Random news/Ke$ha covers Radiohead/weekend stuff
February 26, 2010
This somewhat old news by now, but if you haven’t seen this video of Ke$ha singing “Karma Police” by Radiohead at a junior high talent show, go do so now. (Via the whole internet)
Speaking of Ke$ha: Nashville’s own Justin Kase, who recently had a stint as her live DJ, is now on Twitter. Go follow him immediately, because when he hits 666 followers, he’s going private. Word is that he’s planning some secret dance parties this spring:
looking to reach 666 followers by march and then going private, tell everyone to getinb4 lck dwn. secret parties coming this spring.
The list of Nashville acts headed to SXSW this year keeps growing. So far Those Darlins, We Were the States, How I Became the Bomb, Glossary, Heypenny, Protomen, The Ettes, Madi Diaz, The Young Republic, and Matthew Perryman Jones are what I’ve seen/heard, but I’m sure there are plenty more.
Now for what’s going down this weekend:
Tonight I will be running the Generation Domination photobooth at Happy Valley, taking place at the usual downtown location- Aerial.
Of course the other big show happening tonight is My So-Called Band at Mercy Lounge, with Dozen Dimes. These guys have enough glorious 90’s nostalgia to have you jumping around doing beer-spews into Dave Paulson’s face… not that I’ve done that before or anything…
Saturday there’s a great Haiti relief benefit show at Blackbird Tattoo & Gallery, featuring Powerbrrrd (my band), the Admirals Club, Julia the Menace, Woodgrain, and supposedly some sort of Holly House supergroup. The $10 cover goes toward the UN World Food Program. Rumors Wine & Art Bar are also involved. Come on out and support a good cause!
Cassino, Korean Is Asian, and Tristen will be rockin the 5 Spot. *Correction- this show is at the Basement!*
Akron/Family, Warpaint, and HP Witchcraft will be rockin the Exit/In.
On Sunday I’ve heard rumors that American Bang will be filming a music video… so take that for what it’s worth.
And last but not least, I must do a little more shameless self-promotion and mention that I’m hosting Rock the Block at Exit/In on Tuesday. If you’re unfamiliar- it’s a bit like 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge, except it’s on Tuesdays and not strictly 8 bands. Mine will feature 6 bands with 20 minute sets each, and I just confirmed Jenn Ross to do a couple of bellydances between acts! The lineup will be (not in performance order): We Were the States, Bows & Arrows, Cody Blaine & the Whole Fam Damnly, Powerbrrrd, Tristen, and Jordan Caress.
Have a great weekend!
Non-Comms win Road to Bonnaroo/WRATH OF THE HIPPIES soon to come
February 23, 2010
The Non-Commissioned Officers will be playing at Bonnaroo this summer as they are the winners of the first Road to Bonnaroo series. The twitter-verse was abuzz this morning with retweets galore about the news. Look for my photos on the Nashville Cream later this morning. I have to say I had a hard time choosing between the Non-Comms and The Privates, and my ballot choice shall remain a mystery.
It must be pointed out that Nashville’s own jam-band superstars Moon Taxi were on this bill. It must also be pointed out that they probably put more effort into preparing for this show than any other band on the bill. They had their own special moving lights, as well as some really cool glowstick outfits. While that kind of effort and showmanship is great, it has to be backed up by GOOD SONGS. There has never been a jam-band that could write good songs. There will never be a jam-band that can write good songs because that’s part of what makes them a jam-band. Their songs all sound the fucking same because they pointlessly noodle around on guitar solos for hours on end. Ultimately that’s why the judges vote counts 50% of the score at this event- because the judges can see through the flashy lights and understand that there’s a major core component that’s missing in Moon Taxi’s music- the SONG. I heard someone say “well, they’re the perfect band to play Bonnaroo…” NO THEY’RE NOT. THERE ARE ENOUGH FUCKING JAM-BANDS AT BONNAROO ALREADY.
It was quite clear that they did the best job of crowd-recruiting, however, and I’m fairly sure they won the crowd vote for that reason. (That’s also another reason judges count for 50% of the vote.) It was evident that they have an army of hippies ready and willing to execute their every command, and for that reason I recommend that the Scene and Mercy Lounge hire round-the-clock security, because the WRATH OF THE HIPPIES is soon to come. Specifically be on the lookout for patchouli smoke grenades and dreadlock-wax napalm.
Oh, and Born Empty probably still thinks Incubus is cool.
Surfer Blood/some tidbits/weekend
February 19, 2010
As I’ve said before, I’m often skeptical of “blog buzz” bands that get over-hyped and often fall far short of the expectations bestowed upon them. But sometimes my tastes and interest phases perfectly with one of those bands. Last year the best example of that was The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Phenomenal band, amazing record, good live, etc… and they completely deserved all the media love. I honestly think they’ll be back on the radar soon with a new album that’s every bit as good as their debut. This year I’m joining the chorus of bloggers who are hyping Floridians Surfer Blood. I recently picked up their debut Astro Coast and loved almost every minute of it. It’s filled with some fine guitar work backed by great songwriting. It’s well-produced and I highly recommend not only getting the album, but also coming to see them this Saturday night at The End, along with Turbo Fruits, CY, and Holiday Shores. If you don’t feel like paying and/or staying up late, you can also catch them at an in-store at Grimey’s earlier in the day. But I’d get there early because this one will probably fill up fast. I’ll be at the End photographing, and possibly at the Grimey’s show too. For a much more adroit write-up, read Matt Sullivan’s Critic’s Pick for the Scene. He’s, you know, a real writer.
Some other goodness happening this weekend:
Local Honey overstock sale tonight 6-9pm. Come snatch up some new threads as Shea gets rid of some overstock to make room for new spring stuff. There will also be free spiked punch.
Also tonight- Hammertorch, Heartbeater, and the Gills at the 5 Spot.
Saturday- If Surfer Blood isn’t your thing, and beards are, then check out the official FINAL Whiskerino throwdown at Mercy Lounge. I really wish this hadn’t clashed with Surfer Blood, because this will be a sight to behold. Playing: Codaphonic, Roy Ira, and Kidstatic.
I should also mention that Monday is the 1st installment of Mercy Lounge’s Road to Bonnarroo series. This one features Born Empty, Mona, Ponderosa, Moon Taxi, The Private, The Non-Commissioned Officers, Kyle Andrews, and Parachute Musical. The competition is fierce!
A couple of newsy tidbits:
This is old news now, but worth a mention nonetheless: My So-Called Band officially launched their website… on Angelfire. Complete with animated GIFs, auto-play MIDI version of “Dreams” by the Cranberries, and hit counter.
Makeup & Vanity Set started a Facebook fan page. Become a fan if you love him. If you don’t, then you should. Oh, and he has a new record coming out in March. Look for an interview with him to be posted here soon.
Caitlin Rose got a nice blurb in Grazia Daily in the UK. Check it out at Aaron Hartley’s tumblr.
Have a great weekend!
Kings of Leon and Features talk about their love in NME
February 18, 2010
Thanks to the keen eyes of We Own This Town, we now have a very clear picture of the relationship between the Kings of Leon and The Features: nothin’ but love. Along with false rumors of Kings of Leon opening for The Features at their Feb. 5th show at Exit/In, I also heard about several UK music journalists on the guest list. The reason for that is evident in this NME article which features an interview with Caleb Followill and Matt Pelham at Nashville bar Loser’s. While I may not love KOL’s music nearly as much as The Features’, I must say I’m very happy to see the KOL appreciate Pelham & Co.’s amazing talent as much as they do, and I think The Features just might be one of luckiest bands in America. Click the pic to access a bigger version:
A shit-ton of new music
February 17, 2010
I couldn’t think of anything better to describe this post than “a shit-ton of new music.”
Seriously, check this out:
Probably my favorite producer/DJ/artist from the Ed Banger Records crew is Breakbot. I love his remixes and original material, but his new track “Baby I’m Yours” is easily his masterpiece, even if it is under 3 min. long. It’s on his latest EP of the same title, and you should go get it now at Beatport. Or wherever you can find it. I also love the Siriusmo remix… Look for one or the other to be a a featured track in my upcoming Spring 2010 Mixxxx.
So I’ve been talking a lot about the Morning Benders lately. Well, that’s because they’re smart and know just how to milk hype and anticipation for all it’s worth. They’ve been slowly releasing a steady trickle of tidbits- mp3’s, videos, interviews, etc…- and it’s working because they’re ALL OVER the blogosphere. But I honestly love them and thus I’m joining the parade. Today they released another free mp3- the full studio version of “Excuses,” the song played in the video clip I posted last week. Grab it at You Ain’t No Picasso. It can found a million other places as well, but I’m linking to YANP because that happens to be where I saw it first.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen any action from Brighton Beach, UK’s The Pipettes. This is probably because they’ve undergone about 3,278 lineup changes since their last US appearances. When I first discovered them I went totally crazy for the whole gimmick of cute girls, singing pretty harmonies, dressing up in polka-dots, doing coreographed stage moves, and bringing back the girl-group pop vibe of the Phil Spector era. I must say that initial excitement has long worn off, and they quickly fell to the far back of my mind. Now they’ve completely re-vamped their image and sound, as well as shrunk to apparently 2 frontwomen. Check out the funky spaced-out disco imagery at their website, where you can also download their new single “Our Love Was Saved by Spacemen.” Honestly, the sound matches the imagery, but I’m not sure I’m sold on the new sound. It’s catchy and fun without a doubt, but something just doesn’t quite click like the old lineup/sound/imagery did.
SXSW officially announced the schedule of showcases and I’m going to spend at least a good hour tonight looking over it, but at first glance a few things popped out to me:
Wed. night at Emo’s, Emo’s annex, and Emo’s Jr., the latter of which is the Rough Trade showcase culminating with the Morning Benders. Also on Wed. is the Next Big Nashville showcase at Maggie Mae’s featuring The Ettes and a few more Nashville acts, and the Girls Rock Austin showcase at Submerged, feature Those Darlins and The Coathangers.
Thur. night the Beauty Bar hosts the IHEARTCOMIX/Green Owl showcase, which features some great new electronic artists, but faces stiff competition for the electro crowd from the Dim Mak showcase at Elysium which features the Crystal Method and Steve Aoki. The Cedar Street Courtyard, though not any specific “showcase,” will feature She & Him. The Young Turks showcase at the Mohawk Patio looks awesome. Of course the biggest is Broken Social Scene at Stubb’s.
Fri. night Cedar Street Courtyard will host Nashville’s own American Bang. Club DeVille hosts Neon Indian and CLASSIXXX. The Bright Antenna showcase at the Ghost Room features Magic Wands, which are interestingly listed as a Nashville band… The Cool Kids and Miike Snow will be at the Mohawk Patio.
Sat. night the Austin Shores stage looks pretty rad with She & Him, Justin Townes Earle, Deer Tick, and many others. The Beauty Bar lineup would appear to be the Fool’s Gold showcase, though it’s not listed as such… The Chicken Ranch showcase at Headhunter’s looks good, with Nashville’s own The Clutters and We Were the States on the bill. The Mohawk Patio looks good yet again, with Turbo Fruits and Surfer Blood.
Frankly my head almost exploded just glancing over it. More SXSW to come. Holy shit I can’t wait.
Oh, and if that didn’t make your head explode, then celebrities upside-down will.
Skiing/weekend stuff
February 12, 2010
Megan and I are headed for my hometown of Kingsport this weekend to take advantage of this last snowstorm that dumped about 10 inches in the southern Appalachians. We’re going skiing at either Beech or Sugar mountain. Skiing in the southern Apps can be tricky due to the fickle winter weather around here… yes the mountains are always colder than other areas, but they still have to make most of their snow with machines, and sometimes they’ll have a long period of daytime highs in the 40s and nighttime lows in 20s, which means some of the snow melts in the day, then re-freezes at night, causing icy spots that are a huge thorn in any skiers side. But with this last snowstorm, and the fact that temps there haven’t gotten above freezing for several days, and won’t until sometime next week, the slopes should be pretty nice & powdery this weekend.
That means I won’t be out & about seeing shows/partying/etc… this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.
The big show tonight is Tortoise with Disappears at Exit/In. Also: Neil O’Neil and Max & the Wild Things at the 5 Spot.
Saturday- Oblio, Shoot the Mountain, Deleted Scenes, Steve LaBate at The Basement.
Also on Saturday, two things will be coming together that I honestly thought I’d never EVER say in the same sentence: Infinity Cat and Vanderbilt. Yes, according to Nashville’s Dead, Infinity Cat bands Natural Child and Daniel Pujol will be playing at Vandy’s McGill Hall (that’s a dorm), along with a band called Colossi. I have no idea if Colossi is associated with Infinity Cat. Pretty crazy huh? Although, being a Vandy employee, I do know that McGill Hall is definitely the extreme exception to the typical Vandy kid stereotype. It’s basically where most of the students who don’t fit into that Greek/trust-fund-kid stereotype live. So while Vanderbilt and Infinity Cat definitely have a bit of an oil & water vibe, McGill and Infinity Cat seem much more like peanut butter & jelly.
Have a great weekend!
Bonnaroo rant/BISB/Morning Benders
February 11, 2010
After some thinking, I have this to say about the Bonnaroo 2010 lineup: 1/2 good, 1/2 FAIL. Part of it is just my personal taste, but part of it is just plain WTF?
First the bad part: the headliners. The combination of Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, and Dave Matthews Band (the 1st 4 listed in the lineup, thus assumed to be headliners) is pretty weak compared to Phish/Springsteen, or Metallica/Pearl Jam, or The Police/Tool. As much as I hate Phish, they were a HUGE score for the festival last year, and IMO, they needed someone like the widely-rumored Paul Simon or Paul McCartney to really stand up the last few years. I don’t think Jay-Z, despite his legendary status in the hip hop world, can quite fill the shoes of past headliners. Stevie Wonder is awesome and I’m glad he’s playing but somehow I just don’t see him as quite headliner material. DMB has played Bonnaroo before, and of course will please the hippie crowd, but will also draw a considerable number of collar-poppin’ fratastic douchebags.
Now for the good part: the tent-playing (or maybe Which Stage-playing) mid-level indie acts. I’m more than elated to see She & Him, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Flaming Lips, Miike Snow, They Might Be Giants, OK Go, The Melvins, Neon Indian, and many more of the “indie rock” acts on the bill. Let’s just say that if I go to cover it for the Scene again this year, I will no doubt be spending most of my time in the tents.
In other lineup news, Vanderbilt’s Rites of Spring lineup came right on the heels of the Bonnaroo announcements, and the list is not surprising, though Phoenix and Passion Pit together make the lineup a tad bit stronger than past years, IMO. Headliners Ben Harper & the Relentless 7 and Drake fit right into the typical RoS formula of putting an up-and-coming rap star on one night, and a frat-pleasing, jam-ish act on the other. But this broad, please-all formula has worked well for the festival in the past, so I can’t blame them for doing what works. This ain’t no Pitchfork afterall.
As most Nasvhillians who pay any amount of attention to the local electronic/DJ scene already know, Justin Kase has been on the road for several months as a the DJ in Ke$ha’s backing band. He also ran a pretty cool, though sparingly updated blog called Blogging Is Serious Business. Sadly, though, he’s putting that blog on indefinite hiatus:
Touring kept me from updating recently, but now i just don’t have any interest to continue this blog. Never say never, but don’t expect anything new for some time to come.
What’s utterly flattering, though, is that he mentioned my blog, along with the obvious Nashville Nights, as an alternative for “your Nashville dancing fix…” Therefore, expect me to attempt to live up to that plug by bringing in a little more coverage of the DJ/electronic/dance scene beside my usual plugs for gigs at which I’m DJing. Don’t expect many mp3’s though, because A) Joseph at Nashville Nights has that very well-covered, and B) I don’t have the time or energy to devote to climbing the HypeMachine charts and getting labels/producers to send me shit to post. I will however, post a link to my last mix, just in case you missed it back in Dec. (Spring 2010 Mixxxx is currently in production for release next month.)
Finally, I was excited to this nicely-done video of the Morning Benders performing/recording the track “Excuses” for Yours Truly with about 50 of their best musician friends crammed into the studio, Phil Spector-style. In fact, as the singer Chris Chu talks about in the interview segment, the song is a bit of a tribute to Spector and his “Wall of Sound” recording method. They even wrote a cute little letter to him which you can read at Yours Truly. Here’s the video. (All of this via Gorilla vs. Bear and Pitchfork)
Features afterpary @ La Paz/Majestico tracks
February 5, 2010
The big story today is also an act of shameless self-promotion. Tonight is the sold-out Features/Majestico/Cortney Tidwell show at Exit/In, and I’m DJing the official afterparty at La Paz along with Fan Fiction. La Paz is literally only 3 doors down Elliston from Exit/In, and given the fact that A) there’s NO COVER and B) well drinks/margaritas/wine are all $3 and PBR cans are $2, you’d be CRAZY not to come over after the show (if you’re going). Since the show sold out in one day due the rumor of Kings of Leon opening (which proved to be false), you may not have a ticket. In that case, I suggest simply coming straight to La Paz, because we kick things off around 9-10pm and you know the party will really get hoppin’ later on anyway. In case you hadn’t realized- this is the new incarnation of BFF. It’s simply whenever/wherever Fan Fiction and I DJ together. And trust me, we’re bringin’ the bangers. The resident La Paz DJ for whom we’re covering, Potamus, will be hitting the decks down in M’boro at SWAG, so if you’re in that neck of the woods and wanna dance, 527 Main St. is the place to be.
Speaking of Majestico, they’ve got 2 brand new tracks up on their bandcamp for free (unless you give your email address monetary value). Together they comprise the Bright White Lady single. What the hell are you waiting for? Go get them now. Oh, and there’s another great track called “I Like You” on there as well. These dudes might just be my favorite “new” Nashville band. (Via a star to sail her by, AKA the new blog from Andrew J. Smithson)
D. Patrick Rodgers of Nashville Cream did an interesting interveiw with Daniel Pujol as a part of this week’s Scene cover story “10 Artists to Watch in 2010.” Pujol’s answers are rather hilarious and quite cryptic at times, but that’s the main reason it’s a good read… You can also grab 2 free mp3s of Pujol’s solo work, which are hard to come by since most of his solo material has been released on cassette tape.
Other stuff this weekend:
Saturday is a major dilemma for sure:
Of Montreal/James Husband @ Cannery Ballroom vs. Girls/Magic Kids/Smith Westerns @ Exit/In…
Personally, I’ve seen Of Montreal 4 times and much prefer their mid-career material (Coquelicot through Sunlandic Twins). That, combined with my Scene photographic assignment will likely land me at Exit/In, because I haven’t seen any of those bands, and want to see all of them, especially Magic Kids.
On Sunday the party doesn’t stop, because Tristen will be at the 5 Spot, along with Murfreesboro’s The Only Sons, and Action!.
Have a great weekend!
Infinity Cat rules Elliston tonight/LOST timeline, etc…
February 2, 2010
First of all, if you’re a LOST fan as I am, of course you know that the final season premiers tonight. To go along with that, I give you two links of interest:
The New York Times’ timeline of a few significant events. This is pretty helpful in remembering the time scale we’re talking about here…
The real physics involved with the time travel of LOST. As an avid science lover/advocate, I have of course been pleased with the fact that the time travel involved with LOST is at least somewhat based on real-world physics.
Image via Nashville's Dead
Unfortunately there’s a great show that I’m going to miss out on due to LOST tonight, and that is the Infinity Cat Rock the Block at Exit/In. In case you’ve been under a rock the past couple of months, Ryan Bruce has revived Exit/In’s free tuesday night weekly series Rock the Block. It’s similar to the 8 off 8th series at Mercy Lounge in that it’s hosted by a rotating cast of local musicians/scenemakers/bloggers/radio show hosts/etc…. It differs in that the number of bands is entirely up to the host, however most of the ones so far have been in the 7-9 band range. Tonight’s is hosted by Infinity Cat records and has a killer lineup. So if you’re not going to be glued to ABC for 3 hours, Exit/In should be your destination, because it’s free.
Speaking of 8 off 8th… Mercy Lounge released the actual lineups for each of the 4 Road To Bonnaroo series today. See the full lineups at Nashville Cream. This is going to get interesting.
For your daily dose of eye-candy, checkout local vintage clothier Carmen Jaudon’s official spring 2010 lookbook. Photography was done by Bradley Spitzer and of course the styling was by Carmen. A good pairing of photographer/stylist indeed.
Speaking of lookbooks… I present to you Hipsters Have to Pee. Must be all those PBRs and soy lattes… (Via Hipster Runoff)
Happy LOST day!
Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger/Benefit show in M’boro
January 26, 2010
I’m not quite sure whether to breathe a sigh of relief, or still be worried about the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. I haven’t really had a chance to fully think the outcome through yet. But the news is: the merger is on, but with special provisions mandated by the government to prevent a full-on monopoly on the entire live music business. Basically, AEG Live will get to use Ticketmaster’s software, and Ticketmaster’s Paciolan ticketing and software services unit will be sold to a division of Comcast or another possible buyer. I guess the biggest worry here was that the merger would go on unchecked and that did NOT happen, so I guess we can all sigh a breath of relief… for the time being. More details at Business Insider.
There’s a pretty cool fundraiser/benefit show happening in Murfreesboro this Thursday 1/28/2010 for YEAH. (If you’re unfamiliar with YEAH, which stands for Youth Education through Arts & Humanities, please click on the flier to visit their website and learn more about their AWESOME program.) The show lineup is Shoot The Mountain, Hammertorch, and How I Became the Bomb, and there will also be Yazoo and New Belgium beers! (The beer part is a big deal because normally this space is alcohol-free because it’s an all-ages venue/hangout.) It’s obviously an 18+ event, and your attendance will help out one of the best local causes I can think of.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of local electronic/8-bit wizard Matt Pusti. We went to MTSU together and he was mostly responsible for my introduction to electronic music in general. Before that, I thought drum machines were evil and anything not made by a “real” instrument was terrible. I recently mentioned his newer, more experimental endeavor DAAS and was quite glad to see him getting back to producing that genre of electronic music. (His material before Makeup & Vanity Set sounded much more like the DAAS material.) His Makeup & Vanity Set project has been somewhat idle for a couple years, but that has just changed with the release of his new Jambox EP on Bandcamp. GO GET IT NOW FOR NOTHING MORE THAN YOUR EMAIL. This is apparently just a taste of the goodness to come on his next full-length, due out later this year. I will probably do an interview with him as my first “official” interview on here… one of more to come.
steve cross loves music and science 