A Few Good Shows: 8/12/11
August 12, 2011
This week’s A Few Good Shows:
FRIDAY:
Milktooth, Cortney Tidwell, and Field Days @ The End. 9pm, $5
Everything’s Nice presents Unify 002 Block Party @ 12th & Porter and Mai. 10pm, for more info visit 12th & Porter’s website.
The Aught-Nots and the Dance Rock Sellouts @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $5. It might be a little soon for an “aughts” cover band but who cares? It’ll be fun.
SATURDAY:
Tristen w/ Ezra Furman, Ponychase, and Little Bandit @ The 5 Spot. 9pm 21+ $5
2nd Annual Cheap Hill barn show ft. Denny & The Jets, Bird Cloud, Ranch Ghost, Joseph Plunkett and more at 2816 Hwy 12 N, Chapmansboro, TN. Starts at 4:30pm. Check out the facebook event for the parking/camping/partying details.
Delta Saints w/ The Floorwalkers @ The Basement. 9pm 21+ $8.
SUNDAY:
D. Watusi, The Liminanas, Gaz Gaz, The Paperhead w/ DJ William Tyler @ The Basement. 21+$5 8pm. (It’s a school night yo!)
I have respect for all genres of music, but I really just can’t bring myself to like dubstep. It just hurts my brain. But this dubstep/Transformers mashup video I came across via The A.V. Club is pretty great:
Makeup & Vanity Set: Never Let Go
August 11, 2011
Nashville’s own ski-masked, bit-crushing, electro-master Makeup & Vanity Set is back with a brand new EP- Never Let Go. Grab it now on his bandcamp digitally for $6, or get the limited edition (as in only 50 copies!) for $15.
This new EP offers a lot familiar sounds- lots of 8-bit leads and swooshes/swirls layered over driving basslines and thick beats. Video games in the 80s. Robocop. Expolsions. Mr.T. This shit is tough, and I still say there is no better music to punch-dance to that MAVS. He is punch-dance master, and you should buy all of his material right now.
A Few Good Shows: 8/5/11
August 5, 2011
This week’s A Few Good Shows is looking pretty sharp.
FRIDAY:
Lylas, Ancient Ocean, and William Tyler @ The Groove (instore performance). 5:30pm/FREE
Kurt Vile & The Violators w/ True Widow and The Clutters @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10 ($12 at door)
Diarrhea Planet, Quichenight, Richie, and Bummer @ The Parsonage. 8pm $5 According to Lance Conzett’s comment on the Cream, “the DP show at The Parsonage apparently isn’t happening anymore due to complaints from the church across the street from the house. Or something. I’m not entirely clear on the situation but it sounds like they can’t have shows there anymore.”
SATURDAY:
Frank The Fuck Out w/ Reid Magette and Bummer @ Springwater. 10pm $5 (No, FTFO is not making a comback, it just happens that the member who moved out of town is back in town for a hot minute, so the dudes decided to play a show.)
The Decemberists w/ Caitlin Rose @ The Ryman. This one is sold out but I had to mention it Nashville’s our lovely own Caitlin Rose is playing her first official Ryman show! Go Caitlin! I’m sure there are many more appearances at the Mother Church in her future.
Have a great weekend!
Credit: NASA (Click for full size)
NASA just released some pretty interesting news this afternoon. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been taking photos of the surface of Mars for many years, and scientists have seen what looked like gullies on the surface. But, they had no way to confirm whether those gullies were caused by water or just sand sliding down a slope, or by frozen CO2. There is still no way to confirm for certain that what we’re seeing was caused by flowing water on the surface, but evidence is starting to lean in that direction. These dark finger-like features have been seen changing shape before- but on the colder side of the slope that faces away from the sun most of the day. That would point toward the gullies being caused by frozen CO2. These new images are of features on the warmer sun-facing side of the slopes, meaning the likelihood of them being caused by flowing liquid water is far greater. The most important thing here is to remember that this is NOT confirmation of liquid water on the surface of Mars. It is, however, highly suggestive of liquid water on the surface of Mars. This is exciting news because if it is indeed liquid water, there’s a much better chance that microbial life might still exist. Another important thing to remember is that we already know water exists on Mars- we’ve seen it as ice, both directly (Phoenix lander) and indirectly (radar soundings from MRO indicating water ice below the surface). The key to life though, is liquid water.
As usual, Dr. Phil Plait has a very good explanation of all this on Bad Astronomy, so I recommend checking that out. The NASA article can be found here.
The video above, for the song “Milo Minute” by Grass Widow came about because of a project called Music for Animals. This fascinating idea is quite simple: have bands play shows for animals. Or just a solo acoustic performance. How cool is that? Aside from being cute and potentially of scientific interest, from a PR standpoint it’s pretty smart for the band/artist. This blog post is case in point.
If I get motivated enough and have the time I might even try to arrange something like this with a Nashville band at the Nashville Zoo. Any takers?
(Via The Fader)
Oh, and I must mention that Nashvillian Daniel Pujol… or just PUJOL as you probably know him, has signed to Saddle Creek records. Yeah- the Omaha label originally home to Bright Eyes, Cursive, etc… Honestly it’s a pairing I wouldn’t have predicted, but it’s awesome nonetheless. Yay PUJOL!
A Few Good Shows: 7/29/11
July 29, 2011
I’m terrible at naming things. But, I finally came up with a good name for these weekly “here are some good shows to see this weekend” posts: A Few Good Shows. So, from now on Friday posts will be that. But before we get to the show recommendations, I have to mention that yesterday NBN’s Soundland announced several additions to their lineup this year: Yelawolf, Big K.R.I.T., Foster the People, Tristen, Those Darlins, Cults, The Low Anthem, Royal Bangs, Robert Ellis, My So-Called Band, Evan P. Donohue, and many more. Check out their official (and slightly re-designed) website for the full lineup.
Here’s what’s going down this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Evan P. Donohue, Little Tybee @ The End. 9pm $6. I’m sure there are more bands on this bill but I can’t find the full lineup anywhere. Be surprised!
Hammer Torch, Jasmin Kaset, Coconut Patio @ FooBar too. 9pm $?
SATURDAY:
The final show at Glen Danzig’s House ft. Cy Barkley & the Way Outsider, Cannomen, Bad Sports, Wax Museums, D. Watusi, and The Paperhead. 7pm $5. Yep, one the most legendary house venues in Nashville is closing its doors. (Read: Cy and Ben are moving out.) But never fear, these things happen, and there will be another “frontrunner” in the house venue scene soon. A good punk venue has to be like a good punk song you know? It says what it needs to say and nothing more, then it’s over. On to the next song.
Dex Romweber Duo, Kingston Springs, and Wans @ The End. 9pm $10
Have a great weekend!
Kyle Andrews: Robot Learn Love
July 27, 2011
Remember Nashville’s own bedroom-pop maestro Kyle Andrews and his catchy tune “You Always Make Me Smile” that was featured in that Holiday Inn commercial? Well he’s back with a full-length record, Robot Learn Love, via Elephant Lady on August 16th, and you’ll find yourself struggling to justify that phrase “bedroom” as you listen to it. On this album you’ll find a thick wash of synths, electronic drums, and layered/distorted vocals that catapult Andrews’ sound into another dimension. I don’t know this for a fact, but I’d venture to guess Mr. Andrews is a fan TN’s own Matt Mahaffey and his horribly underrated band Self. The influence is hard to miss if you’re a Self/Mahaffey fan like myself. In fact this album takes on many of the characteristics of Self’s last proper album Gizmodgery, which was recorded entirely using toy instruments (though it sounds fully fleshed-out, example below). You can hear what would seem to be toy-ish sounds sprinkled through various tracks on Robot Learn Love not to mention the lo-fi and other unorthodox recording techniques. It all pays off for Andrews as this record is his most realized effort to date. No mention of tour dates on his website, but if I had one major critique it would be his live shows. Andrews uses so much studio wizardry and layering of sounds on his albums, it’s hard to make that work in a live setting. Obviously you can’t recreate every nuance, but if you’re going to strip it down at all you’ve got to make it work. His live shows have always felt rather “meh” compared to the albums/EPs. But I recommend Robot Learn Love without hesitation.
Download the track “Lazer Tag With Imaginary Friends” via RCRD LBL
And just for reference/fun:
Self-Dead Man (From Gizmodgery)
Shows this weekend in Nashville
July 22, 2011
So this weekend is rather “meh” with the show offerings around town. But here are a few I suggest.
FRIDAY:
Delicate Steve and Colorfeels @ The Basement. 9pm $10 21+ (I mean, how can I not include Delicate Steve?!?)
SATURDAY:
The Non-Commissioned Officers w/ The Royal Bangs and Spiderfriends @ The End. 9pm $10
Boom Bap @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5 21+
If you’re in Murfreesboro I’d recommend checking out Neutral Skate Supply. They’ve tapped PUJOL, Single Mothers, and King Arthur to celebrate their grand opening. Starts at 5pm.
And I leave you with this:
Have a great weekend!
Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman: watch it
July 20, 2011
This post on Universe Today prompted me to write up my own little plug for the Science Channel’s new(ish) show Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. The show is in its second season and is seeing more success than your average run-of-the-mill science show. Obviously having a celebrity figure like Morgan Freeman as the host is big reason for that, but watch the show and you’ll really understand why. It’s just uncannily appealing to hear Freeman’s warm, grandfatherly voice talking about quantum entanglement, time travel, string theory, relativity and all sorts of other fascinating topics that are at the very edge of modern science. The context and delivery of the information is unique, too. It’s hard to present what most average folks regard as “mumbo-jumbo” in a way that keeps them interested for a whole hour, but this show manages to pull it off. Freeman’s own genuine interest in the subject matter is definitely a big reason the show is successful; he has always had a keen interest in these edgey topics and simply decided to make a show in which he both asks these questions to real scientists who are working to answer them and attempts to share that sense of awe and wonder that inspired him to ask said questions to begin with. Tonight’s episode focuses on the question “can we travel faster than light?” This is obviously a very important question to answer if mankind is ever to explore beyond our own solar system. All those convenient workarounds (warp drives, hyper-space windows, wormholes, etc…) you see in science fiction actually have some basis in real scientific principles, and I suspect we’ll get much clearer and layman-friendly explanation than ever before of those principles on tonight’s episode. It airs at 10pm eastern/9pm central on the Science Channel, which most of you should now get if you have regular cable or satellite service.
Shows to see this weekend
July 15, 2011
My life is being dominated by Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp, for which I’ve been volunteering all week, so this will be a quick one:
FRIDAY:
The Greatest Decade Vol. III: A Tribute to 70’s Glam Rock @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $5. This will be one glam-tastic evening featuring several allstar/one-off collaborations between members of Superdrag, the Shazam, Matt Friction and more.
PUJOL, Demon Beat, Ranch Ghost, Leather Nightmare @ Mt. Swag. 7pm $3 All-ages.
SATURDAY:
Toro Y Moi, Coma Cinema, Tallest Trees @ The End. 9pm $12
Nobunny, Useless Eaters, Slammers, (insert random local band that always gets added to Springwater shows last-minute) @ Springwater. 10pm 21+ $??
Johnny Corndawg, Andrew Combs, Nikki Lane @ The Basement. 9pm 21+ $5
And of course: Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp showcase @ Mercy Lounge. DOORS @ 2:30pm SHOW @ 3pm. I know that’s insanely early for most of you, but trust me when I say it’s worth the effort! I’ve been working with these kids all week long and they have some very impressive talent. We also have an amazing array of raffle prizes including 2 VIP passes to NBN’s Soundland, a Daisy Rock electric guitar, signed posters & CDs from Those Darlins, OK Go, Old 97’s, and Black Joe Lewis, a prize pack from Antique Archeology (aka American Pickers) and so much more.
SUNDAY:
Spongebath Records Night @ The Basement, Ft. Self (acoustic Matt Mahaffey), Seth Timbs Thing, Jason Moore + special guests. Now that Matt Mahaffey is living in Franklin hopefully awesome things like this will happen more often. This will be blissful nostalgia for possibly the greatest era of Murfreesboro’s music scene.
Have a great weekend!
steve cross loves music and science 