Your chillwave name/Todd A/weekend stuff
September 24, 2010
I could sit and generate new chillwave band names all day on the Witch House//Chillwave//Name Generator. Seriously, be careful. You might not be able to stop. (Via gorilla vs. bear)
Remember waaaay back when NasvhilleZine existed and the entire Nashville indie rock scene used it as an outlet for all their secret jealousy/anger/frustration? Yeah, those were the good ole days… I got an email from Todd A, who created/killed NashvilleZine, and he’s been up to some awesome stuff out in Orange Co., California. Check out his website/band/music collaboration project the Hit On List. He writes tons and tons of songs and records video demos of them/posts them. He also makes full-on multitrack recordings, some of which you can download, remix, change, etc… all for free. It’s certainly not a new concept, but it’s one that deserves more attention than it gets. I’m glad to see it and help promote it.
Now for what’s going down show-wise in Nashville this weekend.
FRIDAY:
Tonight I recommend catching Aaron Robinson (of Imaginary Baseball League fame), with Korean Is Asian and Cassino at the Basement.
Those are all very singer/songwriter-oriented bands, so if that’s not your bag, check out the best scratch DJ in Nashville- DJ Kidsmeal, along with Creative Control, Amerigo Gazaway, and Gummy Soul at the End.
SATURDAY:
Jenny & Johnny (aka Jenny Lewis and her BF Johnny Rice) with Eternal Summers and Whispertown at Mercy Lounge. Awww how cute.
During the day you don’t want to miss Grimey’s bi-annual big ass outdoor sale. Starts at 10AM in the back parking lot and there will be tons of cheap-ass records and CD’s, as well as a killer lineup of bands playing outside including Majestico, Cy Barkley, Apache Relay, and many more.
Not gonna go into detail right now, but in addition to the Next BIG Nashville festivities next week, the notorious Tex Rambunctious has put together a couple days of bands that didn’t quite make the NBN cut and it’s called “Tex Big Nashville.” It’s monday & tuesday of next week, so more on that in monday’s blog.
Have a great weekend!
(Via Kelliente)
Nashville’s Dead showcase at Third Man Records/Irish Hand-Dancing
September 22, 2010
Geez, the boys over at Nashville’s Dead had an outright blog-gasm. Probably the biggest news they dropped was that PUJOL recorded a track with Jack White, and it’s gonna be on a 7″ which will be available at their Next BIG Nashville showcase happening at White’s own Third Man Records. The Jack White-produced track was total news to me, but the showcase wasn’t- they’ve been sorting out the details of that for a while but didn’t want to mention it till it was figured out… But seriously, they’ve got 2 days of awesomeness lined up for NBN at Third Man. Oh, and PUJOL has another 7″ coming out as well: a live recording of their show opening for Nobunny at Third Man a while back. Here’s the NBN/ND show rundown:
Friday, Oct. 1st: JEFF the Brotherhood/The Ettes/Cheap Time/Heavy Cream/Cy Barkley
Saturday, Oct. 2nd: Jacuzzi Boys/Turbo Fruits/PUJOL/D. Watusi
I should also mention that there’s a pretty cool update over at WOTT about the goings-on of Battletapes over the past few months. Mr. Ferguson has been busy as fuck with tons of good stuff, and is about to be flown to Brussels, Belgium to record a band called Lucy Lucy, who had an ear-gasm when they heard his work on Turbo Fruits’ album Echo Kid. Congrats, Jeremy! (And of course congrats to his girlfriend Candice who has all but kicked her breast cancer’s ass.)
I was going to post the video of Chromeo’s awesome performance on Letterman, complete with a string section and backup singers, but then I came across this ridiculously awesome video of Irish hand-dancers doing a routine to “Speak No Americano” by Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP.
First, I must point you to the official Next BIG Nashville schedule. It’s up, and it will probably change, but it’s there so start planning which sacrifices to make. Planning your schedule at these types of music festivals is always a delicate balance between seeing people you know and like, and branching out to see some new acts you might not get to see otherwise.
Secondly, I have some exciting news that some people know about, but others don’t. I will be doing a photo documentary project with Those Darlins next week; joining them on a week-long leg of their tour with Strange Boys and Gentleman Jesse & His Men. I got the idea after the death of famous rock photographer Jim Marshall last year. News of his death got me thinking about his photographs, and how a lot of the truly iconic shots are very casual, candid, off-beat images taken off the stage. I thought about how I could do more of that type of behind-the-scenes work (not that my images will ever be as iconic as Marshall’s shots of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and the like), and I thought of Those Darlins. I’ve known them for years, they’re some of the best people I know, they have room in their van, and after some discussions with their awesome manager John “JT” Turner, this idea is now becoming a reality. They’re what most would consider a mid-level act, but they’re headed for higher places and I think it’s the right time to do this type of project with a band like them. Those Darlins know how to party, and I think the results of this little experiment will be interesting. So, if you’re in Chapel Hill, D.C., New York, Cambridge, or Brooklyn, I hope to see you at one of the shows! Obviously, I may not be posting much next week…
My other news is simply that Miami Horror is awesome and you should go buy their album now. Seriously, I’ve been seeing mp3’s from these guys popping up in the blogosphere for a few months and I kept thinking “oh, this is an awesome track… nice…” But just yesterday I saw my friend Joseph’s review of their debut album on his blog Nashville Nights and it finally clicked in my head that these guys were different than your average “3 or 4 singles a year” DJs/producers. I urge you to checkout the quality interview Joseph did with them as well… I totally agree with his sentiment that it’s hard to find a good, quality dance floor album these days. There really are no sleepers or filler on this album- pure quality all the way through. Honestly this material is exactly what I personally want out of electronic/dance music: it’s got a great disco-ey, funky groove to it, smooth bass lines, and most of all the songs are songs, not just a bunch of loops layered together that build and fade (via trancewave). If you like Cut Copy, AIR, or Neon Indian, you will love this record. This is the best thing to come out of Australia since Silverchair. J/K J/K J/K
Miami Horror-I Look To You (Ft. Kimbra)
Oh, and the link to buy the album goes to Amazon. Fuck iTunes and their non-mp3/non-DJable formats. And while I’m at it, fuck their new ugly skin/layout for iTunes 10, too.
Brandon Jazz and his Armed Forces release “Radical Luv” 7-inch
August 30, 2010
At some point recently, and I can’t for the life of me remember where/when, I recall hearing Brandon Jazz referred to as Nashville’s own local male version of Ke$ha. That’s surprisingly accurate, I say. Hell, his latest song “X-Ray Eyes” is actually about her. (Download it at the Cream, it’s a damn good song.) Mr. Jazz has proven himself to be quite the self-promoter, and while his “look at me!!!” style of attention-grabbing annoys the hell out of some, I find it quite amusing. Furthermore, if you have a good ‘ol sit-down with him, you’ll find that he’s actually a really nice dude. Sure, his band used to suck. Really bad. But one Ryan Truso (of the now-defunct Mean Tambourines) saw some honest raw talent in him, took him under his wing, taught him how to sing, and now we have a string of infectious pop gems such as “Radical Luv,” “Vultures (You Never Shut Up),” and most recently “X-Ray Eyes.”
The 7″ pressing of “Radical Luv” was funded by a Kickstarter campaign, and part of the funds from said campaign went to MusiCares. Tonight’s 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge is doubling as the official release show for the 7″, and features a cast of great local bands including Heartbeater, Loose Cougar, DJ sets by Coach, and many more. Admission is free, but $5 gets you a copy of the 7″, and $20 gets you an amazing Radical Luv T-shirt. Just go. What have you got to loose?
Tonight also marks the official release of the “Vultures” remix EP. Mr. Jazz enlisted DPAUL, Justin Kase, myself (BURGERS), and a few others to remix the track. The remix EP will be available digitally on the Armed Forces bandcamp page tomorrow. I’ve also been told it’ll be on iTunes. For a limited time, though, you can grab my BURGERS remix right here:
The Armed Forces-Vultures (BURGERS REMIX)
Enjoy it in all of its Moog-tastic glory.
Two Powerbrrrd shows this weekend + a BURGERS DJ set
August 27, 2010
First of all, I must espouse how amazing last night’s Chromeo show + afterparty was. Oh. My. God. Of course it could never top seeing them with Daryl Hall (and his silvery flowing mane blown by TWO leaf blowers) at Bonnaroo this year, but still, last night was fucking heaven. I must congratulate How I Became the Bomb for BOTH of their amazing sets of Hall & Oates covers. I saw both and was blown away. Russell Hanberry (their moustachioed guitarist) had clearly been analyzing every John Oates dance move from the H&O music videos, because had that shit down. Chromeo’s set was of course amazing, and after going through my pics, which can be seen at the Cream (review will be up sometime later today), I have developed a bit of a man-crush on Dave Macklovitch. Especially after briefly meeting him backstage after the afterparty with HIBTB. Watching Jon Burr throw down some good convo with one of his favorite bands of all time was pretty… endearing? Awesome, definitely.
Now for the good stuff:
I apologize to other bands with shows this weekend, but I must do a bit of shameless self-promotion here. My band Powerbrrrd has two shows this weekend, and you should definitely come to at least one of them.
TONIGHT: We are playing at the End with Diarrhea Planet, Lewd Minx, and the Dirty Streets (from Memphis). It’s only $5 and we promise you a good time. The bands we are playing with are rad, especially Diarrhea Planet… seriously they’re one of the funnest live shows in town. You don’t wanna miss this!
SATURDAY NIGHT: We are playing a house show at 1805 Rosebank Ave., east Nashville. Spanish Candles and Frank the Fuck Out round out the bill, and they’re both perfect house show bands. Rowdy party punk in the best way possible. I will be doing a DJ set as BURGERS following the bands, and after last night, there will doubt be a few Chromeo tracks/remixes in there. There’s a $5 cover that gets you in, and all the beer you can drink because we have 2 kegs to float! Be sure to park along the road, in the proper direction, and don’t get wasted and act like a dumbass in the front yard because that shit pisses off neighbors and gets the cops called. Don’t be a douche.
Please do come out to one of these shows! You won’t regret it.
Chromeo tonight
August 26, 2010
So you know Chromeo is playing at the Cannery tonight, right? If not, you’re either not in Nashville (which is just fine), or you are in Nashville and need to have your head examined. I’ll be honest, it took me a second to get into Chromeo. 5 years ago I wasn’t nearly as into “smooth grooves” as I am now. But once I was in, I was IN. I had the distinct privilege of seeing them play with Daryl Hall at Bonnaroo this year (playing both their own and all the classic Hall & Oates tunes), and it was honestly one of the best shows I’ve EVER seen. That is not an exaggeration. The fact that Holy Ghost! and Telephoned are opening for them tonight makes this utterly a dream bill IMO. There might be a few tickets left online, but make no mistake, if you snooze on this one, you WILL LOSE. I have no doubt it will sellout online thus leaving none available at the door. On a side note: few people wear Wayfarers as well as David Macklovitch. On another side note: I’m really fucking jealous of my pal Sean Maloney who gets to interview/hang out with them today for American Songwriter.
What could be better than this show happening at the Cannery? How I Became the Bomb covering Hall & Oates songs upstairs at Mercy Lounge BOTH before and after the show, that’s what. Seriously, this is the best idea ever. No clue if Drew or HIBTB cooked this one up, but kudos either way. Oh, and HIBTB will joined by DJs Wild Cub (Keegan DeWitt’s alter-ego) and Rio for the afterparty. I seriously hope this barrage of awesomeness makes a good impression on Chromeo/makes them want to come back. It’s gonna be one helluva night.
Heavy Cream LP release tonight/New Cee-Lo
August 24, 2010
Local lady-punks (and one dude) Heavy Cream have been tearing up the eastern US the past few months touring, including some NYC shows and Brooklyn Vegan love. They’ve had their new LP Danny on sale at their shows, but tonight is the official release party right here in Nashville. They’ve gathered some very awesome guests to join them, too: Those Darlins, and a “70’s dance party hosted by Jeff the Brotherhood,” along with a DJ set by Nashville’s Dead. It all goes down at Billup’s Art (1008-C Woodland St.) in East Nashville. $10 gets you in but apparently there’s free beer. Can’t complain there. Here’s the smashingly catchy track “Watusi.”
If you have been on the internet the past couple of days I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard about the new Cee-Lo single “FU.” It’s the shit. It’s amazingly awesome. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and post a remix from Chromemusic (not a full remix, just a little extra drums and vocals added).
Cee-Lo Green-Fuck You (bitch blonde xbox nadja says hi rmx)
Happy Tuesday.
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.
Weekend shows/Ben Franklin beer quote
August 6, 2010
You’ve probably heard the Ben Franklin quote, “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Sadly, I did a little research today and found out that quote is actually not accurate. It’s a derivation of a quote from a letter Franklin wrote to Andre Morellet in 1779. The real quote is:
Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.
As a beer lover, it was kind of saddening to learn this, but oh well. (Via this about.com article)
Now for some shows to catch this weekend.
Before we get to the individual days, I’ll mention that Little Hamilton is throwing YES FEST all weekend. There’s a shit ton of bands, and you can also get special weekend passes. There’s too much for me to mention here, so if you want to know more about YES FEST, check out Nashville’s Dead.
FRIDAY:
The Protomen, Makeup & Vanity Set, and Magic Hammer @ 12th & Porter. 9pm
Andrew Combs CD release show with Caitlin Rose, Rayland Baxter, and Giving Tree @ The Basement. 9pm
SATURDAY:
Unknown Hinson @ Exit/In. 9pm
Powerload (AC/DC tribute) w/ Magnet School, Alcohol Stuntband, and Dirtbot @ FooBar. 9pm
Black 13 Tattoo parlor’s 2-year bday party w/ Autovaughn, Hillbilly Casino, Madi Diaz, and Plumb.
Megan and I will also be at the Arcade Fire show at the Ryman on Monday. (I’m taking pics for the Scene.)
Have a great weekend!
Seth Graves’ THE CRUCICHIX
August 4, 2010
My bandmate and friend Seth Graves has entered the 48 Hour Film Project for several years in a row. This year was no different, but unfortunately he was unable to get it in before the 48 hour deadline. He did turn it in though, and it will still be screened and is eligible for the crowd popularity vote. It just can’t win the festival officially. Behold THE CRUCICHIX:
steve cross loves music and science 