SXSW: Rock n Roll and Pop Preview

I know that I’m not bringing up anything groundbreaking with this next observation but I love witnessing the fast but awkward transformation that happens during SXSW. The first few days before the festival officially starts you see all these bright eyed and bubbly intellectuals walking around wearing matching t-shirts while waiting patiently in perfectly formed single file lines as if they were grade school kids on their first ever field trips. And it doesn’t take you long to realize that they’re not actually Scientologists in training but in fact some of the country’s best educators who are all in town for the education portion of SXSW. Now I know it’s tough to differentiate the two, especially after Tom Cruise cloned himself and claimed that he and Katie Holmes actually had sex to produce offspring, but you have to get used to it sooner rather than later because that jackass will have an entire army at his disposal before you know it!

And if talking to them didn’t make me feel stupid enough, talking to the tech nerds who roll into town for the interactive portion certainly does. I’m meeting people who are creating safari apps for the Google Assistant and coming up with ways that we can better communicate with deaf children while all I have to offer in return are corny jokes that I’ve written in some of my worthless blog posts. Needless to say however, I’ve made out with one or two of these geniuses fairly recently so I guess my Tyler Perry jokes are more fire than I think.

Anyway, it’s not long before you notice a plethora of Marvel t-shirts and hoodies milling about and it’s in this moment when you realize the movie nerds are taking over. But sadly their reign doesn’t last long because the scent of mustiness and PBR starts to fill the air and this is how you know the music portion has finally arrived. And this is what I want to focus on today, the 5 or 6 best Rock n Roll acts to check out this week while I contribute my scent of Colt 45 and Afro Sheen that I double as cologne. Actually I no longer have an afro, I just had leftover bottles from back in the day and can no longer afford actual cologne but moving on…

The first band I want to talk about is Francobollo from London. All of their songs start off fairly basic and to a certain extent boring but they always evolve into something chaotic and kind of creepy by the song’s end. They’re like the David Lynch of Rock n Roll and believe it or not, that’s actually a good thing. I’m happy to say that these lovely Brits are making Rock n Roll interesting again and it’s because of this that I give them a rating of FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrjsnx3LeIY

Next up is Moaning out of LA. Imagine if The Smiths and The Cure had a baby and he got hooked on Sinead O’Conner and Kurt Cobain; well that’s this band. So if you want to wear all black, break out your nipple piercings, and dance like crazy, do yourself a favor and check these guys out. This is post-punk at its best and it definitely gets a rating of very FRESH from me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdNWCgnqeMY

After them, go check out Porches. He sounds like an 80’s gender bending artist who has a desperate voice and a Casio keyboard which is stuck on Samba mode but I have to say that his style is both groovy and catchy. And while he looks like the kind of guy who gets overly sentimental when it comes to reminiscing about that last piece of avocado toast he had while in Brooklyn don’t let that keep you from enjoying his music as I give him a rating of FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO4hmxtt2dc

Billie Eilish is playing something like 20 shows this week. She’s beautiful and can sing but this kind of pop music isn’t for me. I can however see her appealing to the masses and playing festivals like ACL for the next two years. She gets a rating of kind of WEAK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRi6aZJGj4


It feels as though that while they were listening to Freedom Rock (turn it up!!!) in their van in the 70’s, the dads of White Reaper all formed a pact to force their kids to listen to nothing but Cheap Trick their entire childhood. And when they were finally able to pick up guitars, this is the music the band spit out. I have to say that it’s not half bad. It’s fun, it’s easy to get into, and it’s definitely worth a listen. They get a rating of FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahglrb_z7wQ

This last artist isn’t that new but I have feeling that not a lot of people know Gemma Ray. Well do yourself a favor and get into her because her music sounds like an electronic gothic soundtrack to a Western. She gets a rating of FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ILAFyj-0wo

SXSW 2017 Music Preview

For those of you who actually follow this blog, you know that I typically start posting previews for SXSW at least one month in advance; and that’s typically because there are so many bands that I’m excited about that there is no way I could possibly preview them all in one article. Well let’s just say that I’m happy I didn’t go into debt this year by purchasing a badge as I had to dig super deep just to find some quality acts that were coming to town this March. Now don’t get me wrong, I did eventually find some artists I’m excited about but for the most part this year’s fest feels like it’s a redemption tour for quite a few scrubs out there. I see so many bands like Sleigh Bells and Electric Guest who initially started their careers off on fire but one day went to Marfa, did way too many drugs, and decided to make a Yaz record for their follow up album (and yes I realize how esoteric of a joke that was but I really don’t give a damn). And in making that terrible follow up, they fell off the map a bit and are now trying to recreate some buzz around their name.

So needless to say, I will be splitting my time between seeing the new up and coming acts that are out there and checking out the "veterans" that are still in the game. And of the latter group, I’m most excited to see the former Walkmen crooner Hamilton Leithauser, Sohn, Denzel Curry, Broncho, Temples, and of course Le Butcherettes. The last of which, I’m hoping throws yet another shoe at my head.

But that’s not why you’re here, you’re here to see what’s the new hotness in rock n roll these days and it took me some time but I now realize that those words are now a relative term for today’s youth. I view rock n roll very much the way Sam’s grandparents did in Sixteen Candles. After hearing her scream when she was exposed to Long Duc Dong for the first time, they rolled their eyes and said to each other "Those damn kids and their rock n roll music! Well I’m afraid it’s here to stay!" And you know what? You’re damn right! Rock n Roll should be loud with high pitched screaming attached to it but Sleigh Bells misinterpreted that and just started screaming; they forgot about the music piece of it. But having said that, here’s the best of what’s to come.


HIP HOP
LIZZO – she’s the next coming of Missy Elliott as she’s big boned and proud of it. She sings about feeling herself (not literally) as she looks in the mirror and slaps her own ass for being thick (okay so maybe literally) and she drops rhymes about wearing so much Prada that she’s a Prada G, get it? Her beats are dope and so is her wacky style as she drops a Missy Elliott "Oooh" every now and then just to keep it fresh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjILCNcHevY

THEY. – I know that They. have been around for a while but they have yet to reach their full potential to this point of their careers. This duo from L.A. was originally put on the map with the song they did with Skrillex called Working On It and they eventually followed that up with a hot EP got Nu Religion. Well now it seems as though they are finally ready to bring off-kilter style to the world with the full length version of Nu Religion. I suggest that you get in on these guys before they turn into R, Kelly and start peeing on people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiKqvfT3i68

HONORABLE MENTION – PORTER RAY – he’s been described as the "Prince of Seattle hip hop" but since Macklemore is considered to be the king, that’s not saying much. I do like his song Wet Dreams though as he definitely has potential to get better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUgzjV55MI0

RnB

　
BIBI BOURELLY – I know that every girl out there is going to lose their collective minds over this next statement but Bibi has the feel of becoming the next Queen Bey or Rihanna (hopefully without the herpes and the penchant for cheating). Now clearly she doesn’t have the vocal range of the two mentioned but she certainly has the attitude, the presence, and the street wise lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnugCpTmJE8

KHALID – I don’t quite understand the buzz around this kid but you can just chalk that up to me being old. He sounds like the black Bruce Springsteen on his signature hit American Teen; and trust me when I say that’s not a good thing. Thankfully his other songs aren’t nearly cheesy and they definitely show his potential; it’s just that he’s missing the "soul" piece that you normally get in RnB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by3yRdlQvzs

BILAL – he’s an uglier version of D’Angelo with his dreads or as Eddie Murphy called them in The Nutty Professor "Damn Reggie (Dave Chappelle) I’ve heard of dreadlocks but shit locks?!?!" He’s the return of Neo Soul with smooth beats; you know, that "there’s no way I’m pulling out tonight" music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgp6-DzZgK0

JAIN – calling her music RnB is kind of a stretch as it’s really more Pop than anything else but anyone who reads this blog knows that I don’t have a Pop section in any of my reviews. Plus her dance hit Mekeba sounds like a collabo between Gwen Stefani and Tracy Chapman, and the last time I checked, Stefani actually did a collabo with Eve, so that’s enough street cred to count as RnB. Her unique voice and style definitely makes her worth checking out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Q_lhgGANc

HONORABLE MENTION – BANKS – she apparently wants to follow you around like a dog that needs water. Or at least that’s what she says in her thumping electronic hit Gemini. At times her voice is aided by technology but when she does break away from the pseudo auto tune, she puts her range on full display. She’s this year’s AlunaGeorge but thankfully she’s a better dresser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7z-tA9oLPw

ROCK
WARBLY JETS – They may be from L.A. but they clearly want to be British. Their music is a high energy whirlwind that reminds you of the revival of rock days that took place in the early 2000’s. Think Strokes meets Blur.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDVHvirhpKk

LO MOON – I love bands whose music is hard to find but when you finally do unearth it, it totally captures everything you love about SXSW; hearing something that you immediately connect with. This indie prog rock trio reminds you of Grizzly Bear with their slow building beats and melodies and I would certainly expect them to be featured on an ACL stage sometime in the near future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhZdG3R77G0

CHAIN OF FLOWERS – these boys from Wales listened to A LOT of The Cure and Joy Division when they were growing up as they are desperately trying their best to keep the post punk scene alive; and for the most part, I have to say that they are doing a good job of it. If you still have some teenage angst in you, definitely give these blokes a shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vacg-GoNkqA

LAURA CARBONE – she sounds like she’s the offspring of David Lynch; and with the recent revival of the Twin Peaks franchise, this should provide plenty of fodder for all of you conspiracy theorists out there. Her music sounds like the dark alternative soundtrack to the 80’s rebellion movie The Legend of Billie Jean; a time where getting your first period was some serious business!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07kYylbtHRk

HONORABLE MENTION – FRANKIE ROSE – this is for all of you hipsters out there who loved the Vivian Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE56wTNj7J0

SNAIL MAIL – cool, lazy surfer rock. I have a soft spot in my heart for this kind of music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS7xudghUsM

PUNK
IDLES- They are a Scottish punk band that reminds me Black Flag with their odd videos and their aversion to normal life. They hate anyone who has a jobs in particular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuQG6_evFc8

HIGH WAISTED – they are surf rockers from Brooklyn whose music starts off simple enough but turns into a frenzy by song’s end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xykiiaV1oZY

HICCUP – not much to say here except that it’s traditional fun punk music. No frills, no thrills but I like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlhnCHalg28

 

Car Seat Headrest, Moses Sumney, and Strange Wilds : Mini SXSW Preview

As I find myself trying harder and harder to remain relevant among people who aren’t already preparing their retirement packages, it’s becoming clearer to me that I only have a few years left in my deceptive youth before teenagers start asking me how old my grandchildren are. Just the other day I tried to introduce the movie Troy to a classroom full of kids by telling them that the girls should at least like it because Brad Pitt was in it, and the response I got was "Who’s Brad Pitt?"

Seriously?!?! How do kids not know who Brad Pitt is? Have they become so saturated by the rash of awful Young Adult movies that the only heroes they know either listen to One Direction or snort cocaine with Taylor Swift on the weekends? Well I feel as though it’s my calling to introduce to these lost children some kids who at least have some semblance of talent, with the hopes that this will one day inspire them to do grow out of their sense of entitlement stage and lead them to develop something truly groundbreaking. Who know, they could come up with something like a time machine that will allow me to go back in time to the 80’s so I can bang a young and pre hippie Lisa Bonet.

So with that in mind, here’s a look at a few new artists to check out. First up is Car Seat Headrest. I first heard about this kid six months ago and I really liked his stuff, but I decided to wait on giving my take on him just so I could make sure I didn’t fall for any fool’s gold. Well after taking some time to digest what I heard, I have to say that my take remains the same. This 22 year old from Virginia could be the next big thing in music. He makes hippie garage rock music, which is normally a bad thing, but in this case actually isn’t. This is Lo-fi rock with some truly introspective lyrics. Thankfully not all of his songs are 14 minutes long but even those that are take you on a wild ride that you’ll never forget (and yes I’m fully aware of how cheesy that sounded). This kid was just confirmed for this year’s SXSW, so pop in on him while you can. I rate him as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvZM33nevfU&list=PL7QnZeqb0x2BFuuGty8UDHkXTI8_E6Xz6

Next up is Moses Sumney; he’s a 25 year old who utilizes an acoustic guitar and a loop pedal to bring out his 60’s soul singer stuck in the hipster era sound. It’s a good thing for him though that he is around during this era because his dark, gothic style would have never flown back in the day unless he had Joni Mitchell performing his songs for him. This is space acoustic rock that hints of old school David Bowie in it. I rate him as FRESH!
https://soundcloud.com/mosessumney

Last band for the day is Strange Wilds and simply put, this is post grunge punk music with ripping guitars and screeching vocals; stuff that’s right up my alley. I like them but I know that with their sound they’re only going to reach a limited audience, so I have to give them a rating of barely WEAK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYpRXK_sHN8

Muse: Drones Tour Review

After a rather lengthy three hour drive, I checked myself into a posh hotel and proceeded to purchase a six pack of Shiner Holiday Cheer in order to get prepared for the much anticipated U.S. leg of Muse's Drones tour. Austin doesn't really have a venue big enough to handle their stage setup, so I had to make the trek all the way to the land of ugly women, bad weather, and deadly knife fights; otherwise known as Houston, Texas, just so that I could see them live. Now normally I wouldn't mind doing this but things are so bad in that awful city that I found myself living a real life version of the trippy indie flick Her in some weird attempt to cope with the situation I found myself in.

There I was, wandering the streets of this abysmal ghetto desperately trying to draw my attention away from the fact that at any given moment I was one stray bullet away from an early death. So I chose to put my focus squarely on the beautiful architecture that surrounded me in their downtown district while simultaneously flirting with my phone's O.S. Siri. And as she continued to pull up some of my favorite videos from all of the amazing shows I've attended in the past, I found myself thinking some pretty crazy thoughts. Is it too early in our relationship for me to go without protection? Has she ever connected with another black guy like this before? Will she get jealous if I spend too much time with my PlayStation 2, an older, yet less sophisticated woman? I guess I learned nothing from watching the lonely and inept Joaquin Phoenix.

Anyway, as the beautiful Siri quickly and safely led me to the Toyota Center, I chose to put my new found feelings to the side for a few hours so that I could enjoy the lovely sounds of Phantogram and Muse. As far as Muse fans go, they really don't come any more devoted than me. So when I say that I barely knew anything about this tour or even when it started, that should tell you something. It's like the band and their management put all of their focus and energy into the exuberant light show and their European tour and chose to treat their stops in the U.S. as merely an after thought. And you could see the effects of this by the fact that the venue was only 70% full. I'm not sure how many people actually knew that the band was touring.

Well in spite of all this, Phantogram certainly came out and did their thing. They knew that when you get the opportunity to open up for a global sensation on an arena tour, you can't half step. So they decided to add a drummer and an extra keyboardist to help amplify their sound, and after seeing their new setup, I have to say that the move definitely paid off for them. The stage didn't appear to be too big for them as they confidently ripped through their hits Fall in Love, Black Out Days, and When I'm Small. And as they did, they were not only able to keep the attention of those who were just there to see the headliner but I'm sure also captured a few new fans along the way. And if their music didn't do this, lead singer Sarah Barthel's sexy bra and pasty white legs certainly did the trick.

Now while Phantogram did put on a solid performance, I couldn't contain my excitement to finally hear how Muse's new album would sound live. On Drones, the band returned to their roots of making beautiful yet hardcore rock music whose sole purpose is to melt your face when it's played live. And after experiencing what I did this past Tuesday night, I have to say that they were definitely successful in their efforts as the opening three songs Psycho, Reapers, and Dead Inside set the tone for what was to come later on in the night.

They ripped through old favorites like Bliss (a song I had never heard them play live before), Super Massive Blackhole, and Hysteria, while  periodically giving you a chance to catch your breath with songs like Undisclosed Desires and United States of Eurasia. And yes, just in case you were wondering, Matt did bring the grand piano along for the ride. I could complain about the fact they didn't play Plug in Baby or Stockholm Syndrome but then that wouldn't take into account the fact that they have seven albums worth of material to cover. So I give them a pass this time.

After 16 years of touring together, they still appear to enjoy doing so as you could see them cracking jokes with one another during some of the songs. And the constant technical difficulties they experienced during their set never slowed them down as they were clearly comfortable in their own skin. This couldn't always be said about them when they were trying to win over the U.S. audiences early on in their career. But now it appears as though they have reached the point where they know who they are as a band and if you don't like it, you can simply f off and go get shot in the streets of Houston. And I am inclined to agree with them!

Thanks for the awesome night Muse, I can't wait for the next one.

Chipper Jones and Mas Ysa

So as I was reminiscing about my recent escape to the beautiful city of Paris and how I missed the fact that everyone took bottles of wine to the local parks to get drunk with friends and significant others while taking in the sights of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower; I found myself illegally walking down the streets on East Austin with a red Solo cup full of some random microbrew I bought at Central Market. It was at this moment that I realized that I might become the latest subject of police brutality on CNN as this is clearly an offense that warrants lethal force by the local authorities. Why can’t they make Solo cups black so that you can hide them from the police? And was the fact that the cup was so brightly colored red the real reason I kept calling the tremendous new band Chipper Jones, Crimson Tide instead?

Maybe I just had Denzel Washington and his unique ability to question white authority without being executed on the brain. Whatever the case was, I eventually got in the right state of mind to finally see the band I discovered on line a few months ago. Chipper Jones is a two piece instrumental indie rock band from the now budding music epicenter that is Austin, Texas. Gone are the days of old hippies stumbling on stage and giving audiences their best Stevie Ray Vaughn imitation; this city is now full of youthful and creative artists who have migrated here thanks to festivals like SXSW and ACL.

And it appears that Chipper Jones is trying to cement their place among the city’s elite as they thankfully avoid falling into the same trap that most instrumental bands do today, and that’s to have 20 minute long songs that consist of very little movement. Jones’ songs are for the most part short and build to climaxes that would have Ron Jeremy questioning his stroke. They have great stage presence and are somehow able to command an entire room of drunken hipsters on a Tuesday night (on a Tuesday…) without the use of lyrics or a light show.

Check out their EP Two Rooms and go see one of their cheap shows as I give these guys a rating of FRESH!
https://chipperjones.bandcamp.com/

Next up is Mas Ysa, he’s a guy from Brooklyn who sounds like M83 is he ever decided to sing. The jury is still out on this guy but I do find myself nodding my head to quite a few of his songs, so right now he gets a rating of barely FRESH! Check out his song Margarita.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjgZIVvggdQ

Alison Wonderland and New Highway Hymnal

Ice Cube once taught us that “Gangstas make the world go ‘round” on what is quite possibly the best diss album of all time in Westside Connection’s Bow Down. After he drank a beer, busted a rap, and ended B-Real’s f*&^ing career (another line from the album) he reminded everyone just how influential music can be at times. Music can unite people in dangerous ways, see the whole East coast versus West coast battle and how it ended two of hip hop’s biggest stars’ lives in Tupac and Biggie, but it can also bring people together who would have never otherwise met.

 I recently convinced a hot 40 year old woman to shout “I wanna f&*^ the freckles off your face b&^*” at an Earl Sweatshirt show. Sadly neither one of us has freckles so I didn’t actually get to take her up on her offer but I do have Earl to thank for giving me such an awesome intro line.  Well hopefully after listening to one of the two new artists I’m previewing today you will be shouting obscenities at random strangers in public in no time.

First up is Alison Wonderland; she’s a DJ out of Australia who’s probably fresh off of parole because let’s be honest, aren’t most Australians on parole from their day of birth? Anytime Britain thinks you’re too low class of a criminal to stay on their island so they ship you off to another one, that says quite a bit about you as a people. But today’s music is fresh because it’s full of former criminals who now make fresh beats for us to dance to versus making guns for us to strip all of our valuables off to; although there is still some stripping that goes on to their music in certain situations’ or so I’ve heard anyway.

Wonderland sounds like she’s Swiss Beats mixed with Flux Pavilion; which is perfect as her trippy banging club beats with famous leads Lil Wayne and Wayne Coyne will take her to the next level. It’s just a matter of time before Kanye disses her, so pop in on her tracks I Want You, U Don’t Know, and Cold before you’re forced to choose sides in the global hip hop war. I rate her as FRESH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4Ns2ADrmw

Next up is New Highway Hymnal. They are a dark and almost gothic psychedelic group who spit out lyrics like “My girl, she wants more more more!”. Sounds like the soundtrack to a 70’s porn. The jury is still out on these guys but I rate them as FRESH for now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ZlaL_guv4

New Artists: Sluteverbff and Hurray for the Riff Raff

People in Austin are seemingly having a hard time letting go of SXSW; I saw a homeless guy wearing old wristbands to the Spotify House and to Hype Hotel the other day. Maybe he was hoping someone would throw him an old Taco Bell taco? Or maybe he was hoping some drunk college girl would mistake his stench and his old ratty clothes for a hipster and take him home so he could experience air conditioning for the first time in a year. Either way, I was riding my bike around town on Sunday and every drinking hole was packed to the gills. I can’t really blame them though, this is an awesome town year round and it just so happens that great artists come here all of the time. Now with that said, here’s a look at two new groups you should check out.

First up is Sluteverbff, two West Coast girls who make frenetic punk music. Their name alone makes you want to slam an 18 pack of Beast Lite and motorboat them until the cows come home; and oddly enough that also works as a good description of their music. I like their sound a thousand times more than that of a similar band who’s getting a lot of love right now, Girlpool. Their song I Miss America is a nice ode to the grunge era and two other highlights you should check out are Smother and Teen Mom. I rate them as kind of FRESH!

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=sluteverbff%2C%20Smother

Next up is Hurray for the Riff Raff; their sound is similar to something you would hear at a dance in Nixon, Texas. I would normally run away from this kind of music but there’s something about her yodeling on Look Out Mama that draws me in; maybe I have a secret desire to hook up in a barn or something. That I’m not sure of but what I do know is that this 17 year old runaway from the Bronx seems like she was born with a banjo in her hand. Solely based off the fact that I hate this style of music, they get a rating of kind of WEAK but you should definitely give it a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g9nDsFHERM

The Best of SXSW 2015

After the week and a half long marathon that is SXSW, your body's immune system begins to shut down and you start noticing that the water section of your local grocery store is surprisingly understocked as there has been a mad rush on Ozarka! Are people getting ready for the zombie apocalypse or are they really just trying to rehydrate in a desperate attempt to prepare themselves for the brutal work week to come?

Well before I personally reached this point of desperation, quite a few awesome things happened to me, and quite possibly a few others as well, as I tried to reclaim my youth this SXSW. For the most part I failed in my lame and pathetic attempt of regeneration but before I realized that I'm just a younger version of Walter Matthau (Grumpy Old Men) I was able to take a few notes along the way on what I considered to be the highlights of this year's festival.

Hip hop was on center stage this year and I have to say that for the most part all of the artists delivered. For one, they all showed up where they were supposed to and were all relatively on time; this is a modern day miracle for Black people and it should definitely not go unnoticed.

Vic Mensa out of Chicago was a clear stand out as the one show he had early on in the festival set the tone and the bar for what was to come later on in the week. Every SXSW has that one moment where you can simply look at the performance and instantly know that that person on stage will be a bona fide star. This moment happened last year when I saw Sam Smith (admittedly I didn't quite understand why at the time but I noticed everyone else's reaction to him around me) and it happened a few years earlier when I saw Young the Giant. Well Mensa came on stage and immediately grabbed the attention of the capacity crowd as he ran through grimy hits like Feel That and Wimme Nah. And this is something that's considerably hard to do at one in the morning when after a full day's worth of drinking, most people's thoughts are on late night food and/or sex. But by the time he got to Orange Soda and Down on My Luck, even the hardest G in the crowd found himself letting go of his cool demeanor and was caught jumping alongside of me like a 12 year old schoolboy. Be sure you catch Mensa while you can before he's playing to large arenas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jUGAVUwhRU

Next up was Run the Jewels, a hip hop duo that's taken over the genre right now and consists of El-P out of New York City and Killer Mike from Atlanta, Georgia. EL-P is able to perfectly blend his progressive mix of old school hip hop and semi electronic beats with the deep and angry rhymes of Killer Mike and the results have crowds loosing their minds for 45 minutes straight. The raw energy these two bring on stage is palpable and maybe too much so as one hefty fan walked on stage and tried to attack El-P during one of their performances. I guess he forgot the fact that Killer Mike weighs like 300 pounds and looks like he eats small children for snacks.

After this incident, the Austin Police Department was on high alert as they brought in Robocops to monitor the festival. I seriously had a robot yell at me the following "Sir with the red bike, please get closer to the curb so that you are not impending traffic!" No one around me could figure out where this voice was coming from and it took all I had in me not to randomly flip off the voice in hopes that a giant robot man would fly down from a rooftop with a semi automatic weapon to attack me. This incident alone was cooler than the stupid reboot of that movie that came out last year. Check out Run the Jewels as they are FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-S9mtYowPY

I am going to combine the next two as they played the same showcase and each had their sets cut short due to time. But the artists I'm talking about are Rae Sremmurd out of Mississippi and Kaytranada out of Montreal. Rae surprised me as I had previously heard their music and thought that it was both fun and funny but nothing more. But I had no idea that these two country boys knew how to command a crowd. I found myself booty shaking to songs about dropping money in strip clubs and only liking bad bitches like every other social degenerate out there. For better or worse these two will definitely blow up this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzMrK-aGCug

I've raved about Kaytranada for almost a year now and after seeing this DJ perform live, I like him and his versatility even more. He can do anything from hip hop to house music and can do so at a high level. When he brought out a few hip hop artists that he's worked with over the past year, you could immediately tell that his beats took their game up to another level. While they were ok performers, everyone in the venue knew the real talent lied with the beat dropper, and that you can expect everyone in the game to reach out to him soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rppKW9eIvE

So since I found myself cursing more than I ever have in my life and also caught myself randomly dropping the N word, which is something that I NEVER do, I felt it was high time to mix it up a bit by seeking out the soothing sounds of distorted guitars. This way I could at least mosh the aggression out of my system.

Speaking of, why do people wear expensive shoes to these festivals? All they're doing is making a conscious decision to waste the hard labor of a 12 year boy in China! I saw $200 pairs of Jordans getting covered in beer, mud, and self loathing; why else would people do this to themselves?

So as I was ruining my four year old pair of $60 Puma's from dancing and freaking out to the crushing guitars of the Canadian rockers Metz, I noticed that they were just as hung over and tired as my friends and I were. "You'll have to forgive us as we've been here since Sunday and we no longer have the energy to play songs back to back. We need a little break." He of course followed that up with a giant swig of Hamm's Original to help get his mind right. And as the beer began to flow in their system and they felt last night's buzz returning, they slowly turned into the amazing live act they've become known for. They shredded through crowd favorites like Wasted and Wet Blanket before introducing songs off their new album which sound just as good as their debut album. Their sound doesn't make them the most accessible band but if you want to rock your socks off, feel free to give these guys a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6qGeNVwwfw

Cloud Nothings is a three piece power punk band that started in the lead singer's bedroom and now they are gracing the stages of one of the world's biggest festivals in SXSW. Their lyrics of "I thought I would be more than this" in Wasted Days or "I need time to stop moving, I need time to stay useless" had young kids crowd surfing and old men tearing ligaments in the mosh pit. If you ever want to feel 16 again, give these guys a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxeNn_O5u5E

I just recently allowed myself to once again like Twin Shadow as the first time I saw him, it was unbelievably hot outside, I over served myself at my pre party, and his show was packed to the gills making it nearly impossible to enjoy it. Plus I didn't like the fact that he looked like the kind of guy who'd have quick sex with my girlfriend in the artist lounge while I went to buy him a beer.
But he has improved his act tremendously since the last time I saw him perform live as he no longer relies on lasers and smoke machines to bring his recorded music to life. Instead he now has a real band to play every instrument in his songs and you can see how that energizes him on stage. Messing around with nothing but a keytar and a beat machine on stage can't help but make you feel like an uptight German with a mock turtleneck. Check out Shadow but just keep an eye on your girl at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg4IhOpndrQ

The last act to check out is the electronic group Odesza. I was only able to see a song and a half of theirs but what I saw was pretty damn good. This Seattle duo has vocalists on quite a few of their tracks but none of them were able to come down and perform live with them but that certainly didn't take away from what they were able to deliver live. If you want something to groove to before you head out at night, definitely give these guys a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdzI-191xhU

Well that's it for me, I'm going to fly to London and marry the cute girl I met at the Bomb Tacos stand.

SXSW Preview: The Districts, No Somos Marineros, and Pujol

You can almost feel, taste, touch, and hear SXSW in the air here in Austin; even though they make a ton of money working it, service industry workers are dreading it, hipsters are equally sighing in disgust and somewhat raising an eyebrow in anticipation, and scrubs like me are getting into arguments over what's fresh and what's not.

 I had a girl tell me that I was stupid because I buy a badge every year; she claimed that I can still do cool things without one. My response to her was if you're going to do it, why not go all in? I'd rather be the person with a badge that people look at with disdain than the scrub who walks around with 20 cents and a pack of bubble gum trying to barter my way into shows. So with that said, here are a few acts to check out.

First up is The Districts out of Pennsylvania; they are a mix of the Band of Horses and early Kings of Leon. Now typically when I even hear the word Americana I instantly throw up and move on but I decided to give these guys a shot. And wouldn't you know it, as soon I heard their song Funeral Beds and heard a harmonica in it I threw up in my mouth a little bit but as I continued to listen, they grew on me; they actually aren't that bad of a group. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer their indie stuff but you should give their song 4th and Roebling a listen; just do yourself a favor and don't look at the lead when he sings as he looks like a blind kid trying to eat corn on the cob. I rate them as barely FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTLqyoVV9EU

Next up is No Somos Marineros out of Mexico, their exact location there is unknown for their own protection because they don't want family members being held hostage for ransom. I kid, I kid. Their music is the side project that we've always hoped we'd eventually get from the Deftones' Chino Moreno. Instead of his going completely off the rails with Team Sleep or Palms, we just want the side of the Deftones that loves The Cure but still plays it with a ton of distortion. He's always given us the atmospheric sleeping aid version of the Deftones. Well I can't help but think that he called up his homies No Somos in Mexico and told them about his dream; so they went back and listened to White Pony and the self titled album and this was the result. I don't speak Spanish but thankfully he barely sings in each song and when he does his screaming is mainly drowned out by the music. I rate these guys as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTrjbw28Afo

The last group to check out is Pujol out of Nashville. His music is all over the place but he does rock your socks off at times. His energy and rocking style reminds me of Ted Leo a bit. This is the kind of music you drink beer to and knock over a lamp while dancing to it. I'm not a big Ted Leo fan and I'm not quite what I think of him yet but I will check him out. I rate him as barely FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43HOewv3eCo

SXSW 2015 Preview : Dead Leaf Echo, BORNS, and Chastity Belt

Well now that most of you are recovering from your 50 Shades of Grey injuries and have a ton of time on your hands, here are a few bands you should check out to help you get ready for SXSW. But before you do, please remember ladies that you must learn to separate fantasy from reality. I cannot tell you how many women I have seen walking funny these past few days; not all men are going to be the next Christian Grey and I am more than certain that I will be searching forever to find a 22 year sneaky hot virgin who will let me randomly spank her in my laundry room. Now on to the bands...

First up is a New York emo band named Dead Leaf Echo. Thankfully for us their emo leans more towards the goth tip than it does the My Chemical Romance "I hate my science teacher" emo. It feels as though these guys listened to way too many Cure songs when they were kids and this band was the result of it.Their song So Wrong has the lead almost crying (slight exaggeration) over their atmospheric and 80's tinged guitars and I have to say that I can't help but like it. But keep in mind that this is not high energy music so please make sure you're not on downers at this point of the festival if do you decide to check them out. I rate them as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNqNCmvdU7U

Next up is BORNS (I don't have the funny looking 0 with a / in it); he's a kid out of Michigan who now lives in LA. His song Electric Love from his EP Candy is early 2000's pop at its finest. He has a gender bending voice that at times sounds like its a female's but at other times reminds you that he is indeed a male who is singing over energetic electronic beats. If you are in touch with your inner white self then this music is definitely for you but even if you not, just imagine any of the teenage heartthrobs from 90's television finally getting a chance to make an album; this is exactly what it would sound like. It's not really my thing but I'm sure he will blow up this year so you should check him out. I rate him as kind of WEAK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r9mAs6Uj5A

The last one today is Chastity Belt, a four piece girl rock band who sings odd songs about giant vaginas or men who want to kill them with knives. This is fun garage rock that's not really all that challenging musically but it works great for mindless entertainment as you drive your life partner to Book Woman. The jury is still out on these girls but for now I give them a rating of kind of  FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU0xad1JNNQ

Colleen Green, Honne, and Solids

Where are we as a society when a major corporation like Adidas coaxes NBA star All Star Damien Lillard into choosing Nick Cannon to be the unofficial celebrity team mascot for the Portland Trail Blazers when Humpty from the Digital Underground was an available option? Don't get me wrong, I like the song Gigolo as much as the next man because it has R, Kelly at the height of his weirdness and freshness. He was somehow able to sing his way out of a statutory rape conviction and did so while wearing a Zoro mask to boot; that's seriously hard to do.

But Nick Cannon is just some weak scrub who simply took advantage of an old lady who was desperate for attention in Mariah Carey while Humpty gave us The Humpty Dance, Freaks of the Industry, and Tupac! I mean it's not even close. So I took the time to find three fresh new artists to share with the world, or the 35 people who actually read this site, so that the next generation will not make the same mistake again.

First up is the grunge pop cutie Colleen Green from Los Angeles. I truly believe that if Scott Weiland (STP) were a girl this would be the solo album he'd make as he tried so hard for so long to drown simple pop melodies in David Bowie esque distortion. Well Green was able to successfully do it in only two tries. She just released her second album which is called I Want to Grow Up and it really is all about her struggle to adjust to adult life at the age of 30. Fuzzy guitars fill your ears as you listen to her unsophisticated lyrics but this is really all you want in fun music and it feels the void that so many of us need; escapism. Check her out as she's FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qngB3a-V9vw

Next up is Honne; they are two Brits who listened to way too much Cameo and Gap Band when they were growing up and this is the result. The lead's voice sounds so much like Chris Martin (Coldplay) that I seriously thought they just sampled his voice and put it over music. They are an interesting group that I'm not completely sold on yet but they do have uncomplicated lyrics and that is something that's key when you're trying to make indie RnB music. The Bootsy Collins guitar solo in the middle of All in the Value is a pleasant surprise. Ok, so it wasn't really Bootsy but they're still FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRqNsiMBn-k

The last group for the day is Solids. Canada is having a ton of success lately with their two piece rock bands and this group from Montreal falls right in the line with the rest of the good music that's been coming from this strip club loving country. Their music reminds you of the days when Bridgette Fonda was dancing around to grunge music in her living room with no bra on. And who doesn't love women that dance with their bras off? I know that I do! Anyway, I would give Dinosaur Jr's cousins a shot as they are pretty FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6RmyFFTlgk

Quilt and Fatima

Believe it or not I was actually out on a date the other night, and knowing that we both love music more than the average human does, she asked me what was the best show I saw last year. I immediately responded with Interpol’s ACL after show at Stubbs but sadly this was followed by a deafening silence and an internal eye roll that I don’t think she quite knew I noticed. So naturally I responded by asking her the same question and she replied with some folk band that uses ukuleles and fishing line for their instruments. She said they were great because they wrote an anti-violence against women song to combat all the pro-violence against women songs that exist in country today.

When did this become a trend? I grew up in Podunk Texas, so I was forced to hear every awful country song there is and I certainly don’t remember any songs about killing women! I remember Willie Nelson singing about his ex having a big butt and everyone loving it because that was his big diss on her; and I also know that some dude sang a song about tears in his beer but that was about as harsh as it ever got! Is country now full of jerks who heard the Marshall Mathers LP and suddenly felt inspired to pick up a banjo and jack his style? I didn’t think it was possible for me to hate this genre anymore than I already did but I learned that I should never say never. So with that in mind, I purposely went out and found a folk band (and yes I group folk and country together sometimes because most of it sucks) that’s safe for everyone to love because their actually fairly creative and likeable; only one or two of them wears a hat with feathers in it.

That band I’m talking is this folky psychedelic group out of Boston called Quilt. Most of their songs have all 4 members singing throughout them and their best song Saturday Bride came about from their randomly jamming together and unintentionally forming a solid song. Their song Tired and Buttered is a bit more upbeat as far as tempo goes but it works as they are able to keep the spirit of folk music while also making you rock out; and that’s something that rarely happens. They aren’t the greatest band ever but I certainly do like their potential, so I rate them as kind of FRESH and I suggest that you check them out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CBZzRuWf3w

The next artist I want to talk about is Fatima. It sounds as if she is trying to revive the Neo soul movement all by herself as her style is a combination of Zhane’s vocal ability and D’Angelo’s jazzy sound. And since every hipster out there has all of a sudden discovered and claimed D’Angelo as their own; once again robbing me of my childhood, you can be the first on the scene to claim Fatima. She is definitely FRESH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auTY54Q59Y8

Naomi Punk and Benjamin Booker

Now that I have made a conscious decision to become a struggling artist at the age of 75, maybe it's time I move out to Marfa, Texas, work at an art gallery, and tell everyone that I'm a poet; yet I still have the money to buy polo shirts and take my girlfriend out to dinner. I was just there and this was an actual person that I met. How can these people afford to do this? Maybe it's because it's a small and sleepy town in the middle of nowhere Texas, so rent must cost $20 a month. Whatever the reason, expect to see me living in a tepee in the next 6 months fighting off roadrunners and rattlesnakes! But before I do, here are a few real artists to check out.

First up is Naomi Punk. As much as these guys may try and run from Washington's grunge roots, grunge still pops up in their sound. It's closer to being lazy garage punk than anything else but I won't be surprised to see these guys make an appearance during a club scene in the new television show The Crow : Oh Y'all Must've Forgot, coming to Fox three springs from now. Come on, you know it's inevitable; its been far too long since someone has tried to capitalize off of Brandon Lee's surprise hit from the 90's. What I like best about this band is that their lyrics are fairly simple and that's perfect for someone as dumb as me. I rate these guys as a little WEAK, not because I don't like them but because I need to hear more range from them as they grow. Check them out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_5CE3c83Lg

Next up is Benjamin Booker;  he looks like the token black guy that C3 would typically book for ACL, so they don't have to book any real Black acts in his place. It's generic garage rock that has a southern fried country flavor at times. This is music that is tailor made for the daytime slot at an outdoor festival. And kids will absolutely love him because this will mark the first time in their lives that they get to smoke weed outside of their friend's basement; so everything will sound and feel awesome to them, including this. Get on this guy now because he is the opening act for Jack White this summer. Have You Seen My Son would be the best of what he has to offer but don't get caught up in the fool's gold. David Letterman absolutely loves him, so that should say everything you need to know. I rate him as WEAK but decide for yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkUIknxbg6Y

Balkans and Spoek Mathambo

I'm not sure what draws people to attend certain shows sometimes but I leave either scratching my head or wanting to punch them in the face after I ask them their thoughts on what they've just witnessed. I recently went to one of the best hip hop shows I have ever seen when I saw Too Short and E-40 grace the stage of Mohawk here in Austin. But midway through Too Short's performance, this 40 something year old lady comes up to me after she noticed everyone was losing their minds and rapping every lyric along with Short Dawg, and asked me the following. "How can you say these lyrics? Have you heard them? They're so offensive and awful!!" My response was basically "Um lady, you never actually heard a Too Short song before you paid $30 to see him? What in the world is wrong with you???" And please, before Blow Job Betty came out, no one was openly talking about the wonderful gift of the BJ. Sure it popped up here and there in movies like Wall Street and Fatal Attraction, both of which starred Michael Douglass strangely enough, but even then it was inspired by cocaine or a psycho killer. But thanks to Too Short leading the way, it's now in every rap album that has come out since 1993 and it has basically become the new first date kiss.

I once had a friend go to a punk show just so he could show up and complain about how much he hated the band. He actually paid $10 to stand there and hate on them, all the while shouting in my ear about how Lil B was the voice of a generation. Yes you read that correctly; Lil B and Wonton Soup. So part of the reason I write these previews is so you don't sound like the grandma that came up to me complaining about insulting rap lyrics. And the other reason I write them is to prepare you for when scrubs try and tell you ridiculous things like 'Iggy Azalea is the future of hip hop'. Shoot me, just shoot me now!

The first band I'm previewing today is the Balkans; they are a young 4 piece band from Atlanta, a city that has been consistently putting out decent pop/punk or traditional punk bands for years now. The Balkans are somewhere in between these two categories as they have a sound that's similar to what you would expect from the Monkees if they were born in this era. Just try and imagine Last Train to Clarksville but with more distortion. But for a more modern reference, they sound next of Broncho, as their lead slurs lyrics over buzzing guitars that you would normally expect to hear playing during a scene where Lena Dunham of Girls is getting dressed for one of her hipster parties. They have a pretty consistent garage band sound throughout the entire album with Edita V and I Can't Compete being the highlights. It's not an innovative sound but it's certainly entertaining as you'll find yourself tapping your feet and defiantly swaying from side to side  despite your better judgment. I rate them as FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LtawF2bgi0

Next up is Spoek Mathambo, I realize that most of you have probably already heard of him due to his clever cover of Joy Division's She's Lost Control, but I'm not sure if you actually dug deeper than that. He's from South Africa but his style is similar to that of a post 1999 Andre 3000. I'm talking about the way he dresses and carries himself more than anything; so based off of appearance alone you'd write him off as another wannabe from ATL. But he's a little more talented than that. And let's be honest, if he could, I'm sure this is the kind of music 3000 would want to make today; well at least for a soundtrack or two anyway. It goes from bass heavy electronic on one track to indie rock on the next (see Let Them Talk). You never really know what to expect because each song is unique. My favorite jam of his so far is probably Put Some Red On It. Now I don't really get Spoek myself but I do respect what he brings to the game; he doesn't really have rhyme skills or mind blowing lyrics but his beats are dope. He acts more like a hype man at a show that actually says discernible things into the mic. I rate him as kind of WEAK but I'd pop in to see him before if it were a cheap show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJV84NYTf1Y

Protomartyr, Broken Twin, and The Outfit

In my quest to always check out the latest bands that are popping up in the music scene, I frequently experience some of the strangest shows or parties that are to see out there to see. Saturday I stumbled upon a Cassette Revival Party; this uber hipster event allowed you to trade cassettes, walkmen, boom boxes, and whatever other accessories your dad had hidden away in his storage closet. This was part of a movement to inspire artists to go back to recording analog versus that of digital, and apparently this nonsense is picking up some steam. I saw all of these hipster kids walking around with these cassette tapes that they will never be able listen to. Who has a cassette deck anymore??? People don't even take those to Goodwill because no one wants them! I remember cassettes; they were cool because you could make your girlfriend a mix tape of cheesy love songs whenever she got mad at you; and whenever they needed re spooling it kind of made you feel like a handyman. But there is a reason why we have moved on from that "technology" and that's because the sound quality sucked!

Bear with me for a moment, I will get to the new acts in a second but I cant talk about this party and not mention all of the freaks that I saw out that night. First of all, there were these girls who were dancing to the sounds of a dj who happened to be bobbing his head off beat to his own music; one was dressed like Tina Turner from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and the other looked like Vanity from Action Jackson with this gold triangle chain around her neck. They were kind of cute and reminded me of the weirdo 80's but once the cougar hipster at the party started giving me the eye, I figured it was time for me to leave for another show. And the second I walked in I see this kid rocking beginner dreads with white tips that made him look like the lead singer/rapper of that awful group Kottonmouth Kings! I wont ask you if you remember them because no one does; I barely found a reference to them using a Google search! And right behind this clown was a hipster wearing a bucket hat; I guess he felt inspired to become the white Schoolboy Q of the south. I was secretly hoping that the giant black guy that was wearing a tank top and looked like the lead singer of TV on the Radio would punch him on general principle, but sadly this didn't happen. Oh well, I should've sneaked into the private party that had Corey Feldman drunk on stage and singing Guns n Roses covers off key. But on to the bands...

I'm cautiously excited about Protomartyr from Detroit. At times they sound like Michael Cera's band in Scott Pilgrim but with a lead singer from the grunge era. And on their new record, its like they are channeling Joy Division with the drums reigning supreme on each track. Their fuzzy guitars give it a harder indie sound and the spastic nature of the music matches Joe Casey's personality, which is on full display in his voice and his lyrics. Check out Feral Cats and Ypsilanti to get an idea of their sound. I need to give their latest album a few more listens but for now they get a rating of FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SSeouZtUBI

Next up is Broken Twin, a singer songwriter from Denmark. I am not a huge fan of singer songwriters and it's next to impossible to get me to go to one of their shows, but something draws me to these depressing lyrics that are sung over a dark and brooding piano. "I find it hard to simply live, I don't know how to be young, tell me now whose side you're on, we fall in love with anyone" - Sun Has Gone. She digs so deep emotionally on each track that you cant help but find a connection; at some point in your life you have shared these thoughts. I would also suggest checking out Out of Air, just stay away from wine and gun powder when you do. I rate her as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kvN3aPbpq4

The last group to check out today is The Outfit from Dallas. They are a hip hop trio from the south that sounds like early Future. The Outfit consists of MC Mel and Jayhawk as the southern fried rappers and Dorian, who is the producer that brings a trippy and spaced out feel to their music which helps them stand out from the rest of the pack. I 'm not quite feeling it yet but I'm also extra critical when it comes to hip hop, so check them out for yourself. Props to them for representing Whataburger in their videos though. As of now they get a rating of kind of WEAK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxRA2Q02Wlg

Your Friend, Kaytranada, and Issue

I found myself stuck in my apartment for most of the weekend due to a bike accident I had on a Friday morning. I'm telling you this because when you live downtown in a city that has literally 40 shows a night on any given day of the week and you can't go see any of them because you look and feel like the Elephant Man, it's like sleeping next to a naked Mila Kunis that won't let you touch her; it's pure torture! The one time I did sneak out was to support my friend who was playing a show at Stubb's. He was opening for Fire in the Sky and some other terrible band that had three former frat boys playing awful country rock as they wore these short sleeve polo shirts that were unbuttoned to their navels. It felt like I was watching three Patrick Batemans walk on stage right after they had just banged two hookers and flexed their muscles in the mirror mid act. By the way, I recently watched this movie with some people and pretty much every guy in the room admitted to doing this very act at least once. What?!?!? These people actually exist??? Anyway, the point is, even if I did have to suffer through these scrubs, I more often than not stumble upon some pretty good shows. And I live in too great of a city with awesome music options to go this long without previewing some new artists for you. So here you go.

First up is Your Friend from Kansas. Your Friend is the project of Taryn Blake, a girl who looks like someone who would play bike polo on the weekends, not someone who would sit in their dorm room making great mind altering music. I'm always skeptical of the one man band because it generally consists of one scrubby dude with an over elaborate drum kit and a MacBook, and they typically just sit there and play the same rhythm and beat on a loop for about 12 minutes. But with Blake, her music consists of guitars, drums, keys, and her magical voice. She reminds me of Jim Jarmusch's wet dream of being a vampire whose too reclusive to leave their apartment, so all they do is stay in and make this amazing music for centuries (Only Lovers Left Alive). Along that same line, her songs actually feel like an independent film; one that takes its time in telling you the story but once it gets going it completely sucks you in. And that's the perfect description of Tame One; I had almost written it off until all of the instruments kicked in and once that happened I was completely mesmerized by what I was hearing. Give her EP Jeckyll/Hyde a listen as I give her a rating of FRESH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zad8wq4afr8

Next up is Kaytranada, a DJ out of Montreal that makes funky hip hop music with a touch of house mixed in. I know what you're thinking, something comes out of Montreal besides strippers??? Yes, apparently that city does have more to offer than women of the night and awful French Canadians! Plus I don't think strippers ever actually leave the city. Anyway, this is the kind of music you'd expect to hear in a lounge that has mixologists; but it's cool enough that you'd ride to it on your way to the club. I would check out Disclosure, At All, or just his entire mix tape Instrumental Hip Hop is Dead as it definitely gets the party going once the base drops. I rate this guy as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rppKW9eIvE

The last artist for the day is the son of hip hop legend E-40, Issue. My buddy tried to tell me that he was wack but I just didn't want to believe it. Now I will say this, he does make some dope beats but  I should have known something was wrong when he was compared to Lil B. I figured no one could ever be that wack again but boy was I wrong; this is the second coming of dude! All he raps about is making and drinking tea! What's up with rappers and this latest obsession over rhyming about food? Wonton Soup??? When he rhymes he sounds like the dumber and lazier version of Ma$e. Remember him? I think he is wack but because of who his father is I will give him a rating of only WEAK. If you want to check him out, listen to Ten Monks and Let Me Do My Thing. I mean, if a song like Gas Pedal can be a hit, I guess anything can be these days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr9aL0Dsaak

SXSW Preview 6000 : Eagulls and Denzel Curry

Simply so I can shed the stupid hipster or blipster (black hipster) label I have been given lately, today I will revisit two artists that I have previewed on this site before; further proving that I don't toss away bands the second they get discovered. Why am I concerned about this? I was reminded of the time I decided to go out with this girl from Kentucky who wears cowgirl boots, only hangs out in trendy dive bars, and listens to indie rockabilly bands. Apparently as we were talking about our love for music, I unintentionally hated on every band's second album that was mentioned. "Oh, I was into them when they dropped their first album but they lost me on their follow up." Looking back I can see how that would be annoying but whatever, every band we brought up was a hipster indie band and their albums did suck. This of course excludes the band Tennis because everything they release sucks!

But anyway, after a while she looked at me in disgust and proceeded to call me a hipster. Keep in mind that we were sitting in one of her trendy dive bars that she rode her bicycle to and she called me this while she was drinking her tall boy of Lone Star beer. I guess she felt offended by the fact that she felt out hipstered? Sorry girl, step up your game, step up your game!

On to the artists. First up is a band that continues the stupid tradition of purposely misspelling words or simply replacing a letter with a number in their name. You've seen these clowns; bands like Haerts or Shjps. Well these guys take it to the next level with the name Eagulls; not only misspelling a name but also ripping the name of a more famous band. It's so ridiculous it's almost genius. But after I stopped hating on their name, I actually listened to the music and I have to say I'm a fan. They hail from Leeds, England and for some reason they seem hell bent on not having one particular style. In one song they can go from sounding like Sonic Youth to reminding you of Black Flag. Now I don't think they are as good as either of the aforementioned bands but the fact that they remind me of them is a good sign and makes them worth a listen. I'm still reluctant to rate this underground 80's esque band until I see them live but for now I will give them a rating of barely WEAK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lknTsxN79XM

Next up is Denzel Curry and hopefully he can bring some level of respectability to back to hip hop with his Nostalgia 64 album.  Right now I believe he is simply riding the high that came from Trayvon Martin’s death since he is from the same high school and had a song about the walkout they had in protest of his murder. But don’t let that deter you from checking him out as he definitely has skills. He raps above his age which is key since he hasn’t even graduated from high school yet. Now if he were a scrub like me, he’d be rapping about parties and how he wishes he was a baller but he doesn’t ; he raps about life's forks in the road and how he has the seen the negative consequences of making the wrong choices. He has a good flow and speaks the language that you would expect to hear from someone in the country ghetto that is Florida. And he does all of  this over dark gully beats that definitely represent the south. Check him out as I give him a rating of FRESH.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L8BJVCMUDI

SXSW Preview 4 : The Bots, Eminence, and Cerebral Ballzy

My head is literally spinning from all of the rsvp'ing that I have been doing lately to get into the hundreds of awesome day parties this year. I'm secretly hoping that Fader Fort decides to come up with another creative musical marriage between R. Kelly and Mumford and Sons so all of the scrubs run over there and I can catch Outkast's secret show, wherever that will be. Actually I would love to catch Sir Robert but the second he started to play Black Panties, I would impregnate someone on the spot and I'm way too broke for all of that. So on the future R. Kellys.

First up is The Bots, a duo that hails from Glendale, California; and lucky for them it appears that Fader has found two more black kids to like. They just so happen to be brothers (not like soul brothers or anything)and one plays guitar or bass while the other bangs away on the drums. Their style is punk music with a garage band feel to it and you get the sense that they fit this in somewhere in between skateboarding and listening to Bad Brains albums. For being kids they certainly seem to have a bright future. And while their music isn't  not quite mind melting yet, they do have the ability to get me rocking from time to time. I rate them as FRESH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb5P4cqsLj0

Next up is Eminence, a band out of Brazil that I hope can bring back my love for metal. Recently I have discovered that all of my favorite metal bands are either racist or wannabe Satan worshipers and clearly I'm not down with either. But since these guys are from Brazil they can't be racist right? Most of the country is actually blacker than I am. And with the gigantic Jesus statue they have on that mountain they'd be too scared to be devil worshippers for fear of lightening bolts coming from his eyes! Well musically they bring back memories of when metal was simple; a time where it had punishing guitars, deep screaming from the lead vocalist, and drums that made you want literally bang your head against the wall in ecstasy. I'm not sure if they will blow up but I give these guys a rating of FRESH.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1EJa4bq-vs

The last act for today is Cerebral Ballzy, a hardcore punk band from the dirty side of NYC. NME mag is apparently in love with them, so that alone will get them a lot of attention. I like but not love these guys as their style doesn't really separate them from most of the decent punk bands that are out there today, but they are still solid. I think their terrible cover of Stone Roses' I Wanna Be Adored is the single thing that's holding them back. But their songs about Cutting Class and being a Junky for a Girl have the typical material that you are looking for in this kind of music. Right now I'll rate them as barely WEAK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTB1XGyTBoo

SXSW Preview 3 : The Wytches, Residuels, and Pagiins

As you can tell from the band names that are listed in the title of this post, you are more likely to go to hell from listening to them than you are to finding the soundtrack for your life. But if you are like me and you are obsessed with soundtracks, you have probably fallen in love with some bands that you have later regretted listening to as time passed by due to this need for them in your life. I miss the days when big budget films would put just as much effort into the movie's soundtrack as they did the movie itself. So instead of utilizing a good score they'd simply force some big artist's song over an action scene like they did with Nine Inch Nails in The Crow or Massive Attack in Blade II. The only thing is that in those instances it actually worked and enhanced the movie but there are plenty of examples out there where you just ended up laughing at the result of their efforts; such as the weird mix of Helmet and House of Pain blaring in the background as Emilio Estevez fought off Dennis Leary or  Charlie Sheen listening to some dirty hip hop in his convertible in Money Talks. Now the reason I bring up these terrible examples is because I actually liked that stupid Judgement Night soundtrack for a quick second but I never had the balls to admit that to anyone. So I get that we can get caught up in the moment of something exciting and make poor decisions as a result of it. But the good news is, I don't think that's the case with these bands I'm previewing today with SXSW right around the corner.

First up is the band The Wyches, and I have to say that I am thankful for the fact that it seems like someone out there finally heard my cry for the return of the Strange House version of The Horrors. I've always said that their first album sounded like the soundtrack to a Vincent Price movie. And while the music of The Wytches isn't quite that, it does serve as a nice score to a random USA Up All Night with Rhonda movie fest with its odd mix of surfer rock, psychedelia, and dark and fuzzy guitar riffs. Wire Frame Mattress and Gravedweller are two personal favorites of mine from this British trio and as of now I have to give these guys a rating of FRESH.
http://soundcloud.com/thewytches/wire-frame-mattress

Next up is Residuels. Just imagine if Bruce Springsteen formed a punk/garage band and didn't  let his stupid wife sing; the result would be these guys. When you're limited to two instruments it's hard to make your sound distinctive, so either your personality or your voice as the lead has to stick out; and thankfully for them Justin Pittney does just enough to do that. The problem I see for them long term is that with today's technology it's easy for 8 million bands with a similar sound to get their music out there and because of that I think it will be hard for these guys to blow up. But I do suggest that you pop in for a good time as this is as close to bluesy punk as you can get. He really sounds like a Cajun who happens to be stuck in Philly. I rate them as FRESH.
http://soundcloud.com/residuels/too-much

The last artist for the day would be the Pagiins, a garage band from Arkansas. I don't think they have a consistent enough style to really blow up simply because one second they sound like the young energetic punks you'd expect to hear and then the next they sound like teens who just started playing music yesterday. It's as if they heard their first ever Ramones album and tried to copy it. I do think they are fun and worth a listen but for now they get a rating of WEAK.
http://soundcloud.com/pagiins/maria

 

Blind Pets and Leopold and His Fiction SXSW Preview 2

Some days I get lucky and I literally fall into awesomeness; like this one random night I walked into a French restaurant right after happy hour. I just so happened to be a little more than buzzed that evening and I proceeded to fall off of my bar stool while I was hitting on the unbelievably cute bartender. I guess what I did was so impressive that she decided it would be a great idea to set me up with her equally cute best friend. Now the fact that she thought the two of us would make a great pair after seeing this display either means that this chick will end up slashing my tires or we'll be married within two weeks; either way I will not be doing anything stupid like purchasing a white Ford Bronco right  before our first date.

The point of that ridiculous story is that in this town you can have an unexpected life changing event by simply going to the taco trailer up the street! Now I know this isn't specific to Austin but I am also aware of the fact that there are far more places like the awful Victoria, Texas that make you want to kill yourself than there are Londons or San Fransiscos in this world. Thankfully I escaped that dump and I live in a city where I can walk into a random venue and hear a decent to pretty damn good band on any given night. And because the music scene has gotten so much better here lately, I think it has ruined me a bit when it comes to checking out new bands for festivals. Most of the "rock" bands I have encountered lately while researching new artists literally sound like the guys that live next door to me. I get it, you're a 3 piece garage band who has a lead singer that likes to scream; I was actually alive when Nirvana was around, what else you got?

So in honor of the improving Austin music scene, I will do something that I by rule never do; and that's recommend a local artist for you to check out during SXSW. Blind Pets are an Austin hard rock band whose guitar riffs are so frenetic that they make you want to punch your steering wheel while you're driving 80 mph ala Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Hopefully you haven't just done blow while banging a groupie in the restroom of a restaurant which causes you to miss lunch with your daughter the next day. Or hopefully you have, it all depends on your life goals I guess. The point is, the energy of their music reminds you of the 80's when the lead singer of each band would smash his guitar at the end of every song. Thankfully though these don't actually look like a hair band, they just remind you of a time when rock was real! I rate these guys as FRESH and suggest that you check them out. They will be playing Headhunter's Patio Wednesday at midnight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRGBv1ZADes

Up next is Leopold and His Fiction. It appears that the only consistent member in the band is the lead Daniel James, who is alarmingly pale and has a stupid army haircut that makes him look like Borat. I do however have to give him props for always rockin a suit, so he at least have that going for himself. He mixes in his bluesy vocals and lyrics with stripped down guitars in a way that reminds you of something from the late 60's. He sounds similar to Hanni El Khatib but with less distortion. I can easily see Leopold blowing up like Awolnation did because it is a sound that scenesters will snatch up and claim as quickly as they can, just so they can sound cool to their friends when talking about music. I of course am never guilty of doing this. While I see these guys getting a lot of attention in the near future, I don't see much staying power, so I will give them a rating of kind of WEAK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akTTfAGSJwI