Weekend in Nashville/snowpocalypse redux
December 10, 2010
As always, I must shamelessly self-promote for a minute. Tonight my band POWERBRRRD is playing at The End along with Big Surr, Diarrhea Planet, Evan P. Donohue, and Casa Castille. 5 bands? Yes, 5 bands, BUT rest assured that every band on this bill has a setlist of 30 minutes or less. In fact, POWERBRRRD’s set will probably barely crack 20 minutes. This show will be a conglomeration of insanity, I promise. And it will only set you back 5 bones. Also, Joaquin Phoenix will be there. (Oh, and sorry, Michael Eades. At least we advertised all 5 bands from the get-go!)
Now for some other shows that I recommend:
FRIDAY:
Ok, if you MUST go to something else tonight, my pick would be Howlies, with Oblio and Field Days at the Basement. 9pm, 21+ $??? Also, there’s an afterparty for that show at Mercy Lounge.
SATURDAY:
Natural Child, Ex Humans, The Cannomen, Foster Care, and Cy Barkley at Glen Danzig’s House. $5, 7pm
SUNDAY:
Cold War Kids at Third Man Records. I can’t find a time anywhere but it’s probably something like 7pm.
AXWY, Shoot the Mountain, Tallest Trees at the 5 Spot. 9pm, 21+ $5. (AXWY is an bloopy, glitchy, Postal Service-esque project started by Ryan Malina about a year ago. He put out an album that was quite good, but to my knowledge hasn’t played the material live until now.)
It’s also worth noting that the Scene has posted their yearly local Rock ‘n Roll Poll. The “outtakes and extended jams” is worth a read too.
You may have heard that Nashville is supposed to get a little snow this weekend. I’ll throw my official weather nerd opinion in the hat: DON’T FREAK OUT. It’s not going to be #snowpocalypse2010redux. What they’re forecasting is maybe an inch late Saturday night into Sunday morning. I’d say Nashville itself will get a dusting at best. This is one of those systems where the low pressure is well to the north of us, and the cold front is swinging around to the south, hitting us. There will rain/warmer weather ahead of the front as it pushed west-to-east, but very little moisture behind the front. I’d say the rain will change to snow late Saturday night as they predict, but again, no more than a dusting in Nashville. I hope I’m wrong, as I’m actually a fan of snow, but history says to take official forecast amounts with grain of salt. (Haha, get it? Salt melts snow. Haha…)
Have a great weekend!
This weekend in Nashville
December 3, 2010
Before I get to my picks for what to this weekend in Nashville, I must very briefly mention the famous Arsenic bacteria that NASA announced yesterday. It’s all over every news site in the universe, so I feel no need to say anything other than- this is totally awesome and it will force biologists and astrobiologists to rethink their theories of what type of life might exist on other worlds. It also proves that life can be much more adaptable than we ever thought. And I can’t help but post this great comic from XKCD:
Now for this weekend’s picks:
FRIDAY:
Charlie Louvin, w/ Porter Hall, TN at Foobar. This will be in the new Foobar expansion room, not the tiny stage at the main bar. And it’s fucking Charlie Louvin! Dude’s a living legend. 9pm I would assume… but I can’t find a definite time listing anywhere, so you might wanna show up early- dude’s a legend but he’s also very old, and old people tend to go to bed early.
Tim & Eric Awesome Tour Great Job! Featuring Tim & Eric, Pusswhip Banggang, and Neil Hamburger at the Cannery Ballroom. 9pm, but I hear it’s sold out. So hopefully you already have tickets…
SATURDAY:
Duh! Where else would you be besides La Paz? As I mentioned yesterday, I’m throwing a tacky sweater holiday disco party at La Paz with DJs Potamus and Vitalic Noise. La Paz is now at 2214 Elliston Pl., where Ombi used to be. It’s 21+, is FREE between 10-11pm, and $3 after 11pm. We’ve got $2.50 PBRs, $4 margaritas, and a round of $2 jello shots coming out at midnight. We’ll also have a disco ball, fog machine, and plenty of dark corner makeout sessions.
BUT if you MUST do something else tomorrow night-
Old 97’s w/ Hayes Carll at Mercy Lounge. 9pm but it’s sold out.
Black Cab Sessions day show: in-store at Grimey’s with Tristen and We Were The States (who have a new album out!)
Black Cab Sessions night show: at the Basement with PUJOL, Tristen, Cheap Time, Altered Statesmen, and more. If you don’t know what the Black Cab Sessions are, go here.
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.
Slow weekend/Caitlin Rose’s album gets U.S. release date
November 12, 2010
Before we get to the sparse show listings for this weekend, here’s some long-awaited local music news:
Caitlin Rose’s debut album Own Side Now will finally see a US release on March 15 of next year. People state-side have been wondering and waiting for news as to the US release, since it’s been out in the UK and Europe for several months now. The release will be followed-up by what should be a pretty extensive US tour in the spring/summer months. Good news indeed, for a truly great album.
Wow. It’s a slow weekend in Nashville, rock show-wise. I honestly have nothing for you tonight. Nada.
TONIGHT:
I almost forgot about Black Mountain/Black Angels tonight at Mercy Lounge. But personally they are too jammy for my taste. So… meh.
Wooops. That show was actually last (Thursday) night.
SATURDAY:
Mashville ft. DJs Wick-It, Bitch Please, Mike Vulcan, and Bateman @ The End. 9pm $5
SUNDAY:
Codaphonic, Listen Like Thieves, Kat Jones, and StereoPhidelics @ the 5 Spot, 9pm $5
I must also mention that my band POWERBRRRD will be playing a Rock the Block at the Exit/In on Tuesday, along with Nite Nite, The Grayces, Frank the Fuck Out, and Little Viking. POWERBRRRD will be debuting our new 4-piece lineup, so make of that what you will.
Yeah! Have a good weekend!
Tex vs. Basil Marceaux dot com/weekend shows
November 5, 2010
First off, here’s what I think is good this weekend:
FRIDAY:
The Features, Tristen, Bows & Arrows @ 12th & Porter. 9pm. I swear I read somewhere that this is some kind of benefit show, but I can’t find any evidence of that now. Regardless this is an AMAZING lineup. I need not say a word about the Features- we all know they rule the universe. Tristen has gotten better and better every time I’ve seen her the past 3 years, and just when I think she couldn’t possibly be better, she is. Speaking of getting better- Bows & Arrows are now totally awesome as well. (Not that they weren’t before, but now they’re really awesome.) I saw them last Sat. night at Grand Palace in M’boro and they totally blew me away. They’ve got a batch of new songs and have been slowly chipping away at a debut full-length with Alex at GP’s recording studio.
OK Go, Those Darlins, Samuel @ Mercy Lounge. 9pm, $15. I’ve not a clue about Samuel, but I can promise you’ll hear almost all new material from Those Darlins (which I deemed fantastic while I was on tour w/ them for a week), and a fun, crowd-participatory experience from OK Go. I saw most of their set at Bonnaroo this past summer and while the last album or two hasn’t impressed me, they did put on a helluva live show.
SATURDAY:
Milktooth, XPIA, the Zut Alors, and Flashbulb Fires @ the 5 Spot. 9pm, $5.
Turbo Fruits, Big Surr, Deadbeat Beat, D. Watusi, Reid Magette @ Glen Danzig’s House, 7pm, $5.
SUNDAY:
Fang Island, Delicate Steve, Sleeper Agent, and Bad Cop @ The End. $10, 9pm.
And now here’s some footage of the one and only Tex Rambunctious interviewing the one and only Basil Marceaux dot com:
(Via Nashville Cream)
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!
Dixie Downturn 8 off 8th tonight
October 4, 2010
Next Big Hangover. Next Binge Nashville. I’ve heard it all. But it’s over. It was awesome and everyone had a blast, but it’s time to move on with the regular Nashville rock and roll grind. Going out and seeing another show is probably not high on your list of things to do tonight, but if there was ever a lineup capable of changing that sentiment, it’s the Dixie Downturn 8 off 8th tonight at Mercy Lounge.
What’s Dixie Downturn? Oh, they’re just the greatest blog in the universe. Well, 2nd greatest blog… obviously this blog is the greatest in the universe. J/K. Seriously though, they are brand-spankin’ new and they are already rocking my world, mainly because they said this about my band Powerbrrrd:
Powerbrrrd are three goofy mofos that play sloppy, infectious rock ‘n’ roll music in the vein of Superchunk and Guided by Voices. They also have a video that reenacts the opening sequence from The Adventures of Pete and Pete. They are obviously in the running for greatest band in the universe for that fact alone.
But also because they put together this utterly amazing lineup for an 8 off 8th tonight- Spanish Candles, Powerbrrrd, Action!, Diarrhea Planet, Heartbeater, Fake Brad, Big Surr, and one more that I haven’t heard about yet. All these bands are bands that we love to play with and who love us, and now we love DD, who also loves us, and and and there’s just so much love.
Massive love aside, keep an eye on Dixie Downturn y’all- they’re all about the free shit, and that’s alright with me. Here’s a link to their post about tonight, and here’s a link to the facebook event. As always, it’s FREE, 21+, and there are $2.50 Yuenglings.
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.
Shows this weekend
July 23, 2010
Not much time today, but here’s a quick rundown of some shows of interest this weekend in Nashville:
FRIDAY:
How I Became the Bomb/Honeymoon Thrillers/Downtown Handshake @ Exit/In. 9pm $5 (I think.)
Evan P. Donohue/Matt Campbell/Austin Manuel @ The End. 9pm $5
So basically, the rock block is rockin’ tonight.
SATURDAY:
The Ascent of Everest/Slowest Runner @ the 5 Spot. 9pm 21+ $5 (AOE hasn’t played out in a while, glad to see their back at it.)
The Zut Alors have recently taken a novel approach to releasing their new album Boy Girl Party, by not only doing a kickstarter campaign, but also throwing a keg party to fund the vinyl pressing. Said keg party is happening at 5107 Georgia Ave. this saturday night.
Not much happening sunday, but-
MONDAY:
Effin’ Paul McCartney is at Bridgestone! And I’m gonna be photographing it. But only for 2 songs, then I have to leave, which is a major bummer, but at least I can now say that I’ve photographed both remaining Beatles. (I photographed Ringo Starr at the Wildhorse a couple years back.)
Features afterpary @ La Paz/Majestico tracks
February 5, 2010
The big story today is also an act of shameless self-promotion. Tonight is the sold-out Features/Majestico/Cortney Tidwell show at Exit/In, and I’m DJing the official afterparty at La Paz along with Fan Fiction. La Paz is literally only 3 doors down Elliston from Exit/In, and given the fact that A) there’s NO COVER and B) well drinks/margaritas/wine are all $3 and PBR cans are $2, you’d be CRAZY not to come over after the show (if you’re going). Since the show sold out in one day due the rumor of Kings of Leon opening (which proved to be false), you may not have a ticket. In that case, I suggest simply coming straight to La Paz, because we kick things off around 9-10pm and you know the party will really get hoppin’ later on anyway. In case you hadn’t realized- this is the new incarnation of BFF. It’s simply whenever/wherever Fan Fiction and I DJ together. And trust me, we’re bringin’ the bangers. The resident La Paz DJ for whom we’re covering, Potamus, will be hitting the decks down in M’boro at SWAG, so if you’re in that neck of the woods and wanna dance, 527 Main St. is the place to be.
Speaking of Majestico, they’ve got 2 brand new tracks up on their bandcamp for free (unless you give your email address monetary value). Together they comprise the Bright White Lady single. What the hell are you waiting for? Go get them now. Oh, and there’s another great track called “I Like You” on there as well. These dudes might just be my favorite “new” Nashville band. (Via a star to sail her by, AKA the new blog from Andrew J. Smithson)
D. Patrick Rodgers of Nashville Cream did an interesting interveiw with Daniel Pujol as a part of this week’s Scene cover story “10 Artists to Watch in 2010.” Pujol’s answers are rather hilarious and quite cryptic at times, but that’s the main reason it’s a good read… You can also grab 2 free mp3s of Pujol’s solo work, which are hard to come by since most of his solo material has been released on cassette tape.
Other stuff this weekend:
Saturday is a major dilemma for sure:
Of Montreal/James Husband @ Cannery Ballroom vs. Girls/Magic Kids/Smith Westerns @ Exit/In…
Personally, I’ve seen Of Montreal 4 times and much prefer their mid-career material (Coquelicot through Sunlandic Twins). That, combined with my Scene photographic assignment will likely land me at Exit/In, because I haven’t seen any of those bands, and want to see all of them, especially Magic Kids.
On Sunday the party doesn’t stop, because Tristen will be at the 5 Spot, along with Murfreesboro’s The Only Sons, and Action!.
Have a great weekend!
steve cross loves music and science 