The Nobility: The Secret of Blennerhassett Island
October 18, 2011
One of Nashville’s most underrated bands is back with a brand new album. The Nobility (formerly Jetpack, then Jetpack UK) just released their latest, The Secret of Blennerhassett Island, and it’s a masterpiece. 2007’s The Mezzanine was their first proper album under the new moniker, and it firmly set the tone for their future as a band. That tone was one of more mature, intricate, and clever songs with a wide array of instrumentation, all with an unwavering pop sensibility. They stated in their own description of the album that they had been listening to early Paul McCartney and Kinks records, and it shows. TSBI (I refuse to type that name again!) is clearly influenced by the same era of pop music, but no matter how obvious the influences are, these songs never get old or tired. I’ve always loved a good marriage of band to producer, and this album is no exception. They worked with Brian Carter of Paradox Productions as they did with The Mezzanine, and honestly I don’t think there’s a better producer for this band than him. The orchestral instrumentation fits perfectly where it’s used, and it’s never over-used. Especially impressive are the horn arrangements. TSBI is easily one of the best albums to come out of Nashville’s rock scene this year, so go get it at their bandcamp page and thank me later. AND go see them at the record release party on Nov. 14th Nov. 4th at the Rutledge.
Loch Lomond: new discovery
February 8, 2011
My appetite for intricate orchestral folk-pop has been waning lately, but Loch Lomond is a refreshing take on that dreamy, melancholy end of the sub genre. In fact, this band sort of embodies the dreary yet ironically cheerful mood of their hometown of Portland, OR. Their instrumentation is perfect for the songs- mandolin, violin, cello, you get the picture. One can’t help but draw comparisons with bands like Lost In The Trees, or even Belle & Sebastian. Their album Little Me Will Start a Storm drops in two weeks on 2/22 on Tender Loving Empire. Highly recommended if you like either of the bands I just mentioned. They’ll be all over SXSW this year, and I plan on checking out the live incarnations of these songs.
And The Relatives: Green Machinery
December 1, 2010
And The Relatives just released their first full-length album Green Machinery via Theory 8 and YK Records. I’m no professional music critic by any means, so I’ll keep it short. Get this album. The band put a lot of time and effort into this record and it shows. I must disclose that these guys are friends of mine, but again, I don’t claim to be a professional music critic. ATR’s style has always been heavily influenced by early/mid 90s indie rock, and they wear that on their sleeve. This album is anything but derivative, however. They somehow manage to inject a sense of freshness in the songs that keeps them from feeling stale. You’ll hear a little Guided By Voices, a little Built to Spill, and plenty of clever guitar riffage. Top it all with Andrew Brassel’s mellow yet rough-edged voice and just the right dose of production and you have yourself a quality album. Production-wise it’s pretty much spot-on. It was recorded at bassist Eli Beaird’s home studio, and the sounds achieved perfectly match the songs. The artwork is worth noting as well- Micheal Eades, Kyle Scudder, and BOSS Construct did a great job on the packaging, and it’s well worth it to buy the limited edition vinyl to get the full effect. If you’re short on cash, have no fear though- you can pay as little or as much as you want for the digital version at their bandcamp. The standout track on the album is easily “Hammer Down,” and you can check out the video for it below.
New Burgers and Powerbrrrd material/weekend stuff
June 18, 2010
Just a couple of quick self-promotional updates…
I’ve got some new material coming down the pipe from my DJ/Electronic music project Burgers. I just completed the “Burgers Summer 2010 Mixxxx” and it will hit this blog and everywhere else this coming sunday. I’ll dedicate a post to that sunday or monday. I’m also working on the first official Burgers remix. It’s the Armed Forces track “Vultures (You Never Shut Up),” and it’s really fun, but also a pain in the ass, as I haven’t used any electronic music software in a few years and I’m almost having to learn it all over again. I have no idea when I’ll be done with that, but hopefully sometime this summer…
My band Powerbrrrd has been working on some new recordings, and those should be release in one format or another sometime this summer. We’re also making a music video this weekend, which will end up on this blog sometime next week no doubt. We also have a show tomorrow night at Springwater… (more on that below).
Be sure to head over to Nashville Nights and check out part 1 of Joseph’s Bonnaroo review. Pretty good stuff if you ask me, and I’m looking forward to the rest.
Speaking of Bonnaroo, check out this Fader video interview with Chromeo: (Via Fool’s Gold)
Now for the weekend stuff:
Tonight there’s a pretty bizarre/interesting show happening at the End: Most Amazing Century of Science/Lazer Slut/Brown Swarm/Meth Dad/Cunningham. I have a feeling 4/4 time signatures will be hard to come by at this one…
Saturday the obvious choice is of course, Powerbrrrd, Look What I Did, Thelma & the Sleaze, and The Grayces @ Springwater. But if you’re totally crazy, you could also check out “The Queen is Risen: A Tribute to The Smiths feat. Mother/Father, Nite Nite, The Armed Forces & more at Mercy Lounge,” or De Novo Dahl, Majestico, Fly Golden Eagle, and The Mattoid @ Exit/In. That last one is a benefit for the return of the Bat Poet. More on that via Sean Maloney’s Critic’s Pick in the Scene.
That’s all I have time for right now. Have a great weekend!
Miike Snow/SXSW
March 24, 2010
After a few days of recovery from SXSW, I finally have a) the mental energy and b) a spare minute to blog again. In a nutshell it was pretty much just as awesome as last year. For two years in a row, however, the saturday of SXSW has been somewhat jinxed for me- last year it was me coming down with some sort of horrid cold/flu, this year it was the frigid arctic front that moved through sat. morning resulting a bone-chilling Saturday/night. Whatevs. I had a fucking blast AND I had a badge this year, so maybe this year was a little better overall.
I didn’t expect to come back having “discovered” a new band, but indeed that’s what happened. Miike Snow has been on the scene for quite some time, and I’m sure I’m VERY late in becoming a fan, but it still makes me happy that SXSW did exactly what it was supposed to in at least 1 respect: showcasing a new artist and generating new fans for them. I saw them Friday night at the Mohawk Patio and loved every minute of their performance. I’d heard the many remixes of “Animal” (and the original, of course), as well as “Burial,” but I was still a bit on the fence as to whether I’d fully be a “fan.” After seeing them live in Austin I got their full album last night and I’m officially sold. While “Animal,” “Black & Blue,” and “Burial” may be considered the main singles of the record, the track that stands out to me the most is “Sans Soleil.” It’s a very melancholy, slow song that revolves around 3 astonishingly simple piano chords, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Just get the album. It’s well worth your money or google/mediafire search efforts. Look for my pics of them and many others in this week’s Scene.
In other news, NPR is streaming the new MGMT album. I haven’t listened to it all yet, but a few tracks seem promising. Meh.
If Bill Murray were to go chillwave/glo-fi:
Via Hipster Runoff
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:
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!
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!
New Avatar trailer/net neutrality/photo exhibition
October 29, 2009
Image via Yewknee'd and a million other blogs...
This image has been making the interwebz rounds for the last couple of days, but it really deserves to be spread to as many eyes as possible. It’s the best way to sum up what will likely happen if internet neutrality is not enforced. The free and open flow of information is absolutely critical to a sustainable democracy like ours.
A new trailer was just released for James Cameron’s new masterpiece Avatar. It sheds a little more light on the storyline. Check it out at i09. Am I total geek to be excited about this movie? If so… I’m guilty as charged.
JEFF the Brotherhood just keeps getting love from all sorts of media outlets. The most recent I’ve discovered is in Nylon magazine. They played about 479 shows in NYC this past weekend between CMJ day parties and showcases, and it appears to have really given them a boost.
I took photos of KISS last night at Sommet Center. Too bad photographers can’t come back in after shooting the usual first 2-3 songs. I guess I could’ve bought a ticket, but whatevs. Check out the Spin review and my pics at Nashville Cream. Speaking of photos… I must take a moment to shamelessly self-promote and mention that I have a photography exhibition going up next week at Vanderbilt. It will be in the promenade area of Sarratt Student Center from Nov. 4th to Dec. 11th, and features select live music photos that I’ve taken over the past 3-ish years. Please do stop by and check it out. Directions and more info can be found here.
I don’t really post much about sports, but as well all know, the Titans are in the worst place they’ve been in years, and the speculation about Vince Young possibly starting this Sunday against Jacksonville is rampant. Supposedly an announcement regarding that will come today. As of posting this, the announcement hasn’t been made. Keep your eye on www.titansonline.com if you care.
I’m finally back! The Features!
August 18, 2009
Getting caught up on life after a week-long vacation is quite a task, and unfortunately this blog has been low on the list of things on which to get caught up.
I’ll have a link to some photos from Yellowstone, South Dakota, and all the other cool western places we visited soon. Again, editing these photos is not at the top of my priority list. I have lots of work stuff at Vandy this week so I won’t have the usual few minutes of spare time to browse my RSS feeds.
That being said… here are some great things that have been happening with the awesome Nashville music scene lately. You’ve probably already seen most of these, especially if you read Nashville Cream, but these tidbits deserve posting!
My favorite band from our fine Music City, The Features, were Paste Magazine‘s band of the week this week. Ever since they signed to Kings of Leon imprint Bug Music, they’ve been popping up all over the national radar. For a band that has been making such amazing music for so many years, it feels incredibly good to see them getting some of the recognition they deserve. In my opinion they should be inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, and sell millions of records and tour the world opening for Paul McCartney, but that’s just the superfan coming out in me. (Via Nashville Cream)
It'll make you cream.
In other Cream news, the blog we all love so dearly for its cantankerous commentators is turning 3 years old this coming weekend. As they’ve done the past 2 years, they’re celebrating with a superb show at the Mercy Lounge this saturday. Headlining will be none other than The Features, and supporting acts will be Kindercastle and The Billy Goats. I will be there doing a photobooth as I’ve at the past two. It costs $5, which is really a steal considering the lineup and all the free stuff and prizes you can enter to win. Seriously, it’s the only place to be this Saturday!
Ok, so I’ve raved and raved about The Features, but it’s well-deserved. The final bit of Features awesomeness comes from our great friends at Lake Fever Productions and Tugboat Productions, who have been churning out great videos of their live sessions called Lake Fever Sessions. So far they’ve done a ton of great videos of artists both local and national, including Cursive, The Privates, Those Darlins, and many more. Here’s a personal fave, the 1-2 punch of Whatever Gets You By/The Drawing Board. Even more exciting is that they have another one in the can to be released later this fall. It’s a version of their classic show-closer “Thursday” featuring gang vocals by a number of local musicians/etc… These videos really reminded me why I love this band so much. Something about the way it was filmed, the intimacy of the live recording, and the unusually flowery decor just really hit the spot.
steve cross loves music and science 