New Music Tuesday 3/11

Del The Funky Homosapien - The Eleventh Hour - Rap - FYI All tracks contain explicit lyrics - The rapper on many Gorillaz tracks (Clint Eastwood, Rock the House, etc.) comes with some smooth skills and non-typical beats.  His fifth album in five years sounds good not his best but good.

Fat Joe - Elephant in the Room - Rap- NYC rapper bringin some beats with guests, Lil Wayne, Jackie Rubio and more.  I wonder if he drives the FJ Cruiser by Toyota? 

Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge - Indie Rock (light)- With over half the songs on her latest album being varied instrumentals and the other rock/pop vocals she created a cool sounding record.   

Meshuggah - obZen - Technical Metal - Sixteenth album from the metal rockers of Sweden. 

Van Morrison - Keep It Simple - Adult Pop/Rock- Music legend from Belfast releases his first new studio record since 05.  No horns or strings on this one. As the title states he’s keeping it simple.  He runs the gambit of sounds (jazz, folk, blues, country, soul and gospel) on this one.  He is playing SXSW, Wednesday 3/12, La Zona Rosa at 7pm.  Get there early!

Presidents of the United States of America - These Art the Good Times People - Punk/Pop/Comedic - On their 6th studio album the PUSA are still full of pop hooks and witty lyrics. They are playing SXSW Thursday 3/13 at The Cedar Door 11:40.

Pride Tiger - The Lucky Ones - Rock- From Vancouver B.C. This guitar driven rock music sounds like a raw Lenny Kravitz or Thin Lizzy (in a good way).  The Lucky Ones sounds like a great album but would be even better live. They are playing SXSW Saturday 3/15, Esters Follies at 10pm.

Snoop Dog - Ego Trippin - West Coast Rap- On his 9th studio release Snoop Dogg busts loose with 21 tracks.  The most I can say is that it sounds like a Snoop album.  Smooth rhymes and good beats.  He even goes a little country on My Medicine.  If you like snoop you’ll like this new one.  Ego Trippin is produced by Pharrell, Ted Riley, and others.

And one I missed last week…

Carl Craig - Sessions - DJ/Electronica - This is a collection that Craig hand-picked out of his vast array of remixes and unreleased music.  This is a 2 disc set or 19 songs if you are downloading.       

SXSW FREE SHOWS

Okay so I have people coming up to me all the time asking, “What is up with the free shows at SXSW? Do I need a wristband?”  Oh My Rockness has compiled a great list (is it comprehensive? maybe) of the various free shows. These are mainly day shows.  http://sxsw.ohmyrockness.com/Showlist.cfm?freeShows=true  Also their site has lists of other shows and recommendations.  Since I do not have a wristband I will be using their list to find some great shows.  Saturday there is a free show called Mess With Texas Party at Waterloo Park that will be going all day. Checkout their lineup here http://messwithtexasparty.com/  More posts coming soon.  

Well, that was my first rodeo.

I had my first experience at a rodeo this weekend at the Travis Expo. Center.  Yes, I saw a monkey riding a border collie. Yes, I ate some good food in the BBQ cook-off area.  Yes, I saw drunk women wearing clothes that were 4 sizes to small for them.  Yes, I saw basketball hoops with bent rims with teen boys trying win a stuffed animal for their girls. Yes, I saw lots of kids and family having a good time on the rides in the carnival.  The actual Rodeo was fun too.  Bull riding, bronco, barrel racing, team calf roping, and a few more.  Then high school kids came out to tackle a calf and then pull them across a line.  I guess it’s harder than it looks because some of them were having some problems.  Also there were 5 year olds holding on to sheep as they sprinted around the arena.  That was funny, I don’t care who you are.  Jack Ingram filled in for the strained vocals of Miranda Lambert.  Many people left expecting to hear her.  The crowds were big and fun was had by most everyone I saw. 

Weekend Music, Comedy and Movies

Tonight, Friday, What Made Milwaukee Famous is having their CD release party at Emo’s outdoor stage.  Lemurs, Loxsly and Black Before Red open the show. Dance, move and sweat to the Latin beats/horns of Groupo Fantasma at the Parish, tickets are $15 (preshow only).  Styx is out at the Star of Texas Rodeo.

Saturday night, jazz super group Blaze is early at Central Market (6:30-9).  The Scabs play their dirty funk at Antone’s.  The Faceless Werewolves have their CD release party at Beerland.  Starting at noon and going throughout the night is Psych Fest at The Red Barn, bands include:  The Black Angels, Spindrift, The Strange Boys, Acid Tomb, Ringo Deathstarr, and many others.  If you are into country Miranda Lambert is at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo on Sunday, Neal McCoy is on Saturday.  There are many bands playing on the grounds of the Travis County Expo Center throughout the rodeo.  Plus, there are carnival rides and a peting zoo for the kids.  For more info http://www.staroftexas.org/default.php .

At the Capcity Comedy Club this weekend, Doug Benson is back.  Check out some of his jokes on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCprlfJ2Mzc . 

SXSW Films are ongoing this weekend.  Don’t be discouraged you can get in, you will just need to get in line early.  For descriptions of the movies go to http://2008.sxsw.com/film/ .  The Bank Job, The Band’s Visit, College Road Trip, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, Steep, and 10,000 B.C. open this weekend in local movie theatres.       

New Music Tuesday 3/4/08

• Artist                                                Album
• Bauhaus                                           Go Away White - This Band has been around for over 30 years.  The new album sounds like updated early 80ish moody rock that they made popular with Bowiesque vocals.   
• The Black Crowes                           Warpaint - First studio album since 2001.  I have listened to these guys since 1990 when Shake Your Money Maker was released.  This new album, from the stream I’ve heard online, sounds like they got a bit of everything rock (Evergreen, We Who See the Deep), blues (Walk Believer Walk), folk (last 2 tracks), etc.  I don’t hear a standout track except for the first release Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution and maybe Wounded Bird. Descent but not great for me.     
• Jackson Browne                              Solo Acoustic Volume 2 - Volume sold well and was nominated for several awards so why not make Volume 2.  This one continues to span his career with songs like Never Stop and In the Shape of My Heart 
• Kathleen Edwards                          Asking for Flowers - Acoustic/pop/Folk/country
• Flogging Molly                                Float - Irish 7 piece high energy traditional Celtic to Punk Lite 
• The Gutter Twins                          Satunalia - 1st Album pairing Mark Lanegan (Soulsavers) and Greg Dulli (Afgan Wigs, Twilight Singers).  Dulli named this by combining Satanic and the Everly Brothers.  Interesting. 
• Caroline Herring                             Lantana - Folk
• Howlin Rain                                     Magnificent Friend - 70’s Organ Rock
• Hanne Hukkelberg                         Rykestrasse 68 - Norwegian - Ecclectopopjazz
• Alan Jackson                                   Good Time - Country
• Ladyhawk                                        Shots - Sounds like Neil Young/Roky Erickson indie dark rock
• Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks     Real Emotional Trash - Eccentric Pop Rock from Portand
• Michael McDonald                          Soul Speak - Adult Contemporary
• Murder By Death                           Red of Tooth and Claw - Indie Rock.  Strange lead vocals
• Senor Flavio                                    Supersaund 2012 - Spanish pop/ecclectic
• What Made Milwaukee Famous  What Doesn’t Kill Us - From Austin.  Follow up to their successful debut album. The new one sounds good check it on their site.  http://www.whatmademilwaukeefamous.com/ They will have a CD release party at Emo’s on 3/7.
• White Hinterland                            Phylactery Factory - Cross between M. Ward & Joni Mitchell & Frou Frou.

Rock Band Virgin

So I know I am behind the times but I played Rock Band for the first time this weekend.  I started on bass.  My game play began at awful and rose to mediocre.  I switched to lead vocals and did pretty well.  Mainly because I knew most of the songs that we were playing.  The songs we did best were Black Hole Sun, Creep, (Wanted) Dead or Alive and Say It Ain’t So.  Is this a game for people who love rock music but never learned to play an instrument or a fun outlet people who know how to play already?  That game is really fun and I can see how it can be addictive too.  World Tour 08!

Weekend

Here are some entertainment picks for the weekend.  If you are into harder indie rock, this evening Emo’s has Young Heart Attack and Amplified Heat.  As far as the big screen is concerned Semi Pro, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Penelope open this weekend.  These are all getting marginal reviews.  If you want to see a movie this weekend and don’t like Will Farrell, period pieces, or quirky romcoms (romantic comedies) then you might want to catch up on the movies that won Oscars.  Also the Texas State Arts Festival is going on this weekend on the grounds of Bob Bullock State History Museum.  The usual for any Austin festival will be available:  live music, local food vendors, and around 100 artist who want to sell their paintings/sculptures/etc. to you.  So go out there, support an artist and display something cool in your house.  Have a good weekend ya’ll.

Buddy Miles R.I.P.

Buddy Miles, drummer for Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys, passed away of congestive heart failure last night here in Austin at the age of 60.  He played with many of the greats in rock music Hendrix, Peter Frampton, Carlos Santana, and Wilson Pickett. He was also the lead singer for the California Raisins campaign in 86.  They recorded 2 best selling albums of mainly R&B covers.  Miles most famous song as a solo act was Them Changes.  I know many blues guitar musicians have covered this great song. In fact, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton played the song two nights ago and Buddy was able to listen thru the phone (according to buddymiles.com).   He moved to Austinin 05 to get back into music and it looked like he was with several tour dates in 07. Look for a memorial concert at Threadgill’s on March 30.

SXSW Band Names Repeat

There is another trend in the SXSW names that I find interesting, the double or repeating name.  Here’s a list a what I’m talking about:  Kiss Kiss (Milton, NY), Neon Neon (LA, CA), Man Man (Philly,PA), Tapes N Tapes (Minn, MN), Bam Bam (Monterrey, MX), Lick Lick (Austin), Tiger Tiger (Atlanta, GA), Radio Radio (Tulsa, OK), The Low Lows (Athens, GA).  There are also triples Die Die Die (Dunedin, NZ) or quads Shout Out Out Out Out (Edmonton, AB). We have a couple here in Austin that have even played on the same bill, Foot Foot and Clap Clap. So if you think you are seeing double you might be.  There might need to be a new band name, double double or three, three, three (yes the lower case is on purpose for an awesome logo).   

GLO Robotique Majestique

Ghostland Observatory’s third album Robotique Majestic was released today.  After several listenings to the 10 tracks this afternoon it seems to fall in line with their other two.  Their are three instrumentals (tracks 1, 8, 10) which are great.  I only like a few of the other tracks though No Place For Me, Dancing On My Grave and the title track Robotique Majestique. This latest offering doesn’t seem as danceable or fun as Paparazzi Lighting or delete.delete.i.eat.meat. Don’t get me wrong, I like it, just not as much as the their previous works.  Their sold out show on Friday will be the last time you’ll be able to see them in Austin for a little while.  So if you have tickets, have a great time.