Austin Sound

Um, WOW. We have to admit that we weren’t expecting to wake up this morning to animated erections! (Ok, maybe we were, but that’s a different story). We were, though, really excited (not as excited as some, apparently) about the new animated video for the Boxing Lesson from their album Fur State. Like their earlier video, this one was done by Jeanne Hospod, and is pretty trippy and odd. Hell, we’re even a little confused by the video’s actual description: “Alien woman seduces hapless human male involving a very unusual flower.” Hahaha, hapless human males! Also, he should really have his penis looked at now, because we’re pretty sure it’s not supposed to glow like that. What the hell is going on here! Honestly though, the best part about this video is the end, when the hapless human male wakes up from his wet dream to three cats staring at him. Oh man, if we only had a nickel… Watch the video below, unless you’re at school or somewhere where it matters if someone thinks you’re some kind of pervert or something. The Boxing Lesson, first with the Furries, now this.

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:

The Boxing Lesson have been releasing a whole slew of videos from their new album Wild Streaks and Windy Days. The latest is a creepy animation for their Pink Floyd-inspired song “Dark Side of the Moog,” which seems to find our three local heroes abandoned on some prehistoric planet. Eric Power, who also provided the animation for the Lovely Sparrows recent “Year of the Dog”, is responsible for creating this dark vision for the Boxing Lesson. Check it out below.

It’s about time to start thinking about Halloween, and the Boxing Lesson have a new video to help you get in the mood. Using the song “Brighter” from the Boxing Lesson’s recent Wild Streaks and Windy Days, director Victor Yiu created the stop-motion animation from over 7000 still photos, and the jittery vibe helps increase the playfully eerie tone of the video. Watch below as Paul Waclawsky and Jaylinn Davidson go tripping through the graveyard!

The response to last week’s news that the Boxing Lesson’s drummer, Jake Mitchell, had been convicted on marijuana charges has been overwhelming and rightfully outraged, but we now have more details on his case and some important corrections to the original press release. Contrary to our initial information, Mitchell was NOT charged under the Patriot Act, and has not been branded a “narco-terrorist.” His appeal against his 60 month sentence and conviction for both manufacturing and conspiracy to manufacture over 100 marijuana plants is, however, focused on the questionable tactics by the Austin Police Department in pursuing their sting operation against Mitchell, namely the un-warranted use of drug dogs outside of the house and, as the ” target=”_blank”>Chronicle reports today, the controversial policy of the APD using utility information to spot potential illegal operations.

So, to be clear, Mitchell has not been convicted as a narco-terrorist, but his case still very much highlights the expanded and circumspect authority that has been granted in pursuing such convictions, as Mitchell mentions below. Mitchell begins his sentence next Wednesday, and appeal is pending, but you can show your support tonight as Mitchell and the Boxing Lesson play a benefit for Monkeywrench Books at the Carousel Lounge. We spoke to Mitchell yesterday about the situation, and excerpts from that interview are below.

Jake Mitchell, the drummer for Austin’s Boxing Lesson, was sentenced a couple of weeks ago to 60 months in federal prison on marijuana charges. What makes Mitchell’s case particularly unsettling is that he was charged under the Patriot Act and has been branded a Narco-Terrorist. The band went public with the details today as Mitchell prepares to begin his sentence early next month, hoping to raise awareness of his case for the pending appeal and help support him and his family as they have lost everything. And the details only get more distressing.

Earlier this year, the Boxing Lesson released their debut LP, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, which fulfills the promise hinted at on their previous string of EP’s with waves of dark, atmospheric rock and driving indie rhythms. Paul Waclawsky’s golden guitar tones dance close against Jaylinn Davidson’s synths, erupting in swooning moments with an experimental flair. Songs like “Hopscotch and Sodapop” bop with indie-pop bent, “Hanging With the Wrong Crowd” bleeps avant electronics into swaggering guitar, while “Muerta” and the epic 7:30 minute “Lower” floats like Pink Floyd. The trio manages to sweep elusively grand and powerfully direct throughout the album, moments of hypnotic shoegaze such as “The Art of Pushing Me Away” balanced by the infectious punch of “Dance With Meow” or “Dark Side of the Moog.” You can catch the trio live this Thursday, June 12 at the Beauty Bar with Zechs Marquise as part of the Suicide Girls Party.

3/25/08
This is what happens when furries attack. The Boxing Lesson’s new album, Wild Streaks & Windy Days, is out now, and they’ve put together this odd little video for the track “Dance with Meow.” Watch as your favorite animal friends get hammered at Trophy’s and proceed to ransack SoCo and Red River.

The video was directed by Matt Robertson of the Loyalty Firm. You can also catch the Boxing Lesson this Saturday, March 29 at Emo’s Lounge.

Tonight at the Parish, after nearly a year of recording, The Boxing Lesson are planning to unveil their debut full-length album Wild Streaks and Windy Days. With songs like “Dark Side of The Moog” it’s hard not to see the 70’s psychedelic rock influences, but The Boxing Lesson move beyond tributes and create a sound very much their own. The band has been living from EP to EP since 2003, so this release is well overdue.

Experimental Aircraft are headlining after The Boxing Lesson. Their latest offering Third Transmission: Teet Me On Echo Echo Terrace dropped just days ago. Opening the show are the socially-aware indie rockers The Story Of, whose album we checked out last year, and veteran instrumentalists My Education (check out their Sound Off Profile), whose new album Bad Vibrations is due this summer.

While the second track of The Boxing Lesson’s latest EP claims “Indie Rock is Dead,” the album does its best to keep the statement ironic. The band’s third release, the 26-minute Songs in the Key of C, is littered with small successes that offer up at least a bit of musical CPR to the supposedly deceased genre. It may not be divine resurrection, but it still gets your pulse thumping.

The Boxing Lesson has made a name for themselves by exploring genres without falling victim to any one style’s pitfalls. The first track, “Back from the Dead,” is a steady-paced rock piece with enough spacey synth to lend credence to the band’s self-professed new-wave leanings. “Indie Rock is Dead” hits slow and builds to a sonorous climax as vocalist Paul Waclawsky croons, “Its Rock 101.” The song may be a freshman composition, but simplicity never sounded so good. The backing vocals are crisp but not overly processed, and the very basic guitar parts keep the song from feeling overdone. Both “Rollerskate Suitcase” and “Climb the Ladder” have an ominous sense of urgency that, at the height of both songs, shows Indie at its most poignant. “Climb the Ladder” is subtly dark and perhaps melodramatic, but it lends a gothic feel to the album that seems to seep into the surrounding tracks. “Getaway Car,” the final track, is cohesive and beautiful, with overlaying guitar lines that are both sorrowful and suspenseful, making it a memorable send-off.