A Few Good Shows: 2/10/12
February 10, 2012
Panty Raid
Once again- busy week at the day job. It’s been hard to find the time to gather good content. But I will always find time to spit out A Few Good Shows every Friday. Here’s what’s up this weekend:
FRIDAY:
QDP (Queer Dance Party) @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $1
Panty Raid presents Rock n Roll Hoochie Coochie: a Valentine’s Day Breastacular @ Exit/In (night 1 of 2). 9pm $20
Daniel Johnston @ Lipscomb’s Collins Auditorium. FREE 8pm
SATURDAY:
Panty Raid presents Rock n Roll Hoochie Coochie: a Valentine’s Day Breastacular @ Exit/In (night 2 of 2). 9pm $20
Cherub album release w/ Wild Cub and Brandon Jazz & His Armed Forces @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $15 (w/ CD)
Ocoai, Hellbender, Ascent of Everest, Bleeding Heart Blues @ The End. 9pm $5
A Few Good Shows: 2/3/12
February 3, 2012
Sorry I’m a little late in posting today, a wonky work schedule today has thrown me off- but here’s a quick rundown of some good shows to see this weekend in Nashville.
FRIDAY:
David Allan Coe, Johnny Corndawg, Denny & the Jets @ Marathon Music Works. 8pm $20
The Lonely H, Ranch Ghost, Josh Farrow @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $5
Calling all the Mods: Music of The Who, Joe Jackson, The Jam, The Kinks and more @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $5
SATURDAY:
Epic Ditch album release w/ Hurts To Laugh and Century Club @ The Basement. 9pm $5
Codaphonic, Field Days, and Photo Ops @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $5
That’s all I got for ya. Have a great weekend!
Gigamesh’s remix of Grouplove’s “Tongue Tied”
February 2, 2012
I’m not usually one to gush, but I’ll be damned if Gigamesh hasn’t been totally winning at life recently. It seems like every single thing he has touched, whether it be a remix or an original track, is pure gold. He’s just released another freebie remix, this time of Grouplove’s indie-pop/gang-chorus/feel-good jam Tongue Tied. You might recognize it from that iPod commercial. (#facepalm, I know)
I honestly am floored by this guy’s ability to take even the most overplayed, fratty, vomit-inducing shit like Foster the People’s Pumped Up Kicks and turn it into a somewhat enjoyable dancefloor anthem. Gigamesh, I love you, bro.
Try NASA’s new Facebook game
February 1, 2012
NASA is making strides in their publicity and education efforts with a set of new games- Space Race Blastoff and Sector 33. Space Race Blastoff is a Facebook app that lets you compete with other players in quick, 10-question science trivia rounds. The topics range from general science to NASA missions and astronauts. Of course, I signed up immediately and became addicted for about 10 games, then I started getting repeat questions. BUT, this game is still a beta version, so I’m sure the database of questions will be ever-expanding. Also, I’d like to see a feature where you can directly compete with a friend. All in good time, I’m sure.
I haven’t tried Sector 33 yet because it’s only for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. (I’m an Android user.) But you can read all about it in this post at Universe Today. Basically, it lets you try your hand at being an air traffic controller- widely considered to be one of the most stressful jobs. If you start playing Space Race Blastoff, however, lookout- my name on there is Disco Science, and I dare say I’m a force to be reckoned with.
#nergasm
8 off 8th tonight at Mercy Lounge: I’m hosting
January 30, 2012
Mercy Lounge is the place to be tonight if you’re in Nashville- I’ve put together an 8 off 8th bill that I’m quite proud of. It’s totally FREE and there are cheap drinks brought to you by Yuengling. There have been SO many themed 8 off 8ths and other shows lately that I (and I think most people around town) are starting to get sick of it, so this one is just a solid, no-gimmick lineup of great up-and-coming and established local names. Here’s a rundown of the lineup (in no particular order):
I Believe In Hotpants– sizzling, tight, in-your-face 90s-fueled power pop.
Bravo Max– another dose of clever power pop from former Feable Weiner/Mondo Primo co-frontman Joshua Watson.
Bows and Arrows– shoegazey, melodic, dreamy, Jesus & Mary Chain-inspired fuzz-pop.
Scale Model– (I play drums) we’re a marriage of 90s/early-aughts indie rock and 80s syth-pop. Think Blondie meets Mogwai.
Magnolia Sons– soul/funk/motown. A big sound complete with horns and backup singers.
Honey Locust– featuring members of Blue Cadet Three, Ave Marling, Mom, and others. A stompy, folky good time.
King Arthur– Stewart Copeland is in this band! No, really. He is. They are bouncy indie pop fun times.
Sugar Sk*_*lls– an experimental glitchy 8-bit dance project from Ben Marcantel of Hands Off Cuba fame. He plays a Gameboy!
That does it. Check them all out live tonight! Starts at 9pm SHARP. You won’t want to miss the first band OR the last, and I promise we won’t keep you out too late- this shizz will be over at a reasonable hour!
A Few Good Shows: 1/27/12
January 27, 2012
This weekend looks pretty typical show-wise in Nashville. Here’s a quick rundown of some that piqued my interest.
FRIDAY:
Prophets & Kings, Gangster Rainbow, Scale Model, Lines in the Sky @ The End. 9pm $5. (As you may know, I’m in Scale Model. This is one of those shows where we got billed but I honestly don’t know much at all about any of the other bands. But it’ll be fun no matter!)
MiMOSA w/ Cherub and special guests @ Cannery Ballroom. 8pm $15.
Hate Life ft. Puffy Areolas, The Black Faces, Obnox, and Cheap Time @ Dino’s. 9pm $???
SATURDAY:
Yacht Rock Revue @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10 adv./$12 DOS
Boom Bap 4-year anniversary @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5
The Paperhead, D. Watusi, Denny & The Jets, and Ranch Ghost @ the Zombie Shop. 9pm $5
And even though it’s technically next week, I must go ahead and mention that I’m hosting a pretty killer 8 off 8th on Monday 1/30. I’m the happiest with this 8 off 8th lineup as I’ve ever been, so please do come out. Bands: I Believe in Hotpants, Scale Model, Honey Locust, King Arthur, Bows & Arrows, Magnolia Sons, Sugar Sk*_*lls, and Bravo Max.
Have a great weekend!
Uncle Skeleton: new single and a remix by yours truly
January 26, 2012
Uncle Skeleton, a project of Ross Wariner of Kindercastle fame, released the first single “Sophisticuffs” from their forthcoming new album All Too Human today. It’s available digitally now via their bandcamp. It’s a fun, breezy, disco-inspired tune with strings, funky guitars, and a smattering of cleverly cut-up vocals. I’m very happy to share the news that my (Burgers) remix of the track was deemed good enough for inclusion as a B-side/bonus track! Thanks to Michael Eades and his YK Records for making it all happen!
The Sun is alive: auroral displays are on the rise
January 24, 2012
Credit: NASA
As I’ve mentioned before, our Sun is steadily heading toward the peak of its next 11-year sunspot cycle. The peak is expected in 2013. That means we can expect a steady increase in aurorae as well, because sunspots lead to solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and when those happen to be aimed at earth, we get dazzling displays near the north and south poles. Sometimes those displays can even be seen as far south as Tennessee. Over the weekend there was a massive solar flare and CME, one that released the same amount of energy as millions of nuclear bombs, and it headed straight for earth. The blast of particles reached earth last night/this morning and created an astonishing auroral display, which was captured by many photographers at various locations. Here are a few blog posts and other links I’ve come across today showing some of those photos as well as explaining the physics of what actually causes the upper atmosphere to glow when bombarded by these particles.
Spectacular Aurorae Erupt Over Norway (Discovery News) Absolutely breathtaking photos by Bjørn Jørgensen.
Huge Solar Flare Seen By Solar Dynamics Observatory (Space.com)
The Sun Aims a Storm Right at Earth! (Bad Astronomy) Good explanation of the science behind the aurorae.
Can Solar Flares Hurt Astronauts? (Universe Today) Good explanation of why the flare/CME poses little risk to astronauts onboard the ISS.
A Few Good Shows: 1/20/12
January 20, 2012
Sorry posting has been scarce this week. My parents have been in town all week helping me along with some apartment upgrades, and I’ve been very busy with that.
Before my show picks for this weekend, I should mention that Cannery Ballroom has been undergoing some renovations that will greatly improve the show-going experience there. Those annoying poles in front of the stage and in the middle of the main crowd area have been removed! GM Drew Mischke tweeted about it yesterday and the Cream posted about it as well. And the good news is there are stage and sound improvements in the future as well. Good news all-around.
Shows to see this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Mercy Lounge 9th Anniversary party, night 1: How I Became the Bomb, Cheer Up Charlie Daniels, Ponychase, Wild Cub, ReLapse & more. FREE. 9pm
Graveyard w/ Radio Moscow @ Exit/In. 9pm $15
SATURDAY:
Mercy Lounge 9th Anniversary party, night 2: Heypenny, The Nobility, Mayhem performing Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model, Escondido, & more. FREE. 9pm
Vermicious K’nids reunion show w/ Reid Magette, Ben Spinks Supermelt, and The Salamanders @ The End. 9pm $5
Mom & Dad, Little Viking, Schools @ Mt. Swag. $3 (address redacted)
Nashville Rollergirls benefit ft. Take the Power Back, Ponychase, and The Granny Whites @ Exit/In. 9pm $10 min. donation
That’s all I got for ya. Have a great weekend!
A Few Good Shows: 1/13/12
January 13, 2012
Before you do anything else, go watch the trailer for Wes Anderson’s new film Moonrise Kingdom, if you haven’t already. It looks decidedly Wes Anderson. I can’t wait to see it on a big screen.
This weekend offers a lot more than last in terms of good shows to see in Nashville. Check it:
FRIDAY:
D. Striker, Ri¢hie, Birdcloud, and Mystery Twins @ The Basement. 9pm $5
The Paperhead, D. Watusi, Feral Beat @ Dino’s. 9pm FREE
SATURDAY:
The Features, Evan P. Donohue, Kingston Springs @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm SOLD OUT
John Langworthy, Fly Golden Eagle, Majestico, Chrome Pony @ fooBar. 9pm $???
Useless Eaters, D. Watusi, El Fossil, Spanish Candles @ The Other Basement. 8pm $3
SUNDAY:
Crybaby, Fox Fun, King Karl, White Pages @ The End. 9pm $5
Have a great weekend!!
steve cross loves music and science 