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?!?!

Jessica Lea Mayfield @ The Parish, 2.13.09

I didn't think that I could Love Jessica Lea Mayfield anymore than I already did, but that changed when I saw her live at The Parish (2.13.09).

Mayfield for me was one of those music review finds that we all hope for. When I joined Stereo Subversion as a album reviewer at the end of the summer, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt was one of the first albums they sent me. At the time, it hadn't been released yet and Mayfield was just about to embark on a tour with The Black Keys. It had not dawned on me that hers was that alluring yet sorrowful voice that I heard on The Black Keys' song "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be." However, after one listen I instantly knew that I had discovered something amazing. To avoid repeating myself I will just point you towards my review, but will mention that after repeated listens I believe I shortchanged the album. An 8 out of 10 is indeed a great score, but looking at it now I would bump the grade up to a 9. It's that damn good. 

With that, I was unbelievably excited to see alt-country's next sweetheart at The Parish opening up for the Annuals. Accompanied by a full band which included her brother David Mayfield, Jessica and her acoustic guitar caught a couple gasps from the crowd. And it wasn't just because she was looking absolutely gorgeous that night, it was because it's quite something to see such a strong and mature voice come from such a tiny young woman. Like the title of her album suggests, her songs are full of heartbreak and pain which is only intensified thanks to her blues-like sullen vocals. She played "Bible Days," one of the standouts on her debut, early in the set. "For Today," "Greater Heights," and "Kiss Me Again" were all thrown in there and through it all Jessica's music poured out with all the sadness and beauty that made her album such a remarkable creation. 

Not to be overlooked was David who played the upright bass like a man possessed, thrashing the strings and swinging it around as if it was a dance partner. At one point he even threw himself on the ground and lifted the bass into the air with his legs while still playing.

They ended with my favorite track off With Blasphemy, "I Can't Lie To You, Love." How fitting that they would close out on that one.  It was like Jessica was playing just for me...

Austinites will have another chance to catch little Ms. Mayfield when she visits for SXSW. She's currently scheduled to play The Parish again on March 18th, a showcase which includes her good friend (and producer) Dan Auerbach. I'm sure she will pick up a couple more shows during the week, so do yourself a favor and catch Mayfield live. You will not be disappointed at this discovery.

For now, listen to what she has to say about life on the road in this video from Uncensored Interview.

The Ting Tings @ The Parish, 10.19.08

This past Sunday (10.19) one of the biggest breakthrough bands of the year came to The Parish. The British duo The Ting Tings have made quite the name for themselves since their last visit to Austin during SXSW. They’ve achieved a #1 single and album in the UK, picked up a nomination for Video of the Year at the MTV Awards, a win for Best UK Video, and gained great exposure by giving an small performance at the awards show. Their catchy punk-tainted pop is quite infectious and the packed Parish was evident of that.

The Ting Tings are definitely a high-energy band. With Jules behind his drum kit most of the performance, Katie takes command switching between different guitars and dancing up a storm. The size of The Parish stage is ideal for a two-piece band; small enough that it doesn't swallow the band, and large enough that they can move to the music. They stuck to the 10 songs on We Started Nothing, beginning with a revamped version of "We Walk" and closing with the hit "That's Not My Name." The opening of each song drew a response from the crowd and everyone seemed to know every word.  A band just coming into their own, The Ting Tings put on a good show.  Their music displays great potential to grow and evolve–and most important, it will stick in your head for days.