Austin Sound

Weekend Preview

By Austin Sound • Oct 24th, 2008 • Category: Sound Picks •

This weekend proves the apparent lull between ACL and Fun Fun Fun Fest is hardly a lull at all. We have a festival’s worth of shows for you this weekend (including one small festival, actually), with bands of new and bands of old. Pompeii release their new album Friday at La Zona Rosa along with the support of The Soldier Thread, who we’re glad to see are playing shows more frequently again, though we expect the new album they’ve been working on to be well worth the wait. Our Sound Off band for the week, Frantic Clam, also play Friday at Trophy’s, and as you might guess we recommend checking out these relative newcomers and their new Celebrity EP. Saturday we have more releases compliments of Graham Weber’s decision to put rerelease his album Door to the Morning from earlier this year on vinyl - he’ll be playing for free at End of an Ear to mark the occasion. Also on Saturday, The Jungle Rockers play the Flamingo Cantina with Contra Coup. Then Sunday we bid a fond farewell to a true Austin venue, The Backyard, which will be closing its door for good this weekend. Willie Nelson headlines the huge show planned for Sunday, which starts at 3pm in order to fit in all the music. Ready or not, here this weekend comes.

Friday

Pompeii, The Soldier Thread, Low Line Caller & Til We’re Blue Or Destroy

Tonight at La Zona Rosa, Pompeii will release their new album Nothing Happens For A Reason, a smooth, pop affair produced by C.J. Eriksson (Rocket Summer). The Austinist called the new album an “ode to Explosions [in the Sky], with slowly building crests underpinned by cello and delicate keys.” We call the album “severely lacking in Vesuvius jokes, but showing musical and lyrical expertise nonetheless.” Indeed, on Nothing Happens For A Reason the outfit more often take their cues from bands like Explosions in the Sky (Wait-was that a volcano joke?), expanding the emo tendencies that marked some of their previous releases.

The Soldier Thread, who have been flying under the radar while recording their new album for the winter, are the perfect compliment for the show. After storming onto the scene with the release of the Fevers and Fireworks EP in January, the band took some time off, leaving an empty place in our hearts reserved only for the soaring electronic melancholy of The Soldier Thread. Who could mend our hearts but Soldier Thread? Other local mainstays Low Line Caller, who just recently released their new EP High Def Soft Core, and Til We’re Blue Or Destroy open.

Frantic Clam, Bombs Away Baby, The Black Squeeze (Black Keys Tribute Band)

Don’t forget about this show at Trophy’s that we told you about earlier this week, featuring recent Sound Off graduates Frantic Clam. Here’s what we had to say about the Clam:

Though only officially forming last Spring, Frantic Clam’s roots go back to frontman Zack Hadley and bassist Joe Sparks meeting and beginning to collaborate musically while serving in the Iraq War. Once back safely in Austin, the two formed the quartet and have already
released a surprisingly excellent EP, Celebrity, and have another set for early 2009. Frantic Clam swagger with edgy guitars chiming behind the surging, high hitting vocals, delivering one part raucous punk energy and another part deft and often ironically twisted indie-pop gems.

That’s our story and we’re sticking to it. While you’re there, check out Bombs Away Baby and The Black Squeeze, who, in being Black Keys tribute band, violate the fundamental rule of tribute bands: don’t start them. Oh, we’re just kidding - we can never resist a bad joke. See you there.

Elsewheres:

Cold War Kids, A. A. Bondy at Emo’s
Misc. Music Festival (with Megazilla, The Hot as Shits, and more) at Troubadour Salon (local)
Meat Purveyors at the Room 710
Zookeeper at Progress Coffee (local)
Summer Wardrobe at Hole in the Wall

Saturday

Graham Weber

Saturday afternoon one of our favorite local singer-songwriters, Graham Weber, is releasing the vinyl version of his acclaimed album Door to the Morning, which came out earlier this year. The album was originally set for a vinyl release, and now back from touring, Weber will make good on his those intentions. The show is at End of an Ear at 6pm, and best of all it’s free. If you already own Door to the Morning on CD, we can assure you, it’s the kind of album that sounds best through that old turntable.

Jungle Rockers, Contra Coup

The Jungle Rockers may well be the epitome of a Saturday night rock show. Crafting tunes out of the garage, forever rocking, these guys are everything we’ve come to expect from rock-n-roll throwback music while still maintaining an original edge. Their new Cool It Out EP does a fine job of capturing the roaring energy of their live show, and a few tracks from the EP are up on their myspace if you’d like a quick preview. Also at the Flamingo Cantina are Contra Coup, performing the daunting task of making Ska sound good (a feat so far accomplished by only about 3 Mighty Mighty Bosstones tracks, if anyone’s counting). All this spells a hearty good time, and we ask for nothing else in a Saturday night (except perhaps a sixer of Lone Star tallboys - we roll in style).

Elsewheres:

Misc. Music Festival (with Aliens, Micah Omega and the Neon Lights, and more) at Troubadour Salon (local)
Car Stereo (Wars) and The Always Read at Beauty Bar (local)
The Bravery, Alpha Rev, Driver F (local), White Ghost Shivers (local) and more at The Backyard (we previewed this show here)
Muchos Backflips at Hole In The Wall

Sunday

The Backyard’s Final Show with Willie Nelson, Ruthie Foster and (a lot) More.

The Backyard, which has won multiple awards for its outdoor music setting, will unfortunately be closing its doors for good Sunday night, but it does so with a bang (or a “twang,” if you will). Having opened their first show and now closing out their last, Willie Nelson will officially bookend the 16 year run of this Austin music landmark. He’ll of course have some help - a lot of help, actually. In addition to Willie, the lineup includes Elizabeth Wills, Lucky Tomblin, Nakia & His Southern Cousins, Carolyn Wonderland, The Gourds, Kelly Willis, Grupo Fantasma, Ruthie Foster, and Jimmie Vaughan. With a lineup like that, Sunday night alone could justify 16 years of service. To fit in such a lengthy roster, the show will be starting at 4 pm (doors at 3 pm) and going all night. Needless to say, tickets are going fast, so you’d best get yours here now.