1st Annual FFF Water Olympics

Well kiddos, there are a few festivals hitting Austin before November's FunFunFun Fest but that doesn't mean you can't have a little FunFunFun this weekend. Those little dickens over at Transmission Entertainment have created their 1st annual Water Olympics event, happening this Sunday at the Fiesta Gardens of Zilker Park. This year, is the first FunFunFun Fest to take place lakeside at Auditorium Shores so Transmission is focusing on water-sports. Not, necessarily, peeing on people for sexual pleasure but more like stand-up paddling and stuff like that. Even if being outdoors and "enjoying" the water isn't your cup of tea there will be food, booze and music and it all goes down this Sunday starting at noon. Also, if you ARE someone who is down with competition you COULD win yourself some tickets to Fun Fun Fun at this weekend's Water Olympics. Which, incidentally, is just one of several opportunities you'll have to win a free pass to the fest. Keep an eye on the FFF Twitter, F*c*book and blog to stay apprised of other contest opportunities. Or fuck luck and go big with a PIP Pass that you actually pay for.

By the way, have I mentioned how effing excited I am to see M83 at FunFunFun Fest this year?

M83 - Run Into Flowers video via YouTube

Here's the full run-down on the 1st Annual FFF Water Olympics including info on how you can train for the events with professionals, thus upping your chances of crushing some hipster-beardos in the water on Sunday.

When:Sunday, September 11th

12noon – 6pm @ Fiesta Gardens (Austin, Texas)

Registration and Opening Ceremonies @ 12pm

Games Begin: @ 2pm

Games:

• Tug of War Across the Lake
• Paddleboard Jousting
• Paddleboard High Kick Competition
• Paddleboard Freestyle Competitoin
• Canoe Jousting
• Canoe / Paddleboard / Kayak Relay

Canoe Jousting Compilation - Put This on Mute the Music is Wretched as Fuck video via YouTube

The Austin Facial Hair Club will be providing food.

Brought to you by: The Expedition School, The Austin Chronicle, & The Austin Facial Hair Club

If you might want to train for this, the folks at FFF are hooking you up with a place to train! Go to The Expedition School - to set up your SUP (Stand-Up Paddling) session and/or lesson(s) to train!

The Expedition School's Hours of Operation: 6am - 10pm

FFF Discount: $30 for 2 hour lesson $17 for 2 hour session on the water Groups welcome! Call The Expedition School direct w/ questions!

FFF Water Olympics Special runs Sept 5th - 10th.

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Japandroids Play the 'Hawk

With Austin City Limits Festival approaching so quickly, I almost neglected tomorrow night's Japandroids show at the Mohawk. This Canadian duo pump out some serious, gritty rock and the inside stage at the 'Hawk would be a great place for you to check it out. The last time I caught them was at Emo's outside stage and they were, pretty much, bleeding rock 'n roll by the time their set was over. Their latest full-length release, No Singles is actually a compilation of 2 EPs but I would expect them to play lots of stuff you've never heard before tomorrow night. I'm not certain, but I'm willing to bet they are road-testing new songs and we'll be hearing a new LP in the very near future. If you want to check out the show, you can still grab some tickets but I wouldn't be surprised if this show sold-out before the doors open. As I mentioned, tomorrow night's Japandroids show is taking place on the inside stage, which means it will start and end late, so if you have to get to the office early Friday morning, you should probably lay the groundwork now for calling in sick. What? Who said that? That's wrong!

Japandroids - Younger Us video via YouTube

The official listing for tomorrow night's show say that things kick off at 9pm but I HIGHLY doubt anyone will start performing before 10 or 10:30. Mississippi rockers, Bass Drum of Death will be opening for Japandroids playing jams from their album, GB City, which came out in April. Something tells me, we'll have several chances to catch Bass Drum of Death in Austin in the upcoming months. Might as well get in on the ground floor and see their performance tomorrow night so you can out hipster people at their NEXT Austin show.

Bass Drum of Death - Get Found video via YouTube

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Sade with John Legend at Frank Erwin

Well Austin, you should expect a spike in birth rates around June/July 2012 because tonight, the legendary, Sade will be performing at the Frank Erwin Center with John Legend playing the opening slot and somebody's gonna get pregnant. If you sit through a full Sade set and you don't want to have sex, you should probably talk to your doctor. She is a sultry siren who has inspired baby-making for several decades and I, for one, can't believe I am going to see her perform tonight. It's a feeling I'm provided with quite frequently in Austin, when I'm watching a performer or taking part in an experience that I just never really fathomed. In all my years listening to Sade I never, truly, thought I would ever have the chance to see her perform. I suppose I assumed that ship had sailed long ago but from all of the reports I've read regarding previous performances from her current tour, not only is Sade still performing but she is performing in top form with outstanding visuals and one of the best touring bands in the business.

I know it's not as inexpensive as most of the shows I write about, nor is it obscure or indie but I highly encourage you to get yourself some tickets for tonight's show. However, keep in mind the high risk of pregnancy and be sure to take appropriate measures.

Sade - Soldier of Love video via YouTube

John Legend's latest LP, is his collaboration with The Roots, Wake Up!, which has a protest-music vibe but something tells me he'll be featuring more of his silky, crooner songs than his angry, let's make a difference jams. No matter what songs he performs, he'll be performing them handsomely with buttery vocals and beautiful piano-playing and that's all I ask of him. The show starts at 7:30 tonight so make sure you're there by 7:15 if you want to catch all of John Legend's set. Last time he was in town he was performing in the wee hours of the morning inside an abandon power plant, accompanying Kanye West during SXSW. Something tells me we won't be hearing J.L. singing "bitch" or "motherfucker" (for short) tonight.

Kanye West with John Legend - The Blame Game video via YouTube
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The Dodos at Antone's

Holy crap, why the eff isn't The Dodos' show at Antone's sold-out yet?!?! I hope you haven't slept on the latest LP, No Color from The Dodos, it's 40 minutes of pulse-quickening bliss. I've enjoyed everything they've released but this latest LP is just pure magic. They have taken the energy of their live sets and managed to commit to to "tape". The melodies are on-point as usual but it's the truly innovative interplay between the guitar and percussion that make it a marvel. In other words, Austin you better snatch up these Dodos tickets before they're gone, and if this show doesn't sell-out before the doors open tomorrow I'm going to be very disappointed in you! The tickets are only $13, which is a bargain if you ask me, and don't forget the sound at Antone's is great and their speaker stacks are suspended from the ceiling giving you better lines of site than you have at most venues.

The Dodos - Black Night video via YouTube

Starting things off tomorrow night at Antone's will be The Luyas. They have been touring with some great indie and indie-minded artists in the last year or so, including Blonde Redhead as well as, bloggy-favs, Ra Ra Riot. Make sure you arrive early enough to catch their support set because this blogger predicts it's only going to take one or two more promotional cycles before The Luyas are no longer the support act. Their album, Too Beautiful To Work has lots of gems and is, certainly, worth a listen or ten. Check out their, recent, Daytrotter session for a preview of their live set.

The Luyas - Too Beautiful To Work video via YouTube

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ACL Festival Preview: Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr

Maybe it's because ACL Festival is a month earlier this year than it was last year but I feel like it's really sneaking up on me. I have so many preview posts to write and only a couple of weeks to publish them. If you have been keeping up with this site then you already know I'm a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Sure they have either the best or worst band name in indie-rock, depending on who you ask, but if you focus on the tunes themselves, there's nothing to complain about.

Their album is called In a Corporate World and it's out now on Warner Bros. records, making the title seem, somewhat, tongue-in-cheek. Trust me, after seeing their live-set on Emo's inside stage I can assure you these guys have their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks (so to speak). Their live performance is filled with gimmicks, which for Emo's inside seemed a bit excessive but for ACL Fest it should be perfect. They perform in NASCAR suits, they have a bubble machine, there are giant lit-up letters on the stage and then there are the great pop-tunes. If you're a fan of jangly rhythms, brain-tattooing melodies, simply harmonies and tight song structures then you should enjoy Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - Nothing But Our Love video via YouTube

If you plan to attend ACL Fest make sure you arrive by 1pm Sunday because Dale Jr Jr is playing the Honda stage at 1:30pm. If you DON'T have tickets to the festival, you're in luck because there are STILL single-day passes available for Sunday. Sunday has a lot of great artists, including a festival-closing performance from, Album of Year winners, Arcade Fire. Maybe you've heard of them?

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - Morning Thought video via YouTube

Also, I almost didn't mention this since it's sold-out but I didn't want you to think I didn't know that Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr are ALSO scheduled to play an official ACL aftershow at Lambert's. For those of you lucky enough to have purchased tickets, you're in for a great, intimate show in a fantastic, under-appreciated venue.

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Mister Heavenly Tonight

I hesitate to use the term, "supergroup" in reference to Mister Heavenly but it isn't entirely off-base. Sure, most people who are aware of mainstream, American culture have never heard of the bands, Man Man or Islands but those of us into culture in the margins have. Also, I feel like even mainstreamy people are, at least, somewhat aware of Modest Mouse and/or The Shins. Basically, what I'm getting at is, Mister Heavenly is a band, which features member of other, more famous/established bands. In their previous visits they have been joined on stage by Michael Cera on bass but I believe he has been replaced by a legit bassist. I'm not completely sure on the details in regards to the bassist but don't show up at Mohawk tonight, just because you think Michael Cera will be there, chances are he won't. You should show up for Mister Heavenly tonight though. Their debut LP, Out of Love is truly great and you can hear the whole thing for free via SubPop's YouTube channel. It reminds me of Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie with a bit more country shuffle, so maybe Hunky Dory-era Bowie as well. As of the writing of this post you can still grab tickets for tonight's show for $13 but you should know that their last Austin engagements sold-out and/or were packed to the gills.


Mister Heavenly - Bronx Sniper video via YouTube

Tonight's show at the 'Hawk takes place on the outside stage so arrive early, due to noise-ordinance issues Mister Heavenly's set will have to be done between 10:00p and 10:30p at the latest. Also, I don't want to harp on this but I was reading YouTube comments for the posted Mister Heavenly songs and there is a lot of chatter about Michael Cera. I just want to emphasize to YOU, the Bloggy-faithful, that Mr. Cera does NOT have a credit on the Mister Heavenly record, he is not an official member of the band. So, don't place your praise or blame on the band based on your feelings about/toward an actor, who really has little to nothing to do with the actual band. Try to focus on the fact that it's an indie-supergroup who made a great album and have great live chops.


Mister Heavenly - Mister Heavenly video via YouTube

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Handsome Furs at the 'Hawk

As I've mentioned in the past, there are roughly 500 bands affiliated with Canadian indie-rockers, Wolf Parade. Handsome Furs is one such band. The Furs, is Wolf Parader, Dan Boeckner and his wife as a 2-piece electronic outfit. When I'm not touring with my other bands, I like to hit the road with my significant other and some Casios, so I can totally identify with Handsome Furs. Their latest album Sound Kapital is a thing of fun and beauty, I look forward to hearing them performed on the Mohawk's outside stage tonight. If you want to get down with the Handsome Furs and I tonight, you best snag yourself some tickets. Sure, tickets are available now but if you wait until 10 o'clock tonight and try to pay at the door the other hipsters will just laugh at you because the show will be sold-out by then bro.


Handsome Furs - What About Us (Censored Version) video via YouTube

You can download some free MP3's from Handsome Furs over at the official SubPop site if you wish. I really wanted to "deep-link" some but I won't.

I have to go back to this touring with your significant other point for a moment and let you know that Handsome Furs actually shot an episode of a web-series for CNN called Indie Asia in which they share their experiences touring Asia as an indie-rock group. If you have not seen it before it's definitely worth watching. It's about a year old at this point but I only recently found out it exists and I had fun checking it out.


Handsome Furs - Rapatriated video via YouTube

Also, I wanted to mention that if you can't make it out to the Mohawk tonight you can catch a free performance from Handsome Furs at Waterloo Records at 5pm. I noticed that Waterloo actually streamed a recent performance from their shop, so if you're reading this from afar, move closer. So, feel free to skip out of work early and check out some Canadians in a record shop, I like to do that even if they aren't a performing band. #Hosers

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Equals EP Release Party at Emo's

Austin is really turning out some great instrumental rock bands lately. Last Friday The Calm Blue Sea played a fantastic show at Emo's and tonight it's Equals. The band is celebrating the release of their latest EP, which you can download two tracks from, for free at their bandcamp page (linked back there). You can also check one of them out on Soundcloud if that's your preferred method of song preview. Their songs are melodic, with lyrical guitar inter-play, tight percussion and bursts of fury. This should be a great show for your Thursday night. If you're interested in checking this out tonight, you can still grab yourself some tickets for the, bargain price, of $5.


Equals - False Light video via YouTube


Sharing this Thursday night bill with Equals are three other local bands of note. If you arrive by 9:30 you can catch Sleep Good, Tactics, as well as, Wild Child. These may not be names you're familiar with yet but these are all quality, area bands who deserve your attention and you'll be hearing a lot more about them in the future. Just a little side-note from a blogger's point of view. I really wish all of these bands had names that were easier to google. Here I am trying to blog about bands I want to support and it's nearly impossibly to find good info about them. So, if you're forming a band please come up with a name that's easy to search. All you have to do is spell one of the words a little differently. That's all it take.


Sleep Good - Schlitterbahn video via YouTube

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Dawes in Austin Today/Tonight

Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the band Dawes, however I recognize that those of you who read this site might be. There is nothing specifically negative that I would say about the band and I don't DISLIKE them, they're just not my favorite. So, I wanted to make sure that those of you who ARE fans of Dawes were aware that they are playing two sets in our fair-city on this date. You can catch a brief, gratis set over at Waterloo Records at 5pm today but arrive early as I expect this will be popular. You can also catch them over at La Zona Rosa tonight with Robert Ellis playing the support slot. As far as I know, the show has not sold-out yet but you can click this link for tickets if you really want to know.


Dawes - When My Time Comes video via YouTube


In other Dawes news, it looks like the band will be passing through Texas again in October, although not making a stop in Austin, as part of a co-headlining tour with Blitzen Trapper. The tour will be hitting Dallas and I would expect there to be lots of collaboration as these two bands seem to get along musically as well as personally.


Blitzen Trapper - video via YouTube

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Dntel at Emo's TONIGHT!

Remember in the early aughts how in love you were with The Postal Service album, then by the mid-aughts you were kind of over it but still wished they would release another album? Well, kids guess what? That's not going to happen but the good news is the half of The Postal Service responsible for the cool beats and most of the production is still making music without that whine-ass Ben Gibbard. Dntel was making cool music BEFORE The Postal Service and after as well. The latest release is titled, After Parties it's a pair of EPs, which you can grab separately or as a combo. If you're a fan of electronic compositions that aren't endlessly generic house-music then tonight's show at Emo's is for you. You can still buy will-call tickets or you can roll the dice on the chance of paying $10 at the door. To be honest, I really don't have a gage for whether or not this show will sell-out. Personally, I love Dntel and I feel like a lot of other people would too but you may not realize it until you are at the show.


Dntel - video via YouTube


You can keep the party going before and after Dntel's set, by dancing your ass a couple of doors down to Barbarella where our friends with The Glitoris are hosting their wildly successful, weekly Tuezgayz event. I know it's only Tuesday night but I figure, if you're going to be downtown for a show, you might as well get sloppy and stay out until 2am right?


Dntel - Rock My Boat video via YouTube

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