Shows worth seeing this weekend
April 22, 2011
This weekend is almost as crazy as last weekend in terms of good shows in Nashville. If you don’t get out and see something awesome then there’s just no hope for you.
FRIDAY:
Peelander-Z, Anamanaguchi, Cheap Time, and Diarrhea Planet @ The End. 9pm $5?? Seriously, you should arrive early for this one- it WILL reach capacity. The last few times Peelander-Z has played Nashville it’s been at Exit/In and they filled it up pretty nicely, and with such an awesome cast of supporting acts… this show is going to be beyond insane.
The Kills, Cold Cave, The Entrance Band @ the Cannery. 9pm $15 but it’s SOLD OUT.
SATURDAY:
A-Trak, Kid Sister, Glasslamp Killer @ Limelight. 9pm. This show is now a part of the Dayglow festival, which I don’t know much about, but A-Trak is a living legend. Dude is at the top of his game. He won the DMC World DJ competition at age 15 for heaven’s sake.
Promocalypse ft. DJ Wick-It @ the Cannery/Reagan Rock Prom ft. Yacht Rock Revue @ Mercy Lounge. Cannery row is just prom-tastic this weekend apparently…
Have a great weekend!
Epic Ditch/Natural Child
April 21, 2011
How did it get to be Thursday so fast? Sorry for the lack of posts this week.
Call it a supergroup if you want, but don’t attach the stigma of other failed supergroups to Epic Ditch, the new band from Superdrag’s John Davis. He’s recruited Knoxville-turned-L.A.-turned-Nashville producer Nick Rasculinecz, former Slack and Har Mar Superstar drummer Nick Slack, and Knoxville musician Stewart Pack to round out the lineup. They’ve yet to play a live show, but they have an EP up on Bandcamp for a measly $5, and I recommend checking it out. If you were a Superdrag fan, or a fan of any 90’s power pop or skater punk, it would be hard not to like this stuff. Very straightforward, intense, punch-in-the-face rock that will have you waxing nostalgic on most anything you listened to in your high school years. If you’re my age, and a dude, because this is pretty dude-tastic rock and roll.
After a run of several 7″ singles, Natural Child is finally releasing their debut LP 1971 through Infinity Cat Records. Their brand of greasy, dirty, and sometimes raucous stoner-rock hits the spot. Exile on Main St. hangs blatantly from their sleeves, yet they never get too derivative. But don’t take my non-professional music blogger opinion- check out what Patrick Rodgers, the Scene’s new music editor, had to say about it on the Cream. You can also snag the track “Hard Workin’ Man” there. Speaking of tracks, another one from the record, “Yer Birthday,” can be found on both Nashville’s Dead and RCRD LBL. That’s right- our local boys got some major non-local love. Good job, fellas.
If you haven’t heard yet, R.I.P. Gerard Smith, former bassist of TV on the Radio.
Weekend shows/other music tidbits
April 8, 2011
Sorry posting has been scarce this week. I’m effin’ BUSY.
A quick show rundown for what’s cool this weekend show-wise:
FRIDAY:
“Night of the living cover bands” TNTRC benefit ft. Protomen as Queen, A Secret Policeman’s Ball as Hall & Oates, Hanzelle as Outkast, and TNTRC Team Awesome as Blondie. Minimum $6 donation. 9pm, 21+. Seriously, this is gonna rule. I mean, Hall & Oates? Protomen doing Queen? This is gonna rule your life tonight. I’ll be there. And it’s pretty much the best local cause you could possibly support.
This might seem like an odd thing for me to plug, but I highly recommend Tortured Soul w/ Mindub at 12th & Porter. Waaaay back when I was part of MTSU’s Student Programming Committee, we brought Tortured Soul to play in the KUC Theater. Granted, that tiny stage and small theater style setting was an odd place for a band to play, and the show wasn’t that well attended mainly for that reason, but I did see them play and was impressed. They basically do house music, but as a live band. It’s very smooth, funky, and highly danceable without being overly jammy. And you should know about Mindub.
SATURDAY:
Destroyer w/ War On Drugs @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $12 adv/$15 DOS.
Tour de Fun in Murfreesboro: an all-day bike rally/house show extravanganza. There are literally 40+ bands playing at various houses and other DIY venues. Some highlights: Hanzelle, We Were the States, Famn Damn. A pretty cool idea, in it’s second year of existence. Check the link above to the Scene Critic’s Pick for more details.
Some other tidbits that need mentioning:
- We Own This Town has brought back their video performance series. The first one is D. Watusi, the new-ish project from former Kindergarten Circus frontman Dillon Watson. WOTT helmsman Doug Lehman, along with the help of Andy Snyder and Jeremy Ferguson, brought back the series, and I look forward to seeing who they bring through in the future. Since the self-proclaimed hiatus of the Lake Fever Sessions, there’s been a need for someone to step in and fill the void. Watch D. Watusi perform “High School Baby” and “Summer Nights.” BONUS- D. Watusi-Summer Nights MP3
- As the A.V. Club reports, Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Damian Kulash, and Neil Gaiman are participating in an ambitious project as part of the Rethink Music Conference. They’re going to write 8 songs in 8 hours, record them in a marathon session, release them through Bandcamp, and perform them at a show the next day. Oh, and the songs will be based on topics sent to them through twitter. I think this is fascinating idea, and it’ll be interesting to hear the results.
Have a great weekend!
Remember Grand Palace records in Murfreesboro? While Chuck and Bingham have kept the screen printing business going full steam-ahead, and Alex Norfleet kept the recording studio up and running, the record store, venue and label have all gone somewhat dormant. As a matter of fact, (most locals know by now) the whole operation is moving out of the charming old building on the square that’s been its home for the past 6 or so years. Word is they’re moving to Nashville, but that’s as much as I know.
The point of all this is that Rod from the awesome Boro-based band Bows and Arrows is working with some friends to revive the label portion and has some new releases planned for this year under the GP moniker. Leading up to it, his own band is releasing a series of free digital 7″‘s. Here’s the news straight from the horse’s mouth:
Us and Grand Palace Records have a bunch of really exciting physical releases planned for most of the year, and to lead up to them Bows and Arrows will be releasing a Digital 7″ every week and they will all be downloadable for free on our bandcamp page at the bottom of the email. This first Digital 7″ consists of two covers, “Leave Me Be” by The Zombies and “All I Wanna Do” by The Beach Boys. They were each recorded in a couple hours in the house our debut album is named after, 1010 Eaton Street. Side B features our roomates on vocals, electric guitar and bells. Future Digital 7″ releases will include more covers, demo versions of songs, brand new songs and collaborations with other artists among other things.
So do yourself a favor and go grab the new digital 7″ from their bandcamp, and keep an eye on all things Grand Palace. They’re back.
Good shows this weekend in Nashville
March 11, 2011
Wow, this weekend has a lot to offer in the way of good music to see. That’s partially because a lot of bands are gearing up to head to Austin next week for SXSW, but hey, we’ll take it. Here’s a quick rundown:
FRIDAY:
The Non-Commissioned Officers album release show w/ Cortney Tidwell and Kyle Andrews @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $12 to get CD, $7 w/out CD. Stream their entire new album on their facebook page.
JEFF the Brotherhood w/ King Tuff and Diarrhea Planet @ The Other Basement. $5 all ages, 8pm. For a free King Tuff mp3, check out Nashville’s Dead.
The Clutters, Slick, Dirtbot, the Black Faces @ the 5 Spot, 9pm $5.
SATURDAY:
Duh. Come to La Paz for La Paz Late Night presents: ROBO BOOGIE. As I said yesterday, it’s $2 w/ robot outfit, $3 w/out, and Potamus, Vitalic Noise & I will be spinning 80s and other robo-tastic jams all night.
Those Darlins, Denny & The Jets, D. Watusi @ the Basement. *YOU MUST PRE-ORDER THOSE DARLINS’ NEW ALBUM SCREWS GET LOOSE THROUGH GRIMEY’S TO GET INTO THIS SHOW!*
Space Capone w/ Floorwalkers @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm, $10
A few other news tidbits in the music world:
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart now have their Flood-produced, Smashing Pumpkins-esque new album Belong streaming at their website. I haven’t listened to it yet as I’m glued to the news at the moment, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
Tristen’s video for the song “Baby Drugs” debuted on Rolling Stone yesterday. Seriously, go watch it. (Via Nashville Cream)
Shows this weekend
March 4, 2011
As usual, I’m in a time crunch between work stuff.
As I mentioned Wednesday, Nashville’s Dead’s Freakin’ Weekend is happening all weekend, so go checkout their “Rundown” post about the lineups for that. If you aren’t inclined to see every night of the FW, here are some other shows I’d recommend.
FRIDAY:
The Nobility w/ Bravo Max, the Tendoor, and Overzealous @ the 5 Spot. 9pm, $5
The YEAH! Rock Block benefit show @ The End, ft. Kiddo. 9pm, 18+$5 donation (or however much you wanna give)
SATURDAY
Korean is Asian album release w/ Cortney Tidwell and The Lisps @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $5
Rocky Votolato w/ Matt Pond @ Exit/In. 9pm $12
Nashville’s Dead: Freakin’ Weekend+Pop up record store
March 2, 2011
The dudes at Nashville’s Dead have upped the ante this year for their Freakin’ Weekend… festival… for lack of a better term. Let’s just call it the Freakin’ Weekend from now on. If memory serves, last year’s was all house shows. This year however, they’ve “graduated” to full-on venues and the lineup is killer. They’ve taken over Exit/In, The End, and Springwater (and even an early show at Third Man Records) to bring you a nonstop rock n roll party that lasts 3 days this weekend- March 4th, 5th, and 6th. It’s safe to say that Infinity Cat acts such as JEFF the Brotherhood, PUJOL, and Natural Child are all “heavy hitters,” not to mention out-of-town acts like Ty Segall and Davila 666. For the full lineup and more info checkout ND’s post about it.
ND also has another treat for all the vinyl nerds out there: they’ll be doing a pop-up record store above the new Local Honey store on Belmont Blvd! It’ll be open from noon-5pm on March 3rd through 5th. They’ll have limited edition pressings and other hard-to-find stuff from Infinity Cat, Third Man, Nashville’s Dead, Turbo Time, Evil Weevil and more. For more deets checkout their blog post. Gonna be a good weekend y’all.
Chancellor Warhol is heading to Bonnaroo
March 1, 2011
Last night was a blast. From the folkwave of Courtney Jaye to the dude-rock shredfest of Tyler Bryant, it was a night to behold. Overall however, it probably won’t go down as one of the most memorable Road To Bonnaroo nights. There just weren’t as many theatrics as there have been at past RTBs, but the quality of the music certainly was not lacking. At the end of the night, though, Chancellor Warhol (who I hadn’t seen until last night) ended up taking the prize. Warhol jumped on stage in a very Kanye-esque outfit, and proceeded to own the crowd. This guy is a phenomenal performer, though his opening song was the only one that really stuck with me. I certainly can’t disagree with the outcome.
Other artists/bands who really caught my attention were Evan P. Donohue and Heartbeater. If EPD’s performance wasn’t enough to win you over, then you need to have your head examined. This kid is a class act and has just the right combination of stage charm and hooky songs to be a genuine star. Just wait.
Heartbeater have switched out guitarists and added a keyboard player, and I love where they’re headed. They’ve got some new material that demands more sonic textures and the keys are fitting the bill perfectly. Bravo, fellas.
I can’t go without mentioning Tyler Bryant. The kid’s guitar shredding style falls somewhere between Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen (in style, not skill, but maybe he’ll get there one day), and he’s what… 20? 19? Despite his age, he somehow filled the stage with more testosterone than I’ve seen there in quite some time. Except for when he tried to do those “yeooowwww” screams and his voice cracked & went into the register of a 12 year old girl. Speaking of 12 year old girls, dude looks a little bit like Justin Bieber. Sorry… had to go there. It’s true. Give JB a guitar and rough him up around the edges and basically you have Tyler Bryant. Seriously though, if this kid learns to write good songs and not turn each show into a total wankfest, he could do something I might be interested in. Otherwise he needs to be the lead guitar player in a speed metal band. Unfortunately it’s rare to find that kind of technical prowess and truly good songwriting skills in the same person.
Let’s hope the next two RTBs get a little more theatrical and/or intense.
Amazing footage of Discovery launch from plane/Road to Bonnaroo tonight
February 28, 2011
Some amazing and unique footage of Space Shuttle Discovery’s launch last thursday from an airplane window. The people on this plane got very lucky, as this is something rarely seen by the public. It’s one of those “right place, right time” deals. Be sure to pump it up to HD resolution.
(Via Bad Astronomy)
If you’re in Nashville and are a fan of local music, be sure not to miss tonight’s Road to Bonnaroo 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge. This is the third year of RTB, and tonight’s lineup looks great. This event really brings out the best in these bands, as most will have some sort of trick up their sleeve. We’ve seen just about every type of gimmick you can think of at these events in the past two years. If you didn’t know, the bands’ scores are made up of 50% audience vote and 50% judge vote. Tonight’s lineup:
Evan P. Donohue
Courtney Jaye
Chancellor Warhol
Majestico
Heartbeater
Kink Ador
The Kicks
Tyler Byant
For more info on the bands/artists and sample mp3s, visit the Mercy Lounge calendar.
Shows this weekend in Nashville
February 25, 2011
Not a lot of time today. Here’s a quick roundup of shows I recommend seeing this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Honestly there’s not much going on tonight that I personally am very interested in. Check out the Cream for more listings.
SATURDAY:
Heypenny’s A Jillion Kicks album release party @ Mercy Lounge w/ Natalie Prass, Action!, and Mikky Ekko. 9pm, $7 or $12 if you want the CD included.
For those of you in Murfreesboro, Ghostfinger and Heartbeater are at Grand Palace. Seems the ol’ GP is getting back into having shows every now and then. Good times indeed. Probably $5.
Lovedrug, The Kingston Springs @ The Basement, 9pm, 21+ $5
I should also mention that this coming Monday Feb. 28th is the first Road to Bonnaroo 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge. Come out and vote for your favorite band and send them to Bonnaroo 2011! Lineup is Evan P. Donohue, Courtney Jaye, Chancellor Warhol, Majestico, Heartbeater, Kink Ador, The Kicks, and Tyler Bryant. It’s FREE and 21+.
Have a great weekend!
steve cross loves music and science 