THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT

Download the new print version of The Austin Independent (PDF)

2007-03-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

The new print version of The Austin Independent is available all over Austin at the convention center (SXSW central), venues, coffee shops, boutiques, dayshows, after-parties, etc.

You can the download the PDF version of the full magazine.

Band Review: UMEwords: llen rad photos: anthony radbun + zach ground

2007-01-17T15:38:00.000-08:00

The fights prior to and all those that followed get blurry as the years pass, but I distinctly remember the third time I got beaten up in grade school. Pulling myself up off the playground, dazed and bloody, I turned to my attacker fully expecting to see some murderous behemoth with cinder blocks for fists looming overhead, but there before me stood little Lyle Goodrich.

Lyle was a good foot shorter than most of the kids in our grade, including yours truly. Lyle had never gotten into an altercation prior to this debacle, nor had he ever shown the slightest proclivity for violence. I couldn’t even get mad at him for devastating the major features on my face just moments before. I just gazed at Lyle in awe and utter bemusement. I never saw it coming.

Austin band Ume is little Lyle Goodrich reincarnated. I don’t even know if Lyle is dead, but if he was and came back as a band he would be Ume. Fronted by the nymph-like Lauren Larson on guitar and vocals, the trio which is rounded out by husband Eric on bass/vocals and Jeff Barrera on drums quickly dismisses any preconceived notions one might have of the group prior to hearing them. Ume’s live show is a spectacle to behold and one that deserves to be experienced. Their sound falls somewhere between the frenetic rock of Goo era Sonic Youth and the fuzzy sludge of bands like Pelican and Isis. This is hardly the stuff you’d expect to hear from a soft-spoken philosophy doctoral student, software programmer, and an art installer. Though, it might not be all that surprising if you knew their background.

Lauren and Eric met when the former was 15 and playing in a thrash metal band at a skate park in their native Houston. “He asked me for my number on the vert ramp,” Karen recalls of the initial meeting. Three years, and a few bands later, the two were joined in matrimony. While some married couples might choose to make the most of their quality time going out on date nights at Olive Garden or browsing the IKEA catalog together, The Larson’s decided theirs would be best spent in the practice room and formed what would become Ume, “plum” in Japanese, in 2002. The triumvirate was complete when friend and bassist Barrera offered to go over to the dark side and switched to the drums. They would deny the similarities, but the obvious comparisons to rock’s royal couple Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth are can be noted when describing Lauren and Eric. Like Kim, Lauren is petite, blonde, and howls like a siren dashing your helpless wreck against a punishing rock face. Eric is Kim’s Thurston, the quiet tempest that compliments his lady’s unsettling fury with intuitive and assuring bass lines and lyrics that drip with candor. Together they create a perfect storm, tempered by Barrera’s steady pulse.

Urgent Sea is the first and, at this moment, the only recorded offering Ume has bestowed upon anxious ears. The title of the album is a wry play on words, indicative of the tumultuous circumstances that surrounded its creation. At the time, the Larsons were busy in Western Pennsylvania working on additional degrees and Barrera had to fly in intermittently from Houston to play gigs and work on songs. Lauren speaks of the process, “It was so piecemeal, the way it came together. We were still learning to play together. Jeff was still learning to play the drums. I was terrified to sing. We just wanted to see what would happen.”

The words she uses to describe the situation belie the comprehensive sound that the trio ultimately ended up with. The album is aggressive and stunning, but leaves you with the feeling that it’s not the best work yet to come from Ume. The group is now priming new material for the studio that, by my estimation, will floor you like a punch in the mouth.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Book Review: PUNK ON 45: Revolutions on Vinyl 1976-79by Gavin Walsh(plexus)

2007-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Set for release in March, 2007, Punk on 45: Revolutions on Vinyl 1976-79 collects a 4-year span of 45rpm 7” vinyl album art that started a revolution in design and aesthetics. The DIY attitude of the punk movement led to the wide use of collage, photocopy, and cut-n-paste techniques allowing for highly creative but affordable picture-sleeves.

Split into a timeline of punk subgenres, the book is not only a beautiful collection of record cover artwork but also a significant history lesson on an incredibly influential period of music as well. Starting out from the origins of punk in 1976, the book comprehensively displays and offers intelligent discussion on the album covers of such legends as The Clash, the Ramones, Television, the Sex Pistols, The Slits, and Blondie as well as showcasing rare artwork by groups like The Fall, Magazine, The Police, the Dead Kennedys and The Cramps, concluding with Post-Punk groups like The Cure, Joy Division and Bauhaus.

– dániel perlaky

Album Review: WRIT ON WATER: Preserve The Sound(self-released)

2007-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Austin band Preserve the Sound have stumbled onto something. I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but the more I listen to Writ on Water the closer I am to figuring it out. The circuitous dual guitar stylings of vocalist Kevin Stutz and Dave Hodson lead the charge on “Prelude” which meanders into the aggressive “Dark Horse Candidate.” Aggressive is an interesting choice in describing this music as Stutz’s vocals are anything but.

Think Elliot Smith, if he had fronted Thursday or No Knife. It’s a nice counter to the heavy riffs, anchored by drummer Jayson Cruz, and the absolutely stellar bass grooves of Marcos Lujan that permeate the album. It’s kind of like your mom singing you to slumber with lullabies as she smothers you with a pillow. Surprisingly, the only particularly weak track is the title song. “Writ in Water” is an instrumental piece which, though ambitious, is uneven in tempo and overindulgent at times.

“There’s no Way” is by far the best song on the album, and might be my favorite song to come from an Austin band this year. Ominous and endearing all at once, it showcases band’s ability to write addictive tunes that don’t delve into the realm of cheese. “How can I find a better temporary purpose?” Stutz inquires in earnest during the song. Well, after listening to Writ in Water, I’m not really sure how to answer that. This music thing seems to suit them pretty well.

– llen rad

Album Review: TV ON THE RADIO: Return To Cookie Mountain(interscope)

2007-01-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Like some of you, I was at the Austin City Limits festival this year when TV on the Radio performed. They are perhaps one of the most polarizing bands in rock right now as there seems to be no middle ground on the public sentiment towards them. People seem to love what they’re doing or fail to find the value in it.

To be completely honest, I was somewhat under whelmed with their performance at the concert. To me their fuzz fried soul seemed flat and generally ill conceived. I thought I’d give them another chance with their sophomore album Return to Cookie Mountain, based on the strength of their single, “Wolf Like Me” and I’m really ecstatic that I did.

Opening track, “I was a lover” draws the listener in with soaring horn and string hits reminiscent of the musical scores from mid-nineties urban dramas like Fresh and New Jack City. Vocalists Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone wax poetic on life, love, and happiness or lack thereof on this track, and 12 others, with visual imagery that will undoubtedly keep your mind adroit. Your corporal senses won’t be neglected either, as you may find it entirely too difficult to keep from moving to the beats brought to life by producer/member Dave Sitek and Co. Even David Bowie lends his approval and his pipes on the uplifting “Province." This epic ride through scenes both esoteric and mundane is capped off with an Afro-beat sizzler, “Things You Can Do,” that would make the likes of Fela Kuti proud. Return to Cookie Mountain is a challenging listen, and may require several plays before it clicks. But you can be assured that this one album that is worth repeating.

– llen rad

Album Review: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT and BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW: The House of Apples and Eyeballs (graveface records)

2007-01-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Following up the excellent One Ten Hundred Thousand Million, Austin-based noisy pseudo-electronic freakout post-dance rock-rock group, The Octopus Project, mash-up their own multi-dimensional musings with those of Chicago-based Black Moth Super Rainbow on The House of Apples and Eyeballs.

The result of a year-long long distance collaboration, the record incorporates the drums, guitars, piano and theremin of The Octopus Project with the synths, atari sounds, vocoder, and electronic beats of Black Moth Super Rainbow to create a soundtrack to an extraterrestrial fairytale – fluttering whimsically through the bends and folds of space time until the listener no longer knows which direction is forward or backward. In case you’re confused, that’s a good thing... no, it’s a great thing.

– dániel perlaky

Album Review: ROBIN THICKE: The Evolution of Robin Thicke (interscope)

2007-01-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

If Justin Timberlake ever happens to take sexy away in the near future, Robin Thicke will be right behind him to bring it back again. Thicke’s second album could not have a more aptly named title, as the crooner truly evolves his blue-eyed soul into a much more mature effort than his debut (A Beautiful World, 2003). Thicke has succeeded behind the scenes of the music industry for years, penning tracks for big names including Usher and Michael Jackson – but this sophomore set gives the gifted songwriter his own identity by establishing an original blend of pop-themed love songs with new R&B flavor.

A guest appearance by Faith Evans and two by Lil’ Wayne (including a remix of “Shooter,” a track from Thicke’s first album) help give The Evolution credibility among R&B circles, but the album’s pop synths and catchy lyrics make this set one for fans of both genres. For those who enjoy the new rhythmic hip-pop recently released by artists like Timberlake and Diddy, this is a great addition to your album collection. The bonus for The Evolution of Robin Thicke is an added sense of maturity, which puts this album above and beyond its competition.

– jordan davidoff

Album Review: VIETNAM: self-titled(kemado)

2006-11-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

For those of us who remember VietNam – the exceptionally ratty-looking greasy-haired guys who worked at Spider House that were too hip even for themselves and who a year or so later on tour could barely speak a coherent sentence let alone remember your name – it turns out they’re still alive and have a new self-titled full-length record to release on Kemado in January 2007.
The album is familiar territory for the band but seemingly more sincere and mature than their Vice recordings hipster candy EP The Concrete’s Always Greyer on the Other Side of the Street. The addition of Michael Foss on drums and Ivan Berko on bass adds some much needed meat to the core duo of Michael Gerner and Josh Grubb who have refined their careless, raspy vocals, and distorted, jangle blues guitars to produce a listenable album filled with hazy, psychedelic, mustached hipster sermons.
– dániel perlaky

DVD Review: BAD BRAINS: Live at CBGB 1982(mvd visual)

2006-11-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

If you’re ready to graduate from the modern-hardcore crap that not only pollutes your brain but also makes you look about as menacing as a 12-year-old girl, you may want to head back to to the early 80s to check out Bad Brains, the seminal hard punk-edged reggae-core group that shook CBGBs club to its foundations on a semi-monthly basis. Bad Brains: Live CBGB 1982 chronicles what was arguably the band’s heyday through the shaky, grainy footage of a series of shows at the legendary club in all its sweaty, distorted glory. At the time, the band’s fusion of punk and reggae rocketed them to cult status on the East Coast despite their limited output of recordings and infrequent touring and to those not fortunate enough to catch the band live, this is as close as it gets.
– dániel perlaky

Album Review: THAVIUS BECK: Thru(mush records)

2006-11-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

Rating: 4 stars

On his sophomore effort Thru, Thavius Beck doesn’t just succeed in achieving true innovation – the producer’s quick, dizzying synths get your head spinning more quickly than ten rounds of Cuervo. Thru is essentially what a Linkin Park album tries to be, without the annoying pop influences that hinder its sound. The album is packed with raw, industrial-style beats with a dark hip-hop flavor that caters to fans of rap, rock and electronic music alike. The instrumentals, whether rap-centric (“Sonic Sound”) or ambient-esque (“Perpetual Pursuit”) are all tasteful to a degree where the entire album remains consistent without any of the tracks sounding quite the same.
Songstress Mia Doi Todd is brilliantly sampled on the dark and depressing “Down,” while former touring partner Saul Williams puts in his two cents on the aggressive “Lyrical Gunplay.”
Clocking in at a short 46 minutes, listeners go “Thru” Beck’s new album relatively quickly – but this sophomore set will leave fans eagerly awaiting for this up-and-comer’s third album.
– jordan davidoff

Album Review: LEMURS: self-titled (self-released)

2006-11-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Having seen the Lemurs consistently put on better and better performances in Austin clubs for over a year, it’s about time there’s a record to pump at home.
The band consists of top-quality musicians who thankfully don’t shy away from a complicated and layered approach to songwriting. While the album is full of hooks and addictive melodies, most songs on the record go beyond the normal pop constructions and incorporate funked-out instrumental freakouts and breakdowns that really elevate the Lemurs several cuts above the rest of the dance-ready indie powerpop groups out there.
With its deep headbop beats, overdriven synths, interlaced guitar melodies, dark velvet vocals, and fabulously chaotic electro-funk explosion, “Berlin,” a crowd favorite at live shows, is probably among the top ten singles coming out of Austin. Another stand-out track, “They Do What They Like,” features pleading, Cure-esque vocals and fuzzy-twang, surf-rock guitar riffs building on staccato rhythm breaks to create a noir dance anthem.
At 34 minutes, the band’s self-titled debut fits somewhere between an EP and a full-length, but it contains a couple of real gems that will find good homes on party and road-trip compilations; and makes me curious about their next effort.
- anatol ziege

Album Review: LOMITA: Stress Echo (w/bonus material) (indierect records)

2006-10-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Although bands inevitably will continue to try, it seems nearly impossible to really blend rock and country sounds without being an imposter but, Austin's Lomita have not only reconciled those two genres but have expanded their sound to incorporate sub-genres thereof, creating a whilly unique sound worthy of every non-partisan music fan's palette.
Stress Echo, the band's debut release, showcases their diverse tastes as the record flows from the catchy roadhouse pop anthems of "I Got A Feeling" and "History of Leaving" to the 100 mile speed-train rock of "Green Eyes" to the Billy Idol-esque dance floor disaster freak-out of "Mr. Execution," finally winding down into the depraved depths of "Panic" which starts off with creepy, meloncholly wails and dead ends into a cacophonous explosion of buildups and teardowns that will make you feel like you're in a ragtop Cadillac screaming through the desert with a loaded gun sitting on the front seat next to your bottle of Jameson.
The band consists of five expert musicians who have a well of ideas, a massive library of influences, and know what to do with their instruments and recording equipment. As icing on the cake, Lomita can pull of their layered compositions live as well as they have on their record so catch a show in the near future and grab a copy of Stress Echo which is sure to wear your CD player out.

- anatol ziege

Band Review STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT riyl: the roots, jurassic 5, blackalicious words: jordan davidoff / photo: michael tnasuttimonkol

2006-10-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

To many hip-hop fans, Texas’ rap scene is centered around candy-painted cars and iced-out grills. While many Texans have embraced screwed-and-chopped tunes (along with its extravagant lifestyle), a Texas trio of hip-hoppers is proving that the Lone Star State has much more to offer than a few cups of “purple drank.”

Enter the Strange Fruit Project. With parts based in both Waco and Dallas, the group – S1, Myth and Myone – have recently made an impressive splash in underground hip-hop circles with their acclaimed release The Healing (Om Records), a refreshing set of old-school rhymes that’s a far cry from the H-Town sounds of Mike Jones and Chamillionaire.
With “boom-bap” beats reminiscent of the Native Tongues movement of the early ‘90s (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul), SFP spits positive messages throughout (ITAL)The Healing and strays away from the material rhymes usually heard on mainstream hip-hop radio stations.
The new album has a variety of renown guests, most notably Dallas native Erykah Badu. The group said that the collaboration was put together by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson of The Roots, a huge fan of both parties.
“He’s the reason Erykah made it onto the album,” Myone said. “His ear for music is on another level, and he really pushed for us to get together because of our Texas connection, and we’re blessed to have her on the album.”
The collaboration, titled “Get Live,” is a feel-good anthem with a beat more quick than most Texas-based hip-hop. While the group loves “Screw” music just as much as the next Texan, SFP wants to let the national audience know that Lone Star hip-hop is not limited to the narrow-minded, materialistic styles as it is often portrayed to be.
“We have no problem with that kind of music,” Myth said. “That sound has always been there, so it overshadows everything. We just try to create a balance and show another side of Texas.”
SFP is very pleased with the album’s initial reception. The Healing has been hailed with wide critical acclaim since its release and even rose into the top ten of iTunes’ hip-hop album charts, a rare milestone for an independent act.
“Feedback is all that we wanted,” S1 said. “We got it and are very happy with what we’ve heard.”
SFP hasn’t been back home in Texas since a recent promotional tour in August and will be off to Europe to spread their hip-hop gospel for most of the Fall. The group members collectively agreed, though, that there’s always a place to hang their hat in Texas.
“We love coming back to Texas as much as we can,” S1 said. “We’re staying on our grind for now, but don’t worry, we’ll be back soon!”

Band Interview / Band Review THE ARM riyl: the fall, echo and the bunnymen, les savy fav words: santiago capra / photos: dániel perlaky

2006-10-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Even days after the show, the gentlemen responsible for the profound and strangely fulfilling static in my head are none other than The Arm, an Austin post-whatever-rock four-piece unwaveringly administering listeners with a straight shot through the head.
Emo's was shoulder to shoulder as the band sent lazy nods to the sound man confirming that things were in order. A few minutes later the band had ripped through the first breathless and perfectly chaotic song, confirming more importantly that this was their house we were in and that things were about to escalate out of our control.
From then forth, The Arm deconstructed the club and all in it continually more forcefully with the deep rumble of urgent basslines, sharp jagged guitar attacks, lingering shrieks of the organ, the complex dance drum equations, and the baptism-in-the-river-of-flame vocals preaching that no one is yet saved – but that the time to act is now.
With the last trails of guitar feedback fading, I realized that I was now allowed to move and I stumbled out back in search of some calm to wash the last 35 minutes of total annihilation down with. Seemingly, most of the band (with the exception of guitarist Alex Lyon who was already en route to another gig) had had the same idea and I joined Alex Ramirez (bass), Kevin Bybee (drums) and Sean O'Neal (keys, vox) to try to figure out what in the hell these outbursts of genuine bitch-slap music were all about.

You have four words to define your music without explicitly making sound references. Go!
Sean: Now more than ever.
Kevin: We will kill you.
Alex: Black comedy black comedy.

How can such a big sound come from such skinny kids?
Kevin: I squeeze every bit of myself into each performance and pay the consequences later. Hopefully that comes across.
Sean: We use amps. It's sweet that you think I'm skinny.
Alex: Sean and I really aren't that skinny... but more importantly the kids and I are really not kids anymore and it's not that our past endeavors "failed"... they more or less missed the radar or imploded.
In regards to The Arm, i think our sound is a projection of our collective contravention with our respective pasts.

What scares you and how does it manifest in your music?
Sean: Living an unremarkable existence or slowly slipping into quiet desperation scares me. So I try to make my desperation very unquiet and that's where the music comes from.
Kevin: Not soliciting an opinion scares me. If I'm up there destroying myself and somebody is bored, then somehow I have failed and that is unacceptable.
Alex: Myself. Playing music helps over come it... slightly.

Let's talk a little about your plans to infiltrate America. How has the band and the sound moved forward and what do you hope to achieve with it?
Sean: We regrouped and rebuilt and I think the songs we've been writing are more mature and less one-note. We know at least three notes now. My personal goal is to make a little noise this year and expand. I feel like we've been on a powderkeg for a while now and it's about time that it exploded.
Kevin: I think we finally sound like only ourselves, without any preconceived notions in our songwriting.
Alex: I think we'll be as successful as Guy Fawkes was at his own revolution.

You have an anticipated new record "Call You Out" coming out in April... who do you think will appreciate it?
Kevin: Since we're in the middle of being really noisy and fairly accessible I think we write songs that are catchy in their own weird way but i'm not sure we hear things the way the public as a whole does.
Alex: Muppets, cowboys, karaoke buffs, rabbits but not hares.
Sean: Vaguely bored people with an itchy feeling of dissatisfaction they just can't describe.

What mandatory warning label should accompany your music?
Sean: Trace amounts of peanuts.
Kevin: May cause idiotic comparisons.
Alex: Underwhelming if listened to at low levels. Do not drive or operate sharp instruments.

Name a local band who deserves more attention.
Kevin: Without a doubt, Lomita. You are going to hear about them.
Alex: Lomita, if they live long enough...
Sean: There's a ton of them that already get twice as much attention as we do – and deservedly so – but the ones who could use it are Lomita and Attack Formation.

How do you wish to be overwhelmed in the future?
Kevin: With the adoring praise of the entire planet, doye!
Alex: With time. Time to write music and time with my family.
Sean: With kisses.

Band Review STEERS riyl: lightning bolt, neurosis, the melvins words: franklin morris / photography: lauren olivarez

2006-10-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

When asked to name their favorite local band, somebody in SteerS jokingly announces Bob Schneider and Willie Nelson and the entire room erupts into laughter.
This admission could not be further from the truth.
The fact is, SteerS have emerged as part of a relatively new Noise/Metal/Experimental scene that is consuming the Austin music underground. Along side bands like Brown Hornet, Oh Beast, Invincible Czars, Taft, and Assacre SteerS have pulled a virtual coup replacing the boring, stagnant white-boy nu-metal of yesteryear with something more noisy, chaotic, intelligent and refreshing declaring once and for all that frat boys need not be seen at Beerland or Emo’s after dark (unless they have taste).

By day they are normally dressed and as unassuming as Clark Kent—but once night falls on Red River, Patrick, Kevin, and Brian don camouflage uniforms complete with pink embroidered cow heads and become Ego-Macho, Bronc-Combo, and Octo-Horatio, who in turn make up SteerS. Night after night, show after show, SteerS churn out a disharmonious cacophony of violently heavy and abrasive instrumental songs to unsuspecting crowds all over Texas and beyond.
Guitarist/Keyboardist Patrick Turbiville touts, “Our newest song is called 8-2-2-9-4-5-3-2-7-3-2 because that is how we have to count to play it.” Immediately the band tries to drum the song on their laps, counting in the absurd time signature the whole time. They fumble, laugh, and move on. Bassist Kevin Livesay is quick to point out, “We have no limitations.” Turbiville follows that the band keeps things interesting by “adding something that is almost physically impossible to play” to every song.

Though they often draw comparisons to Lightning Bolt, Neurosis, Rush, The Melvins, and all things Mike Patton, the band is not simply blood and fury. Moments of serenity (along the lines of Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, or Austin’s own Explosions In The Sky) infiltrate the band’s sound leaving behind a unique dynamic one does not often find in a noise-metal outfit. Rhythms and structure are complex and oftentimes written with mathematical forethought. SteerS will tie the brain of the average music listener in knots and leave them asking, “How the hell did they do that?”
The band’s bio boasts of a predilection toward destruction and no one who has witnessed a SteerS show will disagree. Bassist Kevin Livesay has helped the band acquire a reputation as one of the most frantic and destructive bands in town, with shows often descending into the chaos of launching instruments across venues, screaming violently at crowds, and jumping into trashcans. “Sometimes bad ideas seem like good ideas when you are playing music,” Livesay asserts in his defense. But it is that very spectacle that has made SteerS an essential live act. “When we are playing really well we’re more at ease so we can act crazier,” says Guitarist/Keyboardist Patrick Turbiville, “and when we play really badly we are usually pissed off so we act really crazy too.”
Local venues, websites, and even the Austin Chronicle have taken notice, pushing the band harder than most acts and even running a feature on SteerS in an issue last year. “You are either going to fucking hate us or think we are great.” Kevin declares in his explanation of the band’s polarizing effect. “I would rather see people leave the room than just sit there calmly talking and ignoring us.”

Band Review BELAIRE riyl: the free design, metro area, francoise hardy words: anatol ziege / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

In another life not so far away, a petite and beautiful girl emerges lightfooted from a Paris subway with her scarf trailing behind her.
She grabs the hand of the old woman standing at the crosswalk and leads her across the boulevard, pirouetting around her while Citröens and Renaults screech to a hault. Crackle, Crackle, and everything’s quiet and still for a moment as the blind beggar encamped at the base of the flower boutique flips to side B of a Belaire record and slowly cranks his old gramophone to continue the soundtrack to this idyllic carnival.

The undescribable creative assemblage that is Belaire has been serendipitously patched together from members of Arkay, Fozlur, Flashlight Fiction, Voxtrot, and Fancy Feast. Together, the band mixes genres at will floating from Brazil funk to Italian movie scores to Carnival music to New Wave to Italo Disco and back again to form a cohesive and incredibly addictive sound all their own.
Having released an amazing and instantly addictive self-titled debut EP, the band received immediate attention from college radio and music press. They have followed that up this past February with a special edition 7” release, Haunted Castle (2006, Indierect Records), continuing their rapid cult status ascendence. They are currently playing some of the most fun sets in Austin and touring to spread their sound while already hard at work on a full-lenght album to be released later in the year.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

DVD Review Led Zeppelin: The Origin of the Species (sexy intellectual)

2006-10-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Led Zeppelin: Origin of the Species is part of the Critical Review series dissecting the “roots and branches” of the band as well as the individual members. Looking at the musical histories and influences that created pre-Zeppelin groups like The Yardbirds and Band of Joy, the film follows the young musicians as they create the legendary group from the ground up all the way to international success.
Featuring lots of rare or previously unseen photographs and film footage, the DVD gives visually more than others have in the past while maintaining a scholarly approach incorporating the insights of 60s NME editor Keith Altham among others who present great first-hand memories. All the viewpoints create a well-rounded understanding of this phenomenal group.
– anatol ziege

Band Review PETER AND THE WOLF riyl: daniel johnston, tom waits, iron & wine words: john watson / photography: steve chevez

2006-10-06T12:54:00.001-07:00

There is beauty in simplicity. Performing experimental folk as Peter and the Wolf,
guitarist/vocalist Red Hunter has given additional credence to this age-old adage.

On Peter and the Wolf’s first self-titled LP, stringed instruments are plucked and strummed delicately, leaving plenty of room for Hunter and accompanying singer Dana Falconberry to vocalize the fragile melodies. Thank goodness for the space, as there is a magical chemistry between the two singers that defies description as they unite in hallowed harmony. In many ways, “hymn” seems a more fitting description than “song,” and, likewise, “poetry” more apt than “lyrics.” The words are shrouded in mystery, as on “Strange Eyes,” with its sole repeated line, “Strange eyes older than the hills, I know we are.” But Peter and the Wolf is not limited to lyrical mystique. Hunter has chosen unconventional locations for live performances (cemeteries, abandoned buses and an island reachable by canoe) among many others. Peter and the Wolf’s biography describes the ritual that Hunter carries out to write their songs, involving not only “the blood of a coyote, the bones of a sewer rat, and the marrow of a blind possum,” but also nudity, possession and “branded flesh.” Let us hope that, whatever it takes to make this profoundly beautiful and haunting music, Hunter continues doing it.

Band Review TRANSMOGRAPHY riyl: slint, electralane, lightning bolt words: si lin / photography: ali pharmakidis

2006-10-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Culminating the true spirit of experimental and atmospheric indie rock ambiance, the music of Transmography will detonate a kaleidoscopic fantasia in your head, letting loose a Ray Bradbury-esque carnie circus of masked-makeup-wearing clowns running amuck on your rapid firing neurons and electrodes.

James Evans and Michael Frazier, the musical orchestrators behind the psychotropic opuses, wail sonic gusto in the likes of Explosions in the Sky compounded with the etherealness of Mogwai and Godspeed! You Black Emperor. Their latest release, Pay Rent or Quit, stitches together a patchwork of styles, with each track transcribed like the compositions of a classical mastermind. They have what Rank and Revue has referred to as “an implosive, solar punctuality.” One single song presents a plethora of meticulously considered movements glued together to create a conglomeration of dreamlike melodies, riffs, and experimental rhythms. Intensive bouts of noise reverberate throughout the record advancing from buzzing and bobbing guitars, driving bass, varying forms of percussion, synthesizers, loops and effects, and a grab bag of other electronic gadgetry. Pay Rent or Quit, tracked and mixed at Austin’s Matchbox Studios, has marked its territory on the highly revered “Recommended” shelves of local record stores and is in recurrent rotation at a number of college radio stations. Transmography currently is preparing to record a new batch of songs that captures their most recent incarnation and are planning to tour extensively, aiming to open the ears and expand the minds of listeners everywhere.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band Review TAMMANY HALL MACHINE riyl: jellyfish, the beatles, queen words: ani v. steen / photography: crawford morgan

2006-10-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Like that perfect dish with each flavor distinct yet married into such harmonious nonpareil, so is the sound of Tammany Hall Machine.

Transmitting classic rock of the 60s with just enough offsetting wildness of 70s country twang, and flurries of modern psychedelia, the music of the dynamic quintet exudes intriguing soundcraft with precise and balanced compositions. The band has been making great waves since the release of their impressively self-produced and self-titled debut album. Unlike throwbacks to the rock gods of yesteryear, this band has transformed the proverbial into a uniqueness that has been praised as “unapologetically original” (Whoopsy Magazine) and “really excellent stuff that deserves to be heard” (Popbang Radio). They have been compared to the likes of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and it’s not too long before Tammany Hall Machine will transform ordinary people into fanatical British school girls.

Band Review: SINGLE FRAME riyl: blonde redhead, yo la tengo, ...trail of dead words: john watson / photo: liz fulcher + heather brondy

2006-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Austin’s Single Frame is certainly on to something. Their acid-kraut-arena-punk-new-wave-disco-disaster-art-rock-electro-freakout-nuclear-wasteland-soundtrack has been garnishing critical praise since they dropped their self-released debut, Wetheads Come Running.

Somewhere in between rocking out for sake of art and making art in the name of rock, drummer Adreon Henry, guitarist/bassist Brendan Reilly, and keyboardist Jason Schleter, who all also sing, have crafted a synth-laden, beat-heavy sound with angular guitar hooks that is nigh to impossible to pin down as it crosses genres seamlessly. There is an element of danger to the music as well, something just a little frightening as they sing lyrics like “I can see the sharks circling over and over. You sharpen the knives and the words to say that I’m coming home with somone that doesn’t have your name” (“I’ll Lose Your Balance”). After all, this is a band that purportedly watched a horror movie every day for a month before recording their most recent full-length, Body/End/Basement. It goes without saying that some of the recording techniques on Body/End/Basement, such as immersing one’s head in a bucket full of water while a microphone dangles above or de-tuning a guitar while its being playing, are a little unusual, but they help give the band its exquisite, incomparable sound. Simply put, Single Frame are music’s John Nash: Schizophrenic, endearing, scary at times, and, dare I say, even a little bit genius.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album Review IV THIEVES: If We Can't Escape My Pretty (new west)

2006-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The IV Thieves’ much anticipated debut album If We Can’t Escape My Pretty is like listening to ‘50s and ‘60s Britpop making a delightful deal with the devil. The record, produced by Chris “Frenchie” Smith of Austin’s The Bubble recording studio and mixed by UK’s Chris Sheldon (Pixies, Radiohead), is a sonic palette of soul-drenched vocals, unforgiving guitars and wickedly powerful drums all melding together to create fervently enticing melodies.
Comprised of Nottingham, England natives (and recent Austin transplants) Nic Armstrong, Johnny Aitken, Shane Lawlor and Glynn Wedgewood, the band offers three equally talented songwriters who have generated a rich tableau of whirlwind imagery in heartache and resolution. First track single “You Can’t Love What You Don’t Understand” is an exhilarating pop-rock excursion with a to-hell-with-you attitude, while “The Sound and The Fury” serves up Ravonettes-esque haunted rock, conjuring visions of raucous nightlife. The record comes full circle with “Chase Me Off/Out,” a poetic recall in tinkering piano and melancholy harmonies. Be on the lookout for If We Can’t Escape My Pretty, a debut certainly worth noting.
- larissa quon

Album Review SILVER JEWS: Tanglewood Numbers (drag city)

2006-10-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Silver Jews started in David Berman’s New York City apartment where Stephen Malkmus sat in, playing Berman’s songs on Sonic Youth’s answering machine. The songs have always carried a casual, irreverent feel reflecting this beginning. While retaining this character, Tanglewood Numbers is full-band, plugged-in rock, where previous releases tended towards country-inflected compositions.
On a foundation of Southern-inspired music, Berman has always written songs with lyrics that come from a self-effacing voice present in some of the best American roots music, juxtaposing desolation and whimsy. With song titles like “How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down,” this give and take leaps from the surface of Tanglewood Numbers, but also pervades it in more subtle ways.
Another high point is the increased presence of Berman’s wife Cassie as a backup vocalist and songwriter. Their collaboration provides for one of the best moments on the record when, in “Punks in the Beerlight,” she sings “If it ever gets really, really bad...,” he interjects “Let’s not kid ourselves, it gets really, really bad.” It is this cycle of playful hope and grizzled realism that has always formed the core of Silver Jews’ beauty, and Tanglewood Numbers may be the best exploration of the theme to date.
– joaquin black

Album Review PURCHASE NEW YORK: In Vitro Veritas (indierect records)

2006-10-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Although critical press acclaim has trickled in from various parts of the country as well as Europe and Canada, Austin-based Purchase New York’s debut full-length, in vitro veritas, has largely been missed by the music listening public – despite how utterly good it is.
The album begins with a slow ascent of drones, tones, and controlled feedback building on top of each other and compounding into what feels like an impending glorious sonic apocalypse. Purchase New York is not afraid to stretch a note longer and longer until the listener is wholly overwhelmed and sucked in and the song breaks into crescending melodies weaving in and out of each other growing into enormous proportions that seemlessly blend both the ethereal and the hellish.
Utilizing three guitars, bass, keys, drums, electronics, and a mountain of blinking effects pedals, the band can create an incredibly diverse set of sounds and approaches songwriting from an orchestral sensibility allowing them to farther explore their musical pallettes. “Our songs are series of ideas and sonic moments, each able to stand on its own, but forming a cohesive whole when presented as a progression of movements,” primary songwriter and frontman Stephen Khoury says.
As a result, the band has earned comparisons to orchestral bands such as Explosions In the Sky, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Mogwai. Their genuine rock intensity and wide vocal range has also likened them to Led Zeppelin and bands such as Pink Floyd and Radiohead who have embraced pushing their music beyond traditional rock.
“The simplistic formulae of most rock song structures doesn’t interest us. We’re attempting to push the compositional and tonal boundaries of those traditions, allowing our inspirations to embrace diverse musical areas,” multi-instrumentalist Loren Dent says.
– anatol ziege

Band Review GOLDEN BEAR riyl: david bowie, built to spill, flying burrito brothers words: joaquin black / photography: matt wright

2006-10-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Golden Bear is a 6-piece with a basic rock foundation of guitars, keys, bass, drums, and, in some cases, alternate instrumentation ranging from a Theremin to maracas and tambourine.
Their sound is a collage of the spirit of Southern boogie, the grandiose flourishes of ‘70’s-era The Who, the lilting bounce of contemporary indie pop, and the confessional simplicity of the best country songwriters. It’s quite a balance to maintain, and clearly some songs arrange these ingredients in different proportions; but this stylistic blend is what makes Golden Bear one of the most distinctive bands on the Austin scene.

Having just finished up the final mixes for their upcoming debut full-length, Golden Bear appears poised for a potential breakout from Austin over the course of the next year. Every track on the record includes several featured musicians, including members of notable Austin bands such as Voxtrot, The Black Angels, and Tia Carrera. All of this help makes for instrumental arrangements that previous recordings only hinted at; xylophone, lap steel, trumpet, tuba, pedal steel, and more all play significant roles on at least one track. The band is free with their traditional rock instrumentation as well, including as many as four guitars on some tracks, several harmonizing vocalists, or extra percussion. The result of all of this is an exultant pop sound seemingly too big for a debut record.
Although playing live relatively infrequently recently in order to focus on finishing up the record, Golden Bear should be back on stage again in the coming months and is a charismatic performance not to be missed.

DVD Review The Tomorrow Show: Punk and New Wave dir: Dan Funk (shout factory)

2006-10-06T11:28:00.000-07:00

rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Tom Snyder, while being both stiff and a bit of a blowhard, nevertheless gave ample audience to members of the burgeoning punk and new wave movements on his late night “Tomorrow Show.” Regardless of the fact that he often had them on in order to ridicule their clothes or approach to music, Snyder nonetheless deserves credit for introducing a lot of the giants of the genre to a mainstream audience. The Ramones, Elvis Costello and Patti Smith all showed up on his couch to be questioned by the chuckling, eyebrow wagging Snyder, who usually sat, visibly perplexed, in a cloud of cigarette smoke while these artists tore through their live sets. When he interviewed them it was often uncomfortable and confrontational: in other words, classic television. Out of either naiveté or gentle gibing, his “genuinely curious” line of questioning evoked some of the greatest sound bites of rock and roll. (On why he cut himself during a performance, Iggy Pop says, “Because I’m on your show.”) Finally rescued from grainy bootlegs, you can now see all of these indispensable bits of punk history on one DVD. I guess you’re all right after all, Mr. Snyder.
– sean o’neal

Album Review OF MONTREAL: The Sunlandic Twins (polyvinyl)

2006-10-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Athens, GA based Of Montreal always seems to produce extreme reactions, either positive or negative. The band’s complex pop arrangements have been hailed as both ingenious and overwrought, with reasonable arguments in either direction. On The Sunlandic Twins, however, Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes produces the best work of his career. The 60’s psych-pop and theatrical influences remain, but have in most cases receded into the background behind an increased emphasis on electronic dance instrumentation. The result is no less complex than earlier records, but much more tightly focused. “So Begins Our Alabee” begins with a harmonizing chorus over glitchy beats and moves into a driving 80’s synth dance track via a short bass breakout, a progression that perfectly encapsulates the album’s diverse influences. The Sunlandic Twins is worth checking out for everyone: newcomers, long-time fans, and long-time detractors alike.
- joaquin black

Album Review SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN: Broom (generic equivalent)

2006-10-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

99% of all music is crap, which makes my job akin to rating the quality of turds. That aside, every so often a record will come along and completely blow away a jaded rock-snob like me. SSLYBY (pardon the acronym) squished all of my favorite bands into one fuzzy, dish. There are flavors here of The Shins, Weezer, OTC, and even a little Modest Mouse. Though some may accuse the band of idol worship, SSLYBY write damn good songs (like the bands mentioned above) that are warmly familiar without being overtly derivative. Broom is packed with great songs, catchy melodies, cute and subtle nerdy humor, and enough character to demand repeated listens. A+ vocal harmonies, insanely catchy pop hooks, and a 4-Track tape-in-the-red ambience make this a top-priority record to check out.
– franklin morris

DVD ReviewWhy Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?dir: Vicki Hunter + Heather Whinna(blank stare)

2006-10-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Uh, maybe because Christian music sounds sort of lame? Without taking a stance one way or the other and just letting the music do the talking, this documentary inadvertently proves that--even when dressed up in the trappings of speed metal and punk--Christianity manages to keep from rocking. That’s just my opinion, of course, and that’s why I find this documentary more than a little funny as it earnestly tries to explore the young musicians who want to play secular forms of music but do it all in the name of Jesus. Those already given over to the Word may disagree, and the huge crowds at some of the featured Christian rock festivals prove that, despite my opinions, there’s actually a thriving scene for this sort of thing. Interviews with Pedro the Lion, MXPX and dozens of lesser bands you’ve likely never heard of paint a picture of pious, proselytizing folks who just want to celebrate the good word with lots of guitars. God speed and all, but thrash metal made by dudes wearing eyeliner is bad no matter how pure your intentions (in fact, it’s even worse.)
– sean o’neal

Album ReviewQUIEN ES, BOOM!Cast Your Burdens Aside EP(sixgunlover)

2006-10-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Austin’s Quien es, BOOM! takes inspiration from dusty western landscapes and the everyday survival instincts dominating life, love, work, and family. On Cast Your Burdens Aside the band arranges a strong debut EP that does not rely on throwaway filler tracks to keep it moving; rather, each track contributes to a deeper definition of the band’s sound.
Longtime collaborative partners Jason Butler and Dabney Dwelle share primary songwriting responsibilities as well as vocal/guitar duties for Quien es, Boom! and have crafted a cohesive musical approach incorporating roots, country, and indie rock. Kevin Fender provides complex broken beats, Alec Padron brings the rumbling bass, Nik Snell ads a variety of instruments including piano and guitar, and Scott Shellhamer contributes layered electronics to round out the band and record.
Opener “Brittle Britches” sets the tone with its steam freight train rhythms rolling alongside frantic drum gallops. The jangly and orchestral “Brown of Fall” and the hollow and harmonized “Twenty Eight in Twelve” are also highlights.
Recorded with engineer Jeremy Lemos (Wilco, Stereolab, Sonic Youth) Cast Your Burdens Aside has an authentically gritty feel that, coupled with the quality songwriting and interesting lyrics, makes the 7-track record a great choice to pick up.
– anatol ziege

Band ReviewLOMITAriyl: billy idol, big star, mogwaiwords: franklin morris / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

A lot of Austin bands aim to blend country and rock, but none go about it quite the way Lomita does – that is to say with washed out guitars and layers and layers of shoegazer synthesizers and feedback, all echoing a decidedly vintage ambience.
The band constructs songs in a way that ignores, and sometimes breaks, traditional genre. Hints of indie rock like Slowdive and Sonic Youth, the 1970s style pop rock of Big Star, and the country-rock of yesteryear flood listeners’ eardrums all at once, making Lomita a most intriguing listen. Though the band has only been together for a year, their unique approach to genre and sound has turned heads and garnered attention from local publications, industry, and fans alike.

“Jonas gave me Big Star’s Third/Sister Lovers, and I gave him Gram Parsons and The Byrds,” is guitarist/vocalist Ricky Sowan’s explanation of the record swap that lead to the band’s founding. “We don’t sound like any other band in town,” Sowan continues, “and I can say that with confidence.” And of course, he could not be more correct. (What bands do you know that boast Gram Parsons and PJ Harvey as influences?).
Though songwriting credits are primarily divided between guitarsists Jonas Wilson and Ricky Sowan, the band is wholly composed of incredible players, drawing its membership from My Violent Life, Slow Motion Picture, Boothill Graveyard, and the seminal Texas band, Lift To Experience. Borrowing their name from a sign in Jonas’s backyard for “The Lomita Opry House,” the band started playing out last year and was immediately embraced by a strong community of fellow local acts such as Brothers And Sisters, The Arm, and Ghostland Observatory. “All the bands we know and hang out with all are completely different yet we help each other out in every way we can.”
This young band already has one record under their belt – 2005’s Stress Echo (re-released with bonus materials in August 2006 on Indierect Records) – and another currently in production at Jonas Wilson’s Martindale, TX recording studio. The band asserts the old record is “completely different than the new one” and cites “listening to completely different stuff” as the primary reason for the shift. But while the new record is still in production, a live recording is expected to be released by late 2006 on Austin’s Indierect records to provide a bridge between the two CDs.
For now, experiencing the band’s live show is the only immediate consolation for eager fans. When asked what people should expect when seeing Lomita in concert, the band answers confidently: “Good songs, good players, and enormous sound.”

information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band Review / InterviewTHE SOUNDSwords: larissa quon

2006-09-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I’ll admit it. The Sounds’ debut record, Living in America has been the perpetual soundtrack for my solitary underwear dance parties for the past three years. Thank god that they just released , their sophomore follow-up with loads of potential for plenty of booty shaking nights. I was able to catch up with drummer Fredrik Nilsson as the band was taking a moment off from a six week US tour promoting the record.

Hi, Fredrik. How’s the tour going?
Frederick: It’s good. We’re only on our second day, but going great.

What was the most favorite show you've played so far and why?
F: When we opened for The Strokes in Mexico City, there were 17 – 18,000 people. Everyone was screaming their lungs out. It was really bizarre!

Wow! You have been dubbed by the press as notorious for your live shows. How do you prepare for getting into this high energy mindset?
F: Drinks. Loud music. We just get pumped up going on stage. We kind of explode. We like doing it so much that it’s just easy for us.

So then, what is the best show you have ever been to?
F: A few years ago I saw this German band, Kraftwerk at Coachella. This is a band I have liked a long time, and live, they are always good. At a rock festival, they really stand out.

You have passed through Austin a number of times now, including the recent SXSW. What is your favorite thing about the city?
F: Austin is a real music city. It’s a crazy city, which we like.

What is this difference between Austin fans and Swedish fans?
F: Austin fans are open-minded. They aren’t scared to see a band like us. Some cities are so conservative. They look at our setup with all our keyboards and size and think, “this is going to be bad,” but not Austin fans.

That’s right! So the new record, Dying to Say This to You has been said to have an edgier sound. How have you guys evolved since Living in America?
F: Living in America was our debut record. We had all the songs written for years, and we had played them so many times. This time we went into the studio with the songs not finished, but we had a long time and could write there. We also wanted to give it a more live sound.

How has your writing process changed since you guys first started out? Is there more or less pressure?
F: Well, there is more pressure, but we don’t feel the pressure. We are pretty good about pressuring ourselves. [Laughs]

Maybe you could name some under-recognized bands that music fans should pay more attention to.
F: Oh, this band from Sweden, The Change. They will have a record coming out in summer. They are a really great band.

information: Band Website

Album Review ANNABELLA: Songs of Goodbye(self-released)

2006-09-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 stars out of 5

Songs of Goodbye is Annabella's second record and their most fragile and poetic to date. While the piano-and-drums, husband-and-wife duo from Georgetown TX is closer musically to bands like The Sundays and Mazzy Star, they will no doubt draw immediate comparisons to the Quasi/Mates Of State camp based on dynamic alone. Terri Dittmar's voice, undoubtedly the focus of the record, sits atop a rich and beautiful reverberated soundscape of Rhodes-piano sustain, flute, and soft, distant guitar arpeggios, which together make for a beautiful listening experience.
The production is also a focal point of this record, tastefully adding lush layers of reverbs and vibratos to the record's fabric. Likewise, the drums are organic and sparse, never intrusive. Highlights of this album include La Ciudad, Fading Away, and It Comes Down. Innocent but evocative lyrics help paint a bleak and, at the same time, vivid picture of the author's world, which is sad but not morbid. The album ends with words of poetic insight, "If you conquer this world you will still have nothing, but if you love someone you'll die a hero." With the record's close, these words breathe optimism into the final moments Annabella shares with the listener, as if to say, all of the many goodbyes were worth it.
- franklin morris

Album ReviewTHE COOTIES: Circle Circle Dot Dot(self-released)

2006-09-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Equal parts cutesy and icky, the Cooties pull off an intelligent record loaded with quirky charm. These days, words like “quirky” and “lo-fi” are reserved for the “post-elephant-sixers,” releasing bubblegum 4-track recordings with 41 piece kazoo orchestras. This Austin based three piece however manages to express “original” pop sensibility with just guitar, bass, and drums.
From the repetitive, upbeat rhythm of the album’s opener “Ball” to the adorably dark and dirgey closer “Cancer” (one of the high points) The Cooties bounce through an impressively diverse collection of songs showing influences ranging from Beat Happening and Daniel Johnston to The Breeders and Sex Pistols (with The Ramones, and VU in the mix). Vocals are a strong point with Shannon McMahon’s grave and abrasive Johnny Rotten growl complimenting the almost childlike quality of Susan Kokalis-McMahon’s tone. The lyrics are sweet, smart, and innocent without being naive or immature—whether the song is about stars, trees, suicide, or cancer. Even the morose subjects are approached from the same wide-eyed playground perspective as songs about buzzing bumblebees. This is a phenomenal debut contribution and a perfect example of punk influencing pop—not the other way around.
– franklin morris

Album ReviewTHE BLACK: Tanglewood(k woo records)

2006-09-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

The Black have recently released their anticipated debut full-length, Tanglewood. The Austin-based quartet consists of David Longoria on vocals, guitar, harp, and piano, Andy Morales on drums and percussion, Alan Schaefer on lead guitar, and Nick Moulos on bass. Over the last year the band has toured with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead in both North America and Europe and during that time have grown from their early days to develop and refine their sound into what it is today – steeped in roots like Bob Dylan, in country like Merle Haggard, in West Coast twang like The Flying Burrito Brothers, and in pop sensibilities comparable to the Beatles inviting Pink Floyd over for tea.
The album’s opener “Cell Block” is a fun sing-along pop rock tune leading into the addictively bouncy “Appletree.” The album then shifts slightly towards a more country rock sound and around its middle the record slows in tempo with beautifully hazy and lonesome songs like “One Second To One” and the album’s highlight “Wasn’t It a Good Year?” Towards the end of the album the songs pick themselves up again with some rowdy honky-tonk-blues-rock like the excellent “J.B. Lenoir Street.”
Overall, The Black, have put together a solid recording full of good songwriting and musical performance that’s well worth checking out.
– anatol ziege

Album ReviewSUNN O))): Black One(southern lord)

2006-09-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

SunnO))) borrow their namesake from the bass heavy amplifiers of yesteryear and live up to the trademark victoriously. These pioneering experimental/noise artists have crafted an organic, demented, and horrifyingly vivid masterpiece as dark as any H.P. Lovecraft or Aleister Crowley nightmare. By manipulating distorted screams, chaotic guitar feedback and rich (sometimes subsonic) bass tones SunnO))) has birthed a sinister, symphonic soundscape playing out in 7 movements, rather than 7 tracks on a rock record. From it's haunting opening to the record's climactic sixteen minute closer, "Bathory Erzsébet," the album swells as visions of the bleakest, blackest, void consume fearful, unassuming listeners. Black One has, perhaps unintentionally, propelled the band to the top of the experimental/noise genre, a spot they have earned and deserve to occupy. A warning nevertheless: This record is not for the faint hearted. While open minded listeners will be intrigued, even moved, some seeking more conventional rock action may be left asking, "Dude! When do the drums kick in?!"

- franklin morris

Band ReviewAM SYNDICATEriyl: blonde redhead, yo la tengo, ...trail of deadwords: si lin / photography: jorge reyes

2006-09-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

If Magical Realism could somehow transmogrify itself into waves of sound, the music of AM Syndicate would certainly be it.
Their seamless “classically-influenced, acid-addled instrumentation” (High Bias) ignites miniature fireworks in your ears with artful explosions and colorful splashes: lush strings, exotic guitar melodies, tribal drum beats, and trance-like vocals. With thoughtful complexity and delicate brilliance, the group with enough members to fill a chamber orchestra takes inspiration in articulating the human experience as musical. What differentiates AM Syndicate from other cerebral bands is how their passion for the creation of sound comes across on stage. Without exhuding musical snobbery, they seem to crawl inside their vast musical libraries to spark upon some mystical intelligence and creativity that makes them just that more intriguing to watch. The inventive ensemble incorporates violin, cello, guitar, synthesizer, bass, and a host of analog and electronic drums to mesmerize the crowds waiting to soak up every drop of the band’s ghostly ambiance.

They are a great example of organic sound mixed with digital noise, coming together to generate a satisfying synchronization between those dualities. Their debut full length album, Empire, released by Chicago’s Sick Room Records in February 2006, has already generated a stir. It has been deemed “absolutely, astoundingly arresting” by Drowned In Sound, and noted as capable of creating “a feeling that evokes the dry, exotic vistas one might find in a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel” (Stinkweeds). With Empire beginning to breech beyond regional boundaries, AM Syndicate’s next step is to enchant audiences during the upcoming Wall of Sound Music Festival in Fort Worth to start off further touring in support of the record.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE NORMANSriyl: yo la tengo, t. rex, elliott smithwords: ani v. steen / photography: jade

2006-09-12T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Normans radiate some of the most fulfilling songs I have heard in a good long while.
With old time boogie rhythms, transistor radio vocals analogous to T. Rex’s Marc Bolan, and classic and contagious rock hooks, the four-piece brings back that retro charm and seductively glam grandeur. Yet, having successfully nailed down their upbeat facet, The Normans also channel the soothing vocals and strumming guitars of Elliot Smith to express their placidity. These guys might have a slight case of split-personality disorder, jumping from one end to the other on the musical spectrum, but who cares, both sides are great and their deft musicianship creates a visceral set of thrills. The Normans’ 2004 debut release, Dreams of Autocrashes (India Records) plays like a symphonic ode to the two penultimate innovative forefathers and has been praised as a “pop masterpiece” (Smother) and “a great album which you will be listening to time and time again” (Guitar Noise). Since its release, the album has stirred radio attention and, more notably, figured in the 2005 feature-film, My Comfortable Stranger.
information: Band Website / Band MySpace

Band ReviewTHE BLACKriyl: gram parsons, bob dylan, the bandwords: john watson / photography: aubrey edwards

2006-09-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Don’t be fooled by the name, Austin’s The Black is neither metal nor goth.
Rather, David Longoria and Alan Schaefer take their love of late 60s and early 70s rock, folk, country, pop and R&B and craft songs that cross and pay homage to all these genres. “Summer in Baden Baden” comes across as an impromptu jam session with Fairport Convention’s twang and a whole lot of maraca. “Wasn’t It a Good Year” evokes Pink Floyd’s A Saucerful of Secrets so thoroughly it would fit right into Live at Pompeii with the addition of some outdated trippy visual effects. “Cellblock” is a poppy blues number featuring R&B piano, jangly guitar, understated harmonica and country-tinged vocals. Working with members of ...Trail of Dead and opening for them may have given The Black a slightly higher profile, but it is not undeserved: The Black’s blend of all things classic makes for thoroughly enjoyable listening.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewGHOST OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIREriyl: radiohead, doves, my morning jacketwords: john buglewicz / photography: kara whitten

2006-09-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Austin’s Ghost of the Russian Empire provided me with a cryptically worded biography threatening a “knife to the neck” to those who may act on assumption – luckily I never assume, and I’m modest too.

Something that Ghost of the Russian Empire’s sound isn’t – think Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. I know comparing a band to a record by another group isn’t very cool or original, especially when the record is almost unanimously agreed upon as the greatest indie rock record of the last 20 years, but get bent because Ghost of the Russian Empire really do recall that sound. The sound is large; driving drums, sonic guitars, and the neo-psychedelic vocals that made you enjoy Loveless. They’ve just recorded an EP so soon enough you’ll be able to bring that magic home with you. I suggest you play it the next time you and your girl have one of those “a blowjob isn’t degrading” arguments. Until then you’ll just have to see them.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE OCTOPUS PROJECTriyl: sonic youth, the notwist, the flaming lipswords: dániel perlaky / photography: aubrey edwards

2006-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Appearing on stage with cardboard electric socket masks, the Octopus Project immediately strikes a gentle suspense into the hearts of all as anticipation swells. The confluence of digital and analog machinery stack on top of each other like the downtown tenement highrises of Warsaw bouncing holy sunrays down at a smiling populace ready to let it all go.
The feedback begins to wake from the amplifiers, all systems are ready, and the drumstick crashes down to set off one of the most blissfully overwhelming live shows one will ever see (or rather, feel) and the band leads a grinning audience to some mystical parallel universe.
The music can only be described as some kind of euphoric android orgy taking place in a field on some exotic planet whose sunsets display colours that we’ve never seen on Earth.

The trio of Toto Miranda, Josh Lambert, and Yvonne Lambert assembled their reckless creativity on top of an architecture built of opposing forces - digital vs. analog (or maybe analog making love to digital). Utilizing synthesizers, samplers, drum-machines, guitars, bass, live drums, a theremin, and loads of instruments with blinking LEDs and scraggly wiring that look like they were obtained from a Ukrainian space-program garage sale, the band saulders together elements of progressive post-rock, blippy experimental dance electronica, and the raw, noisy emotion of “human rock.”
After their formation in 2001 and their subsequent release of Identification Parade (2002 Peek-A-Boo Records), the band earned their stripes and battlewounds through exhaustive national tours that further enhanced their live shows and paved the way for One Ten Hundred Thousand Million, one of the best albums of 2005 (nationally speaking).
Currently, the band has been receiving more and more critical praise and have been diligently creating euphorias at bigger and bigger venues across the country making them one of the bands that represents human/machine-kind’s highest potential and expression. Following SXSW the band will kick off a 60-date US tour with stops at four music festivals (including the prestigious Coachella Festival), then will begin recording a third album for Peek-A-Boo Records this summer.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE BROTHERS AND SISTERSriyl: gram parsons, townes van zandt, the mamas and the papaswords: john buglewicz / photo: press

2006-09-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

God damn it I love pedal steel guitar! Two instruments possess the possibility to emulate drunkenness, the first is the pedal steel guitar, and the second is the violin. If only there were a band that had both of these instruments…oh wait, how about Brothers and Sisters from Austin?

Yes that’s right, a violin, pedal steel, and lyrics about booze and loss. Plus I should mention that the violinist on the full length is none other than Conrad Keely from ...Trail of the Dead. With a new release on Calla Lily, you can get your 70’s era country fix with a little of that “alt” sprinkled in there as well. Brothers and Sisters, as the name suggests, contains an actual brother and a sister, oh and gents, incidentally, the sister plays an autoharp. No, you’re not mistaken, that is a wet spot on your jeans, and a desire in your heart to drink Lone Star and commiserate with Brothers and Sisters live. The sound strikes me as similar to just about anything Gram Parsons was involved in (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers) but there is a bit of The Kinks’ Muswell Hillbillies in there as well. However, I should warn you that listening to Brothers and Sisters will make you grow a beard and wonder why you ever called your Dad lame for trying to force that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album on you.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE INTEREST KILLSriyl: spoon, arctic monkeys, death cab for cutiewords: joaquin black

2006-09-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Interest Kills makes pat descriptions of their music difficult. Upon first listening, it seems that their lyrics are much more ponderously serious than their accessible pop songs; however, with time, this distinction blurs.
Not only do their dancey compositions prove themselves to have significant depth, but Diego Garcia-Olano’s songwriting shows moments of surprising lightness and humor bubbling up from his commentaries on the insensitivity and turbulence of contemporary political and personal relationships.

The new full-length Capital Flight starts off with “The In-Between is Ending,” perfectly encapsulating the dichotomy described above. Over a kick and tom heavy dancebeat, Diego Garcia-Olano sings a challenging song decrying the current state of economic inequality and apathy in America. The guitars, which once sounded like a more typical dancerock tone in a live setting, become more foreboding and sinister when paired with a clear understanding of the lyrics.
From this opening disillusioned nadir, the album builds to the closer “Now That You’re Old Enough.” Warmer production on the percussion and an acoustic guitar match the more hopeful mood of the song. The current situation still disappoints, but there’s hope for the future. Both musically and lyrically, this song is one of the strongest on the record and provides a great cap to The Interest Kills’s mature exploration of the stylistic tensions in their music.
Capital Flight will be coming soon on local startup label Stem and Leaf Records, run by Marshall Escamilla of The Unbearables. That release coupled with an increasingly active live schedule including dates around Texas make The Interest Kills one of the new bands to watch out for in 2006.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewVISITORSriyl: nirvana, the beach boys, the crow soundtrackwords: ani v. steen / photo: matt wright

2006-09-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

The local indie-rock quartet, Visitors, exude a quiet intensity. They convey an eerie and unsettling energy in their music that leaves you on the edge with sweetly bated breath.

You won’t be seeing a pompous performance parade with the token end-of-set guitar smashing or any other sweat flying stage tricks with these guys, but I guarantee that you will be sucked in to their undeniable presence nevertheless. Comprised of two musical brothers that blend cyclical harmonies, washes of Rhodes piano and disturbingly wicked guitars, complemented by interlacing, heart hammering bass lines and exhilarating drum beats, Visitors create anthemic melodies soaring in and out of each other. The four-piece creates blinding compositions of explosive textures and mood swings, wearing just enough biting honesty on their sleeves with stabbing lyrics that speak of beautiful breakdowns and deep reservoirs of heartache. Slight coats of dissonance run through these passionate and soul searching mementos, just safeguarding their songwriting from being another lonely batch of love songs for the emo kids. It’s safe to say that in all the brouhaha that saturate their sonic experimentations, these guys have come to learn how to meld just enough rock to balance the roll. Visitors recently made their way into the studio and have recorded seven song thus far with Austinite Rory Phillips, the mastermind behind the production of other local favorites such as Recover and The Rise. The band plans to release their full-length album later this year.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewJUST GUNSriyl: big star, the pixies, gram parsonswords: john watson / photography: yimay yang

2006-09-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Many a band has walked the line between country and indie rock over recent years, with varying degrees of success.
Austin’s Just Guns manage to strike a balance that will please fans of both Merle Haggard and Death Cab for Cutie. Topher Hyink and George Irwin’s heavy-hearted lyrics are picked up off the floor by their mellifluous guitar, Hyink’s melodic vocals, and especially Phil McJunkins’ glistening pedal steel, which gives the band’s sound an undeniable edge. The rhythm section of McJunkins and Hyink on bass and Brian Reed on drums provides a measured backdrop for not only the more country moments, but also the forays into noisier territory. As Hyink croons that “the waves only wanted to drown me” repeatedly, broken up intermittently by beautiful pedal steel or sheets of cacophonous guitar, on “The Waves,” you’ll want to reach for the whiskey bottle. In a good way.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album ReviewThe Tah-Dahs: Le Fun(undeniable records)

2006-09-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5
Songwriter Roy Ivy has a broken heart and wants the whole fucking world to know it. Le Fun chronicles a lifespan of relationships gone wrong in a Slaughterhouse 5 fashion (equal parts funny and sad). Each track is a quirky blend of SST style post-punk and indie-rock fused with 1950s pop songwriting. They are creative, catchy, melodic, a little neurotic, pop, punk as hell, and always rocking (if you can listen to this album without breaking out the air-guitar you are probably in a coma). Ivy’s nostalgia is contagious, forcing the listener to reflect on past relationships in the same warm-fuzzy, but achingly bittersweet way as watching a John Hughes movie. Pick up this record now. This is the best thing to come out of Dallas in years and embodies everything that Rock and Roll should have never strayed away from.
- franklin morris

Album ReviewThe Earlies: These Were The Earlies(secretly canadian)

2006-09-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Hailing from West Texas and Manchester, The Earlies’ geographic background tracks perfectly to the band’s unique sonic blend. They craft their neo-psychedelic sound by burying bits reminiscent of ‘70’s AM radio gold in shoegaze drone collages. These Were The Earlies does sequence admirably well for an album assembled from the contents of several existing EPs, but it almost seems as though there would have been more variety the material had been prepared specifically for a full-length. At three or four tracks, the sound stays fresh; but at eleven tracks, it drags the slightest bit, seeming to follow an EP-length cycle a few times through. In the contemporary context of cleverer-than-thou bands building their sounds by cobbling together music geek allusions, The Earlies have achieved the admirable feat of a collage record more interesting and more beautiful than its constituent parts.
- joaquin black

Band ReviewPEELriyl: the modern lovers, pavement, elf powerwords: si lin / photography: travis higdon

2006-09-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

The first time I listened to Peel was like hopping aboard my own little space pod and soaring at light speed through an old school Atari video game setting, where millions of rainbow colored staccato splashes create a jubilant dance-a-thon in my head. Ding. Boom. Score. Did I mention this was drunk space pod driving?
Peel, a relatively young band made up of five member musicians as quirkily different as can be, exudes a little bit of that cute nerd rock appeal. They create delightful pop music that shares an experimental edge. Crafting meticulous metaphors and motives that reflect the lyrics of intelligent minds, they also seem to have a maturity in their instrumentation and musicianship that most collectives find difficult to attain. I’ll go ahead and mention that there are subtle influences of 60s and 70s guitar rock, but this band clearly has a unique visionary scope that stretches beyond such limitations of past sounds. Incorporating loose and harmonious vocals that occasionally explode into psychedelic, screaming freak-outs, electric guitar riffs, playful keyboards, roller coaster synthesizer effects, and the rhythmic jerking of pulsing bass and rumbling drums, Peel reverberates infectious melodies throughout. Having recently joined the ranks of Austin’s Peek-A-Boo Records, Peel will be releasing a full-length debut album in the near future. When that long awaited day comes, Peel will undoubtedly serve as one glorious soundtrack for your a pin ball game where the scoreboard will explode with lighting sparks as you yell “Victory!”
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album ReviewThe Black Angels: self-titled EP(light in the attic records)

2006-09-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5
I never understood why some genres were associated with drugs more than others. I don't think a truckload of the world's greatest drug could make me tolerate a Phish or Cypress Hill concert. That aside (and this may just be my pop culture conditioning talking) The Black Angels debut EP undoubtedly floods the mind with images of the drug-consumed giants of yesteryear – VU, Stooges, and 13th Floor Elevators. Smooth and flawless vocals lend something disturbingly dark to these songs which are among the catchiest of the genre. While all four tracks are yummy, the dark shrieking choruses of “Black Grease” and the Stones-channeling sitar of “Manipulation” are definite highlights. I find it ironic that the band radiates admiration for BRMC, Brian Jonestown, and The Warlocks. One listen of this EP reveals The Black Angels have more to promise than any of their contemporaries.
- franklin morris

Album ReviewChamillionaire: The Sound of Revenge(universal)

2006-09-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5

On his major label solo debut, The Sound of Revenge, Chamillionaire departs slightly from his approach on the 2003 regional hit collaboration with Paul Wall, Get Ya Mind Correct. The off-the-cuff playfulness of that debut is gone for the most part on The Sound of Revenge; it seems that Chamillionaire has decided to “get serious” for his major label review, leaving behind some of his Houston roots much the way Lil’ Flip did on major debut U Gotta Feel Me. His delivery is as great as it always was, and many of the tracks are amazing, but there is definitely a mid-album slump highlighted by the ridiculous “Peepin’ Me,” which is nowhere near worthy of sharing its name with the Fat Pat classic. Great Scarface and Killer Mike collaborations cap off what is, in its moments, the best record from Houston this year.
- joaquin black

Band ReviewLOXSLYriyl: the shins, arcade fire, flaming lipswords: si lin / photography: zach ground

2006-09-08T17:37:00.000-07:00

Loxsly’s self-released debut, Maps and Organs, fearlessly displays richly textured and introspective compositions expressed through monumentally vast instrumentation that leave one spinning happily from sound to sound.
Atmospheric vocals that aim to embrace the best of the soft-spoken indie singers (i.e. Ben Gibbard meets Badly Drawn Boy’s Damon Gough) melt into a hodgepodge of twinkling xylophone, multifarious synthesizers, playful piano, effects-laden pedal steel, bass, drums, and intricately interlacing guitars. Loxsly’s musicianship and songwriting versatility is undeniable. It is this group’s apparent cohesiveness that makes this level of collaboration possible.
Check out first track, “San Leon”, which takes the listener on a whirlwind journey that echoes something like a full length “indie-pop-tacular” musical. Starting with dreamlike airiness toying with thunderous bolts of guitars, zigzagging into lighthearted piano riffs conjuring old school standards and milky vocals, the song draws its close with full fledged danceable pop. Showing a true knack for catchy melodies and explosive hooks, Maps and Organs is a prime example of Loxsly’s great instincts for what makes outstanding pop.
In performance, the energetic collective commands the crowd with a playful demand so enticing that there isn’t a still seat in the house. The four member group has the unique ability to perform as a high voltage party band while concurrently elevating and challenging your intelligence. A highly capable group of musicians, Loxsly is poised to be catapulted to their deserved recognition.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE MURDOCKSriyl: nirvana, pixies, the white stripeswords: ani v. steen / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-09-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Murdocks formed in 2003 in a scorching hot public storage unit in Austin, TX.
Over the last two years the band has spent night after night honing their craft – churning out catchy, hook-filled, melodic songs that draw attitude from their punk rock roots and incorporated elements of indie rock, garage rock, and power-pop. With distorted sing-scream vocals, a driving and eccentric rhythm section, and lyrics as innocent as they are morbid, the Murdocks are equal parts beauty and beast.
In 2 years’ time Murdocks have done 5 national tours and 5 official releases, played 200+ shows and sold thousands of records the old fashioned way. The latest of which, Surrenderender, has been met with critical acclaim and national recognition from both press and radio. Keep an eye out in 2006 for 7 inches and continued US touring.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewCLAP! CLAP!riyl: new order, the faint, the rapturewords: ani v. steen

2006-09-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

Clap!Clap! is on a mission. They could have been the spokesmen for that ridiculously awesome light switch invention, but they have chosen another fate.
The group formed in response to a “too-hip-to-be-square world where no one wanst to be dancing alone” and armed with a grand total of ten members, including an impressive clap choir and others that play a grab bag of instruments such as claves, cowbell and trumpet, the musical ensemble is striving to bring forth the primordial action of clapping back into the music scene.
Clap!Clap! command their audiences with high energy and satisfying doses of irresistible dance rock, reminiscent of The Clash and The Faint playing a high school battle of the bands glitter-fest. The group has already conjured a decent fan base, which are sure to be clap dancing up a frenzy at their scheduled SXSW shows.
Information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewECONOMYriyl: aphex twin, ratatat, the postal servicewords: ani v. steen

2006-09-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

Simon and Garfunkle. Hall and Oates. Jack and Meg White. Throughout rock and roll, legendary duos have been tag-teaming their talents to raise the bar on music’s finest collaborations.
Introducing Landerman and Simons. In the same vein as synth-pop geniuses Ratatat, the twosome behind Economy have been strumming up electronic experiments of their own. The sound of Economy is the winning marriage of analog and digital, combining subtle guitar hooks and solid beats adequately captivating to inspire freestyle flows and provoke some quality booty shaking.

If anyone ever said that there is power in numbers, they have obviously missed out on these two. With enough energy to fuel the Holly Power Plant with their bouncing, leaping, and spinning, this animated duo can be proclaimed the kings of chaos and live action. Economy is finishing up their debut record and are currently planning extensive tours to the Midwest and Chicago areas where they have been gaining some momentum.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album ReviewAster: The Suitcase Sessions EP(self-released)

2006-09-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5

Aster, an Austin-based duo named after an imaging instrument on a NASA satellite floating above us, pulls out a huge, layered sound on their debut, Suitcase Sessions EP. This band weaves catchy, melodic indie pop a la The Flaming Lips and even Coldplay mixed with a shoegazer sensibility that brings a more “underground” artisticness to their sound. Though there is only two of these guys, Tim Husmann on drums and keys and Bryan Ellis on vocals and guitar, they achieve their thick sound by building up layers of keyboards, synthesizers, beat machines, samplers and other electronic gadgetry (housed in a suitcase no less). The bouncing rhythms and complex drum patterns keep you moving throughout the album while the reflective lyrics suck you in.
– anatol ziege

Album ReviewThe Raveonettes: Pretty In Black(columbia)

2006-09-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Known as one of the respected flag-bearers in the garage rock revival of the last five years, The Raveonettes’ sound of a thick, fuzzy, rapid fire speeding motorcycle sexuality recedes somewhat and a confident and defiant fragility emerges in their sound.
Diverging from the sonic approach of their previous releases, Whip It On and Chaingang Of Love, The Raveonettes pull together a diverse clash of influences to craft a beautifully rendered new album, Pretty In Black.
Most noticeably, the band strays from their previous strict adherence to self-imposed limitations – whereas the last two albums featured thick, gritty fuzz and were exclusively written in three chord progressions of B-flat minor and B-flat major respectively, Pretty In Black is a canvas for a wide range of sound exploration.
Founding duo, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo, add three new members to the lineup and boldly take insipiration from such genres as lonesome West Texas Desert Dust, Souther California Roots Surf, Bent New Wave, Soviet Fuzz on American Disco, and Massive Wall of Sound. Although the album may at first feel a little disconnected given the variety, repeated listening offers a strangely cohesive understanding of the whole and a deeper respect for the quality of the individual pieces.
– anatol ziege

Band Review / InterviewZEALE 32riyl: black star, jurassic 5, dilated peopleswords: andrea valdez / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-09-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

In a time when commercial rap is at an all time high, hip-hop artists are often left in the underground. But, many of them prefer their dark, dank surroundings where the fans are true, the music is bumping, and the lyrics are meaningful. Zeale 32 informed this writer about the conscious hip-hop he and other artists representing ATX Records are putting out.
Zeale is trying to step away from topics like rims, cars, and the all-around bling-bling, and bring elements of poetry to his freestyling techniques. Zeale made his start by writing and reading his own poetry. This knack for rhyming so well naturally brought him to a higher calling: Spreading his message through music. He works with ATX Records, located behind Atomic Tattoo on the Drag and owned by cohorts Haps and Mr. Brown, in bringing virtually all hip-hop shows through Austin. If you’ve seen some sort of hip-hop ranging anywhere from Gift of Gab to Del the Funky Homo Sapien, I’m sure it’s been through the help of Zeale and ATX Records.
How long have you been doing this?
I’ve only been at it for two years, which makes lots of other hip-hop artists who have been doing this for eight or ten years pretty angry.
Did you compete in Slam competitions when you wrote your own poetry?
Actually, I started in Slams. But, I haven’t done anything like that in a while. Poetry is a totally different aspect of rhyme and thought. Hip-hop and poetry are different, but at the same time really close; you could say they’re cousins.
How did you start this career?
While riding in a car with some friends we started trying to rap. One of my buds told me I was pretty good and should look into doing something with my talent. I shook it off but, then there was a time in my life where I wasn’t working or doing a whole lot, so I decided to pick up a hobby. I would lock myself in my room and practice freestyling for at least three hours a day. Then, I began battling.
What’s battling?
I hate to say it, but most people know it from “8 Mile” with Eminem where he freestyles against competitors in front of crowds. I traveled to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. There was a battle in Houston every Wednesday, so my buddy and I would drive down there every week until we won. We weren’t in our element at all amongst gangstas with gold teeth, but continually going back showed we were there to stay. They had to accept us. I won 25 out of 30 battles.
Are there similarities between battles and Slam competitions?
Unlike with Slams, I’ve been in battles where all I did was talk shit about my opponent. Sometimes, this would get me in trouble. I’ve had guys wait outside to jump me, and one time a guy hit me in the face onstage. So, in that respect, Slams and battles are a bit different.
Do you have a message you want to send to fans?
My message would be to keep creative thoughts alive. Don’t fall into the stream people tell you to follow. Question everything and sacrifice yourself for no one.
information: Band Myspace

Album ReviewEels: Blinking Lights and Other Revelations(vagrant records)

2006-09-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5
Mark Oliver Everett’s musical avatar Eels has always been known for its depressive sound, and the new double CD Blinking Lights and Other Revelations continues in this vein with a new emphasis on ethereal production. The record presents a varied sweep of lyrical and musical interpretations on the same general themes of loss and loneliness. The second disc begins to develop a more hopeful sound, but even the ligther moments such as “Losing Streak” seem to be delivered with a self-conscious irony supported by the return to melancholy by album’s end. A theme reminiscent of Jon Brion’s recent work scoring films such as I Heart Huckabees, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Punch-Drunk Love provides a recurring departure point for the genre jumping Everett does throughout the record. The fundamental sound is still simple guitar and piano balladry, but the tongue-in-cheek crowd noise and sampled handclaps on the garage freakout “Goin’ Fetal” and the swirling psych-pop of “Old Shit/New Shit” are notable examples of Everett’s genre-bending. Although most of high points of the album are these departures, the remaining songs are by no means filler; this is that rare contemporary double-album that deserves its length. More than that, the sequencing shows Everett was conscious of the opportunities the album’s opened up to him. There is an album-wide flow and texture here that gives the album a timeless quality that most contemporary albums miss with their focus on encapsulated singles.
- joaquin black

Album ReviewFor Those Who Know: Self-Titled(christmas mountains records)

2006-09-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5
Austin's For Those Who Know’s self-titled debut EP shows that they deserve to be noted among those fueling Austin’s ongoing indie rock revival. Blending British post-punk and new wave influences such as Joy Division with the full tone of American bands of the late-80’s/early-90’s such as the Pixies, For Those Who Know’s sound is quietly dense, layering loud, full guitars with hushed vocals to create a soft beauty. On point and creative drum tracks consistently drive the music forward, with the off-kilter beat of “Perfect” being the album’s high point in this regard. “Night At The Danceclub” and “Grow Old Together And Die” will likely be the two standout tracks, each being more representative of a different branch of the band’s influences. The former has a sparser, more eerie arrangement driven by a minimal drumbeat, while the latter is dominated by its thick guitar sound.
-joaqin black

Album ReviewApes: Baba's Mountain(birdman records)

2006-09-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

The Apes from Washington, D.C. have built their reputation on making more noise than a guitar-less band out to be able to. Live, the plodding thrust of their organ-driven psych-metal sound has stayed just as loud and just as powerful, but, in the studio, they have slowly been experimenting with a higher production level and more studio effects. The current pinnacle of this development can be heard on their new release Baba’s Mountain. The noise is still there, but, rather than standing alone, it is now cloaked in full-on psych regalia. The album presents an overarching narrative that takes the listener on a tour of Baba’s Mountain a place inhabited by such fanciful creatures as complicated squirrels and molting exercise crabs. Layered keys and vocal effects round out the brooding creepiness to produce the most engaging record of the Apes’ career.
-jaquin black

Album ReviewRyan Adams: Cold Roses(lost highway)

2006-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The first of three scheduled full-length releases for 2005, Ryan Adams’ double CD Cold Roses revisits the country sound of his Whiskeytown days that was largely absent in his two major releases of the last few years, Gold and Rock N Roll. As usual, Adams could have been more disciplined in editing himself here. There is a single CD worth of great material here interspersed among filler that is palatable, but not particularly inspired. “Magnolia Mountain” sets the tone for the album with a shimmering melancholy that is reminiscient of the high production California roots-rock of early 70’s Grateful Dead or Relatively Clean Rivers. “Cherry Lane” represents the album at its best, as Adams jumps back and forth between an updated country-rock sound and his best Hank Williams impersonation.
- joaquin black

Band ReviewTHE UNBEARABLESriyl: guided by voices, the apples in stereo, they might be giantswords: ani v. steen / photo: charity ridpath

2006-09-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

Like Peter Pans of the musicians pool, The Unbearables aim to hold on to childlike exuberance. In their quest for capturing the kind of happiness that only the days of swing sets and Smurfs can provide, the fun loving quartet fights the demons of adult responsibility with danceable pop that have a “high high sheen on Ramonesian romance” (Austin Chronicle). Happy-go-lucky guitars, catchy keyboards, wildly driven bass and drums, and jangling tambourines set the stage for melodic vocals that consider the bopping tunes of Weezer or The Beach Boys. The four man sock hop group already have an LP, Get Hit, and an EP, Rock, under their belts. They plan to record and release their second promising EP, Don’t, in late Spring of 2006, as well as try their hand at writing songs for a forthcoming Zombie Rock Opera, to be performed in collaboration with local theatre company Loaded Gun Theory in October 2006. The ghastly tracks will be recorded and released shortly after.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band Review / InterviewHOUSEHOLD NAMESriyl: the beatles, guided by voices, weezerwords: andrea valdez / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-09-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

Comparisons of this band to the Beatles is enough to make me want to pick up their CD and listen to it. Household Names, originally created by Jason Garcia, has been hailed by critics as the new emerging pop band of the 21st century.
But, in the last year, Jason has expanded his solo project to include bassist Chris Peters and drummer C.J. Barker. My prediction is that this hip trio will have everyone listening to them on the radio pretty soon. With the release of Household Names’ first full-length album “The Trouble with Being Nice” came quick recognition amongst music connoisseurs of Austin. And the band is appropriately named, seeing that they will more than likely become a household name themselves.
How did you begin?
Chris: Jason started Household Names about four years ago as a solo project. The three of us have been together for about a year.
How did you guys meet?
Chris: An ad in the paper. It’s funny how those things work sometimes.
Jason: But Chris and C.J. has been in bands together for the last couple of years.
C.J.: When we first all got together to practice, we just knew it. It was that feeling of, “Yeah, this will work.”
Jason: Now we’re writing songs as a band, and in fact, we are recording our next one right now.
Are you thinking of signing onto a major record label?
Jason: We like to deal with indie record labels. They’re an extension of who we are as a band. They take care of things on a level we couldn’t. Indie bands need some focus so everything gets doen, like music, tours, videos, promotion, etc.
People have compared you to the Beatles. What do you think about that?
Chris: Well it’s flattering! We’re all huge fans of The Beatles. Our songs follow in that same vein in that they are trying to create something unique but remain pop songs, and, in fact, it was the first band that we could all relate to with our different backgrounds. I guess, like the Beatles, we strive to create something original and unique while not straying too far from the familiar convention of good pop.
Jason: Yeah, they were great at cramming some fairly artistic ideas into a three-minute song.
I saw that you guys are a featured band on MTV.com. How does that feel?
Jason: We were excited to be a feature download on MTV.com.
C.J.: Yeah, I think we beat out John Mayer for a little while. That made us feel really good, too.
Where do you see yourselves in the future?
Jason: Well, starting in every Thursday in October, we’re going to be a weekly feature at Bigsby’s. That’s for the immediate future. In the far off future, I want to maintain control over what we release. We want to release our own records and to tour in order to expose our music.
C.J.: We take it one step at a time, but the main goal is to be able to do this music thing for a living.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Band ReviewTHE UGLY BEATSriyl: new order, the faint, the rapturewords: ani v. steen

2006-09-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

In capturing all that is great about well crafted vintage sound, The Ugly Beats is a testimonial to 60s garage rock’s canonical altar. Elegantly wrestling two offsetting guitars, one brightly polished and the other shamelessly bristled, and swirling in colorful Farfisfa organ sounds, vocals mirroring a top-shelf conglomeration of British Invasion frontmen, pulsing and pounding bass, and tight hitting drums, the quintet finely executes melodic hooks that stand the test of time. Their debut album, Bring on the Beats! has been said to nail what’s “right and fun about garage rock revivalism without getting suffocated under the weight of nostalgia” Austin Chronicle. While they evidently are settled in rock tradition (note the ever popular definite article), The Ugly Beats are blasting out of the past and finding a considerable local following that isn’t close to pushing 50. Find out what The Ugly Beats are all about during their live day shows at SXSW, doubling up on March 18th at Flamingo (1pm) and Antone’s Records (3pm), and topping it off the following evening March 19th at Beerland (10pm).
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album ReviewDecibully: Sing Out America!(polyvinyl)

2006-09-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5
Milwaukee sextet Decibully’s third full-length release Sing Out America! finally successfully recreates their immersive live experience on record. The band’s roster includes several multi-instrumentalists, and instrumentation changes from song to song. Americana and roots rock influences pervade the album, but Decibully’s identity comes from their additions to these traditionalist foundations. Banjos, harmonicas, acoustic guitars, and lap steel guitars blend with a Rhodes organ and synthesizers to produce a dense, sparkling sound that is equal parts roots and polish. Although the lyrics tend to be overly dramatic, lead singer William Seidel’s vocals pick up the slack with a simple beauty completely lacking in any affectation. The album opens with the immediately engaging “I’m Gonna Tell You.” Here the band follows through every possibility made available by their unique blend of influences and instrumentation. Simple acoustic guitar and banjo passages with almost-whispered vocals give way to towering, swirling waves of keys and samples. The plodding, deliberate beat carries through the dynamic shifts, but in the end gives way to handclaps that set up “Megan & Magill.” Sequencing these two songs in this way to begin the album shows that Decibully has both a refreshingly old-fashioned understanding of the possibilities of the album format and a clear grasp of the inherent contradictions in their sound. After this opening, the album settles in for a collection of solid, but less remarkable, songs. The remaining highpoint is “Sing Out! Sing Out! Sing Out!” which comes the closest to revisiting the power of the album’s opening.

Band ReviewGHOSTLAND OBSERVATORYriyl: daft punk, prince, lcd soundsystemwords: joaquin black / photography: dániel perlaky

2006-09-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Ghostland Observatory is an Austin band igniting a massive explosion. Their dizzying rise over the last few months has seen their transition from obscurity to buzz band. The first taste of watching Ghostland Observatory live will leave no doubt as to why. You will salivate long afterwards.
On February 19th [2005] at Gallery Lombardi, Ghostland Observatory is getting ready to play a private party. Having played in small clubs around town, tonight’s will be the largest crowd in front of which they have ever performed. They move through the crowd with easy anonymity as the opening band plays. Around midnight, they take the stage.
The crowd had been milling in and out of the large bay doors in the front all night, but with the opening salvo of Thomas Turner’s, there was a noticeable surge to the front. By the end of the second song, few remained outside, and the crowd had packed so close to the front that some shared the front of the stage with frontman Aaron Behrens. After the show, the anonymity of earlier in the evening had disappeared. Before even having a chance to strike their equipment from the stage and continually for the rest of the night, the Ghostland guys are swarmed with new fans.
It’s March 31st at The Velvet Spade for at the Fischerspooner CD release party put on by Indierect Music Incubator, Overture, and Capitol Records. It is clear that word has spread. A small crowd quickly swells to well over three hundred in a short time before Ghostland Observatory takes the stage. The word on everyone’s tongue is “Ghostland,” and tonight will be the first show for most of them.
The Ghostland charges with their mixture of electronic dance beats and driving guitars. Turner’s tight, powerful drumming and electronics wizardry give Behrens all the inspiration he needs to wrap the crowd around his finger. He struts and preens. He delivers the songs with enthralling intensity and loosely jokes between songs. Everyone dances. Girls scream and swoon. At the end of a relentless set, the crowd screams for more and presses the stage to ask for CDs, t-shirts, mailing lists, anything.
The phenomenon can only continue to grow. The debut LP, delete.delete.i.eat.meat..., will be available on Indierect Records on April 23rd [2005], but, at press time, pre-orders taken over the Indierect website have already been piling up for a month. The album release party will take place at The Ritz on April 23rd with local psychedelic favorites The Black Angels. The show is without a doubt one of the biggest on the local scene so far this year. Catch this band up close while you still can.

Album ReviewKings of Leon: Aha Shake Heartbreak(rca records)

2006-09-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5

On their sophomore release Aha Shake Heartbreak, Kings of Leon have jumped out of the herd mentality of their first release into a sound that they can arguably call their own. Their sound comes from a cycle of 70’s Southern roots coloring 00s hipster influences and vice versa with an implementation on this release that is incredibly tight and well-conceived. Depending on personal taste, the blend of influences may be frustrating at times. There is an opportunity for the Southern raunch to be amplified, but the more contemporary influences dominate the rhythm section on most songs and the leads on some songs as well. Recorded completely live in the studio over a very short session, the album is impressively cohesive and coherent from start to finish. Caleb Followill’s voice may be an acquired taste, but, after a few listens, it becomes an inextricable part of the band’s sound. The lead single, “The Bucket,” is a great rock single and provides an accessible gateway into the more individual sound of the rest of the album. Other standout tracks include “Soft” and “Velvet Snow,” both of which are driven by the kind of Southern boogie choruses that are the band’s strong suit. Already much more popular in the UK than they are in the States and touring in support of U2 in late Spring, Kings of Leon may very well be one of the American rock bands to pay attention to this year.
-joaquin black

Band ReviewCRASH GALLERYriyl: the faint, the clash, joy divisionwords: si lin

2006-09-05T19:00:00.001-07:00

Imagine walking into the hippest party you have ever happened upon. You know the one, where the beer is still cold, there isn’t a line for the pisser, and the band drives the night into dawn with a set of unforgiving energy, demanding an honest match in vigor on the dance floor. It just makes you drunk with happiness. Welcome to Crash Gallery. This recently formed four-piece has already made their mark with the local scene as one of the best new live shows in town. Commanding their audiences with high powered performance, Crash Gallery weaves through delightfully unrestrained vocals, dizzily intermingled guitar and bass, and electric and thunderous beats in a high speed chase of new wave resonance. Having generated label interest, the band is currently considering options as they record their debut album set to release in Spring 2006.
information: Band Website / Band Myspace

Album ReviewTheBravery: Self-Titled(island records)

2006-09-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

RATING: 2.5 out of 5

Retro, new-wave-inspired, synth-based dancerock from New York City. Again. The songs are good, and the sound obviously works, but The Bravery’s self-titled debut LP is generally unremarkable. Bands that have had success with this general form have had punchier elements whether the bigger beats of New Order or the more angular guitars of Franz Ferdinand. Put The Bravery with The Killers in the limp-wristed, flash-in-the-pan bin. There are some fun, catchy songs such as “An Honest Mistake” and “Fearless;” however, there’s nothing here that will make you remember that song or this band. This record is good background music for a party, but not successful at much of anything else.
- joaquin black

Album ReviewGhostland Observatory: delete.delete.i.eat.meat...(indierect records)

2006-09-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Ghostland Observatory’s notoriously infectious live energy might not have been so perfectly captured on record by a less capable producer, but multi-instrumentalist Thomas Turner has packed this record with more banging beats and raw sexual energy than any record so far this year. Ghostland Observatory’s debut LP delete.delete.i.eat.meat… powers through a landscape of effects-laden vocals, warm synths, crunching drums, and ethereal guitars. The frantic pacing and variety of the album make selecting a standout track difficult, but “Shoot ‘Em Down” is one song that certainly must not be missed. Singer/guitarist Aaron Behrens purrs the opening chorus over an isolated, slowly bouncing bass line, breaking into the screaming chorus in a transition that carries the same punch listen after listen.
- joaquin black

Band ReviewTHE BELGRAVESwords: mike jones photography: mike rohal

2006-09-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

“The Belgraves will never sell out in any way shape or form. Obviously not or you’d be reading this in Seventeen Magazine. We will continue to write things that we’d like to hear.”
This is part of the statement that Ben, the singularly named Lead Singer of The Belgraves wrote in my notebook after interviewing the band in their unheated cabin on a cold December night deep in the woods of New Braunfels.
Having seen The Belgraves twice previously at Lucy’s, I was well aware of the intensity of their live shows which frequently involve Ben rolling around on the floor, burning himself with cigarettes, diving into the audience, and generally seeking destruction.
At one recent Lucy’s show, Ben broke a banister trying to jump from on top of the speakers to the banister. He ended up landing in the middle of a table full of people including one angry man who wanted to fight him.
Often the madness is not intentional, but merely a byproduct of the music. At one show at the Triple Crown, the band was rocking out a little too hard when Bass Player Danny Smith swung his bass around and knocked Ben out. Ben was convinced he had lost his eye and fell to the ground trying to conceal his disfigurement with his best Jim Morrison screaming impression. Ben added “The funniest part of the show was when people complimented me after the show while I was bleeding all over them.”
Being well acquainted with the craziness of a Belgraves live show, the most surprising part of the interview came afterwards when I took a copy of their new album “The Belgraves Vol. 1” home for a listen. In the next three days I listened to that album a total of twelve times. I was shocked at how good this band actually is beneath all of their insanity.
The Belgraves are hauntingly catchy but not in a poppy sort of way. They’re a band who genuinely succeeds in putting forward the kind of sound they intend to put out. As Ben describes it, “I like to write about real life horror stories from real experiences. I love The Misfits but I can’t write about Lizard Monkey children landing on the Empire State Building.” Although the band cites influences as diverse as Nick Cave, Roy Orbison and Patsy Cline, Horror-Punk band The Misfits are the band they are most frequently compared to simply because of the dark aura surrounding the band. However, they are very difficult to classify simply because like any great band, their sound is completely unique.

A lot of what is called “punk” these days tends to be weak and sappy, it’s basically pop music written by people who are too lazy to learn to play their instruments. Most of the bands out there that try and revive the old true punk attitude end up sounding merely like re-incarnations of older punk bands. Not so with The Belgraves, their sound is fresh and original and unique to them. Smith adds “Punk is a state of mind.”
The vocals are rough and distorted and sound as if they’re being shouted by a robotic drill instructor. The sound is very grounded but extremely intense, almost as if someone truly un-bottled all the aggression and attitude the band puts into its music, it would destroy everything in the room. The music is harsh, dark and heavy but clear and decipherable (unlike hardcore or metal). It’s the kind of music that makes you want to throw a garbage can at the bouncer and pick a fight with the nearest fraternity.
What’s hard to believe about The Belgraves is simply that they’re so unknown. I can say with a straight face that their album is the best punk album I’ve heard in years but they have trouble even booking shows in Austin because they don’t know the right people.
A lot of the reason for this is simply because they haven’t played many live shows outside of San Marcos. Also, their new album is their first decent release. Their prior demo “Activated” wasn’t very well produced and had a terrible sound quality. The energy was there but the music wasn’t complete like it is on this album.
The Belgraves have been around for three years and include brothers Brandon and Barrett Read (Brandon is an ordained internet Reverend. Bass Player Danny Smith adds “He’ll marry you, bury you, absolve your sins, whatever.”) who met Smith and Ben at New Braunfels High School.
The band has no immediate plans for glory on a major label with Ben explaining “I wouldn’t want to be on Fat Wreck Chords or Epitaph or labels like that.” However, Danny took care to add “But we’re kind of broke right now so someone give us a call. If someone wants to sign us, I’m an English Major so I’m not gonna have a job.”
Limited copies of “The Belgraves Vol. 1” are available at Sundance Records.

Album ReviewThe Mars Volta: Frances the Mute(universal / gold standard laboratories)

2006-09-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Having come out of the El Paso band At the Drive In that also spawned Sparta, The Mars Volta has followed a wildly different path. Although some of those loud indie rock roots are still present, their sophomore effort Frances the Mute delves even further into the experimental interests first set out in De-Loused in the Comatorium. The album is a manic mixture of psych, electronic noise, prog, and even some metal guitar leads. Bixter-Zavala’s screaming vocals weave eerily in and out of the mix as the band wanders through a collage of sonic ideas. The album is separated into five tracks, but only “The Widow” can be treated as a “song” in the traditional popular music sense. The lack of organization is the album’s main weakness; even obvious reference points such as Can provided more coherent compositions.
- joaquin black

Album ReviewMagnolia Electric Co.: What Comes After The Blues(secretly canadian)

2006-09-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 out of 5

Led by Jason Molina of Songs: Ohia, Magnolia Electric Co. has played as Molina’s touring band for the past two years. After last year’s live release Trials & Errors, What Comes After The Blues is the band’s first studio album. The album was recorded live over the course of three days, and the result is the kind of warm, intuitive understanding that can only come from a band that has played and toured relentlessly with one another. An obvious conceptual comparison can be made to the fusion of country and roots rock that has inspired Neil Young over the course of his career, but the sound is fuller with a larger band and dueling male and female lead vocals on most tracks.
- joaquin black

Album Review...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead: Worlds Apart(interscope)

2006-09-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The release of Trail of Dead’s Worlds Apart has met with immense praise and venomous attacks with little middle ground. As with most things, the truth lies between the extremes. Trail of Dead has steadily made the transition from the Austin indie fringe to the national major label mainstream. Most of the criticism seems founded in resentment towards this transition. Worlds Apart is their most accessible album to date, but it is no compromise. This release represents some of the band’s most complex compositions. The first half of the album, including “Will You Smile Again for Me” and the title-track, builds nicely into the climactic “Caterwaul.” The second half collapses into confusion at times, but is pervaded by beautiful moments. Worlds Apart may not be Trail of Dead’s strongest release, but the weaknesses involve great ideas that bode well for the future. An album that explores these ideas with the clarity of a “Source Tags and Codes” will be phenomenal.
- joaquin black

Album ReviewMastodon: Leviathan(relapse records)

2006-09-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Metal has unfortunately developed into something of a joke for most contemporary music fans, mostly as a result of the proliferation of radio-ready “heavy” genres such as rap-rock and nü-metal over the last few years. True metal, however, is neither as limp-wristed nor as brainless as its recent bastard progeny. Mastodon, from Atlanta, is at the vanguard of contemporary metal bands that don’t suck. Their recent release Leviathan, a metal concept album paralleling the story arc of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, is an enormous record, an amazingly loud behemoth of crushing precision chords that can make your head hurt with its dizzying rhythms and shifting, unconventional time signatures.
- Joaquin Black

Album ReviewThe Unbearables: Get Hit(stem and leaf records)

2006-09-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The Unbearables combine 60’s British Invasion and garage melodies with a punk energy to produce their danceable, poppy sound that has developed a loyal following around Austin. Their debut LP, Get Hit, presents the songs upon which The Unbearables have built their following in a tightly produced package. Depending on the track, Marshall Escamilla and Ian LeClair trade lead vocals duties, the blend of LeClair’s scream-singing and Escamilla’s smoother tone being one of the immediately noticeable trademarks of the band. The rhythm section, Tim O’Connell on drums and Harrison Speck on bass, provides a persistent bouncing beat as a backbone to this relentlessly danceable album.
- Joaquin Black

Album ReviewLow: The Great Destroyer(sub pop)

2006-09-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 stars out of 5

Now over a decade into their career, Low from Duluth, MN has developed an identity as an almost truly unique, a seemingly impossible accomplishment given the fundamentally self-referential character of popular music. Easily, the slowest band of the “slowcore” genre, Low has built its strong reputation on its stripped down, minimalist sound. Perhaps Low thought they had begun referring too much to themselves. On The Great Destroyer, they break with their formula. The new release will not necessarily be an instant favorite with existing Low fans, but the newly active instrumentation and tighter pop song structures should bring a new audience to this highly deserving band.
- Joaquin Black

Album ReviewPhoenix: It's Never Been Like That(astralwerks / emd)

2006-09-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

RATING: 4 stars out of 5

This French group has been making elevator Muzak to dance to for ten years now, and on their third album they’ve decided to shake everything up, yielding their liveliest and most enjoyable album yet. Recorded in a series of first takes, with the emphasis less on programmed beats and synth flourishes and more on guitar and live drums, Phoenix has discovered a new band hiding under those ashes, one that sounds an awful lot like the Strokes. “Napoleon Says” and “Consolation Prizes” are slinky come-ons made irresistible by Thomas Mars’ croon, “Long Distance Call” is destined to be another club smash, and “Sometimes In the Fall” is a true hands-in-the-air anthem. Never before has loosening up made a band sound so tight; your DJ and your dentist agree.
-sean o’neal

Album ReviewMesser Chups / crazy price(ipecac)

2006-09-04T11:34:00.001-07:00

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Mike Patton’s Ipecac label has a reputation for releasing music that is, by conventional standards, pretty far out. With that in mind, if Ipecac were to put out a “surf” album, it would stand to reason that the album would be laden with more Theremin than you can shake a stick at and would have a version of Hungarian song that, according to legend, was responsible for at least 17 suicides.
Russia’s Messer Chups’ latest, Crazy Price, fits the bill. Surf guitar, rockabilly bass, vintage synthesizer, an organ, and samples from sci-fi and horror flicks all figure prominently into their sound. With full horn sections, harp, scatting and hip hop beats rounding it all out.
Some cuts (“In 3 Minutes Till Massacre,” “Gangster They Called Horizon-Man”) lend touches of surf and exotica into beat driven electronic numbers, while others(“Satan Jeans,” “Ghost Rides To West”) are total retro surf and psychobilly numbers with samples and electronic flourishes. In fact, it is often difficult to ascertain what is live instrumentation and what is sampled. However they did it, Messer Chups have crafted an album just like an amazing B-movie: despite its flaws, it is weird, enchanting, and will keep you coming back for more. Far out, man.

- john watson

Album ReviewThe Walkmen / A Hundred Miles Off(record collection)

2006-09-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

RATING: 2.5 stars out of 5

With Bows and Arrows setting the bar high—and birthing “The Rat”—The Walkmen can be forgiven for sliding a little on this, their third outing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make the half-baked ideas here any more enjoyable. Switching up the roster (organist Walter Martin traded places with bassist Peter Bauer) has made for a shift in the band’s sonic qualities, with overdriven guitar at the forefront and walls of noise all around. Vocalist Hamilton Leithauser apes Highway 61-era Dylan, making for a sameness of sound that doesn’t do the abrasive edges of the songs here any favors. Caribbean-flavored opener “Louisiana” has a sun-kissed charm, and “Emma Get Me a Lemon” almost makes it as an anthem, but too often the record suffers under the weight of its own sloppiness.
-sean o’neal