Live Pick: The Rosebuds & Other Lives @ The Parish this Friday, 06.24.11

I've been eagerly anticipating this show since it was announced that these two were touring together.  This bill at the Parish on Friday features two standout bands of the first half of the year. Hands down, this show is seriously not to be missed.

The last time The Rosebuds came to Austin back in 2009 for sxsw, I basically stalked them by following them to every performance. My fondness for the band has only grown since then, but a lot has changed for them personally over that time. Of course Ivan Howard has spent some of that as a member of Gayngs where he continued to show his versatility as a musician. But for him and Kelly Crisp, the band that they created landed on shaky ground. While their marriage dissolved they still found themselves compelled to make music together. Lucky for us they did decide to continue on. The resulting album Loud Planes Fly Low ranks as one of their best. In the past their music has ranged from political, to historical, to spiritual, to down right danceable. On this new album it is heartbreaking. Without a doubt it's the Rosebuds most emotionally charged, and simply beautiful from beginning to end. As Crisp explained in a recent interview about Loud Planes, "It was the first time we had actually made very honest music that was about us personally and emotionally inside... if you listen to the music, you can tell it’s very personal and heavy." If you ask me, Ivan and Kelly have outdone themselves on this one. 

Now the Rosebuds aren't the only spectacular band taking the stage on Friday. If you ever wondered what it would sound like if Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear did a collaboration project, than Other Lives is for you. This Oklahoma band is promoting their sophomore album Tamer Animals, which is flying a little under the radar right now. Those of us who have caught it are all pretty universal in our acclaim. Get a taste of their flavor in the sci-fi-rific video "For 12" below.

For those who want to relive my sxsw experience by stalking the Rosebuds, the band will also be doing an in-store performance at Waterloo Records earlier in the day at 5pm. So this is an excellent time for you to delve into the Rosebuds experience, and an equally excellent time for me to revel in my everlasting indie-crush on Kelly. I mean she is relatively single now; so if I'm gonna make my move now would be the time. Riiiight? RIGHT?!?!

Live Pick: Jessica Lea Mayfield @ Emo's this Saturday, 04.23.11

This show is not just my pick of the week. It's really my pick of the month. I don't shy away from gushing over Jessica Lea Mayfield. Just take a peek at the several times I've mentioned her on this blog. If there is ever an artist that I recommend the most to people these days, it is definitely her.

Here are the basics, Jessica Lea Mayfield is a young lass (currently 21 years old) from Kent, Ohio. She got her big break when her bedroom recorded EP landed in the hands of Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. In turn he produced her debut LP in 2008, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. That album was pretty much universally acclaimed across the board and picked up comparisons to Cat Power and Hope Sandoval/Mazzy Star. Now the not so basics, Jessica Lea Mayfield writes and sings some of the most heartbreakingly sad songs you will ever hear. Sung with a barren country vocal, her tales of love and loss cut deep.

Her latest album released earlier this year, Tell Me, is as equally praised as its predecessor. This venture finds Auerbach behind the boards again as Mayfield stretches her reach as a songwriter and performer. While not completely shedding her skin as a tortured soul, Mayfield does find a niche for a more pop friendly sound. A couple weeks ago she made her network television premier performing on David Letterman. From the clip below you can see how she has evolved her music from her alt-coutry roots while still keeping its sincerity.

Saturday night, 04.23.01, Jessica Lea Mayfield will stop in Austin to play the inside stage at Emo's, with Nathaniel Rateliff opening the show. Doors open at 9pm. Again, this is my pick of the month. I can't recommend Mayfield enough. She is without a doubt one of my most favorite new artists of the last couple years.

Live Pick: The Raveonettes & Tamaryn @ Emo's this Tuesday, 04.12.01

Raven in the Grave, the latest album from The Ravonettes, is possibly the band’s darkest and most gloomy effort to date. And those of you familiar with the Danish duo know that is saying a lot. Calling the Raveonettes dark is like calling water “wet,” or describing outer space as “big.” After all, their previous release In and Out of Control contained dance floor anthems regarding drug overdose and rape. Now this time out Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo treat their melancholy lyrics with equally as melancholy beats. In their 10 years the Ravonettes have continuously found ways to morph their two-part harmonies over a growing palate of genres. They’ve been surf-guitar rockers, a synth-driven electronic band, and shoegazers. What has stayed consistent is their ability to make you feel cold to the bone after listening to them. For example, Raven in the Grave standout “War in Heaven” rides its atmospheric melody with only two barren lines of vocals appearing/reappearing in the song.  The video for the album’s first single “Recharge & Revolt” is posted below.

This Tuesday, 04.12.11, the Raveonettes make a stop in Austin when they play Emo’s outside stage.  Accompanying them is up-and-coming band Tamaryn. Beginning the show will be locals Shapes Have Fangs. 

Based out of San Francisco, Tamaryn is among the recent group of goth revivalist making noise these days. They released their debut The Waves last year on the Mexican Summer label. The duo consists of vocalist Tamaryn (from whom the band takes its name, obviously) and producer Rex John Shelverton. Much like the headlining band, they fuse fuzzy guitars to their shadowy poetics. The title track from that release, my favorite of the album, can be heard over here. 

Live Pick: Warpaint w/ Family Band @ La Zona Rosa this Saturday, 04.09.11

L.A. psych band Warpaint is no stranger to Austin. It seems they find a reason to stop here every couple months. I officially lost count of how many times I saw them live last year. This is in no way a complaint. Warpaint has quickly become one of my favorite bands. I could go on seeing them live many more times and never tire. With only an EP and one full-length under their belts, Exquisite Corpse and The Fool respectively, they have made my 'best-of' list both of the last two years. The quartet uses hypnotic guitars, layered with harmonious vocals to create a spellbinding sound that could score your sweetest dreams one minute and your darkest nightmares the next. Then sometimes they sound like they are singing from both. It's a strong balance that has crossover appeal. A song like "Undertow" (vid below) displays a fair share of modern pop allure, and other tracks like "Billie Holiday" or "Baby" are more a throwback to 60's girl-groups like The Ronettes. MTV named the band one of their "Artist to Watch in 2011." And only a year after the indie world had already discovered them; way to be cutting edge MTV! Sarcasm aside, Warpaint deserves the accolade and the push seems to have given a boost to their popularity. So here is another chance for Austinites to catch their mesmerizing live show and fall in love. Much like I have.

A big bonus here is that Warpaint is bringing along Family Band with them on this current trek. The New York husband/wife group released their first LP Miller Path last year, which became a great hidden gem for those of us lucky enough to come across it. The band rides the sullen voice of Kim Krans over the guitar of John Ollsin for a goth-leaning psych/folk palate. According to their website the two met in the Catskill mountains where they return to write many of their songs in a two-room, hand-built cabin. That atmosphere can definitely be heard in the music, as a stark emptiness is conveyed through their heavy melancholy ballads. I definitely recommend giving Family Band a listen.

Also on the bill will be Australian electronic group PVT. I'm unfamiliar with this band, so this is going to be new for me. But all-in-all this should be a solid show. It all goes down at La Zona Rosa this Saturday, April 9th. Doors open at 8pm, so get there early. As I state above you do not want to miss the opening act.

Live Pick: "The Red Party" w/ Girl In A Coma & Agent Ribbons @ Red 7 this Friday, 02.11.11

By this time I think it's fair to say that Girl in a Coma have been adopted by Austin. Yes, we love them here in the ATX and I'm pretty sure that they love our city as equally. At least it would seem that way being how much they play live here. It is indeed a treat every time. This Friday [02.11.11] they headline The Red Party at Red 7. Which will include a full line up of all female artists in a showcase benefiting Girls Rock Camp Austin.

Girl in a Coma gained some high profile notoriety when Esquire recognized their cover of Joy Division's "Transmission" as one of the "Best New Songs You Probably Haven't Heard." The accolade was very well deserved as they completely stripped down classic song into a mesmerizing punk ballad. It comes off last year's Adventures in Coverland, and if you haven't heard it yet please check out the video below.




Also on the bill are Austin transplants Agent Ribbons, whose Chateau Crone was one of the best under-the-radar releases of 2010. The Ribbons sisters Natalie and Lauren (ok, they're not really sisters and neither has the last name Ribbons) offer up a rockabilly/cabaret flavored garage rock that is seductive and sexy. They are one of the most promising bands calling Austin home right now. Here is a video of the girls performing my favorite track off Chateau, "Grey Gardens."




Rounding out the lineup will be the wonderfully named Paradise Titty, and Red Falcon. Looks like doors are opening at 9pm, and some sort of red attire is encouraged for those attending. It is the RED party after all.

Live Pick: Murder By Death @ Red 7 this Saturday, 02.05.11

Saturday night will have a hollow and Southern fried chill in the air when Murder By Death make a stop in Austin.

Bloomington, India band Murder By Death has been cranking out music for what seems like forever. And by forever I really mean since about 2000. It seems like forever because they are one of those bands that have build a following the old fashioned way of continuous touring. With numerous albums, EPs, singles, and split 7"s in their catalog, the crown moment so far is probably 2008's impressive Red of Tooth and Claw. Their Southern Gothic rock sound is guided by guitartist and frontman Adam Turla, with his young Johnny Cash vocals commanding each song like a preacher giving a fire and brimstone sermon. The landscape is made even more dense by the furious cello provided by the ever-lovely Sarah Balliet. Their last album released last year Good Morning, Magpie continued the thematic tradition of death, redemption, and even some spagetti-western influence.

They take the stage at Red 7 on Saturday [02.05.11] with The Builders & The Butchers, and Damion Suomi & The Monior Prophets rounding out the bill. Doors open at 9pm. If you haven't jumped on the Murder By Death wagon yet, first off shame on you (they have been around forever), take advantage of the opportunity now.

Here is the official video for "As Long as There is Whiskey in the World" from Good Morning.




And here is a short clip of the standout "I'm Coming Home" from Red of Tooth of Claw.




And because I like hot rock chicks, here are some pics of cellist Sarah Balliet.

Melissa Auf der Maur SXSW OOOM Pre-Release Party, 03.18.10 @ Péché, 6-7pm

Former Hole bassist (and onetime Smashing Pumpkin) Melissa Auf der Maur will be making the rounds at SXSW this week to promote her multimedia project Out Of Our Minds, or OOOM for short. The album drops on March 30th, and to celebrate Melissa will be hosting a pre-release absinthe hoedown this Thursday, March 18 at Péché on 4th st ( a.k.a. the one above Cedar Street Courtyard).

Festivities will take place from 6-7pm. The party is being sponsored by Fender, Filter Magazine, and Venuszine. RSVP here.

For those who don't know, I've been a long time supporter through Melissa's career and am very excited that she is finally unveiling the music of OOOM.

Come and join us at the party. There will be fun... Oh yes, F-U-N will be had...

OUT OF OUR MINDS MUSIC VIDEO from MAdM OOOM

Jessica Lea Mayfield Comes to Austin; My Ogling of Her to Continue...

So you may remember Jessica Lea Mayfield from such wonderful places as in my dreams, or the last time I posted about her. Either way she'll be visiting Austin again this Tuesday (07.21.09) when she plays the inside stage of Stubb's. Her last appearance in the ATX was during SXSW, which I had to unfortunately miss due to another showcase across town. But she is back and for the first time she is the headliner. That makes me kinda proud of her. *sniff*sniff*tear* She is easily one of my favorite new artists of the last couple years. 

Mayfield is still pushing her fan-fucking-tastic album from last year With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. I also hear that she's testing out new songs as well, most notably "Grown Man" and "Nervous Lonely Night." Both can be previewed in the live performance videos below. 

Girl In A Coma @ Waterloo Records, 6.01.09

Girl In A Coma celebrated the release of their sophomore album Trio B.C. in their home away from home today (6.01.09). Waterloo Records in Austin was the spot for an in-store performance at which the band showcased several songs off the new album including "Baby Boy" and "Pink Lemonade."

The band lead by ubber-cutie Nina Diaz on guitar and vocals have built quite the fan base as they trekked all across the land in the last two years. The new album picks up where Both Before I'm Gone left off. While it's punk rock moments hit as hard as its predecessor's, Trio B.C. displays an obvious maturity in songwriting as Girl In A Coma have injected more pop appeal into their rock. And Nina's Morrissey-ish yelp sounds as good as ever.

Those who couldn't make it to Waterloo can catch Girl In A Coma this Saturday (the 6th of june) as they take the outside stage of Emo's, with Miss Derringer and Trinity Stardust favorites The Boxing Lesson rounding out the bill.

Lucy The Poodle Productions presents... LUCY MAGAZINE

Lucy The Poodle Productions is an Austin based conglomerate that specializes in throwing one hell of a party and having fun. In between the partying and fun they found time to develop a new zine which will launch during SXSW.  It's a  a full-color, printed glossy magazine featuring  music, art, theatre, film and all that other good stuff. Most importantly (to me at least), the first issue of Lucy Magazine will feature an article I wrote about The Boxing Lesson. Yes, the wonderful folks at LTP set me up to interview the band back in January and commissioned me to write a brief piece on them. While you've seen me discuss a plenty about The Boxing Lesson before, this article gives a little in-depth look on their own perspectives regarding the year that was 2008 and the year that will be 2009. And truthfully I'm interested to see how my article looks within the magazine. So I'm super excited about it.

And furthermore, there will be a launch party this Friday, 03.13.09, at Stubb's (Lucy The Poodle throwing a party... you don't say). Austin bands Shapes Have Fangs, The Bubbles and Sheboygan will be performing. There will also be some film screenings that should keep your interests peeked. Plus all that attend will get a copy of the inagural issue of Lucy Magazine. That in itself is all the reason you need to attend.

UPDATE: Lucy Magazine can be read online. Flip to page 18 for my article on The Boxing Lesson. 

My 3 Favorite Cat Power Albums

Finally The Cat Power has come back to Austin!!!

Well, she will be in Austin. Chan Marshall and her Dirty Delta Blues Band come to town this Saturday (10/11) for the first time since last year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. The more than just slightly pretty Chan (pronounced ‘shawn’) will play Stubb’s, making up for a show that was originally scheduled back in April but cancelled due to damage of her vocal cords.

After several months of rest she’s back in action promoting her latest release and second covers album Jukebox, while also building hype for an EP of outtakes from those studio sessions due in December. With eight albums and thirteen years in the business Chan has gone from grunge to minimalist to full-band southern soul, continuously evolving her sound and earning a reputation for being one of the most gifted and consistently excellent singer/songwriters today. Not to mention one of my personal favorites.

So in anticipation of Saturday’s show I am providing a little retrospect on Cat Power by briefly discussing my favorite albums in her catalog. Though it is remarkably hard for me to rank all her releases based on my liking, I can say that these particular three are definitely my favorites so far... Countdown style...

3. Are You Free (2003)

This release now stands as a bridge between Chan's minimalist phase and her current full band sound.  It offers a little from both sides, while dealing with ideas of personal freedom and being free. It begins with the track "I Don't Blame You," a storytelling song of a doomed rock star rumored to be about Kurt Cobain, but could also parallel Chan's pending breakdown and growing alcohol problems.  "Speak for Me" and "He War" are a transition to more upbeat territory which at the time was a new avenue for Chan's music. Furthermore, she is even able to make Eddie Vedder sound cool on their closing duet "Evolution." And Chan deserves all the recognition in the world just for pulling off that tremendous feat.  

2. Dear Sir (1995)
The Chan Marshall that we heard on her first album was a much grungier version, but no less honest as a songwriter or gritty of a singer. Even back then her vocals sound like the embodiment of suicide. Recorded with Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Foljahn of Two Dollar Guitar, the instrumentation behind Chan is as dominant as the vocals. The screeching guitars battle her voice for superiority leading to a beautiful balance of noise where both pull you into each song. It features some of Cat Power's loudest most in-your-face material. Listening to "The Sleepwalker" should make you pull out an old flannel, some baggy ripped jeans, and have you staring at your shoes.  Dear Sir is arguably the most underrated and overlooked album to come out of the early 90’s grunge movement.

1. The Covers Record (2000)

Usually cover albums are throwaways that artists use to buy time or meet contractual agreements; they're really not meant to be spectacular. But Chan must not have realized that because The Covers Record is a career defining moment. Never one to shy away from recording other people's material (every pervious album included one or more cover tracks), Chan decides to deconstruct and then reconstruct songs to a point where they are almost unrecognizable from the original.  For instance, The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" becomes a quiet whisper of a song and she is able to fill "Wild is the Wind" with more pain than even Nina Simone could muster. It was this that made Chan Marshall a master in the art of covering others. At the risk of sounding too cliche, a Cat Power remake truly breathes new life into the original. For this reason The Covers Record is a milestone in music that should be admired for years to come.  

Girl In a Coma @ Emo's, Preview 8.01.08

San Antonio’s Girl In a Coma will travel up I-35 to bring their ‘80s tainted punk to Emo’s Inside on Friday. Personally speaking, seeing this band live is something I’ve been anticipating for the last couple months. The female trio released their debut album Both Before I’m Gone last year after catching the eye of the legendary Joan Jett, who signed them to her Blackheart Records label. Girl In a Coma was here for several shows during SXSW, but unfortunately I was not hip enough to know who they were at the time and didn’t see them perform. That has now changed, not only because my hipness has drastically increased, but because Both Before I’m Gone has since been given great exposure by being featured on iTunes as a “Music Editor’s Choice.” Here is a prime chance for Austinites to catch this buzz-worthy band before embarking on an US tour with indie darlings Tegan and Sara starting in September.

-William Trinity

101X The Next Big Thing @ Emo's, Preview 7.18.08

I’m really quite excited about 101X’s The Next Big Thing show at Emo’s on Friday, July 18th.  There will be three bands showcased with The Warlocks headlining. The Vandelles will also take the stage, but the band I’m most stoked about is The Boxing Lesson.  I saw their set at the Exit Music Festival not too long ago and in my opinion they put on the most impressive performance of those I caught that day.  They’re a little psychedelic, a little hard rock, and pretty much all awesome. So that is why this show is my pick of the week.

- William Trinity

This blog was first published on austinme.com.

Adrian and the Sickness @ Momo's, Preview 7.12.08

This Saturday night, 7/12, I’ll be at Momo’s to check out Adrian and the Sickness. Truthfully I’m not too familiar with the band, nor am I that familiar with Momo’s. But there is a first time for everything, and this just happens to do the two birds with one stone thing. What I do know about Adrian and the Sickness is that they’re an all female trio, and that in itself is enough to engage my interest. Now, what I know about Momo’s is that it’s on Sixth Street and Rio Grande. So armed with this knowledge I’m looking to rock out.

-William Trinity

This blog was first published on austinme.com.