What’s going on this weekend
May 13, 2011
Jonathan Richman @ the 5 Spot in 2010/Photo by Steve Cross
FRIDAY:
Jonathan Richman (night 1 of 2) @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $12
Naked Without Us presents: Kink Ador, The Ettes, Hans Condor, Baby Daggers, and DJ Jane Dupree @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10
SATURDAY:
Jonathan Richman (night 2 of 2) @ The 5 Spot. 9pm $12
Naked Without Us presents: Vicious Guns, Hollywood Kills, Blacklist Royals, Details Details, and DJ Cornelainaire @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm $10
Across Tundras CD release show w/ Campaign, Red Forest Hunter, and Endamori. 8pm $5. (Across Tundras are some awesome dudes who play heavy-but-not-quite-metal-rock and have an organic farm in Goodlettsville. I recently took some photos of them at their farm for Sean Maloney’s article on them, which will be in either the June or July edition of Cowbell magazine, so look for that.)
SUNDAY:
Vintage motorcycle show at Drifter’s (1008 Woodland St., East Nashville) featuring free music from Heavy Cream, Turbo Fruits, Hans Condor, Useless Eaters, and Double Barrel. 12-8pm
Also worth mentioning, The Exit/In FINALLY FINALLY got themselves a snazzy new website. It was a good 5 years overdue, but better late than never.
Have a great weekend!
Powerbrrrd show tonight/William Tyler album/MAVS remix contest
November 16, 2010
Wow, there’s a lot of good stuff to report today.
First of all, let me say that this morning sucked. Quite frankly this started out as a bad day. But I found out that local guitar wizard William Tyler (who’s played with Silver Jews, Lambchop, and most recently KORT) has a new solo album out, and it’s streaming on NPR. I had no idea what to expect, but I started playing some tracks and my day immediately improved. The album is mostly instrumental acoustic guitar compositions with roomy, spacey samples and horn parts washed in here and there. A few tracks feature ambient sound effects with distant druid-like chants. It was one of those times where just the right thing happens to come along to set you back in sync. Good job Willy T!
Now for a brief moment of self-promotion. My band Powerbrrrd is playing a free show at the Exit/In tonight, along with Nite Nite, The Grayces, Little Viking, and Frank the Fuck Out. A good time is guranteed. We had a 4th Brrrd in line to make his debut tonight, but unfortunately he inured his wing and won’t be able to rock with for a few more weeks.
One more brief moment of self-promotion. Saturday I turn 29. To kick off my last year of being a coveted twenty-something, I’m hosting an 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge next Monday, and it’s a grunge cover night. Yes, break out your flannel, ripped jeans, and chucks- it’s time to get filthy. The lineup is Eliza the Arrow (former members of Forget Cassettes), Foxcore (members of Take the Power Back), Anchor Thieves, Powerbrrrd, Sweet Tempers, Kelly Kerr, and Bad Press (Nashville Cream staff). There will also be FREE CAKE.
If you’re a music maker of the electronic type, or just a DJ who dabbles in production, you should head over to Makeup & Vanity Set’s website where can download stems for an official remix contest he’s hosting. The track being remixed is “Charles Park” off of Charles Park II. I really look forward to hearing some of these remixes, and tackling the remix myself. Whether I can come up with anything noteworthy remains to be seen, as my time is stretched thin…
Finally, I must warn that my posting may be limited to non-existent past today. Something blog-worthy may pop up tomorrow, but Thursday I’ll be having PRK eye surgery, and unfortunately there is a bit of recovery time involved, during which I may have be doped up on pain meds while my corneas heal. Most of you haven’t a clue how severely near-sighted I am, but suffice it to say that even though this surgery will only reduce my corrective prescription, that alone will be well worth it.
A weak weekend
October 15, 2010
There’s always plenty of things going on in this City of Music every weekend, but this particular one really doesn’t have much of anything that I personally get excited about. But, here’s my best attempt:
FRIDAY:
DJs Wick-it and Kidsmeal, along with several other DJs, have been throwing a pretty badass party called Mashville roughly once a month for three years now, and they’re throwing the biggest party yet tonight at Mercy Lounge to celebrate. It’s also the release party for Wick-it’s new mashup album. Expect some of the best scratching performances you’ll find in the southeast, along with plenty of hip hop, pop, and maybe some head-bending WOMP WOMP in the form of dubstep. The very mention of dubstep makes me cringe, but I certainly respect those guys because their skills are easily light years ahead of any other DJs in this town. Sean Maloney says I need to smoke more weed to enjoy dubstep… but even then I don’t think I could enjoy it. It just ain’t my bag. There’s a 5% chance I might go just to see Kidsmeal and Wick-it have a scratch-off, and head for the patio when the WOMPs start pulsing, but who knows. Read a much better preview by Mr. Maloney at the Nashville Cream.
SATURDAY:
There is honestly not one thing happening Sat. that piques my interest enough to mention.
SUNDAY:
Matt & Kim w/ Donnis and Girls in the Eighties @ Exit/In. I saw Matt & Kim play a sold out show at this same venue along with the Cool Kids about 2 years ago, and while I don’t call myself a serious fan, they put on a pretty enjoyable show. Not that familiar with Donnis, but he drops some pretty sweet verses on “All The Girls” by Bag Raiders. And I enjoyed Girls in the Eighties’ quick and simple pop punk at their NBN show a couple weeks ago.
Have a great weekend!
I’m up to my eyeballs in all sorts of random business this week, therefore I’m going to share a few links and tidbits quickly today, and that’ll be it for this blog until early next week. Here goes:
- As predicted, the Arcade Fire’s new album The Suburbs debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts thanks to putting it onsale at Amazon for $3.99 it’s first week. I completely agree with Aaron Hartley’s sentiments on the matter.
- Remember when Nashville’s Dead had their 1-year bday bash at Exit/In and The End? Well they finally posted some photos and video footage of it. It’s fun.
- Belle & Sebastian have a new album in the works, but no word on a release date. They do, however, have a title- Belle & Sebastian Write About Love, and album art:
That’s all I got. Now I’m gonna take care of some biz-nass and I’ll see you kids next week.
Make-out With Violence gets DVD release/weekend shows
July 30, 2010
Locally made/produced indie film Make-out With Violence will finally get a DVD release this fall via the distributor Factory 25. Order your copy now at their website, or at the very least put it in your netflix queue. I took some on-set still photos on one of their underwater shoot days waaaay back in 2005 and have been friends with the filmmakers ever since. This is a truly remarkable film, given the budgetary circumstances and relative inexperience of the cast. The directors were able to draw some impressive performances out of them, and the editing, lighting, and cinematography are all top-notch. Most impressive, however, is the soundtrack. Written and performed mostly by Jordan and Eric Lehning (a few songs were by a band called the Glib), the songs fit the story perfectly. The soundtrack is great just as an album by itself. If you haven’t seen the Non-Commissioned Officers (the band created to perform the songs live to raise money for the movie) yet, you are really missing out and should remedy that problem as soon as possible. Congrats on getting the DVD release, guys! PS: You can catch a special screening of the movie TONIGHT at the Belcourt Theater as part of the Halloween in July Film Festival!
Now for some stuff to do this weekend.
FRIDAY:
Max & the Wild Things CD release party @ The End, with The Roses, The Grayces, and The Pipeline. 9pm, $5
The Ettes @ 12th & Porter, with Kink Ador and Mother Father. 9pm $??
SATURDAY:
I’ll be at the Southern Girls Rock & Roll Camp showcase at Siegel High School. (This year they had to move it out of MTSU’s Tucker Theater due to renovations.) Seriously, come support this awesome youth music camp, and also enter the always-awesome raffle they’ll have going at the door (this year they have a vintage Gretch guitar valued at $750). Doors open at 6 and the show starts at 7, so get there early!
SUNDAY:
Deer Tick w/ Dead Confederate and Pujol @ Exit/In. This will be a good one! 9pm, $10
Have a great weekend!
Nashville’s Dead bday tonight/new Bad Cop & Adam Anyone
July 27, 2010
Tonight Nashville’s Dead is a year old, and they’re throwing a huge free show on Elliston for Rock the Block. They’re taking over both The End and Exit/In, and it’s all free. It’s a crazy good lineup, basically Infinity Cat & friends, minus Jeff the Brotherhood. (Poor Jake got pneumonia a week or so ago and is still recovering I think…) Gonna be a huge party y’all. I still don’t know if I’ll be there… I’ve been feeling a little introverted lately… gettin’ all emo and shit. Just kidding. About the emo part. (via Nashville’s Dead, duh)
Nashville’s Bad Cop have a debut album ready to drop into the masses called Harvest the Beast, and it’ll be out Sept. 14th on ROIR! Records. These guys have been touring pretty hard and are all-around awesome dudes, and are worth checking out.
Their singer Adam Anyone also has a solo project in the works, and from the sound of it, he’s been listening to a lot of Nirvana lately. Pretty awesome stuff. Check out the video for “Sail Away,” directed by my friend and bandmate Seth Graves: (Via We Own This Town)
I’ve put together a little post-July 4th show for you tonight. The folks at Exit/In asked me to host another Rock the Block sometime this summer, and this is it. It’s FREE, and there’s nothing else going on, so come out for this awesome lineup. You partied hard over the weekend. You probably had yesterday off to recover. Now you’re ready to party again. This is not chillwave, this is rock and fucking roll.
I must take this opportunity to shamelessly self-promote for a moment. Tonight is Rock the Block at Exit/In, and this week I’m the host. I had a bit of a time getting the lineup together, but in the end I think it’s a pretty solid one. This is a FREE show, and it will kick off between 8:30-9pm. Please do get there early because every act on this lineup is definitely worth your time, and they’re only playing 20 minute sets (there are 6 of them afterall…). Also between the 2nd & 3rd and 4th & 5th acts Miss Jenn Ross will be doing bellydances to keep you entertained. I’ll use the same words We Own This Town used to promote their 8 off 8th last night: “There’s no reason to go to anything else tonight because this is where the goods are.” Also, Lost is on Hulu, so get your ass off the couch for once. I promise to have you home in time to get your beauty sleep because I have an early-ass day job just like you do.
Look what Nashville DJ just showed up on this flier for a Fool’s Gold-sponsored dance party in NYC, alongside the likes of Treasure Fingers:
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!
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:
steve cross loves music and science 