Nashville music & other local stuff to look forward to in 2013
January 8, 2013
I’ve been slowly digging through the piles of posts in my RSS feed that accrued over the holiday break. While I’ve simply had to skip over the vast majority of it, I’ve found a few tidbits here and there about exciting and interesting things we can look forward to in Nashville’s awesome indie/local music scene in 2013. Check it:
- Ben Todd and his Nashville’s Dead crew have announced the dates for the FREAKIN’ WEEKEND IV. So mark your calendars for March 7-9. The past three have gotten progressively more awesome as they’ve incorporated more of their favorite out-of-towners in the lineup. More at Nashville’s Dead.
- Mercy Lounge will be celebrating their 10th year of putting on great shows this coming weekend. They have two nights, Friday and Saturday, of great local bands playing in all 3 of their venues- Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom, and The High Watt. Some of the bands include JEFF the Brotherhood, The Weeks, Cherub, Wild Cub, and many more. Each night the first 250 people get in free, after that cover becomes $10. Check out their calendar for more info.
- Infinity Cat Records plans to open a small storefront sometime this coming summer. Not many details are known yet, but Steve Haruch at the Scene caught wind of it buried in a blog post on their website and wrote about it on the Cream. Kudos Jake, Jamin, and Bob!
- Not only does Nashville now have Craft Brewed, a combination taproom, beer store, and homebrew supply store, we also have yet another brewery opening downtown- Tennessee Brew Works. For more them, check out the Scene’s Bites Blog, or their official website. And for more on Craft Brewed, check out their facebook. I’ve been there twice already, and their official grand opening party is this coming Saturday the 12th. I highly recommend it for beer lovers!
- This is waaaaay off in the future, but Yazoo, Nashville’s first commercial craft brewery, will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary on October 13th, 2013. Congrats guys!
A Few Good Shows: 1/4/13
January 4, 2013
It’s kind of a slow weekend since we just had all sorts of New Year’s craziness earlier this week, but there are still several goods shows to check out this weekend in Nashville. Here are my picks:
FRIDAY:
Ghost Dance, The Electric Dollhouse Groovebuggy, and Fly Golden Eagle @ The Groove. 8pm, FREE
All Them Witches, Slick, Justin & The Cosmics, and Velvet Elvis @ The Basement. 9pm $5 21+
SATURDAY:
The Deli Magazine Presents: Magnolia Sons, Peter Terry & The City Profits, and Star & Micey @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $5 21+
Parquet Courts, OGG, Dirty Dreams, Nots, ArchAnimals, and Gold & The Rush @ The Owl Farm. 9pm $5
That’s it, have a great weekend!
Welcome to 2013, now go see Django Unchained
January 2, 2013
Welcome to 2013. The world didn’t end and we’re all right back in this together. Back to the grind. Everyone loves to grind, right?
I really don’t have a lot to say at this point, as I’m still getting myself out of vacation mode and back into grind mode, but I will say this quickly: GO SEE DJANGO UNCHAINED. This film is one of Quentin Tarantino’s masterpieces. It has all the trademarks of his greatest films. In many ways it echoes Inglorious Basterds, but I enjoyed it even more for some reason. Tarantino takes the satisfaction of watching the revenge of an oppressed class of people and weaves it into the framework of a classic spaghetti western. The result is as satiating as a big juicy hamburger loaded with all your favorite toppings. Yum.
A Few Good Shows: 12/21/12 (Doomsday edition)
December 21, 2012
Twas the weekend before Christmas, and all through Nashville good rock shows were happening.
Seriously, there are plenty of good shows to see this weekend, many of which are “end of the world” parties tonight. Personally I’m already very sick of this end of the world bullshit but whatever. Here are my picks: (FYI, this will probably be my last post of the year, as I’m beginning my official holiday break tomorrow.)
FRIDAY:
QDP’s End of the World Party @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $1 21+
End of the World Party ft. DJ sets from Coach, Jim, Jacob Jones (Electric Western), DJ Rate (Boom Bap), and Keegan Dewitt @ The East Room. 9pm $10
Forget Cassettes, Tower Defense, CHARGES (new band from Jay Leo Phillips of Apollo Up!) @ The High Watt 9pm $7
Night 1 of the 4th Annual Beatles Vs. Stones Christmas charity show Ft. The Weeks, Mayhem, Buffalo Clover, Tim Easton, Megan Palmer and more @ The Basement. 9pm $7 Suggested donation benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank. 21+
The Protomen w/ Uncle Skeleton @ 12th & Porter 9pm $15 (Makeup & Vanity Set was originally on the bill as well, but had to cancel.)
SATURDAY:
Night 2 of the 4th Annual Beatles Vs. Stones Christmas charity show Ft. Derek Hoke, Grimey & Friends, Courtney Jaye, Langhorne Slim, Anchor Thieves, Matt Friction, Magnolia Sons, and more @ The Basement. 9pm $7 Suggested donation benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank. 21+
Yacht Rock Revue Holiday Special @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $12 GA/$20 VIP
The Paperhead @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $5
A Very Sleazy Christmas Ft. Thelma & The Sleaze, Fuckshow, Dave Cloud, and Vacation Bible School @ Exit/In. 9pm $5
That’s it! Have a happy holiday break and I will see you here in the new year! (Unless something crazy happens and I decide to blog before then.)
Copenhagen Suborbitals: your open-source, DIY ticket to space
December 20, 2012
This is an interesting short documentary episode from Vice’s Motherboard series on Copenhagen Suborbitals, a self-proclaimed “open-source, do-it-yourself space endeavor” started by two really smart guys in Denmark. Basically they want the world to realize that getting to space is actually a very achievable thing for average people if they really truly want to do it. It’s an awesome idea and one that I applaud whole-heartedly. Just watch and be amazed at what these guys have accomplished so far with their DIY approach.
Hear that? It’s hipsters everywhere breathing a sigh of relief- Instagram won’t sell your photos afterall
December 19, 2012
I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the big stink being raised over Instagram’s new terms & policies set to go into effect on Jan. 16th. If you haven’t, please familiarize yourself. In short, as the policy is currently written, Instagram would have the right to sell any photos you upload to their service without paying you anything or even letting you know that your photo was being sold or used.
When I first heard about this my initial reaction was utter disgust, and indeed I planned on deleting my account if the policies weren’t changed from what was written. But I also felt pretty confident that it must have been simply some overzealous and greedy lawyers and executives from Facebook writing blanket statements into the policies, and that it wouldn’t be long before they responded by changing the proposed policy. Thankfully, Instagram responded to the outcry today in a blog post titled “Thank you, and we’re listening.” It seems that most if not all of the clauses that pissed everyone off will be removed. The most important thing to take from their statement is this:
Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period.
And this:
Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.
As a photographer who makes part of my living from photos and licensing their usage, I am hyper-aware of the copyright issues and legalities involved in photography and of how corporations, media, and other establishments are constantly trying to find ways to avoid paying for usage of creative work. I absolutely would not have continued using Instagram if the original policy change had gone into effect. I also had visions of the crumbling Instagram empire, as the backlash would’ve been pretty widespread, whilst other services such as Twitter and Flickr are launching their own photo-sharing apps/features, complete with Instagram-like filters. Hipsters everywhere would have cried a sea of vintage filtered tears until one of the other services (my guess would’ve been Flickr) took over as the king photo filter/sharing app. It remains to be seen what the new version of the policies & terms of use will look like, but I have a feeling it will keep everyone happy, and not rip off the user base. But Instagram/Facebook, be warned- I’ll be looking at the new policies & terms of use very carefully and if you try to pull anything remotely similar to this, SHAME ON YOU and I will be GONE.
NASA does “Gangnam Style” parody and a Grammy nominee plays a Nashville chicken wing joint
December 17, 2012
It’s not every day you see a Grammy-nominated musician play a sweaty set of throaty, in-your-face rock ‘n roll jams at a tiny hot wing joint, but that’s just what happened Saturday night here in Nashville. Singer Brittany Howard of the Grammy-nominated Alabama Shakes fronted a Nashville supergroup called Thunderbitch, featuring members of Fly Golden Eagle and Clear Plastic Masks, last Saturday night at East Nashville hot chicken joint Ghot Wingz. I was there snapping photos of this bizarre show, all of which can be seen over at the Cream, along with The Spin’s more thorough review of the happenings. In short, I had to mention it because it’s one of those shows that will go down in history, and I’m proud that it happened in the music town I call home!
In other news, though NASA’s Johnson Space Center Students create fun promotional videos for NASA every year, this year’s is quite impressive. Behold “NASA Johnson Style,” their parody of “Gangnam Style.” :
A Few Good Shows: 12/14/12
December 14, 2012
First off, a huge apology for the lack of posts this week. I’ve been in the process of buying a new car all week and between that & work & everything else I’ve just been overwhelmed. But A Few Good Shows will never fail! Here are my picks for shows to check out this weekend in Nashville:
FRIDAY:
Hanzelle, Scale Model, and Anchor Thieves @ The End. 9pm $5 I really hope you can come to this show not only because my band is playing, but also because it’s a very solid lineup of fantastic, hard-working local bands. We’ll also have Jeff Leet on hand selling limited edition copies of the awesome linocut poster he designed and printed for us!
Wild Cub w/ The Non-Commissioned Officers and Glass Anchor @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $5
Father Figures, DOME, and The Maloneys w/ DJ Linwood Kirk @ FooBar. 9pm $5
Warren Pash & Friends @ The Family Wash. 9pm $???
SATURDAY:
Thunderbitch (members of Alabama Shakes, Fly Golden Eagle, and Clear Plastic Masks), Natural Child, Promised Land, Fly Golden Eagle, and James Wallace & The Naked Light @ Ghot Wingz. 8:30pm $10 *This show is supposedly limited to about 100 people or so, and it’s in a place that’s never done shows before. This is the perfect recipe for chaos and mayhem of the best kind possible, so if you’re going, hang on tight- it’ll be a wild one.*
Ponychase, Bows and Arrows, Money Cannot Be Eaten, and Grandfather Child @ The Basement. 9pm $5 21+
The Most Amazing Century of Science, No!, and Call Me Savage @ Boheme Collectif. 9pm $???
Christmas Village and Holiday Party Music Night @ The Stone Fox. FREE- A wide array of local artisans and mobile shops will be present all day for your holiday shopping needs, and later in the evening there will be performances from Heypenny, Tyler Family Band, Promised Land, Birdcloud, JP5, and more. For full details see the Stone Fox website.
SUNDAY:
Winter Sounds, Milktooth, Dr. Jungle Cat, and Yumi & The System @ The Basement. 8pm $5
That’s it! Have a great weekend!
A Few Good Shows: 12/7/12
December 7, 2012
First of all, I’m happy to say that today marks one full year with my girlfriend Lauren, of Old Red Boots. It’s been an amazing year and I love her.
As the Holiday season swings into full gear, there are plenty of great shows to check out this weekend in Nashville. Here are my picks:
FRIDAY:
Wanda Jackson, Johnny Fritz, and Courtney Jaye @ 3rd & Lindsley. 8pm $17-$35
Richard Buckner w/ Chelsea Crowell @ The Stone Fox. 9pm $10
Hustle Take 2: The BIGGER Biggest Dance Party of the Year, Ft. DJs from Y2K, Whiskey Disco, The Boom Bap, Keep On Movin’, Recognize, and QDP @ Cannery Ballroom. 8pm $10 Adv/$20 DoS
SATURDAY:
Justin Kalk Orchestra, Mystery Twins, Max & The Wild Things, and Conductor Kelly & The Underground Railroad @ The End. 9pm $5
Mr. Gnome, Fancytramp, and Linear Downfall @ Exit/In. 9pm $8 adv/$10 DoS
Miller Made Music Showcase ft. Luella & The Sun, Sol Cat, Wild Feathers, and Grass Root Kids @ Mercy Lounge. 8pm FREE
Tiffany (yes, THAT Tiffany… LOLZ) @ the High Watt. $10 6:30pm
SUNDAY:
John Wesley Coleman, OGG, and Dirty Dreams @ The End. 9pm $6
Have a great weekend!
NASA scientist mentions Instagram, proves science is hip (and some other science-y tidbits)
December 6, 2012
Curiosity’s amazing self-portrait from a few weeks ago. Credit: NASA/JPL
It’s been a very crazy week, and I know this may be old news already for some of you, but I had to post about NASA’s announcement on the Curiosity mission findings that caused such an uproar on the internet a few weeks back. For a detailed explanation of what was found and what it means, check out this article on Universe Today. In short, this was the first time all of Curiosity’s instruments had been used in concert together, and the consistency of the results was exciting. It pointed to organic compounds in the Martian soil, but they can’t say for sure that the Carbon in those compounds is of Martian origin. First they have to determine if the Carbon is actually from Mars, and not a contaminant from earth air trapped in the instruments, then they have to determine whether the Carbon is from a biological or non-biological source. There are lots of possibilities that must be ruled out before we will know for sure what’s in the soil, and where it came from. At the announcement, Curiosity Project Scientist John Grotzinger is quoted as saying, “We’re doing science at the speed of science. But we live in a world that’s sort of at the pace of Instagrams. The enthusiasm that we had, that I had, that our whole team has about what’s going on here, I think it was just misunderstood.” That was after he was questioned about the wild speculation that resulted from his comments in an NPR story about a possible “Earth-shaking” discovery by Curiosity. I just love that a NASA scientist compared the speed of science to the “pace of Instagrams.” Instagram and Science! In the same sentence! That must mean science is hip, right? RIGHT?
In other NASA-related news, it was announced on Tuesday that NASA will build and launch in 2020 another Mars rover very similar to Curiosity. While that may not be the most exciting thing to hear, it shows that NASA is building confidence in its abilities to do mind-blowing things like land a nuclear-powered, car-sized roving science lab on another planet with a rocket-powered sky crane. The more we learn about Mars, the closer we get to putting a man there. Who knows, maybe a prime objective of this new mission will be to actually look for signs of past or current life. No mission to Mars yet has actually had that as an objective. For more on this new mission read this article on New Scientist.
While these next two items aren’t necessarily science-y, they are quite awesome:
- This Russian blog posted a collection of fascinating Autochrome color photographs of Paris taken just before the first World War. They’re some of many early color photos taken by a team of photographers commissioned by French philanthropist Albert Kahn. (Via Kottke)
- Filmmaker and photographer Cy Kuckenbaker created this mesmerizing time-compressed footage of planes landing at San Diego’s airport. Do yourself a favor and put it on fullscreen HD. (Via Kottke)
steve cross loves music and science 