Funeral Pudding

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SXSW 2008 Preview
2008-03-12 05:06:00
.It's a great time to live five minutes from downtown Austin. Like every time I've been to SXSW, I'm not buying a badge or wristband, because they are completely unnecessary to seeing a shitload of bands. They let you get into the official showcases at night, but if there's a showcase you really want to see, show up early and see what happens. But each band usually only plays one night showcase, so even with a wristband, scheduling conflicts could force you to join to hordes shuffling in and out of all the free day shows in order to catch that band you're dying to see. And SXSW this year seems to be getting going earlier than ever, I swear even just last year there were only a handful of shows and parties before the official Wednesday start, but this year they've been going strong since Monday night. So, most bands will play at least 2-3 day shows, usually more if they can, and one night show, so again the wristband (and the expense) are unnecessary to have a good time.The fre...
More About: Preview , 2008

Man, It's the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2008-03-03 01:30:00
To the girl who done me wrong: I'll call ya Tiffany, since that's ya real name. It wasn't like you done mean to treat me bad. It wasn't like ya screwed me over or nothing, it was the way you and your friend laughed like princesses when I mentioned Jon Spencer Blues Explosion . And you done saw him live, too! Oh, shit, man, how can I forget how you and that other little bitch cackled as you recalled how Jon Spencer would shout out "The Blues Explosion!". So even though you treated me good otherwise, you just cramped my style there in a way that couldn't be uncramped. A girl ain't gotta love the heavy, howling, fierce, Elvis on PCP channeling explosion of pure roots rock energy that is the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but if you're gonna laugh in the face of all that is raw and pure and soulful about rock-n-roll, I'm afraid little honey that I'm gonna have to kick yo ass to the curb like a stray dog."Now is the timeTo lose all self-controlTell about all the garbageIn your brai...

New Breeders (and some old)
2008-02-25 01:10:00
The Breeders ' Mountain Battles comes out officially in April, about six years after their previous, the underappreciated Title TK. Whereas Title TK took the Breeders' hooks and made them sound in-your-face and had a first-take kind of feel, Mountain Battles for the most part goes in the opposite direction, layering overdubs and sounding more atmospheric than any of their previous releases. There are certain elements of Pod that I hear, mostly the moodiness, but also just the bit-more quirky and inventive chord changes. A couple of the more upbeat songs like "Bang On" and "German Studies" mostly work, but others like "Walk It Off", "No Way", and "It's The Love" don't do anything the Breeders haven't already done better, and sound obligatorily included. The strengths, however, far outweight the weaknesses. The swooning guitar and laid-back feel suit Kim Deal's raspy plaintive singing so well on this album. The simple country heart of "Here No More" is more real than anything you...

Dan Friel of Parts & Labor
2008-02-19 09:04:00
I've been on an electronic kick lately, no doubt bolstered by Holy Fuck's blistering set (opening for Super Furry Animals) a couple of weeks ago. And not just any electronic music, but artists who are tinkering with and creating new equipment and sounds. People not just aping Kraftwerk and Devo and Autechre, but using their electronic tinkering as inspiration for their own unique circuit-bent beat-laden explorations. If you know of some great bands like this, by all means name-drop them in the comments section, because like all of you I'm still exploring and finding things I wish I would have found sooner. Like Dan Friel. I (finally) got turned onto his band Parts & Labor last year while listening to music I hadn't heard from people's year-end best-of lists. His myspace describes his sound as "shit broke", and he says: "If you have old toy keyboards, walkie talkies, or R/C car remotes that you don't want, get in touch. I'll trade you a cd for them." The difference between...

2 Hour Mix For The Lunar Eclipse
2008-02-17 06:44:00
There were two other recent total lunar eclipses, but this will be last the one for almost three years, and the U.S. is lined up to get the best views. This NASA eclipse page has some good info, including exact start times of the different phases of the eclipse. The total eclipse, where the moon is completely shadowed by the sun, will last for almost an hour, beginning right at 10:00PM EST (9:00PM CST), and this mix is designed to be started about half an hour beforehand. This is also a good time to brush up on some knowledge about our large moon - there was an excellent show on Discovery that just aired called "If We Had No Moon" (available on Youtube) that shed some light on just how much the moon affects us. Also, the origins of the moon have been fiercely debated for eons, but it has only been in the last couple of decades that we have come to realize how the moon formed: a giant collision. A giant planet-sized object collided with Earth early in its history, and its remnants pl...
More About: Eclipse , Hour , Lunar , Lunar Eclipse

Vampire Weekend
2008-02-05 23:02:00
This exchange in my 'best of 2007' post comments pretty much sums up this band:Anonymous said..."I'm really hating The Vampire Weekend . I don't understand what all of the hype is about."funeralpudding said..."I've read reviews that talk about how Vampire Weekend are a love em or hate em band, and in a way I can see why. It could be a bit too precious for some. I listen and I hear talent and catchy songs. Basically I don't know what else to say, this is one of the reasons I hate putting words to music. To me, it just clicks, it works, the hooks hit me and make me want to snap my fingers and sway my hips. To each his own."Vampire WeekendAmoeba Records, Hollywood, CAFeb. 4, 2008Mansard RoofCampusCape Cod Kwassa KwassaM79Bryn/BostonA-PunkThe Kids Don't Stand A ChanceOxford CommaThanks to taper markp for sharing this on Dime so quickly, and to flickr user dazzling velours for the pic.Buy the new self-titled debut from Vampire Weekend for 11 bucks, plus a 7" and other merchandise...

Keith John Adams
2008-01-31 21:13:00
The Keith John Adams [myspace] third full length Unclever is being released by Athens, GA-based super-indie label Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records. KJA's style is for the most part British power-pop, somewhat similar to Graham Coxon's (Blur) solo stuff, but more eccentric. I also hear a bit of Robyn Hitchcock, the jokey new-wave of Jilted John, and a bit of rockabilly. On tour he's been backed by both Casper & the Cookies and Tokyo's Elekibass. And KJA isn't afraid of some indie DIY experimenting with his songwriting - if you were one of the lucky people (and I was) who got one of the first 40 preorders of Unclever, you could submit a story of your own for KJA to write a song about. All 40 story-songs may be a bonus disk with Unclever, I'm not certain. There is some talk on the E6 board about putting out a vinyl edition of the 40 story-songs, possibly on People In A Position To Know Records. Mike from Olympia,WA-based (and soon to be Austin-based) PIAPTK was actually th...
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Supergrass Take On Both New Identity and Michael Jackson
2008-01-12 08:34:00
In September of last year, Supergrass [myspace] bassist Mick Quinn sleepwalked out of a first-story window and broke two vertebrae and a heel. This is as Supergrass are just finishing their sixth studio album, Diamond Hoo Haa, which will be released in March. The first single is "Diamond Hoo Ha Man", and until Mick recovers, the rest of the band (plus sometimes youngest Coombes brother Charlie on keyboard bass, which would make that a 3/4 Coombes-family band) are performing as the Diamond Hoo Ha Men, although the set below is presumably just Gaz and Danny. First, let me just gush like a fanboy about how long I've loved Supergrass, yada yada. But really, it's something that great bands like them and the Charlatans UK can barely make a dent commercially outside of the UK, suffer hardships and even deaths, but keep on churning out inventive music for well over a decade. That said, the new Supergrass that I've heard is a departure. Almost all of the quirkiness, at least musically in ...
More About: Michael Jackson , Michael , Jackson , Identity

The Best of 2007
2008-01-02 03:15:00
The bad part about waiting to put this out is it gets lost in the sea of lists. The good part is that it's given me the time to look at a lot of lists and see a few things I hadn't heard, which to me is one of the real points of it all, to make sure you've heard the cream of the crop. I've listened to virtually everything on most best-of lists that I looked at, and have got to say, that at least to my ears - the National, M.I.A., and Arcade Fire couldn't match their previous efforts. I also just didn't feel Feist's or Burial's releases. And to head it off at the tracks, Writer's Block wasn't released in the US until this year, so... Also, if I listed live shows, it would be a 1-2 battle between my 1 and 2 album of the year artists, who both put on incredible shows with their new material. And if you like the artists you hear by all means head over to their sites and myspaces, and feel free to click on the album art to purchase the complete version of the audio goodness you...

Jens Lekman Solo Radio Performance
2007-12-13 09:46:00
Is Jens Lekman too quirky to break into the mainstream? His smooth crooning can sooth even the most jaded listener, and it's easy to see how his romantic sounds could appeal to a wider, older, less "hip" audience. He has called himself (here in the interview below) the "indie Frank Sinatra", although I have two arguments against that: 1. Jens's swagger doesn't have the tough streak of Sinatra's 2. Sinatra would probably never, even if the technology were available at the time, sing over a loop of his own beat-boxing as Jens does here. His newest, Night Falls Over Kortedala, is appearing on many year-end best-of lists, and also sees him exploring where he can take "crooner" music, encorporating various styles and offbeat musical elements. The combination of quirkiness (especially with lyrics) with pure pleasantness has won over much of the indie community, and it won't be long before a more mainstream crowd knows his name.Jens LekmanKEXP Seattle Nov. 6, 200701 The Opposite of Ha...
More About: Radio , Performance , Solo

of Montreal Cover 2 More Prince Songs
2007-12-12 10:01:00
of Mont real are a band known for their great covers, both performance-wise and selection-wise, but I don't think before this year's tour that they ever covered more than one song from the same artist. First there was "Moonage Daydream" (*bows*), then came a slew of other David Bowie covers. Then earlier this year they covered "Raspberry Beret" and lately they started playing "Purple Rain" (which I saw in Austin), and have now gone even further into the Prince catalog. Both Bowie and Prince seem to be huge influences on the newer of Montreal sounds, so it's good to see Kevin Barnes acknowledging that fact outright and firmly by playing so many of their songs. The show these following tracks are from was in St. Louis on November 19, the second-to-last stop of this American leg on their massive tour, and were the opening two songs of the concert.of Montreal "I Would Die 4 U" (Prince)of Montreal "Baby I'm A Star" (Prince)Buy from Polyvinyl's huge selection of of Montreal, perfect f...
More About: Songs , Cover

Karlheinz Stockhausen
2007-12-09 03:11:00
Karlheinz Stockhausen died Wednesday (obit.). I had heard him mentioned several times as an electronic pioneer and an avant-garde composer who influenced popular music from the Beatles (he was on the Sgt. Pepper cover collage) to Sonic Youth, yet I admittedly (like most I presume) had heard little of his music. Like any kind of music, if you're interested in it, look to the pioneers and heavyweights, and if you missed their contributions while they were alive, a wake is an appropriate time to take a moment to examine somebody's work, so for the last couple days I've been diving in. I learned that Stockhausen (wiki) did much more than tinker with electronics, he was a quixotic visionary who (along with John Cage) pioneered the use of chance in music, even having musical scores which could be read by the performer upside down or begun at a random page. Stockhausen also experimented with atonal music, which with its unsettling single-key approach can even today sound challenging, an...

The Joggers Cover Deerhoof, Grateful Dead
2007-12-01 08:37:00
On The Joggers myspace page, they now link to a new Joggers blog. It's been going on for a month now, and has lots of info - I didn't realize Dan and Jake also play in a band called Pseudosix, which I will be checking out immediately, and Daryl the bassist is out for a while with a hockey injury. But the big news comes in the form of a link to PRA radio - Portland Radio Authority, which is a treasure-trove of Portland area recordings, including TWO shows from the Joggers, plus an interview, as well as a Damo Suzuki (Can) tribute featuring Dan and Jake from the Joggers. One of the Joggers' shows is the cover-laden set from NYE last year featuring the below songs, and, oh, Led Zeppelin. The links at PRA are working weirdly right now, though, to get to the Joggers shows you first have to go to the PRA homepage and then to the link for PODCAST - PRA Events. When I went to that link yesterday it showed me a page full of concerts including the above mentioned Joggers' sets, but now it...
More About: Cover , Dead , Deerhoof , Grateful Dead

It's My Birthday - Mix + Dimeadozen Contest
2007-11-26 10:53:00
Yeah for me. I've managed to keep this blog going for a year now, and my download numbers keep increasing, so it's good to know I can still turn people onto music, take them on a slightly different musical journey than they would have. People always have a curious reaction when they first hear the name Funeral Pudding. It is actually an album by one of my all-time favorite bands, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - from San Francisco and often on Matador Records. The odd juxtaposition of words is what always caused it to stick in my mind, and when I needed a name for my old college radio show, it worked, especially with my oh-so-clever tagline "as commercial radio kills music...". So anyways, here's a couple of tracks from TFUL282's Funeral Pudding (buy):TFUL282 "Waited Too Long"TFUL 282 "23 Kings Crossing"And here's a special birthday mix, it's quite nice if I do say so myself (go here and click "download now"):BIRTHDAY PUDDINGfeaturing:The RamonesFugaziThe Birthday PartyCibo ...
More About: Contest , Mead

Ropeadope/Klock/Critters/9-11
2007-11-21 22:49:00
I was thinking about this year's releases, reading some early lists, and catching up on some albums I might have missed or not explored enough. One of my favorite's was San, from japan's DJ Klock, finally released in America, just before his death. I was looking for something more from him or the group Cacoy he was a part of. San was released on Rope adope Records, who have a regular page and forward-thinking Digital page, as well as artist-friendly terms, and I found this sampler:Ropeadope Records Digital CompilationDJ Klock "Theme"(previously: "Dakota" and "Rounds")...but that's a small selection of the mp3s they have available on their site (which definitely makes exploring it more worthwhile), just look around - on many album info pages you'll find mp3s, too. The music selection is indie and eclectic, but seems to have a good deal of avant-garde, DJ, and jazz- inspired artists, including DJ Logic; Medeski, Martin, and Wood; and Critters Buggin (who I love and saw in 2000 - T...

Brown Whornet is Back Hitting the Streets
2007-11-15 23:01:00
Austin avant-meisters Brown Whornet (myspace) are like creeper weed: you kind of go "what the fuck? not bad..." at first, but slowly it envelops you. The faux-crooning and musical weirdness and tongues in cheek start to warble your own sensibilities a bit, and this is a good thing. Fans of Ween, Zappa, and Mr. Bungle / Fantomas should really like them, but they do have their own peculiarities, both musically and in their presentation. Chicago Reader says: "Brown Whörnet mangle free jazz, luv-me-baby R & B, parodically straight hardcore, and something that sounds like Yes on a boom box whose batteries are dying are all in their arsenal." They do musical scores for old silent movies ("Nosferatu"-1922, "The Adventures of Prince Achmed"-1926, and "The Lost World"-1925), their live shows often see costumes and slide slows, and have been as likely as (my heroes) TFUL282 (who they've toured with, along with Melt-Banana and Wesley Willis) to use outtakes from the studio or even a late...
More About: Back , Streets , The Streets , Horn

Two Compilation Albums For Free Download
2007-11-08 01:03:00
Sorry for the lag, I've been using a lot of my storage space for the Booty Patrol. You should head over there at once and download the new of Montreal tribute album Aluminum Plums (and the several concerts available there). This tribute really is better than many others I've heard - the musicianship is elevated, and there's a good range of periods in of Montreal's music, and in the interpretations, and also a good range of experience levels - from bedroom recordings to an acapella group to Pitchfork-worthy bands like Tokyo's Elekibass and former of Montreal member Jason NeSmith's band Casper and the Cookies, who deliver a jaw-dropping version of "Penelope" that jumps across genres like a frog on a lilypad, from funk to alt-rock to Queen to bluegrass to reggae to heavy metal to chamber music, all effortlessly and without sounding contrived, just an enjoyable exploration of where that song can go. Here's that song, the album's closer, and the opening track, from Mimi and Flo m...
More About: Download , Free , Albums , Compilation

Thai Pop Spectacular
2007-10-20 00:36:00
Sublime Frequencies is a label run by Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls (and filmmaker Hisham Mayet), with help from brother and fellow SCG (Sir) Richard, where they can share little heard or seen musical treasures from Southeast Asia to the Middle East. And with Thai Pop Spectacular , they've managed to compile an eclectic mix of Thai music from the 60's to 80's that I wish would have been a part of my musical language long ago. It's a wild mix of genres held together for English-only ears by not only the foreign, melodic, slightly melancholy longing warble of the singing but by a strange sense of familiarity with the music. The first two tracks below especially gave me the feeling I had heard them somewhere before (especially the second one, I'm almost positive this is a cover but can't find info on it, it's not the "Don't Deceive Me" listed on allmusic.com - anyone?). And in this album the funky grooves, killer guitar/bass/keyboard/horn riffs, surf and disco-wah-wah influences...

Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus
2007-10-12 22:55:00
Super Furry Animals are one of my favorite bands. The show I saw of their Rings Around the World tour, 2002 in Austin at the Mercury (now Parish), replete with head-swirling quadraphonic speaker set-up, is perhaps my favorite show of all time. I admittedly didn't fall in love the very first time I heard them in the 90's, I thought they were just OK. I had heard they drove around music festivals in a large blue tank that had techno music blasting out of it, that they were on Creation Records, and that I just hadn't listened well enough. I listened again to Guerrilla and it hit me - and it's funny, all of their albums are the same way for me - it's always on the second or third listen that the genius truly reveals itself, the interplay of harmonies is comprehended, the great lyric is realized (tongues are often either firmly in cheek, stuck out at bad politics, or on their first two EPs and the LP Mwng lilting unintelligibly in their native Welsh). The magnificently polished prod...
More About: Super , Venus , Super Furry Animals

Mick Jagger
2007-10-10 23:57:00
"Greatest hits albums are for housewives... and little girls." -Bruce McCullough's KITH sketch about the Doors. And it's partly true. I had the Best of Creedence for a long time until Pavement's cover of "Sinister Purpose" inspired me to buy CCR's "Green River" album, which blew me away and made me mad at myself for relying on the greatest hits package for so long. But for some artists, a greatest hits package makes perfect sense, as in the case of the brand new "Very Best of Mick Jagger ." Mick obviously wants to spread his wings and do something different than he's done with the Rolling Stones in his four solo albums and other side projects, but it can end up sounding like a generic 80's pastiche, like on the faux-urgent driving rock of the Lenny Kravitz produced opener "God Gave Me Everything" or the strutting "Lucky In Love" and "Just Another Night" from his first solo album in '85, which did have Bill Laswell producing and Jeff Beck, Pete Townsend, and Herbie Hancock play...

Collections of Animal Collective
2007-10-08 19:09:00
Here is every known Animal Collective live recordingAnd a large selection of Animal Collective raritiesHuge thanks to all the Animal Collective fans who record and give their time to help share, especially sherbz at bansheebeat.com for compiling the live shows and chemotion.com for compiling the rarities.There's not much more to say that hasn't been said about Animal Collective. If you haven't joined the bandwagon, then ignore it and listen to the music (after emptying your mind of preconceived notions), but note that most of the old-school fans are still on board.On their newest, Strawberry Jam, their forest-chanting experiments and shakers and stick rhythms have completely gelled with their samplers and electronics and pop sensibilities into a more focused, steadier beat - where the whoops and ahhhs and hey-oooos and squirts of noise synchronize with the arpeggioed scales and steady but warbling waves of delay that shimmy off of nearly every sound, the whole time phasers and sw...
More About: Collections

Junior Brown
2007-09-27 21:37:00
When I've tried to turn people on to Junior Brown , I've settled on this description: imagine Jimi Hendrix playing old traditional country. Of course there's more to it, from the instrument he invented himself to his unique baritone voice, to the touches of surf, jazz, rock(abilly), and even Hawaiian slide that flavor his music. Junior is one-of-a-kind, and should not be dismissed by those who have a predisposition to not liking much country music. From the bio on his site: "A lot of people tell me they don't like country music, but they like what I am doing. I hear that line more than anything else." As a side note my wife is often stunned at my knowledge of old country (from my dad). She can't fathom how after decades of not hearing some of those songs I'm still able to sing along to each and every one, like on the Time-Life country oldies collection commercial. It's because a lot of them just had real feeling, and real playing and songwriting which explored the languag...

The Best of the Rest in Austin
2007-09-24 23:55:00
So to not make this drag on forever, I'm going to finish my list of essential Austin bands with some videos:GvB loves these next guys, White Denim (myspace) "the best new band at SXSW 2007." I'll call it dirty, anthemic, stomp-on-the-floor electro-psych-rock jams. I also really enjoy their desire to explore the song, to let it meander. They have a couple of Austin dates coming up - with fellow Austinites What Made Milwaukee Famous Oct. 5 at the Parish and at Fun Fun Fun Fest at the beginning of Novemeber (see you there, dudes). The debut EP for the following song is available now through iTunes, and as a 7" single with CD insert, direct from the band on their myspace (the lips pic).White Denim "Let's Talk About It" - new video released a month agoAnother Austin band hitting their stride this year, with an s/t album out on Peek-A-Boo Records (Octopus Project, Palaxy Tracks) earlier this year is Peel. In them I hear some Pavement, some Flaming Lips, but in their own danceable messy...
More About: Rest

Oh No! Oh My!
2007-09-22 23:55:00
Austin's Oh No! Oh My (myspace) are another band on the rise (a new song on "Weeds", tour with Au Revoir Simone and everything). Their whimsical anthems are for the most part light and refreshing, twee at times, sometimes with a few minor chords which either give way to catchy refrains like on "Our Mouths Were Wet" or "The Party Punch" on the new EP, or continue along in their emotion, like the almost British sea song-sounding James-like "I Love You All The Time" from the self-titled debut album or "Oh Be One" or "A Pirate's Anthem" on the new EP. The percussion is especially nice - easy and laid-back, with a lot of clicking, clopping and clapping, cymbals, and tambourines - usually with acoustic guitar, soothing keys, and at times Animal Collective-like whooping filling out the sound, helping keep these new songs bouyant and spright. Their debut album last year was met with wide acclaim, as is their new EP (released just last month), "Between The Devil And The Sea". The influence...

Octopus Project / Ghostland Observatory
2007-09-21 04:01:00
There are two bands from Austin that are playing sold-out shows here and are soon to do the same everywhere after break-out shows, both with big plans for the future: Octopus Project and Ghostland Observatory. They are also two of my favorite Austin bands, and both mix up indie and electronica - Octopus Project glows and shimmers and warps while Ghostland Observatory cackles and pops and rumbles, Octopus Project following a more artsy experimental route (somewhat like Tortoise and the Avalanches) while Ghostland Observatory clearly run the streets at night (like the Rapture, which is an oft-repeated but not untrue comparison). Octopus Project played Coachella last year after winning a contest and Ghostland followed a breakout performance at 2006's Austin City Limits Festival with one that from what I've heard was one of the best from this past weekend's ACL. They both have two albums under their belt, and Octopus Project's third, "Hello, Avalanche" will be released Oct. 9, (four...

Cockaboody, Okkervil River
2007-09-19 23:29:00
Alright, now I've gotten myself into a corner. If I include Voxtrot, there's a whole shitload of bands now that I'm going to have to include in my Austin run. Which I'm also doing instead of ACL Festival, because I just moved and am a broke motherfucker. And then Monday night's Yo La Tengo show sold out but I settled on watching them hang out for a short while and introduce a couple of films at the Alamo Drafthouse: Cockaboody and Four Flies On Grey Velvet, the latter a ridiculous 70's flick about a drummer in a murder/blackmail plot, but with a great psychedelic/almost disco-ish soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. Cockaboody (youtube) was made by Georgia's (of YLT) parents, John and Faith Hubley, who did animation for Disney and Sesame Street, and features the voices of 3 year-old Georgia and her older sister. Georgia talked about how her parents just held out microphones and told them to improv and how she was later fascinated about how they put it together with the animation.An...
More About: River

Voxtrot
2007-09-19 05:35:00
Voxtrot are definitely an Austin band on the rise. They mine indie influences with an earnest attitude and chops. And a piano. Ben Folds would not be an unfair comparison, they both incorporate piano and power-pop. I like Voxtrot's active bass lines, jangly guitars and overall energetic playing, although I must say I'm more a fan of their less-brooding work, like the following two tracks. Voxtrot are on MTV and are currently opening for the Arctic Monkeys' North American Tour, but are indie enough to have released two EPs on their own record label and maintain approval from Pitchfork. Voxtrot "Your Biggest Fan" (The 3rd EP, went to #4 on Billboard Singles charts last year)Voxtrot "Honeybee" (Firecracker 7")Always if possible buy direct from the band.
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I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
2007-09-18 00:10:00
Let's hit the other bigger, more nationally-established Austin bands of today you have probably heard of, and make a connection - this next band's first EP was produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon, and they have the pretty good name of I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness (Myspace), which about sums up their sound. I've read Joy Division comparisons that I just don't really understand, as if everything dark is influenced by Joy Division's sounds. If anything, I hear more Ministry-style darkness, which makes sense since that's the former band of the producer of ILYBICD's debut album, which is decidedly darker and also more Chameleons-like dark new wave-y than the EP.I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness "Your Worst Is The Best" (s/t EP - 2003)I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness "Ghost" (Fear Is On Our Side LP -2006)Buy from the band.

Spoon
2007-09-17 01:53:00
Spoon are no doubt the best-known Austin band right now. Even their album covers are blogged about. The two albums previous to the newest were big critical and commercial successes, and the newest, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" hit the Billboard Charts at number 10. Here's how I feel about Spoon: First off, local boys make good is always a good thing. Even though Spoon (co)leader Britt Daniel has called Portland home since 2006, Spoon are essentially an Austin band, and this newest album was mostly all recorded in Austin. I've always really liked them and loved several of their songs, just not over-the-top loved as much as some do. The first song on 2002's "Kill the Moonlight", "Small Stakes" (mp3), helped me put into words the thing that I liked about them: the angst, the build-up never quite unleashed, detached yet steady anticipation building into nothing but itself. The songs now still have some of that urgency, but not as much of the stark angularity. This newest has been out for a coupl...
More About: Spoon

Back In Austin - Ringo Deathstarr
2007-09-14 23:17:00
I'm settled in Austin , sorry for the delays. No more four weeks between posts. Probably more like a week, week and a half, haha... after this spurt of making it up to y'all. After this I'm going to hit some major albums of the summer that you shouldn't have missed, but for the next few posts I'm going to highlight some great bands coming out of Austin, TX.First up is Ringo Deathstarr. The comparisons to Jesus & Mary Chain are unavoidable, and I also hear a lot of Joy Division, and those aren't two bad points of reference. It's gritty and raw and reverby. I hope to see them take it further, but for now recreating JAMC-style songs through their own kind of wall-of-fuzz is hitting my ears alright. They just played on my good friend Brian's radio show, The Casbah, which he podcasts. You can check out this show featuring Ringo Deathstarr from last Saturday night in its entirety, with three more songs and interview, HERE.Ringo Deathstarr "Sweet Girl (Casbah 9-8-07)"Ringo Death...
More About: Back