Heavy Cream LP release tonight/New Cee-Lo
August 24, 2010
Local lady-punks (and one dude) Heavy Cream have been tearing up the eastern US the past few months touring, including some NYC shows and Brooklyn Vegan love. They’ve had their new LP Danny on sale at their shows, but tonight is the official release party right here in Nashville. They’ve gathered some very awesome guests to join them, too: Those Darlins, and a “70’s dance party hosted by Jeff the Brotherhood,” along with a DJ set by Nashville’s Dead. It all goes down at Billup’s Art (1008-C Woodland St.) in East Nashville. $10 gets you in but apparently there’s free beer. Can’t complain there. Here’s the smashingly catchy track “Watusi.”
If you have been on the internet the past couple of days I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard about the new Cee-Lo single “FU.” It’s the shit. It’s amazingly awesome. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and post a remix from Chromemusic (not a full remix, just a little extra drums and vocals added).
Cee-Lo Green-Fuck You (bitch blonde xbox nadja says hi rmx)
Happy Tuesday.
Weekend shows/Weezer to do Blue Album+Pinkerton tour
August 20, 2010
Things are finally starting to chill out a bit as this week draws to a close. Thankfully I’m able to squeeze in this quick listing of good shit to go see this weekend in Nashville.
FRIDAY:
Metromix is throwing a free party at the Cannery Ballroom tonight. Lucero, The Features, and Pujol are all playing, and there will be other craziness if I had to guess, because it’s co-sponsored by Lexus. Sorry kiddies, but it’s 21+.
Warpaint, Royal Bangs, and the Non-Commissioned Officers are playing at Exit/In. I’ll be there shooting Scene pics. It’s $10 and starts promptly at 9pm. Seriously, if you locals want to see the Non-Comms, get there early because they’re on first, and Exit/In has been surprisingly punctual about their start times for the past year or so.
Hey ladies, Parachute Musical is playing at 12th & Porter, along with Eastern Block and The Gills. No idea of the cover, but it’s probably $5.
SATURDAY:
Lou Barlow (bass player from Dinosaur Jr.) with Wye Oak and Young Man @ The Basement. 21+, $10. Tix are available at Grimey’s but call ahead- it may be sold out.
Speaking of Grimey’s, Tegan & Sara will be playing an in-store show at 2pm, and the first 120 people in the door will get free tickets to their show that night with Paramore, New Found Glory, and Kadawatha at Municipal Auditorium. I don’t even know why I mentioned that because I don’t think any 13-year-olds read this blog.
Random music news of the day: According to Pitchfork, Weezer may be doing an all Blue Album/Pinkerton tour in the near future. Apparently Rivers Cuomo mentioned it an interview with MTV while they were shooting the video for their new song “Memories.” At first I was really excited, but then I remembered how utterly ridiculous his stage antics were at Bonnaroo. Dear Rivers, please don’t run around the stage like a monkey on speed like you did at Bonnaroo. It’s just not “you.” It doesn’t fit the Weezer geek-pop aesthetic of those two albums. Seriously. I will probably pay money and/or travel to come see you on this tour. (If it actually happens.)
I’m up to my eyeballs in all sorts of random business this week, therefore I’m going to share a few links and tidbits quickly today, and that’ll be it for this blog until early next week. Here goes:
- As predicted, the Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts thanks to putting it onsale at Amazon for $3.99 it’s first week. I completely agree with Aaron Hartley’s sentiments on the matter.
- Remember when Nashville’s Dead had their 1-year bday bash at Exit/In and The End? Well they finally posted some photos and video footage of it. It’s fun.
- Belle & Sebastian have a new album in the works, but no word on a release date. They do, however, have a title- Belle & Sebastian Write About Love, and album art:
That’s all I got. Now I’m gonna take care of some biz-nass and I’ll see you kids next week.
Weekend shows/Ben Franklin beer quote
August 6, 2010
You’ve probably heard the Ben Franklin quote, “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Sadly, I did a little research today and found out that quote is actually not accurate. It’s a derivation of a quote from a letter Franklin wrote to Andre Morellet in 1779. The real quote is:
Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.
As a beer lover, it was kind of saddening to learn this, but oh well. (Via this about.com article)
Now for some shows to catch this weekend.
Before we get to the individual days, I’ll mention that Little Hamilton is throwing YES FEST all weekend. There’s a shit ton of bands, and you can also get special weekend passes. There’s too much for me to mention here, so if you want to know more about YES FEST, check out Nashville’s Dead.
FRIDAY:
The Protomen, Makeup & Vanity Set, and Magic Hammer @ 12th & Porter. 9pm
Andrew Combs CD release show with Caitlin Rose, Rayland Baxter, and Giving Tree @ The Basement. 9pm
SATURDAY:
Unknown Hinson @ Exit/In. 9pm
Powerload (AC/DC tribute) w/ Magnet School, Alcohol Stuntband, and Dirtbot @ FooBar. 9pm
Black 13 Tattoo parlor’s 2-year bday party w/ Autovaughn, Hillbilly Casino, Madi Diaz, and Plumb.
Megan and I will also be at the Arcade Fire show at the Ryman on Monday. (I’m taking pics for the Scene.)
Have a great weekend!
I’m swamped by a large project at work and dealing with a burglary of our house which occurred friday, so this will be short and sweet:
Nashville’s And The Relatives are gearing up for the release of their full-length debut album Green Machinery. I’ve known these dudes and been a fan for a good 2 years or more, and in that time they’ve really developed their own sound. You can stream the unmastered track “Hammer Down” at Future Sounds. You can also download 3 free tracks, 2 of which feature ATR Theory 8 labelmate Caitlin Rose on guest vocals, at their bandcamp. Needless to say, after hear “Hammer Down,” I’m eager to hear the rest of this album. I have a feeling it’s going to be my favorite material by them yet. Yes, they’re “good old indie rock” as FS describes, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t some of the best “good old indie rock” I’ve heard in quite a while.
Also, I would just like to comment that Arcade Fire and their management are pretty clever to offer the new album The Suburbs for sale on Amazon.com the very first day of its release. You can get it for a mere $3.99. That’s one hella good way to score higher album sales in week 1, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they end up charting in the top 5.
Make-out With Violence gets DVD release/weekend shows
July 30, 2010
Locally made/produced indie film Make-out With Violence will finally get a DVD release this fall via the distributor Factory 25. Order your copy now at their website, or at the very least put it in your netflix queue. I took some on-set still photos on one of their underwater shoot days waaaay back in 2005 and have been friends with the filmmakers ever since. This is a truly remarkable film, given the budgetary circumstances and relative inexperience of the cast. The directors were able to draw some impressive performances out of them, and the editing, lighting, and cinematography are all top-notch. Most impressive, however, is the soundtrack. Written and performed mostly by Jordan and Eric Lehning (a few songs were by a band called the Glib), the songs fit the story perfectly. The soundtrack is great just as an album by itself. If you haven’t seen the Non-Commissioned Officers (the band created to perform the songs live to raise money for the movie) yet, you are really missing out and should remedy that problem as soon as possible. Congrats on getting the DVD release, guys! PS: You can catch a special screening of the movie TONIGHT at the Belcourt Theater as part of the Halloween in July Film Festival!
Now for some stuff to do this weekend.
FRIDAY:
Max & the Wild Things CD release party @ The End, with The Roses, The Grayces, and The Pipeline. 9pm, $5
The Ettes @ 12th & Porter, with Kink Ador and Mother Father. 9pm $??
SATURDAY:
I’ll be at the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp showcase at Siegel High School. (This year they had to move it out of MTSU’s Tucker Theater due to renovations.) Seriously, come support this awesome youth music camp, and also enter the always-awesome raffle they’ll have going at the door (this year they have a vintage Gretch guitar valued at $750). Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 7, so get there early!
SUNDAY:
Deer Tick w/ Dead Confederate and Pujol @ Exit/In. This will be a good one! 9pm, $10
Have a great weekend!
Next Big Nashville released a shitload of information over the past couple of days, including the big news everyone was waiting for: the headlining music acts. This year Jason Moon Wilkins & Co. have really upped their game with an amazing lineup of national headliners. Yeasayer, WAVVES, Ponys, The Hood Internet, David Bazan, Javelin, Peelander-Z, and many others will make this year’s NBN way bigger than ever before. This is a big step in the direction towards making NBN more of a “SXSE,” which is essentially JMW’s goal with the festival/conference. Straight from the horse’s mouth:
Yeasayer, WAVVES, Ponys, David Bazan, Javelin, The Hood Internet, Garotas Suecas, Moon Duo, The Mynabirds, Otouto, Peelander-Z, Elf Power and many more. In total, 150+ acts will play over four nights in Nashville’s premiere music venues. Nationally recognized artists will appear with a full slate of established and emerging names from Nashville and the Southeast including Madi Diaz, Kyle Andrews, Keegan DeWitt, Futurebirds, Andrew Belle, Katie Herzig, Megan McCormick, Kopecky Family Band, The Apache Relay, Mikky Ekko, The Protomen, The Non Commissioned Officers, Roman Candle, The Silver Seas and more. Record labels, organizations and brands will also present showcases, VIP events and exclusive after parties.
Checkout the official NBN summit website for more.
Nashville’s most well-known bedroom/DIY artist Kyle Andrews is about to release his new Kangaroo EP on August 31st, and has also landed the lead single “You Always Make Me Smile” in a Holiday Inn commercial. The song is the musical equivalent of a warm/fuzzy/indie-romantic comedy starring Zooey Deschanel or Ellen Page. Sunny, catchy, and very by-the-book. But hey, it’s landing him success and some sweet royalties, right? Seriously though, the dude is damn good at his niche of bedroom pop, and if that’s your thing, by all means pick this EP up when it drops. And if you’re feeling creative, you can even submit your own artwork for the single at www.youalwaysmakemesmile.com. Check out the Holiday Inn commercial below:
Nashville’s Dead bday tonight/new Bad Cop & Adam Anyone
July 27, 2010
Tonight Nashville’s Dead is a year old, and they’re throwing a huge free show on Elliston for Rock the Block. They’re taking over both The End and Exit/In, and it’s all free. It’s a crazy good lineup, basically Infinity Cat & friends, minus Jeff the Brotherhood. (Poor Jake got pneumonia a week or so ago and is still recovering I think…) Gonna be a huge party y’all. I still don’t know if I’ll be there… I’ve been feeling a little introverted lately… gettin’ all emo and shit. Just kidding. About the emo part. (via Nashville’s Dead, duh)
Nashville’s Bad Cop have a debut album ready to drop into the masses called Harvest the Beast, and it’ll be out Sept. 14th on ROIR! Records. These guys have been touring pretty hard and are all-around awesome dudes, and are worth checking out.
Their singer Adam Anyone also has a solo project in the works, and from the sound of it, he’s been listening to a lot of Nirvana lately. Pretty awesome stuff. Check out the video for “Sail Away,” directed by my friend and bandmate Seth Graves: (Via We Own This Town)
National blow-shit-up weekend stuff/more WTF
July 2, 2010
The official national “blow shit up” holiday weekend is about to commence, and I’m sure you’ve already made plans of how/when/where you’re going to blow shit up. So here’s a list of good shows to attend when you’re not blowing shit up this weekend:
TONIGHT- I’ll be at the Comfies EP release show at the End, which also features Tristen and probably another band, but that band hasn’t been listed anywhere that I can find. Regardless, this will be a good show.
Also if you’re in Murfreesboro tonight, Chris Freeman is back in town for the summer and is playing a show at Liquid Smoke, while just down the block Henry Daggs is playing at Wallstreet. You could probably dash back & forth if you really wanted to…
SATURDAY- Break out your old flannel and ripped jeans from high school and wear them to My So-Called Band: the Ultimate 90’s Experience at Mercy Lounge. Or check out Henry Rollins at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. Or check out Dave Cloud, Diet Blood, Marj!, Square People, and Deluxin’ at Open Lot.
For the 4th, there’s really no excuse to not be at Mercy Lounge for the Nashville Cream/Vienna Beef sponsored “National Hot Dog Month Kickoff Party.” I’ll be doing a photobooth, you can watch the always-awesome downtown fireworks from Mercy’s kickass balcony, AND be treated to the sounds of Ghostfinger, Heartbeater, Alcohol Stuntband, and the Armed Forces, all MC-ed by Chris Crofton. And one more thing- everyone gets a free hot dog. All this for the patriotic price of $5. ($8 if you’re 18-20.) Doors open at 7pm so be sure to get there early, because everyone will be elbowing for a good spot to watch the fireworks from on the patio, and the fireworks generally start around 9 or 930pm. The bands will start immediately after the fireworks.
Last but not least, I must mention this “WTF” moment… since I posted a bunch “WTFs” yesterday. Here’s a video from Beck’s Record Club, featuring Beck, Thurston Moore, and Tortoise covering Yanni. YES, YANNI. Yanni’s Live at the Acropolis to be exact. I’m speechless. (Via You Ain’t No Picasso)
steve cross loves music and science 