Future FunFunFun (Fest)

It seems a bit early to be talking about FunFunFun Fest, given that it's still a month before Austin City Limits Festival. But, what're you gonna do? This is Austin, I think there is going to be a Festival Festival next year where we celebrate Festivals in Austin, there will be local beer vendors as well as music and arts and crafts.

Back to FunFunFun Fest, this will be the third year for the "underdog" festival, and t tickets are already on sale. It takes place at Waterloo Park the first weekend in November. Last year they had three stage areas, two of which had split stages. I love the split stage, it means that you can sit in one spot and listen to bands play back to back without waiting for equipment changing.

If we're being honest I was more excited about last year's line-up but as a music snob it's my job to say that. Also, FunFunFun Fest has more sleepers, bands that you may not care about today, in August, but in November you're gonna be psyched!

Find the lineup and some media after the jump...

For my purposes, I'm just going to be lazy and mention some of my personal highlights for FFF-Fest. You can find more complete and official coverage over at Austinist.com

I'm listing these highlights in no particular order:

• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• The National
• Atmosphere
• Minus the Bear
• St. Vincent
• Trail of Dead
• Annuals
• Bishop Allen
• Shearwater
• Magnetic Morning
• Ugly Beats
• Bad Brains
• Clipse
• Z-trip
• Dan Deacon
• Grupo Fantasma
• Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon
• Brownout!
• Y.A.C.H.T

Check out this official FunFunFun Fest recap by the folks from Super Alright!

FFF Recap video - by Transmission Entertainment via Vimeo

Somehow this shotty-quality video manages to capture the chaotic fun that was Girl Talk at last year's FunFunFun Fest. On a side not Girl Talk is actually coming back to Austin between FFF Fest and ACL Fest:

Girl Talk @ FFF Fest '07 video via YouTube

Here's an imeem playlist so you can hear some samples of this year's artists:


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Mas White Denim

White Denim - Shake, Shake, Shake video via YouTube

Remember that time I promised you this White Denim video then I didn't deliver? Well I found it so it's back there...before the jump.
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Nasty Nas in My Area

Straight out the MF dungeons of rap, Nas will be at Emo's Sunday night . As if that weren't enough on its own, Talib Kweli is also going to be there along with DJ Green Lantern, it's a whole NYC thing. As far as I know you can still get tickets, which will set you back roughly $30 but come on I'm quoting a ten year old rap album and in 10 years people will still be quoting Nas. Not to mention Talib Kweli. Sure he's gone a bit more pop in the last few years but he is still a lyrical genius with a unique sound that adds a needed texture to the hip-hop soundscape.

I'm also excited to catch up-and-comer Jay Electronica, who is from New Orleans but based anywhere in the U.S including somewhere, here in the great state of Texas every now and again. Jay Electronica was getting a bit of blog hype around this time last year. But I had never heard of him until researching the Nas show for this article. After hearing some song samples I'm pretty excited. Jay is the first artist signed to Erykah Badu's label, and he produced the opening track on the latest Nas record, "Untitled".

Jay Electronica - D.O.C. Song

Video and more after the jump...

I guess a talking head on a 24hr (s)news network was talking shhh about Nas, so he made an appearance on the Colbert Report to address the issue:

Nas performing - Sly Fox on the Colbert Report video via YouTube.

Talib Kweli appeared on some show called Mic Sessions:

Talib Kweli has his own YouTube channel

This video should give you an idea of the kind of left-field beats you can expect from Jay Electronica:

Jay Electronica - Dimethyltryptamine video via YouTube

This isn't really related but it's an interesting clip of Cam'Ron and Damon Dash VS. a Right-Wing American (s)news network.

Cam'Ron and Damon Dash on Fox News video via YouTube

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ACL After-Parties

Alright kids, today is the day if you want to buy yourself tickets to OFFICIAL ACL after-shows this year. Tickets went on sale this morning at 10am Austin time, so if you wanted to catch David Byrne at the Paramount Theatre...you're too late. That's right the box office has been open an hour, which means the hottest tickets are all gone, or close to it.

I spent a bunch of money but I bought a ticket for all the shows I was even mildly interested in seeing. Except for Black Keys tickets, I didn't buy any for that show 'cause I bought a ticket for the Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jenny Lewis show, which is on the same night, on the other side of town. I did, however, pick up a ticket for the Gnarls Barkley/CSS show AND a ticket for Jamie Lidell with Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears. Even though those shows are on the same night. Their start times are two hours apart and the venues are pretty close to each other so I'm hoping it all works out nicely.

If you didn't know anything about ACL after parties I recommend you click this link.


Don't worry if you didn't get tickets to any after parties, you can still buy tickets for the actual Austin City Limits fest for a mere $80/day. Also, I expect a lot more after-parties. None of the official parties are at Transmission Entertainment events, which means you can expect a wave of blog-sponsored parties at the Mohawk, Club DeVille and others. In fact I know for sure that Sunset Rubdown will be doing a show at the Mohawk the Saturday night of ACL fest. Technically Sunset Rubdown isn't even playing ACL so I guess it's not really an after show...but you get the point.

Oh and by the way one of my favorites of the year, Cut Copy will be playing Emo's the Monday after ACL.

Woo Hoo am I excited or what? And I'm not even going to the official ACL festival haha.


Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Souled Out video via YouTube


Jamie Lidell - Figured Me Out Live on Jimmy Kimmel video via YouTube


CSS - Left Behind video via YouTube

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Okkervil River's Stand-Ins

It looks like we'll get a chance to hear a new Okkervil River LP next month. It's been just about a year since I was in Maine trying to locate The Stage Names at a crappy Strawberries Music store. Just for the record, they didn't have the album and if they did it would have cost $18. No, I had to travel 45 miles to a Bull Moose Music. But I digress, because now I am in Austin, home to Okkervil River...sort of. I actually read that Sheff and Co. are spending their off-time in the post-millenial Seattle aka Brooklyn. Don't worry hipsters Brooklyn is safe for skinny jeans and guyliner.

In any case, I'm pretty psyched about a new Okkervil River disc. It's due out on September 9th and the band is due to appear here in Austin for the Austin City Limits Fest. It hasn't been confirmed but they are also rumored to be appearing at Stubb's on the Saturday night of ACL for an after-party with the Black Keys AND the Black Angels.

Okkervil's label has made a song available for download from the new LP already...

Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines


For those of you who aren't already familiar with Okkervil River, they do dramatic, folk/indie pop. There songs are quite literate like the Decemberists with lots of stringy, harmonious arrangements ala Arcade Fire.

Here's some video and Mp3's from earlier releases. All links courtesy of JagJaguar, the bands official label.

Okkervil River - Our Life is Not a Movie, or Maybe
Okkervil River - The President's Dead
Okkervil River - No Key, No Plan
Okkervil River - Black

Here's a video for Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe in .MOV format.

There it is via YouTube

By the way if you want to catch Okkervil live you can check their tourdates here.

Last minute update. Apparanently the Okkervil River ACL aftershow is happening at Emo's with Man Man and Crooked Fingers. The Black Angels, Black Keys show will be at Stubb's..still.

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BJ Lewis

One of my favorite things about living in Austin, is the way everything seems to be small and inter-connected. Sure it's a city, but I see all the same people at the shows, and everyone knows everyone else. It's for this reason that there always tends to be a bit of music gossip in the air.

Well the other day I was at work chatting about an ACL after-show I'm excited about. I don't want to give too many details yet because it will decrease my chances of getting a ticket. In any case I mentioned local-band, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears who I saw during SXSW, and how they are awesome and I can't wait to see them at this after-party. To which one of my co-workers responds, "Oh that's my friends roommate". He then proceeded to give me a little insider info that I hadn't heard yet.

Apparently the Honey Bears have been signed to Lost Highway Records, they were given a bonus to get all new music and recording equipment. This doesn't really surprise me since they were called out early in the year as being one of the breakout acts of 2008. But to share a label with fellow Austinite, Willie Nelson must be pretty exciting. Lost Highway is a country or alt-country label home to Ryan Adams, Lucinda Williams and now Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears - Gunpowder

I definitely wouldn't call Black Joe's music country but it certainly has a throwback funk/soul/blues vibe. All right, I have to tell you now. The after party is Black Joe Lewis sharing a ticket with Jamie Lidell! Maybe this doesn't excite you but I really hope Jamie Lidell borrows some Honey Bears to give his act some extra live instrumentation. I'm not telling you where it is yet. That will be in a future post.

In any case if you weren't at Lollapalooza and you want to check out Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears you might want to check their MySpace because they are currently touring with locals, What Made Milwaukee Famous then they are touring with more locals, Okkervil River.

Damn, I guess it's easier to claw your way to the top when you are managed by C3 entertainment. The people who book Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, Coachella and others. But then again, that's another reason why bands move to Austin. Oh and by the way it's not like easy to get noticed by C3 ask the hundreds of Austin bands who don't get to play ACL fest...YET.


Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears - Live in Dallas video via YouTube

Here's an interview:

Black Joe Lewis interview with Quinnstorm video via YouTube

BTW
Another co-worker went on a date with Joe Lewis, he took her "dancing at the Continental Club" *sigh* how dreamy.

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White Denim Big in the UK

Local garage-rock brats White Denim have been flagged by the NME as one of 25 American bands that don't suck. They are the only representatives of Austin, and I'm not putting a whole lot of credence in this list since it also mentions Grace Jones. Not that Grace Jones sucks but of all of the American musicians does she really deserve a spot in the top 25.

In other related news, White Denim have a new video for their song Shake, Shake, Shake you can find it, along with the rest of the NME's list after the jump...

White Denim - Shake, Shake, Shake

Unfortunatly, the video for Shake, Shake, Shake has all but dissappeared from the internets somehow...so here is another video or two.


White Denim - All You Really Have to Do video via YouTube

01 Vampire Weekend
02 Lil Wayne
03 Glass Candy
04 Kings Of Leon
05 MGMT
06 Spank Rock
07 TV On The Radio
08 Boy Crisis
09 Black Kids
10 Holy Ghost Revival
11 The Hold Steady
12 Fleet Foxes
13 Amazing Baby
14 Jay Reatard
15 HEALTH
16 The Cool Kids
17 Black Lips
18 Yo Majesty
19 White Denim
20 Telepathe
21 Iglu and Hartly
22 Chester French
23 Girl Talk
24 TheDeathSet
25 Grace Jones


White Denim interviewed by the NME at Glastonbury video via YouTube

Check out a free White Denim EP on RCRD LBL.

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Stereolab Tour, Moog Says Thanks

Ok, so this is kind of early to be talking about but did you know Stereolab is going in tour in September?!?! I noticed when I bought my Wolf Parade ticket the other night that Stereolab are scheduled to appear at La Zone Rosa on September 24th. Not only that, but Atlas Sound will be opening. So you can catch legends of indie-rock/electronic music with one of the most buzzed about new artists opening!

Apparently Stereolab are releasing a new LP called Chemical Chords it is due out on August 19th via 4AD records. The first single is called Neon Beanbag and can be heard right now at Stereolabs MySpace

Catch some video after the jump...


Stereolab - Live on Jools Holland via YouTube


Stereolab - Wow and Flutter video via YouTube

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Cleverly Free Music

I posted a concert from archive.org in that My Morning Jacket post recently and it got me thinking. I bet a lot of people aren't even aware of some unexpected places to find cool free music content.

Warning this post is pretty geeked out you can find the rest after the jump...

So the whole thing with archive.org is they are allegedly archiving the internet. So all of my little musings on flash in the pan bands can be read 50 years from now. Personally I'm pretty skeptical 'cause it seems like trying to bottle the ocean to me. In any case this means they have culled all of those hippy bootleg tapes from all over the internet and collected them in one place.

You won't be able to find just any artists in the archive, if you're looking for Prince, Madonna, Metallica then you're probably not even reading this post. But if you like jam bands, or fringe indie-artists, then this is your site. It can get pretty technical with all of the tape heads arguing about lossy formats. What I do is find a band I like, sort their shows by rating then stream it from the site. I only download if the sound is worthy of hard drive space, which most of it isn't. But if you take the time you can find some gems in the rough.

A more recent find for me is the Hype Machine, which is a meta-blog. It combs blogs and sorts out all of the music in a pretty bad-ass manner. You can stream it direct from the site so again, very work friendly. It can be a bit harder to get to the original posts to download the songs. I usually just read which blog posted the song I want and go directly there rather than using the links on hypem.com.

This last bit of information is a bit shadier, so use at your own discretion and skill-level. You can go to sites like seeqpod.com or Project Playlist and exploit their resources to your own gain. Basically both of those sites created flash players that stream music from all over the internet. So if you have uploaded your favorite Usher track onto your personal webspace then these sites can stream it from there using their flash player. They are not designed to be used for free downloads...HOWEVER, when you search for a song on the site it will give you a link to add it to your playlist, and in that link it shows you where the file is sourced. It can be tricky to try and read the entire URL, usually you have to rest your mouse over the file name and type it in another browser.

There I've given you all of my tricks...or at least three of them. Here's some gems from the archives:

Spoon Live at the Greek Theatre on 2006-08-12

The Black Angels Live at Chop Suey on 2006-02-11

Tom Tom Club Live at The Bayou In Georgetown on 1989-05-15

Ryan Adams Live at Somerville Theatre on 2007-06-29

Jose Gonzalez Live at Belly Up Tavern on 2007-11-26

Andrew Bird Live at Studio 105, Lenoir on 2005-03-21

I'm putting an individual track from that Andrew Bird show you'll know why after you download and listen...it's just so awesome.
Andrew Bird - Measuring Cups VBR Mp3

Post some of your favs in the comments.

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Top Songs List '08 Part 1

So I've already mentioned my subjective best of album list for the year to date. Now it's time for the individual songs that have made me crank up the car stereo. These aren't necessarily "the best" anything. They are just songs that have made me happy this year...and hopefully these are all songs that were released in 2008, if not oh well they are still good songs.

10. the Black Keys - Strange Times

The rest of the list after the jump...

9. Jamie Lidell - Another Day
8. Islands - The Arm
7. Crystal Castles VS. HEALTH - Crimewave (Remix)
6. Santogold - Creator
5. Sigur Rós - Gobbledigook
4. Devotchka - Transliterator
3. The Raconteurs - Old Enough
2. MGMT - Time To Pretend
1. Radiohead - House of Cards

Ok, so I know I didn't let Radiohead's In Rainbows make the album list 'cause it was released in 2007 but House of Cards wasn't a single until 2008 so there! And for the Crystal Castles song the opposite is true. The song I listed was released in November of 07 but the Crystal Castles album was an 08 release, so I've taken some liberties.

I've also taken the liberty of making this list into a project playlist...list so you can hear the list songs if you wish:

It should also be noted that some of the songs I've listened to the most this year were released last year. Including Bon Iver and Panda Bear, who both have received a lot of plays this year. I also wanted to mention my love for the song Gone, Gone, Gone by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss but that too was released in 2007.


Panda Bear - Bros (Edit) video via YouTube

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