The end of this blog… and moving on to other things!
June 27, 2013
Dear readers,
I’ve come to the hard decision that it’s time to put Steve Cross Loves Music and Science to rest. Don’t worry, I still love music and science! I just don’t have time to blog about it anymore. The natural progression of life, relationships, commitments, etc… has forced me to re-organize priorities. That’s not a bad thing, it just means that blogging has to take a backseat to more important things. So, this is the end of this blog! I’ll keep the domain for the foreseeable future, and everything will remain archived as-is. Everything has a a life cycle, and this blog has reached the end.
This is not the end of me sharing this type of content on the internet, however! I do intend to share more science articles, links, tidbits, etc… on my Facebook and Twitter feeds, so follow me there. This will allow me to still share my interests and love of music & science with whomever is willing to listen. I’m also on Instagram, so follow me there for more visual content.
I also have other blog ideas that I’ve been milling around for a while, but I’m keeping that under wraps until I officially decide what I’m doing. If and when that comes to fruition, it will be made public via my Twitter and Facebook.
Whether you’ve just started following me or have been for many years, I hope you learned something, gained something, or otherwise benefited from this blog!
Peace out.
-Steve
As you probably know, I’ve been involved with YEAH (Youth Empowerment through Arts & Humanities) for many years and try to help them out in any way I can. I’ve volunteered for SGRRC and TNTRC multiple years and can say from experience that it’s AWESOME. It’s easily the most rewarding volunteer work I’ve ever done and it honestly changed my life forever. Unfortunately I can’t spare the time off from work to volunteer for them this year, but that doesn’t mean YOU can’t! I strongly STRONGLY encourage you to checkout their volunteer form and see if any of the positions interest you. Remember, you DON’T have to be a musician or even musically-inclined to help out! There are plenty of non-musical needs as well. You get free lunch every day, a cool t-shirt, and most importantly the good feeling of helping foster the love of music and the arts in some of coolest kids you will ever meet.
So what are you waiting for?!?! Go sign up now! Click here for Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp, or here for Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp.
A Few Good Shows: 5/3/13
May 3, 2013
A little late today but better late than never!
A couple of Nashville local music tidbits to mention before we get to the show listings
- Hotpipes’ long-awaited new album Dust is now out! Grab it on their bandcamp or website.
- Sugar Sk*_*lls also has a new album, called Intermission full of his undeniable 8-bit goodness. Grab it on his bandcamp as well.
- NORM (aka Dave Paulson of The Privates, The Pink Spiders, and My So-Called Band) released his debut solo album via bandcamp, but in an email statement he says that while he initially thought his home mastering job sounded just fine, a few days later he realized that it just wasn’t up to par. So, while the ‘rough’ version remains on his bancamp, the re-mastered version will be up “sometime in the month of May.” This version “will be much kinder to your eardrums no matter where you listen to it.” Needless to say, these songs are all VERY GOOD.
Now, onto this weekend’s show listings:
FRIDAY:
GOAT w/ Holy Wave @ The High Watt. 9pm $10
The Black Keys w/ The Flaming Lips @ Bridgestone Arena. 7:30pm $25-$47
SATURDAY:
Shari Rowe, Midnight Riders, Sugar Pants Johnson, Honey Locust, Scale Model, Ryegrass, and Roy Ira @ Sevier Park Festival Corner Music Stage. 11am-7pm, FREE.
*Please note: this event is rain or shine and there is a large tent over the stage/crowd area and the beer gardens, so you can still attend and stay dry in the areas that matter- music & beer!*
Griffin Technology presents YACHT ROCK REVIVAL ft. Yacht Rock Revue & special guests, w/ Guilty Pleasures, Space Capone, Larry g(EE), The Aquaducks, and Whiskey Disco afterparty. All in the Mercy Lounge/Cannery/High Watt/ONE complex, 4pm-last call. $20 adv/$25 DOS/$75 VIP
Hurts To Laugh, Megajoos, 3 Birds, and Opossum Holler @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5
Musician’s Corner ft. Charles Walker & The Dynamites, The Fairfield Four, and Andrew Ripp @ Centennial Park. 12pm FREE
SUNDAY:
The Black Angels, Hanni El Khatib, and Wall of Death @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $15
That’s it! Have a great weekend and try to stay dry!
The Features: a new album May 14th and Grimey’s RSD show
April 17, 2013
Nashville’s hometown indie-pop heroes The Features are back with a new self-titled album on May 14th! They released the bouncy, catchy single “This Disorder” (which you can stream below) a while back, and just announced the official presale for the album on CD/Vinyl and iTunes. The pre-order on Bandcamp will also get you 2 free mp3s of your choice.
The boys will be performing at Grimey’s Record Store Day festivities along with Paramore, Hotpipes, Alanna Royale, Daniel Bachman, Josh Rouse, and PUJOL. They’re also playing a special free Frye Jam Session showcase this Friday night at Mercy Lounge with Nikki Lane, Odessa Rose, and Andrew Combs. Get there early if you want in- it’s limited to 300 capacity!
A Few Good Shows: 3/22/13
March 22, 2013
Before I get into the show picks for this weekend, I must point out a bit of wonderful local rock news: Hotpipes have returned! Above is the cover art for their long-awaited new album Dust, which will be released via YK Records on May 7th. The band is “now Jonathan Rogers and Dan Sommers” according to their website. They’ll also be playing an album release show at Mercy Lounge on Sat. May 11th with Echo Group, with the band rounded-out by an all-star cast of local musicians including Dave Paulson, Jerry Pentecost, and Keith Lowen. Both of these bands wear their Walkmen influences on their sleeves, so this billing makes perfect sense. Bravo, fellas! Glad to have you back!
Now for my show picks:
FRIDAY:
QuicheNight, The Lonely H, and Buffalo Clover @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5 21+
Goodbye June w/ Jonathan Sexton @ The Basement. 9pm $7 21+
SATURDAY:
Warm Soda w/ Ben Spinks Supermelt and Study Hall @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $7
Alanna Royale w/ Milktooth, Heavy Sole, and Photo Ops @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $FREE
Hurts to Laugh, Bang OK Bang, and The Bad Dudes @ FooBar. 9pm $5
SUNDAY:
Peach Kelli Pop w/ Dirty Dreams and Fox Fun @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $5
Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad @ 3rd & Lindsley (sold out). 8pm
That’s all for this weekend! See you at the ENBF!
Great news for the tragically hip in Nashville: Morrissey has rescheduled his Ryman appearance for March 29th! According to the Ryman’s website, all original tickets for the canceled Jan. 29th date will be honored. Lauren and I were devastated when the Jan. 29th show was canceled due to Moz’s bleeding ulcer. Thank goodness he’s back in good health, though! We’d heard rumors that the tour would be rescheduled for the summer with Patti Smith opening… but I guess one could only dream of being so lucky as to witness such an amazing bill…
In case you’ve been under a rock recently, Caitlin Rose has a brand new album ready to drop March 5th. I’ve heard nothing but good, good, and more good about it. And this new song “No One To Call” makes me even more excited about this album than the last teaser track “I Was Cruel.” Stream it below and pre-order the vinyl here and receive a free digital copy of the album on March 1st. DO IT.
I’ve been a huge Classixx fan ever since the undeniable “I’ll Get You” which featured the silky smooth vocals of Jeppe. The L.A. based duo have made quite a name for themselves doing remixes for several years now, and are finally set to release their debut full-length album on May 14th. The lead single “Holding On” is streaming on soundcloud now, and will be out officially on Feb. 19th. Do yourself a favor and take a listen below. It’s full of shiny synths, a smooth house beat, and sunny uplifting vocals. Dudes, throw this track on and watch your girlfriend grab your hand and drag you to dance. 😉
I’ve also been keeping an eye on Australian nu-disco outfit Mitzi for a while now. They’ve done some DJing/remixing/etc… but are now ready to release a full-length album that shows their true colors- a full-on electro/nu-disco band capable of writing great songs that you can dance to. Sure, it’s obvious they’re following in the footsteps of similar Australian acts such as Cut Copy and Miami Horror, but that’s not a bad thing at all in my book. Check out the track “All I Heard” below, and grab the album via Future Classic on Feb. 19th.
A tragic day for Nashville music: Ben Todd, founder of Nashville’s Dead, has died at age 24
February 13, 2013
Ben and one of his best friends Bekah Cope at SXSW 2010.
It is a tragic, horrible day for the Nashville rock scene. Ben Todd, founder of Nashville’s Dead, bassist of D. Watusi, and main force behind the Freakin’ Weekend has died at age 24. Read more about it at the Nashville Cream, as they are far more talented writers than I.
I’ll just say a few words from my own experience with Ben. He was one of hundreds of acquaintances I know primarily through shows. I would always see him and briefly say “hey man how’s it going?” and unfortunately that was pretty much the extent of our interactions. But just through those interactions I could tell how passionate he was about the Nashville rock scene. That passion was very evident in his creation and the content of Nashville’s Dead. He was also the driving force behind the Freakin’ Weekend. Since we’re only about a month out from the 4th installment of the annual festival, I wonder how it will proceed. I’ve no doubt that it will, though, in his honor.
I just can’t help but think it ironic that his whole mantra seemed to be centered around eternal positivity, kindness, and keeping a youthful outlook on life. His blogging moniker was Forever Young, and Forever Young he shall remain. My condolences and deepest sympathy go out to his friends and family. Actually, I’ll just say family. Because Ben was the kind of person to whom friends ARE family. Rest in peace.
Help Tristen release her new album via Kickstarter!
January 24, 2013
Nashville’s beloved songstress Tristen has a new record, titled C A V E S finished and ready to go. The only problem is, she needs money to repay the engineers, musicians, and others involved in the making of the record, and she also needs money to release it on vinyl. She’s doing this all through her own label Pupsnake Records, and she has a lot of handmade goodies and extras for the generous backers. Here it is straight from the horse’s mouth:
Hey guys. It’s time! I’m releasing the single ‘No One’s Gonna Know’ through my KICKSTARTER that has just launched. Watch the making of C A V E S video, get a download of ‘No One’s Gonna Know’ for a dollar, pre-order the whole dang record, or get your hands on exclusive hand-crafted merchandise I’ve made for the project. I need your help to release C A V E S on my own record label, Pupsnake Records. So please show some love and share it with your friends.
Kickstarter projects have become a dime a dozen these days, but trust me when I say that this is one that’s absolutely worth it. She’s the type of artist who is incredibly meticulous about every detail of her art. If it’s not absolutely perfect, she will not put it out for the world to consume. That’s why she enlisted the help of names like Mike Mogis (of Bright Eyes, and practically every other Saddle Creek band), and Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys). She worked hard on this album and sought out the right people to make it perfect, and that’s why it’s something worth supporting. Please read the full story of the album and pledge your support at her Kickstarter.
*Full disclaimer: Tristen is a friend of mine. I am writing this not only as a friend, but as a genuine fan of her music. I would not urge your support via this blog if I didn’t objectively consider her a talented artist making music worth supporting.
A Few Good Shows: 1/18/13
January 18, 2013
Before we get to the show listings for this weekend, here are a few other local music tidbits worth mentioning:
- D. Watusi’s new album Dark Party is out now via Nashville’s Dead Records. Buy it on vinyl in their webstore and stream the whole thing via Soundcloud.
- Bandcamp just keep getting better and better. They just unveiled their newest feature: Bandcamp for Fans. Read all about it at their blog. And sign up for it!
Now for the listings:
FRIDAY:
Bloc Party w/ 10 Echo @ Cannery Ballroom. 8:30pm $25
MAYHEM performs Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $5
QDP @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $1 21+
SATURDAY:
Brother Ares, Billy Castro, Forest of Tygers @ the Owl Farm. 8pm $5
Luella & The Sun, Sturgill Simpson, Josh Farrow @ the High Watt. 8pm $10
SUNDAY:
Memorial concert for The End soundman Brad Baker ft. Sara Zacek, Crooked Jester, Tons of Fun, and an open mic jam @ Exit/In. 7pm $10 donation to Musicares in honor of Brad.
*I’m embarking on a little weekend jaunt through Tuesday, so posting will resume next Wednesday or Thursday. Have a great weekend!
steve cross loves music and science 