Austin Sound

You know how two people can listen to the same song and come away with two completely different impressions of it? It seems that this is especially true of instrumental music, just because there are words to hang your hat on and it just seems more naturally affective. But wow, we really have to say that Jeanne Hospod nailed our impression of the lead track for the Boxing Lesson’s new Fur State so precisely that it’s downright eerie! Tentacled dreamscape? Check! Ghost sperm? Check! Cats in a Topo Chico box! Triple check! Hospod, get out of our heads! So yeah, here is the first video for Fur State, an album that Paul Waclawsky and Jaylinn Davidson actually recorded back in 2004 when they first moved to Austin. It’s a bit different from the more full on psyched-out sound they’ve come to be known for since, but for being recorded in lo-fi mode on a 4-track, it’s also a nicely textured instrumental effort. There are no titles for the eight songs on the album, which might become somewhat awkward when fans start yelling for “Five!” at their shows. Perhaps we shall find out at the release party tonight at the Side Bar, which oddly enough the band does not seem to be actually playing, but rather having DJ Czech One simply spin the album? Weird, but ok. Listeners will also have a chance to hear some of the new tunes that the Boxing Lesson has been working on and that will manifest sometime next year on their upcoming album Possibilities. And oh, it’s a Halloween costume party, so be prepared! Here are some costume suggestions if you need them. Check out the video below:

Well, nothing about this sounds like fun at all. Devo guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh cut his hand pretty badly (”to the bone!”) and they’ve had to cancel their headlining slot at Sunday’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Bummer indeed. Of course, never one to pass up a social media opportunity, @funfunfunfest has been soliciting suggestions for replacements on Twitter. Next year, they should just let fans book the entire festival through Twitter and Facebook! We’re actually pretty excited to see who Transmission comes up with as a replacement - they’ve vowed to dole out the full Devo money in their hunt, and if we were going throw in our chips on anyone being able to pull a pretty awesome act out of their ass at the last minute, it would definitely be the Transmission folks. So the obvious question (other than what the hell are they going to do with all the misprinted posters now) is who do you want to see at take up the headlining banner at Fun Fun Fun Fest? Tix are also still on sale for both the full weekend and individual days, and though we were really excited for Devo, the rest of the lineup still remains damned impressive enough for us. Meanwhile, the countdown to find a replacement is on, as FFFFest deploys next Friday, November 5. Weird Al is going to have to seriously step up his game now, and this totally dashes our hopes of seeing a collaboration on “Dare to Be Stupid.”

Good southern rock comes across like gospel, the kind of thing that envelopes the listener with its own kind of special aura. And like gospel music, it may move you on record, but it’s best realized as a live experience that feeds on its own vibes. Which is what makes Deadman’s Live at the Saxon Pub such a thing of beauty. From the opening swell of guitars and swirling Hammond B3, “Brother John” sets a scene and a tone that overflows the humble settings of the Saxon. “Well I remember seeing you at the show, and what seemed like yesterday turned out to be a long time ago,” croons Steven Collins at the outset, and that timeless quality of the sound explodes the tunes, accented by the chorus of backing vocals that elevates the song into a classic mold.

Interesting news in this week’s Chronicle that Emo’s owner Frank Hendrix is looking to diversify and expand even more after his move in August to help manage Antone’s. Hendrix is apparently determined to not sit idly by and let the Emo’s brand be overrun by the encroaching yuppiedom of downtown development. He’s taken over the former Back Room on Riverside and is turning it into an adjustable venue that can accommodate anywhere from 300 to 1,700 fans. It sounds like a pretty sweet set up, with a planned restaurant, designated parking (what!) and laundry facilities for bands on tour (no word on whether Austin’s gangs of unwashed hipsters will also be allowed access). Right now Hendrix is calling the place “Emo’s on the Hill,” which hopefully will change, because that name is just awful. More like Emo’s Over the Hill! What’s more, after the venue is completed sometime next fall, Emo’s proper will be undergoing it’s own renovation of their outside stage, which may not even re-open as a stage. We’re guessing another restaurant? People in Austin are eating way too much - we say just pull in a food trailer and call it a day. Anyway, as we said back when the Antone’s partnership was announced, these are smart moves for Hendrix, and will hopefully help keep Emo’s from going the usual way of the best Austin clubs (that way being, of course, out of business). It’s pretty clear that in another 5 years (if that) Red River ain’t gonna be the bastion of underground music it once was, and we’re going to be seeing all kinds of venue gentrification over on the East Side, which is fine by us because going downtown is a pain these days anyway. So here’s hoping folks like Hendrix can help move the scene before the scene moves on them. Oh, and OTR also reports that the Emo’s crew is going to be taking over booking at Ruta Maya and another unnamed venue sometime soon, as well.

Oh yeah, these were definitely the girls that our mom warned us about. Destined to break our hearts, or just stab us to death. San Antonio’s femme fatales have a new CD coming out today, titled Adventures in Coverland, that collects the three EPs of covers that they released in the spring along with a few new tunes. We love the cover songs that they’ve been doing, especially as the trio doesn’t just cover the tunes, but rips them up with their own distinctively gritty yet seductive flair. Case in point is their version of “Walkin’ After Midnight,” for which they recently released a video directed by GiaC bassist Jenn Alva. It looks as if Alva may have taken some cues from Robert Rodriguez, who did their last video for Bowie’s “As the World Falls Down,” and also featured the Comas’ original “Yo Oigo” in his new flick “Machete.” You’ll be able to find that song on the new covers album, despite its not being a cover? It’s all so very confusing. Anyway, check out the pretty awesome video for “Walkin’ After Midnight” below, and catch Girl in a Coma here in just a bit as they play a Waterloo Records instore at 5:00pm today. Hopefully they’ll wreck the joint like they do in the video!

Well, we didn’t see this coming. A press release just dropped in our inbox informing us that the Sword’s drummer, Trivett Wingo, has quit the band, and that the metalsmiths are canceling their remaining tour dates. We guess after you’ve played the ACL Festival, what else is there to aspire to, right? Wingo’s leaving, according to the press release is completely amicable (but, of course, if it doesn’t say that then you’re doing PR wrong). It seems Wingo’s just exhausted and spent after hammering away at it for seven years. Fair enough, and those were some pretty crazy times! We suppose this means that there will finally be more opportunities to catch In Dudero, but more importantly, that the Sword is now looking for a drummer? Half the folks at Headhunters just ran home to make their audition tape. Read the statements from Wingo and the band below, which may or may not have actually been said by them, but were sent out in the press release.

The physical release of Sunset’s new album, Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too, comes out tomorrow as 2LP opus, and Bill Baird and company have offered up the lead track for download to celebrate. This follows on the heels of the previous two tracks released back in July, but seeing as how this will be Sunset’s 5th album in three years, which more than most bands put out in their entire career, the band seems to have plenty of tunes to share. The music in Bill Baird’s head must out, one way or another. The good news is that Sunset keeps getting better and better. The band just returned from a little west coast jaunt, but doesn’t currently have any homecoming dates line up that we can find. Download “Heavy Light” below, and order the album from the fine folks at Autobus Records here.

For all you folks who don’t have tickets to the Austin City Limits Festival (and if you were there yesterday, it seemed like everyone and their mother was out at Zilker Park, as ACL upped the capacity for the event by 10,000!), might we offer you this awesome (and FREE) alternative for your Saturday plans. [...]

Distortionist, the Murdocks’ first full-length album in half a decade, is a testament to the perseverance of frontman Franklin Morris and his cohorts. Labels (and label offers) came and went, bandmates came, went and stayed, songs and shows changed like the seasons - but Morris never got tired of sharpening his razored songwriter chops or buzzing guitar riffs. As a result, the Murdocks wound up creating an album that justified the overlong gestation and that many fans of mid 90s rock and roll will absolutely love.

Distortionist might actually be two separate albums disguised as one; or, at least it seems like two separate listening experiences and the band appears to have recognized this. Released on a single CD with a Side A and a Side B clearly labeled, the sixteen tracks are neatly split into two eight song halves – and those halves, while sharing a relative continuity – are definitely different beasts.

We’ve always wondered what it would take to get C3, SXSW, and Transmission on a single stage, and while we were disappointed that this afternoon’s event wasn’t a battle royal cage match, we do give two hearty thumbs of approval to the three biggest music forces in town (along with a number of other venues, musicians, and businesses) joining forces to help create the new non-profit Austin Music People. AMP will basically seek to be an advocacy group for the local music business, a pooling of resources and influence to help actually get stuff done for the local music scene. If that sounds a little familiar, perhaps it’s because it sounds a lot like the Live Music Task Force’s efforts to create a Music Department within the city government. In fact, former Task Force chair Paul Oveisi will serve as AMP’s first Executive Director. But as we all know, bureaucracy is not nearly as effective as lobbying, so hopefully AMP will have a lot more luck in asserting a music-friendly agenda. And with folks from C3, SXSW, and Transmission on board as inaugural members, there’s bound to be some VIP passes to hot events available for those influential city council members and state congressmen! Just sayin’. AMP will be out recruiting folks to join them at ACL, as well as Fun Fun Fun Fest, and next year’s SXSW and Pachanga! Fests. You can find out more info on their website, as well as sign up for their newsletter and become a member.