Wicked Celtics: SPARKS (Come Back To Me Someday)
February 22, 2011
My day has been vastly improved by the existence of this new video from Wicked Celtics. Atom Andersen (formerly of Murfreesboro power pop stars Feable Weiner/Mondo Primo) moved to Austin, TX back in 2008, and shortly thereafter Wicked Celtics was born. It started as some lo-fi bedroom videos, but this just takes it to a whole new level. That’s some serious authenticity- the graphite-black guitar, the full-band pose in the creek, the douche-beard. But the thrusting longhorn belt buckle… I almost fell out of my chair. Be sure to watch in HD:
If you don’t get the joke, why are you reading my blog?
LPLN presents 90s Night this Saturday/other weekend shows
February 18, 2011
First and foremost, I must self-promote for just a moment. This Saturday night will be the 3rd installment of the new La Paz Late Night series hosted by myself (Burgers), Potamus, and Vitalic Noise. This month we’re doing a 90s theme and it’s going to be the most ridiculous night of unironic nostalgic pleasure you’ve seen in quite some time. We’ve got all the danceable jams you can imagine from the 90s, even a few “jock jams,” as well as lights and a projector that will be showing classic 90s films like Clueless and Reality Bites on the wall. We also have our usual cheap drink specials- $2 jello shots/$2.50 PBR tallboys/$4 margaritas. It’s a meager $2 to get in if you come in 90’s attire, $3 if you come in 2011 attire. DO IT.
Now for some other stuff to do this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Doug Stanhope w/ The Mattoid @ Exit/In. 9pm, $20
Jimmy Eat World w/ David Bazan @ the Cannery. 9pm, $25 adv./$27 DOS BUT I’M PRETTY SURE IT’S SOLD OUT.
SATURDAY:
Well duh. You’re coming to La Paz Late Night.
BUT, if you just can’t do unironic nostalgia thing, you could go see Cheap Time, D. Watusi, Slammers, and Fox Fun at Glen Danzig’s House. That’s only $2 and starts at 7pm.
Have a great weekend, but first enjoy this extremely dorky but hilarious video/song “Tonight I’m Frakkin’ You”. (Tip to the producer of the song: your vocals are way, way too loud in the mix.)
(Via io9)
FAMN DAMN/Jensen Sportag/Slayer
February 16, 2011
Whoa. Did I really just mention those 3 bands in a row?
Cody Blaine has been making music in Murfreesboro for a good few years now in various incarnations. As most artists do, he’s changed, grown, and honed his skills quite a bit along the way. His latest project is called FAMN DAMN, a scaled-down version of his previous project Cody Blaine & The Whole Famn Damnly. That band involved drums, bass, keys, and a horn section. Needless to say, managing rehearsals for such a sizeable undertaking can take its toll on one’s willpower, so the new incarnation is much simpler- Cody Blaine sings and plays keys while drummer Mikey Lieberman caresses the skins. It’s nearly impossible not to compare Blaine’s vocal style to that of Tom Waits, but along the way he’s honed it so that it’s not as derivative. Stripping the instrumental aspects of the songs down to such bare components was also a good thing. The result is his first release on vinyl- the “Honey, Come Pull On My Tie/Borrowed Time” 7″ single. The single is currently being pressed for an unspecified release date. *Disclaimer- I did the photography and cover art for this release, so I’m not completely unbiased here.*
After debating which track to post, I landed on the B-side “Borrowed Timem,” as I slightly prefer it over the A-side.
In other news, Jensen Sportag‘s EP Pure Wet is officially out. Stream and purchase via their label Cascine. Like said before: SEXY. This EP could just as easily have been titled Pure Sex. No joke.
Via the A.V. Club– Slayer’s guitarist Jeff Hanneman had to back out of a few upcoming shows for what has to be the most metal thing ever: He got a case of flesh-eating bacteria from a spider bite. Thankfully he’s fine and currently recovering from surgery. Seriously, that’s one of the most metal things I’ve ever heard. And Slayer is probably the most metal metal band ever, because the singer also recently injured his neck and back from headbanging. Somebody needs to give these dudes a trophy.
What’s going on this weekend
February 11, 2011
Before we get to listings, I’ll share a bit of interesting news that I discovered today at You Ain’t No Picasso: the Forecastle Festival has been canceled this year. I never actually made it up to Louisville to catch it, but the festival boasted some pretty awesome lineups in the past, including Flaming Lips, Smashing Pumpkins, Spoon, Devo, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, and many more. They’ve apparently partnered with AC Entertainment- the promoters responsible for huge things like Bonnaroo and Moogfest. So, we haven’t seen the last of Forecastle, it just won’t be happening this year. They are, however, still doing the Halfway to Forecastle show as a one-day, indoor/outdoor event and moving to July. Full details can be found on the Forecastle website.
Now for what’s going down this weekend in Nashville:
FRIDAY:
Well, honestly there’s not much tonight that really piqued my interest. But POWERBRRRD buds Little Viking are playing at Springwater with Clorange and Planet Ink. 10pm $5
SATURDAY:
Tapes ‘n Tapes w/ Oberhofer @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm
Electric Western’s 3rd Annual Valentine’s Party @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $8 TIX HERE Trust me, these dudes know how to throw a party. EW is the force behind the famed “Keep On Movin'” monday night boogie-downs.
I’ll go ahead and move past this weekend to point out that this coming Monday’s 8 off 8th lineup at Mercy Lounge looks to be one of the best in a very long time- Tristen, Shoot the Mountain, Andrew Combs, The Roses, Big Sir (not Big Surr), Oh No No, Dead Towns.
Have a great weekend!
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.
Those Darlins: Be Your Bro video
February 7, 2011
This new video from Those Darlins embodies their image perfectly. It’s a very simple concept but executed very well. I’m sure this will appeal much more to their male fanbase- you see flashes of butts, panties, bras, and plenty of sexy poses, albeit mixed with some goofy ones as well. But once again- that’s them: somehow sexy and goofy at the same time. There’s a little skin action from Linwood in there too, for the ladies. Just watch, and be sure to click up to full HD resolution.
New band: Anchor Theives/what to do this weekend
February 4, 2011
Nashville has some newcomers worth taking note of: Anchor Thieves. Their debut album Prerequisite is available for free download at bandcamp. They are tagged with “alternative indie minimalist lo-fi rock pop” and I’d say that’s a decent approximation.
You probably could care less about this, but I made a mash tun out of a cooler last weekend, and this weekend I will be brewing my first all-grain batch of beer. Let’s hope everything works out.
Now, here’s what I think you should be doing this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Deerhoof, Ben Butler, Mousepad, Nervous Cop *update* Ben Butler & Mousepad, R. Stevie Moore @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm. Why this is a 4-band bill is beyond me. When you have a well-established touring band headlining, there’s really no need to have more than 2 openers, IMO. Turns out Nervous Cop didn’t play, Ben Butler & Mousepad are 1 band, and R. Stevie Moore opened, which was a pleasant surprise!
Cheer Up Charlie Daniels, Buffalo Clover, and Young Hines @ the 5 Spot. 9pm $5
SATURDAY:
Dr. Dog, Head & The Heart, Buried Beds @ The Cannery. 9pm $18 adv/$20 DOS.
Tokyo Police Club, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin @ Exit/In. 9pm $15.
Twin Tigers, Diarrhea Planet, Kingston Springs, Weakness @ The End. 10pm $5
Have a great weekend!
Some awesomeness to drop on you today:
- Those Darlins’ new 7″ “Be Your Bro” drops today. The B-side is “Let U Down” and believe me when I say that these are two great songs. I joined them back in September of last year for a week-long segment of their east coast tour, and remember these songs well. I’ve yet to hear any of the recorded versions of these songs, so it’ll be interesting to hear what they sound like on vinyl. Their second full-length LP drops on March 29th. Both releases are on their own label Oh Wow Dang. Their website also had a bit of a makeover, so I recommend checking it out.
- Tristen’s new album Charlatans at the Garden Gate got a pretty glowing review from the A.V. Club. The album is available today digitally, but the physical release has been pushed back to 2/15 due to “a production delay and bad weather early this month in the south east” according to Facebook.
- Jensen Sportag are basically going to rule 2011. They rescued last week’s “Vital” at Mai by filling in for the snowed-into NYC Bit Funk, DJing a slew of new jams from their upcoming EP Pure Wet, which will be released via Cascine. Head over to Vitalic Noise to stream the track “Mapquest” and watch the video for “Everything Good.” Seriously, DO IT. There is really only one way to describe this: SEXY. Basically this is the sexiest thing to come out of Nashville in… forever? I’m talking classy sexy here, not slutty sexy. I also hear that JS is working on a new live setup, incorporating a 3rd member on keys, and possibly even more. No word on when we can catch a glimpse of this live arrangement locally, but I’m sure there will be opportunities, and I’ll be sure to post as soon as I find out.
Did I really just mention the rough-edged wild ones known as Those Darlins in the same post as the smooth, sexy sounds of Jensen Sportag? Why yes, I did. That is a shining example of the wide diversity of great music coming out of this non-country scene in Nashville. Keep it comin’ y’all.
What to do this weekend
January 28, 2011
Not a lot of time today. Here’s a quick rundown of some good shows happening in Nashville this weekend.
FRIDAY:
Smith Westerns, Yuck, and Big Surr @ The End. 9pm, $5. Big Surr is the shit. Wasn’t impressed by Smith Westerns when I saw them at Exit/In a year or so ago. Yuck has really been growing on me with their shoegaze-pop.
SATURDAY:
Gentlemen Divers album release with Carter Administration and Hollow Ox @ fooBar.too. $5 9pm. Carters haven’t played in quite a while. It’ll be a good’n.
We Were the States, Jimmy Duke, The Riot @ The Basement. 9pm $5 21+
Natural Child, D. Watusi, Big Sir & the Greater Good, Paper Machete @ The End. 9pm, $5
Have a great weekend!
R.I.P. Charlie Louvin/other music tidbits
January 26, 2011
Copyright 2010 Steve Cross- Unauthorized use or reposting prohibited!
The world lost a country music legend last night. Charlie Louvin of the famed Louvin Brothers passed away due to complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 83, and enjoying a bit of a recent upswing in his career. The above photo is from a show he played at the Exit/In on Nov. 25th, 2009 with Caitlin Rose and the Dex Romweber Duo. I wasn’t assigned to shoot the show for the Scene or anyone, I just felt like I should take photos. I’m glad I was able to capture one of his last few shows in Nashville. I’m not a very religious person, but I have to hope that he’s somehow re-united with his brother Ira, whom he lost in 1965, singing the close harmonies that made them famous. More at Paste and the Nashville Cream.
In other news, the first of the 3rd annual “Road To Bonnaroo” 8 off 8th series at Mercy Lounge has been announced. It will happen Feb. 28th and will feature Majestico, Chancellor Warhol, Courtney Jaye, Heartbeater, Kink Ador, Evan P. Donohue, Sleeper Agent, and Tyler Bryant. Last year the contest was expanded to four 8 off 8ths (thus 4 winning bands playing Bonnaroo), but this year it’s back to 3. Mercy Lounge also has opted to release the lineups one at a time, and for good reason- last year some of the later lineups got shuffled around quite a bit.
From the ashes of Apollo Up! come Gentleman Divers. Featuring the Apollo Up! rhythm section of Mike Shepherd and Jeremy Frey, this new project has many of the same 80’s and 90’s hardcore/punk influences as Apollo Up!. Stream their S/T debut album at their bandcamp, and check out their album release show at fooBar.too on January 29th. (Via the Cream)
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