of hearing another tune.

Part of my logic for going out to Red 7 last night was to see Angel Olsen before SXSW so that I wouldn't have to take time during the festival to see her. That may sound odd to those of you who don't attend SXSW but for my fellow veterans, you get me. I know that most of you reading this were not at the show last night and you WILL be going to SXSW so I can tell you that the hype is substantiated. Angel Olsen is not famous for being pretty, or popular because the cool blogs said she is, she is the real deal. This is a performer with star quality, who writes beautiful, haunting music and she is backed by an incredibly solid and versatile group of musicians.

In other words, I highly recommend her as an artist to watch during SXSW however, I have to add some caveats. Angel Olsen has two official showcases during the festival and those are the only events that will do her act justice. If you're planning to see her during some drunken day-party in a parking lot filled with people grappling for free, domestic, light beers then just don't. Also, I expect that Angel will be playing the summer festival circuit and I think that's great for her and that she will win new fans that way but that is not the ideal environment for her music either. You want to see Angel Olsen in an environment that encourages rapt attention. Ideally, you will see her Friday night Pitchfork showcase performance at the Central Presbyterian Church. That will be her first official showcase THAT NIGHT, then she will play again at Red Eyed Fly the very same evening.

I just wanted to add that I had mentioned to a friend last night that both Angel Olsen and Jess Williamson have that haunted country quality that I love about T-Bone Burnett produced music. Then after Angel's first song, while she was changing the tuning of her guitar she asked the audience if they've been watching True Detective. I thought that was funny because T-Bone is the music supervisor for that show and Angel Olsen's music would fit perfectly in the show tonally. Turns out Angel is fixated on the paper dolls that Matthew McConaughey's character constructs out of Lone Star cans. But that is neither here nor there.

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Hospitality Play Red 7 Tonight

Brooklyn-based trio, Hospitality will perform at Red 7 this evening, a month in advance of their return to Austin for SXSW. The latest LP from Hospitality is the band's sophomore effort and it expounds upon the musical themes that were touched up with the band's first release. At the center of their compositions is singer, Amber Papini's child-like voice which sometimes whispers over a groovy bass-line and sometimes pleads over a staccato guitar-riff.

Tickets for tonight's Hospitality show at Red 7 will set you back $14 before fees. As of this moment the show has not sold-out yet but if you're hoping to just pay the cover at the door arrive before 10p. Chances are tickets will not be available all evening long.


Hospitality - Going Out video via YouTube

The latest LP from Hospitality is called Trouble, if you're planning to go to tonight's show you should pick it up at the merch booth. Otherwise it's available at your local record shop as well as through the typical online channels.

If you arrive early enough this evening you can catch sets from Air Waves and Modrag. Like Hospitality, Air Waves is a Brooklyn-based band that makes pleasant indie-pop music. Modrag is an Austin band whom I have yet to see but I have included their bandcamp profile below if you want to check them out.





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Let's Go to Everything!

Alright y'all, there are a bevy of excellent shows to see this evening. I'm going to highlight four of them here. My top highlight for this evening is the Disclosure show at Stubb's. However, I will add that that particular show is mostly sold-out. I say mostly because the only tickets available are VIP tickets, which will set you back over $140 a piece. I know that some of us ball that hard but most of us don't, which is fine because there are still three more kick-ass shows going on tonight.

For those of you unfamiliar with Disclosure they are a pair of brothers from the U.K. who, un-ironically, produce 90's house-music for a new generation. Their record, Settle was one of my favorite releases of 2013. I have yet to see them live and I will conceit that it won't be the same without all of the guest vocalists who appear on the record. However, I anticipate the stage setup will be pretty elaborate and I know that the brothers Disclosure have a very engaging way of creating their songs live, mixing live instrumentation with on-the-fly sampling and loops. In other words, it won't just look like dudes nodding at their laptops.


Disclosure ft. Mary J. Blige - F For You video via YouTube

Speaking of my favorite albums of 2013, Darkside is also performing this evening. That means the creators of two of my favorite electronic records of 2013 are both in town together. You can find Darkside at Emo's tonight, which means you could conceivably see both Disclosure and Darkside. It would be quite a Yin and Yang experience to catch their sets back-to-back. Disclosure is very light, easily palatable electronic music. Darkside is just as their name implies, dark. This is not electronic music for ravers, this is electronic music for reading a book. In other words, Darkside is some pretty serious shit.

I might also suggest that, following the Disclosure show you head over to Red 7 for Learning Secrets' 10th Anniversary party. Delorean is headlining and I honestly can't believe this show isn't sold-out yet. Those dudes came all the way here from Spain and Learning Secrets only turns 10 once so if you don't go to this show, you'll have to wait like 15 more years for the next important birthday. Can you wait 15 years?

TONIGHT'S RED 7 SET TIMES:
Doors| 9pm
Learning Secrets DJs| 9pm - 11pm
Until The Ribbon Breaks| 11pm - 11:45pm
Learning Secrets DJs| 11:45pm - 12:45am
Delorean| 12:45am - 1:45am

Hell, with those set times you could POSSIBLY catch Disclosure, Darkside and Delorean. That would be a pain in the ass and pretty expensive but it's possible?

Hey rock kids, I haven't forgotten you. My top non-electronic/dance pick for this evening is the Holy Wave show at Hotel Vegas. There aren't advance tickets for this event and the event listing doesn't really have a cover price plainly evident BUT I would guess that it's going to be somewhere in the $10 range. In case this is your first time seeing the name Holy Wave they play woozy, Nuggets-era psychedelic music that is best experienced live. If you're a fan of Austin Psych Fest then you should definitely be at Hotel Vegas tonight to celebrate the release of Holy Wave's new LP, Relax.


Holy Wave - Wet and Wild video via YouTube

• Disclosure | Stubb's
• Darkside | Emo's
• Delorean | Red 7 (Inside)
• Holy Wave | Hotel Vegas

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Cults at Emo's Tonight

Alright y'all, I know you're bummed that you didn't get to see NIN's ACL TV appearance tonight but that doesn't mean you can't rock 'n roll. Tickets to see Cults at Emo's tonight are still available. I had never heard a song by Cults the first time I saw them and they blew me away. Their music is much lighter and more fun than their name might imply with vocals that evoke Leslie Gore. The first single from their latest album, Static, is one of my favorite songs of the year and the record really delivers on the whole as well.


Cults - High Road video via YouTube

Cults are headlining but the bill for tonight's show at Emo's is a stellar indie line-up from top to bottom with Mood Rings opening and SACCO middling. To be honest, I have never heard of this band SACCO so I think it's really smart to have them play in the middle because Mood Rings are great so people will arrive early and they're obviously going to stay for the headliners. So having SACCO play the middle set will give them more exposure than if they were opening. However, for all I know all of you are really big fans of SACCO and you have never heard of Mood Rings I sort of live in a bubble that way.


Mood Rings - The Line video via YouTube

If Cults aren't really your thing, you might be interested to know that NoBunny is also in town tonight. You can catch them over at Red 7 this evening.

Find out what other note-worthy shows are hitting Austin this month. That show is only $12 and it will take place on the inside stage.




Cults Photo Credit: Olivia Malone
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Chet Faker at Red 7

I remember when I was a kid and I thought that at some point in my life I would know all there is to know about music then when I was in Junior High a Borders opened up about 30 miles from my house and my world was turned upside-down. Borders stocked import singles. Not only that, their selection was massive compared to Ames, which is where I did the majority of my music shopping previous to Borders' opening. In that moment in my life I was really into Oasis. The internet was just a baby and I was reading about other Brit-Pop bands on Oasis Message Boards. I was using a 14.4 modem so basically all I could really do was read about these bands until Borders opened and suddenly I could touch a Blur CD and ogle non-album track CD singles from Oasis.

What does this have to do with Chet Faker's Thursday night appearance on Red 7's inside stage? Very little but if you buy yourself a ticket to the show we can discuss the incoherence of this post before or after Faker's set. During the set, we're going to stare in rapt attention and document the experience using only our five senses without the hinderance of technology.


Chet Faker - Terms and Conditions video via YouTube

Ok, now that the business is out of the way I can get back to my story about the magic of Borders. Once upon a time kids, people paid for music. The end.

Seriously though, when I realized that Oasis was releasing songs that were only available to people in England or via import I was a bit crushed. I realized that even if I knew everything there was to know about American music, there would be an entire world of music that wasn't even available in this country. Then I fell in love with Blur and discovered that Blur was so popular in Japan that they released things that you could only get in Japan or through VERY expensive importing. It seemed like my quest to know all there is to know about music was futile and it was. Now I'm in my early 30's and I realize that I know only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what there is to know about music and I can't even remember things as well as I used to so, that fraction is fracturing more and more each day.

This brings me back to Chet Faker. He's from Australia and he's fucking awesome. I first discovered him while making my SXSW 2012 Spotify Playlist. There was only one track with Chet Faker on U.S. Spotify and it was actually a track from Ta-Ku that featured Chet Faker. I prefer to post an artist's most recent solo work when making Spotify playlists for SXSW but it was the only track available so I added it and it quickly became one of my favorites. Subsequentally I discovered Electric Wire Hustle, Flume, Hiatus Kaiyote and a host of other Down-Under artists fusing, Jazz, R&B, and Soul music with electronic textures. Chet Faker is connected with all or most of the artists I listed here and seeing him perform in a venue the size of Red 7 Inside is certainly worth a $10 ticket and your time.

Remember internet 1.0? Hello my future girlfriend. This is what I sound like. I am 11 years old, in the 6th grade in New Mexico. Please PM me if I'm on Yahoo! chat. Bye. Thanks for stopping by!

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Beach Fossils at Red 7 Tonight

If your band is signed to Captured Tracks records, you can just assume I'm going to like your music. When bands who are signed to Captured Tracks play a club show in your town, you need to be there. It's Wednesday night, which means it's your last night this week to park downtown at night without paying a parking meter (don't follow leaders). It also means Beach Fossils are playing Red 7 for $12 tonight. I feel like we should get ourselves some tickets and get lost in some dreamy, reverb-soaked paradise tonight.


Beach Fossils - Generational Synthetic video via YouTube

Arrive early enough to this event to catch Foreign Mothers' support set. Not only are they a kick-ass band, watching their performance will help you increase your 'supports the local scene' reputation, which is huge in this town. Foreign Mother' latest LP Duh made my Best Austin LPs of 2012 list so, there's that as well. See you tonight!

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Odd Future at Emo's

Like them or not, there is no denying that in their short time on the scene the members of Odd Future have made an impact on the music industry. They are shock rockers for a new generation, releasing their songs as performance art videos on YouTube. Their visuals and their music shock and offend and they do so intentionally. In a post-Alice Cooper, post-Marilyn Manson, post-NWA world Odd Future is the embodiment of shocking the music industry in the new millenium. However, I can't dismiss them as nothing more than performance art. This group is as talented as they are young. Based in L.A., they're a musical collective with at least ten members. There are even groups within the group but it's safe to say the whole thing is based around Tyler the Creator. In addition to being one of the most recognizable emcees in the group he is also the main producer for all or most of the group's musical endeavors. His own solo record, Goblin has been hailed as one of the most interesting and refreshing hip-hop albums in recent years and marked a new era for the genre.

In a live setting Odd Future are as punk rock as they are hip-hop. Don't expect to see a bunch of dudes standing around grunting into microphones. These guys stage dive, they assault photographers, they spit at the crowd, they are unpredictable to put it mildly. You never know how many members will appear nor if they'll actually perform a full-set. They have been known to appear with Flaming Lips-esque props on stage as well. Even if you don't like their music it could be worth the price of a ticket just to see what will happen. You can catch the OFWGK†Δ crew tomorrow night at Emo's.


Earl Sweatshirt - Chum video via YouTube

The great thing about seeing a group like Odd Future is even if you don't like one artist, you may like another artist on the roster. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of Tyler, the Creator as an emcee although I can definitely appreciate his production skills but I am a big fan of Earl Sweatshirt. Earl disappeared from the crew for a period and there are many myths and legends about where he went and why. My favorite story is that his parents saw one of the early Odd Future videos and sent Earl off to boarding school since he was still in High School. That may or may not be true but it's still a great story. Lucky for all of us, he has resurfaced with the release of the song Chum and I would expect that he'll be at Emo's tomorrow. I mean what would you think, if you saw your High School-er in a video like this?


Earl Sweatshirt - EARL video via YouTube

Frank Ocean is also part of the Odd Future crew and he was just nominated for several Grammy's last night but I don't expect him to be at Emo's tomorrow. You can and should expect to see Mellowhype to be there though.


Mellowhype - Break video via YouTube

In a related note, hardcore band and Odd Future label-mates Trash Talk will be performing at Red 7 tomorrow night with a DJ set from Odd Future. Tyler, the Creator has been known to perform with Trash Talk but I'm not really sure how that could or would work tomorrow evening? Tickets for the Red 7 show are only $10 if you buy them today but they go up to $12 tomorrow.

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F1 and F-all

Alright, so you pretty much couldn't pay me to go downtown this weekend, which is unfortunate because there are several bands performing whom I would like to see. I'm writing this for those of you, who are braver than I and are willing to battle thousands of middle-aged Europeans set lose in our city for the greater good of rock 'n roll. Let's start with this evening shall we?

Tonight my top recommendation is Bad Veins at Stubb's. You should know that I'm a big fan/supporter of Bad Veins and their melodic indie-power-pop sounds. Tickets are only $12 or you can just pay your money at the door. The gentlemen of Bad Veins did a live session at our very own KUT, which you can listen to here.


Bad Veins - Dancing on TV video via YouTube

My number two recommendation for this evening is the psychedelic show over at Holy Mountain. If you're a fan of Psych Fest then you're going to be a fan of tonight's Young Prisms/Holy Wave show. Tickets for this show are only $8 and I'd expect you could just show up and pay this cover at the door as well.

There's also some Formula 1-related shows but fuck that shit, let's pretend it's not happening. Speaking of Formula-1 shit, if you want to avoid downtown altogether there are a couple of big-name shows happening over on East Riverside. Not only is Paul Oakenfold still touring, he's playing Emo's tonight. If you're looking to avoid Europeans, this probably isn't your best bet but if you're looking to score some fake-Molly HOLLA! It's going to cost you $30 to get into Emo's tonight but in all seriousness Paul Oakenfold is a world-class DJ so, it's going to be bangin'.

Right next to the Paul Oakenfold show Naughty By Nature better be playing a greatest hits set at Beauty Ballroom. So, put your hands in the air and get down with O.P.P. and all of that away from the madness of downtown and with far fewer Europeans. There are different ticketing packages available for this show so you might want to check that out depending on how hard you ball.

Tomorrow night there are plenty of good shows happening but I only want to talk about the Tamaryn show at Red 7. If you go downtown and you attend any other show tomorrow night then we aren't friends anymore and I'm returning your X-Mas (get the Christ out of Christmas) presents! Tamaryn's latest record Tender New Signs is out now on Mexican Summer and it's female-lead-psychedelic-shoegaze perfection. Dan, from End of an Ear, and I were talking and we agreed that anything that sounds even vaguely like Mazzy Star automatically wins our hearts. Saturday night's Tamaryn show will be on Red 7's inside stage and it could be your last chance to see them in such an intimate space so get your tickets now!

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Photo Pop 2012

TGImotherfuckinF y'all! I'm so happy that it's Friday right now. I don't know about y'all but this week seemed to last two weeks and I really need to get my drank on. Tonight, tonight some of my favorite Austin concert-photographers are showcasing their work and selling prints at Red 7. They'll be displaying and selling prints of some of their best stuff from 7p-9p followed by live performance from some great local bands.

The featured photographers this evening include, Pooneh Ghana, Timothy Griffin, Randy Cremean, Brian Gray, Rick Kern and Gary Miller. These photogs have agreed to share the proceeds from the sale of their prints with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. So, not only will you be acquiring some beautiful art, you'll be helping Austin Musicians get and keep health insurance!


Tiger Waves - Fireworks video via YouTube

Tonight's event is broken up into two pieces. You are free to attend the photography exhibit from 7p-9p and have some drinks with no cover charge. If you want to stay passed 9p to see the bands perform there is a $7 cover to go to the bands. That $7 gets you performances from 5 bands though, which is a pretty good deal if you ask me. Performing this evening will be Royal Forest, Low Times, Tiger Waves, Shivery Shakes and Grape Street.

If you'd like to know more about the bands, photographers or the event itself, I encourage you to head on over to Austin Town Hall. They are the fine folks who made tonight's Photo Pop 2012 a reality.

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Photos: Widowspeak and Woods

Wednesday night Woods and Widowspeak stopped by Red 7. I enlisted the help of Drew Degennarro to capture the event on film. Here are some of his beautiful photos, click any of them to make them larger but please don't use them without permission. Thanks!

Woods:

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AustinBloggyLimits Presents: Woods and Widowspeak

I'm so excited to be presenting my first show. I'm a big fan of Woods, Widowspeak and Red 7 so when the opportunity arose to present these two bands at that venue I knew it was fated. Woods' latest LP Bend Beyond is their most polished effort to date. They haven't abandoned their old sound they have just found a new way of capturing it. The songs sound a bit slicker without losing their old psychedelic feel and the production better captures the sense of seeing Woods perform live.

Tickets for the show are only $12 if you buy them in advance or $14 on the day of the show but I have two pair of tickets to give away. This is going to be an unusually "complicated" contest for this site. I want you do design a cool show poster. I'm not looking for you to screen-print or anything, I'm just talking about a digital poster that I can put on this site and Twitter and such. Two people will have their poster selected, which will get them each on the guest list with a plus one to next Wednesday's show. If you want to use my logo it's there in the upper-right hand side of the page, you don't have to use it but it would be nice. Oh, and just attach your digital poster to an e-mail with the subject, "ABL Presents" to Contest[at]austinbloggylimits[dot]com.

*Update*
This contest in its original state is, apparently, offensive to designers. I thought it might be a fun thing for amateurs but in the interest of keeping things civil I'll just do what I usually do. E-Mail the above address with subject "ABL Presents" and tell me why you should get the tickets. Include your name as it appears on your ID.
*Update*


Woods - Bend Beyond video via YouTube

Woods are the official headliners for next week's show but I would actually call this a double-bill. Ever since I first heard Widowspeak I was in love. I listened to three tracks from their LP, I turned it off and drove to End of an Ear to buy their Self-Titled record on vinyl. I saw them earlier this year at 29th St. Ballroom and their live performance held up to my very high expectations. Widowspeak is soundtrack music. They don't just create music, they create vibes and you'll want to be in that imaginary film next Wednesday. Also, if this is your first time hearing of Widowspeak I implore you to listen to their album even if you don't end up going to the show.




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The Soft Pack Return to Austin

Los Angeles-based band, The Soft Pack are the originators when it comes to indie-rock bands changing their names. At this point that has nothing to do with anything though. Since their last release The Soft Pack have fallen off the blog-buzz-o-sphere but they haven't changed their sound in any significant way. They haven't been arrested for beating their girlfriends *cough*Surfer Blood*cough,* they have simply fallen victim to the music industry in the 21st Century. There seems to be very little logic to what makes one band buzzy/popular/successful and what makes another band "irrelevant." The Soft Pack still make energetic, jangly, rock band with great melodies and catchy lyrics. I supported The Soft Pack when they released their last LP and damnit I'm going to support them now! Their next LP is called Strapped and it comes out tomorrow, which is also the day they play Red 7. Tickets for tomorrow night's show are only $10 but they go up to $12 if you wait until the day of the show to make your purchase.


The Soft Pack - Tallboy video via YouTube

Tomorrow night's show is on Red 7's inside stage with The Shivery Shakes starting things off. The doors aren't even open until 9pm, which means your looking at The Soft Pack's set starting around midnight. You'll catch Heavy Hawaii playing the 11pm slot doing their indie-pop, California surf-rock thing right before The Soft Pack.

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Contest: White Arrows at Red 7

Alright y'all, I'm not going to pretend like there's nothing else going on Thursday night but I also don't want this show to get swept under the rug. With Fiona Apple, Beach House and The Walkmen all playing Austin on Thursday I know a lot of you already have plans. Well, this show doesn't necessarily interfere with those plans! White Arrows play Red 7 and they won't take the stage until after Stubb's has emptied. Their latest record, Dry Land is Not a Myth is full of psychedlic-indie-dance jams that are sure to get your booty workin'. Tickets for this show are only $8 but one of you will have their name on the guestlist with a +1. All you have to do is e-mail Contest[at]austinbloggylimits.com with your name and a winner will be chosen at "random." Random is in quotation marks because those of you I see promoting this show/contest on Twitter and Facebook are more likely to win.


White Arrows - Get Gone video via YouTube

Young Buffalo will play the set before White Arrows Thursday night and you may recall that I featured them as one of my bands to catch at SXSW 2012. So far these guys have only released an EP but it was one of my favorite EPs last year and it represents everything I love about indie-rock: soaring melodies, jangly rhythms and tunes that make you question why they're not famous whilst reaffirming your hatred for modern rock radio.


Young Buffalo - Full Metal Whacket (Live, Acoustic) video via YouTube

Local, optimistic rockers Field Dress will be playing the first set at Red 7 Thursday night. Don't forget to e-mail Contest[at]austinbloggylimits.com for your chance to attend this show on me. The winner will be notified via e-mail on Wednesday!

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What Are YOU Doing Tonight?

It's Friday, which means it's time to shake the work-week off with some really loud live music and some really cheap beer. Per usual there are a lot of options for you to consider. My number one recommendation for this evening is Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti at the Mohawk. It will be the perfect opportunity for you to play hipster-bingo (jorts are the free space.) Also, Ariel Pink's latest record Mature Themes is pretty damn good and for the cost of an $18 ticket they put on a great show.


Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffitt - Only in My Dreams video via YouTube

A bit later and a bit closer to dirty 6th, you can find Tennessee noise-troubadour Pujol at Stubb's inside stage. He's promoting his latest LP, United States of Being, which carries the torch for Nashville's lo-fi, garage-rock revival scene. Tickets for Pujol are only $8 and this is the perfect opportunity for those of you who are inspired to pull their fingernails out with pliers when you hear Ariel Pink. Pujol is ACTUAL ROCK MUSIC and he/they will inspire you to start your own band and drop out of school. Sorry Mom!

Still haven't found your musical niche? Don't fret Johnny, Red 7 is hosting Iceberg-rockers The Album Leaf. The first time I saw The Album Leaf they were supporting Sigur Rós at one of their first U.S. shows. It was the perfect pairing. Tonight The Album Leaf are supporting Tycho, whose latest release Dive has been receiving lots of critical praise. Tycho tours with a fully-immersive visual set-up too so if you're looking to get psychedelic Red 7 is the place for you. Also, they have Strongbow ON DRAFT! Tickets for Tycho with The Album Leaf are a mere $12, so more expensive than Pujol but cheaper than Ariel Pink.

You could also go full-on psychedelic starting in the late afternoon just north of UT. 29th St. Ballroom is hosting the Psychedelic Light and Sound Festival and you're all invited! There are a bunch of bands on a bunch of stages so, I'm just going to be lazy and link to it rather than listing them all here.

Perhaps you'd rather hang out with a more "grown-up" crowd and avoid the whole Red River/6th Street scene altogether. You're in the mood for an $8 Bud Light? Perhaps, you'd like to pre-game at a Wine Bar that sells gourmet pizza and has valet parking. Don't front, I got you on that too. Dead Can Dance are playing ACL Live tonight and you can still snag yourself a $40-$120 ticket.

Locavores, I haven't forgotten you either. I know that as an Austin music blogger I'm not supposed to blog about Austin musicians, which is why I'll mention The Black and White Years show at the Parish (they're actually from Dallas.) They'll be sharing the bill with Waldo & the Naturals as well as The Baker Family, Shakey Graves and The Dalles. Tickets are only $7 and proceeds will benefit your local music scene. The downside is you'll have to battle dirty 6th on a Friday night.

So, there you are several acceptable things to do with your time and money on this fine Friday evening. Stay safe out there kids!

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Thursday Night Happenings

There is a lot going on in Austin tomorrow night and I expected a lot of those events to be sold-out by now. You're in luck though, because they're not! Now, you just have to decide what you do and don't want to see. Price point could be an issue here as the events available vary greatly in their cost.

I fully expected tonight's Yeasayer show at Stubb's to be sold-out but alas there are still some tickets available. This show will set you back $25 but you also get to see Daedalus as well as an after-show inside featuring The Sour Notes.


Yeasayer - Longevity video via YouTube

Maybe you think Yeasayer is over, or you don't love paying $8 for domestic lite beers while sorority girls take pictures of themselves and talk loudly through a set. Well, don't worry there are more events for you to enjoy! Akron/Family return to Austin to play Red 7 with Smoke and Feathers. This show promises to have cheaper drinks fewer sorority girls but probably equal parts talking. Also, if you're a hipster-hater then this isn't the show for you. Oh, if you're a hipster-hater you should probably just move and/or shut up and get over yourself. Tickets for the Akron/Family show will only set you back $12.

Perhaps psychedelic noise isn't your thing, AND you think Yeasayer is sooo 2010 well, first of all you're a dick, secondly there is still an acceptable option for you! Those, I don't get it, internet-"sensations" Turquoise Jeep play the Mohawk with Neiliyo. Tickets for Turquoise Jeep are also $12 and people love them so, it wouldn't surprise me if this show sold-out.

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