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RSSMartyrhead – July 23, 2010 – Hole in the Wall, Austin TX
Jul 23
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal No Comments
an energetic Motorhead cover band from San Antonio – could be just what you’re looking for if you’re looking for that sort of thing
The Fleshtones – July 14, 2010 – Waterloo Records, Austin TX
Jul 14
guaranteed, this band is quintessential garage rock, the definition of it – but their live show was kind of horrifying – really old men using the same-old ‘we’re-so-crazy’ rock star antics they’ve used for probably some 30-40 years now – one guy looked to have the same haircut he had in the 70s – jumping on the rails and running into the crowd is best pulled off by 20-somethings
David Rhodes House of Blues Boston June 26, 2010
Jun 26
David Rhodes, a recording and touring guitarist for Peter Gabriel for the last twenty-five years, played a thirty-minute solo set ahead of Cyndi Lauper at the House of Blues. The music was good, but the overall performance was a little awkward. It came across like Rhodes didn’t have any more of a clue what he was doing opening for Lauper than the crowd did.
The Ponys – May 28, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
May 28
Indie Rock, Psychedelic No Comments
[Chicago, IL] when I hear this band, I hear hugeness, stages, and screaming in my head, and I genuinely thought this band was HUGE – “Double Vision” is one of my favorite songs of the last few years and they sound HUGE and everytime one of their songs come on I think ‘I like this band so much,’ but the crowd was modest and they were just average joes – apparently, this is achieved through the use of voice echoing, distorted guitars, walls of sound, and good musicianship … it’s a little contrived but it’s pretty effective – in person, they’re difficult for me to describe – although I had them classified in my head as garage punk, in person, they made me think of hard shoegaze and indie rock – I don’t know… they were cute and that song inspires me everytime and their sound pleases me immensely even if it’s kind of cheating – I particularly like the guy’s voice and their psychy-pop ethic – plus a female guitarist, always good, and she was appropriately detached and cool without being a hipster at all
A-Frames – May 28, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
May 28
College Rock, Hard Rock, Punk No Comments
[Seattle, WA] so most of the bands tonight ended up being former members of the audience, easily identifiable since the audience started out pretty sparse – this band ended up being the guy next to me who had the shirt I was crushing on (‘No Trends’) and the guy in the ‘NoTV’ shirt – as you might expect, people who don’t believe in trends aren’t necessarily a lot of fun – the music was a distinct departure from everything else, no feedback and no distortion, just clanging slapping-your-face guitar, bass and drums – they intentionally chose notes that didn’t quite fit together and weren’t exactly rhythmic or melodic – more of a marching discordant sound – NoTV was the mid-40s bald-headed singer, and he sang spoken voice a la Henry Rollins – NoTrends was the bassist, proficient, but the theological ringleader from my perspective at least – the band was a cross between Primus and Cake but that’s making them sound better than they were – they were abrasive and unpleasant – so I was all prepared to give this band one of the worst reviews (at least for a group of good musicians) that I have in a long time, until they suddenly changed face and started playing faster and harder and were fantastic – so I conclude that they’re your average intently nihilistic hardcore band, who having aged, can’t turn to country or to writing ballads, so turn to slowed down hardcore that sounds like crap
Jeff the Brotherhood – May 28, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
May 28
Hard Rock, Jam Band No Comments
[Nashville, TN] a skinny boy flouncing around in the audience kept catching my eye because he was wearing ridiculously short retro (80s) basketball shorts with the upcut thigh and an old-school sports tank top – by the time he made it on stage there was a foxtail attached to his shorts – silly boy – so they started their set with silly boy on the ground playing guitar and enthusiastic Bruce-Springsteen-drummer on stage (thrashed his head in time with the drumming throughout the WHOLE of their set) – of course, the crowd was moved by this novel approach but their sound kept the crowd in their grip – it was kind of incredible – so intense and full, it seemed impossible that two people were making it – they were channeling the spirit of Tia Carrera (local psych metal band) but were far more upright and composed – they were, in essence, a garage jam band, but the one you wish you’d been – there was a lot of Black Sabbath riffing but, in the end, I’d classify them as a dark Cheap Trick – I predict that punk-power-pop is the wave of the future
Woven Bones – May 28, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
May 28
Hard Rock, Indie Rock No Comments
[Austin, TX] two skinny guys on guitars and a girl on drums – I enjoyed them but don’t have a lot to say about them – I guess they were garage punk but with shoegaze or noise rock overtones – music was minorly intense but felt simple – the bassist did go into nice groovy finger-intensive leads – what defines them to me is the intensity of their lead singer (on guitar) – he spent 10 minutes telling the sound man to turn up the monitors on the vocals and then harped on it in between songs too – amusingly, intense guy kept turning to the drummer girl to start songs with a 4-3-2-1 whatever and she (supposedly suffering from strep throat) messed it up like three times
Heavy Cream – May 28, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
May 28
Garage Rock, Hard Rock, Punk No Comments
[Nashville, TN] I liked this band, partly because I am a sucker for female bands (there was one guy (on bass?)) – so I kept thinking that they were a mix between riot girrrl music (Babes in Toyland) and retro-garage stuff like the Donnas but finally came to the conclusion that they were basically a total ripoff of The Runaways – the girls, very young, were in high-waisted shorts and ugly 80s ankle-boots – take note, little hipsters
Jerry Lee Lewis – May 8, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 08
Blues, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Rockabilly No Comments
[Louisiana – he might not live there now but he is forever Louisiana] Oh Jerry – he was the point of this whole weekend (for some of us) – sure I know his hits, but he was never momentous to me – I appreciate his music though and I appreciate his style, especially after weeks of tutelage in his finer moments – so I’m all amped up to see this wild-haired, piano-bench-thrusting guy who made 50s kids writhe like they were possessed, and I’m even prepared for the fact that he has aged since those days, but I wasn’t quite prepared to see a hunch-backed old man helped out onto the stage to sit on his piano bench, where he sat stiffly for the remainder of the show – a lesson in mortality, my friends: age will seriously tame even the wildest of us – where’s his 13-year-old cousin now? – anyway, he actually put on a great show – he can still sing and he can still play – the piano honestly sounded a little muddy to me at times, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen piano, boogie piano at least, live and maybe that’s just the way it sounds – by the late-middle of the show, he was cracking jokes with the audience and telling some rowdy little jokes and it’s clear he’s a man who has enjoyed his time in a serious way – despite that, he has been described as worrying more than other sinners over his post-death fate, what with his fundamentalist religious beginnings (and continuings possibly) which is a pretty fascinating way to have endured through life
The Supersuckers – May 8, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 08
Country, Garage Rock, Punk No Comments
[?] I am a fat sucker for this band despite their silly rockstar posturing – they act like pretentious partiers and play like rockers and it works – it’s the over-the-top tongue-in-cheekness of it that makes it hilarious and then suddenly I’m kind of believing it – even falling for the sexy LA sunglasses at night – plus, like other long-playing bands, they’re just so fast and professional and… tight (I don’t know another word for it) – they totally reminded me of The Hellacopters (I forgot they did last time too) which is such a good good thing – if you’re going to rock, then don’t mess around = garage punk
Rick Trevino – May 8, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 08
Country, Latin, Rock and Roll No Comments
[Texas] this band was all defamed before the show as a pop-country nightmare but they weren’t all that bad – upright quick-paced snare drum country with loads of Latin influence, particularly mariachi brass – none of us really liked him even so – and he won a Grammy too
Matt Hole – May 8, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 08
[Corpus Christi, TX] pretty standard hyped up rockabilly – sure it’s quality but I’ve heard it before and there are new things under the sun after 60 years [I think this review is more a result of my disregard than their musical quality b/c they sound a lot more interesting on myspace tonight than they did that night: psychedelic distortion!]
Buzz Campbell & Hot Rod Lincoln – May 8, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 08
[El Segundo, CA] pretty standard hyped up rockabilly – sure it’s quality but I’ve heard it before and there are new things under the sun after 60 years
Lee Rocker – May 7, 2010 – Revival Fest at The Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 07
College Rock, Jazz, Rock and Roll, Rockabilly No Comments
[California now] surprisingly probably my favorite show – former bassist of The Stray Cats – he conveniently played some of their stuff and then did a sort of homage to Sun Records’ musicians – while same-old same-old rockabilly bands get tiresome tiresome, hearing his very apt renditions of Stray Cats’ songs reminded me how un-same of a band they were – cool darkness, style, distinctive pacing with the bass lines – they were a great band and he translated that to us all by himself (with a backing band) – and then he reminded me, something I only learned upon moving to Texas, of the pivotal-ness of Sun Records’ musicians, a good lesson for any young person
The Blasters – May 7, 2010 – Revival Fest at Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 07
Country, Rock and Roll, Rockabilly No Comments
[LA, CA] I came into this show all prejudiced because Rockboy (a HUGE fan) links this band back to the 80s LA cowpunk scene and I hear their songs and get disappointed because to me the only thing punk about them is that they hung out with X and Gun Club – you know how people sometimes get confused when they love too much… anyway, their music was as expected, an slightly edgier rockabilly-tinged bluesy country rock with a slightly nutsy lead singer (less famous Alvin brother) – BUT they were just fantastic: guys who have played for so long and so often that they’re astounding simply because they are the definition of tightness – while Alvin was the supposed main attraction in his long red coat, I stared at the bassist and lead guitarist who strummed hard in perfect synchronicity with legs spread, no show, just business – they also had Nick Curran, a local growl-voiced blues singer recovering from tongue cancer, playing with them – he sang one song, his first since treatment, and it was inspiring and heartbreaking all in one
Two Tons of Steel – May 7, 2010 – Revival Fest at Nutty Brown Cafe, Austin TX
May 07
Country, Rock and Roll No Comments
[San Antonio, TX] we didn’t get to this band ‘til about their last song because of the multitude of logistical problems at this way too expensive little festival – regardless, all of the music was of high caliber – these guys seemed to be pretty standard country rock with some retro overtones – I did appreciate the lead singer’s rock leg kicks and flexibility
Darren Hoff & the Hard Times – April 2010 – Hole in the Wall, Austin TX
Apr 13
Americana, Country, Jam Band, Southern Rock No Comments
former member of The Weary Boys, a band that never impressed me as much as they did the general Austin populace – I wasn’t feeling moved by this incarnation until I realized I really liked them, I did – they’re founded in harmless country rock but there’s just enough Southern rock and jam band posturing to make them just up my alley
Still Time – March 20, 2010 – Flamingo Cantina, Austin TX
Mar 20
Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Jam Band No Comments
[San Luis Obispo, CA] no mystery here: boys in plaid shirts and worn jeans from a coastal California town playing party-time jam band country – I would assume, with my own prejudices and on the basis of the row of fancy guitars that outnumbered the people in the band, that they’re well off kids ‘dropping out’ for a bit before they become well-respected businessmen – they were fine musicians but just ordinary, singing songs about 12-pack time instead of 9 to 5 time – amusing part was the guy, who after dozing on the side of the stage before the show, transformed into the band’s showman, jumping into the crowd and then playing from the balcony… like a wicked evil badass
The Mighty Stef – March 20, 2010 – The Ale House, Austin TX
Mar 20
College Rock, Modern Rock, Rock and Roll, World Music No Comments
[Dublin, Ireland] average-joe middle-aged guys doing very enjoyable raucous rock that was a mixture of U2 and Irish pub songs
Girl in a Coma – March 19, 2010 – Buffalo Billiards, Austin TX
Mar 19
Hard Rock, Modern Rock, Punk No Comments
[San Antonio, TX] this was honestly the one show I felt ‘dragged to’ by Rockboy but it ended up being a top show – I am officially in love with the gorgeous Latina tattooed lead singer – I figured this out because she referenced him, but I think her voice is totally influenced by Jeff Buckley, both edgy power vocalists with lots of emotion – they’re an indescribable girl rock band – there’s pop punk in there, latin rock, and just plain hard rock – the bands you adore but can’t sum up quickly are bands that are going to endure– upon further research, the drummer is the lead singer’s sister and the guitarist is the drummer’s lover – because they’ve got the musical talent, the stage presence, the creativity, and the street cred that makes you wonder about them, they’ve opened for a lot and lot of verifiably huge bands – she referenced Jefferson High in a song and I fantasized that it was a poor inner city school but it’s a fine arts magnet school, which.. is.. fine.. – lastly, a woman whose name was indistinguishable to us at first, came up to accompany them on The Runaways “Cherry Bomb” – come to find out, it was a former member of The Runaways, Cherie Currie, which was exciting
Red Bacteria Vacuum – March 19, 2010 – Elysium, Austin TX
Mar 19
Hard Rock, Punk, Thrash No Comments
[Japan] top show – these girls, as go the Japanese, rocked hard and loud, but with verve and style and depth – the music would stop and shift up or down and then left or right – the vocals went from romantic gothic wailing to screamo screaming – dead ringers for Babes in Toyland which is a beautiful thing – amusing part was that they rocked smart and hard in little mono-colored t-shirts and crisp bobs – I adore this band
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club – March 19, 2010 – Habana Calle 6, Austin TX
Mar 19
Americana, Goth, Rockabilly No Comments
[Denver, CO] a top show – they were weird in just the right ways – their frontman was a white guy with a gold tooth, a baseball cap and thick-framed glasses – their guitarist and co-vocalist was a gothic man with slicked back hair and dark-rimmed eyes who made me want to laugh because he seemed to see the humor in being a gothic man – I had a bad view but there was an extremely short man playing a double-necked red velvet guitar and supposedly an old old man playing a lap steel – the more unremarkable bass player and drummer round up the group – just looking at them immediately made me think of Nick Cave and gothic country and rockabilly – and so went their sound, a gothic hyped up Americana with gospel influences – dynamic stage presence and a seemingly adoring fan base – the two vocalists together inspired all kinds of visions of debauchery – also got a visit from HBomb and TheSpunkyOne
King Louie’s Missing Monuments – March 19, 2010 – Beerland, Austin TX
Mar 19
Arena Rock, Pop, Punk, Rock and Roll No Comments
[New Orleans, LA] a band Rockboy discovered in SXSW research that led us to Jay Reatard’s tribute – they were described as an inspiration for Jay in the little pamphlet memorializing him – they were not Reatard-punk but totally illuminated his sound – they were perfect power pop with a punk edge and I mean perfect – they were a terrific band – the lead singer was a non-shirt wearing sweaty large man and it didn’t even matter – they were loud and fast and hard but had perfect melodies and lyrics and hooks – a top show
Earthmen and Strangers – March 19, 2010 – Beerland, Austin TX
Mar 19
Punk, Rock and Roll No Comments
[Tempe, AZ] a rosy light was cast over the whole day when we chanced upon a Jay Reatard tribute because of a band Rockboy wanted to see – this band was verbatim Reatard-punk (I’m making it an official genre to save energy) and thus very good – supposedly one of their members was also in Lost Sounds (my favorite Jay band) and Destruction Unit (a band Jay produced) and is also a member of Tokyo Electron
Lullabye Arkestra – March 18, 2010 – Red 7, Austin TX
Mar 18
Garage Rock, Hard Rock No Comments
[Toronto, Canada] hardest garage band I’ve ever heard and I’m sure they’d take that as a compliment – so loud it was painful but they’d probably take that as a compliment too – thought the sound system was causing the feedback and fuzz but they sound about the same on MySpace – two men and a woman – they’re good but earplugs required
Miss Derringer – March 18, 2010 – Prague, Austin TX
Mar 18
Country, Lounge, Rockabilly No Comments
[Los Angeles, CA] small hot blonde woman in weird strappy red and black corset outfit singing in a strong voice to music that revives rockabilly, country and lounge sounds in a moderately punked up style – although she spent half of her show pouting and cooing, Rockboy did not find her pretentious or disingenuous
The Black Angels – March 18, 2010 – Mohawk, Austin TX
Mar 18
Arena Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic No Comments
[Austin, TX] we first saw them at a little record store, I love their recorded music and seeing them all big fancy band was exciting – I know the lead singer was posturing in his dark sunglasses but he deserves to with his big sexy voice – they do dark shimmering psychedelic blues rock that reminded me of a much slicker Brian Jonestown this time – they’re gorgeous
Digital Leather – March 18, 2010 – Beerland, Austin TX
Mar 18
Punk, Rock and Roll No Comments
[Yahama, Nebraska though I swear he used to be from Arizona] this was very confusing as the band sounded nothing like what I knew and loved by Digital Leather but sounded all like Jay Reatard, even down to the singer never revealing his face what for the hair in his face – only difference was his voice wasn’t as schizophrenic as Jay’s – then I remembered Jay Reatard produced Digital Leather – this was the beginning of a string of Reatard-themed events – I know their original material was pretty explicitly homosexual and I think the bassist and guitarist kissed mid-song but there was no reaction in the crowd so maybe I was hallucinating
Dengue Fever – March 18, 2010 – Flamingo Cantina, Austin Tx
Mar 18
Jazz, Prog Rock, World Music No Comments
[Los Angeles, CA] this band was at the top of both Rockboy and my’s list and we were not let down – traditional Cambodian pop vocals backed by psychedelic jazz rock – a great concept well executed by a very appealing band – I was especially a fan of the extremely tall man on bass guitar and the long-bearded man on guitar – the band had a charming air of authenticity and exotic mystery, with the men dressed like shabby serious musicians and the little lead singer in a cheesy but quaint Vegas call girl outfit: short black dress and black stilettos, both of which had diamondy attachments – they even managed to make throwing piles of glitter during key points of songs genuine and naïve rather than contrived
Plants and Animals – March 18, 2010 – Lovejoy’s, Austin TX
Mar 18
Indie Rock, Pop, Psychedelic No Comments
[Montreal, Canada] repetitive lite indie rock band with psychedelic touches – I was unmoved but may have been the setting because they’re pretty easy on the ear as per myspace
Turbo Fruits – March 18, 2010 – Lovejoy’s, Austin TX
Mar 18
Hard Rock, Punk, Rock and Roll, Southern Rock No Comments
[Nashville, TN] hard tight punk ‘n’ roll with a swampy influence – great
The Lords of Altamont – March 17, 2010 – Habana Calle 6, Austin TX
Mar 17
Garage Rock, Hard Rock, Punk No Comments
[Los Angeles, CA] I found them through internet radio stations (“Action” and “The Split”) and was pretty excited to see their show – it was immediately apparent that the five guys milling around in long lean black jeans and black pointed boots and black shirts were “The Lords” – their dress code was simultaneously hilariously and effective – as was their music… sleazy fast garage punk with big-drama vocals… love them – Rockboy heard the Fuzztones in them and it was (sketchily) confirmed that there is a former member of both The Fuzztones and MC5 amongst The Lords – and, the sullen girl on the sideline with long black hair and long black boots and a long black coat jumping to stay warm transformed into a jumping go-go dancer with tremendous breasts only restrained by a black bikini once The Lords got on stage
