If Terrence Malick was more of an extrovert – I’m sure he would publicly express pride towards this new music video. But, he’s a busy guy juggling production on the 5+ movies that somehow involve Austin music festivals.

The brand new Tree of Life style video works perfectly for Austin’s post-rock superheroes Explosions in the Sky! Heck, this video almost achieves the same sentiment as one of the top art house movie featuring dinosaurs of 2011! It’s no wonder because the video was directed by Malick’s cinematographer from Tree of Life Peter Simonite alongside Annie Gunn. Both are well known in Austin and beyond for being hotshots behind the lens and their meticulous style lends itself perfectly to the West Texas soft-loud-soft gods!

Featuring miniature glimpses into the Wonder Years era suburbs, plenty of cute kids and phantom camera technology, the music video for Postcard From 1952 from Take Care, Take Care, Take Care goes literal with a song without lyrics by showing fragments (or postcards- get it?!)  from a different time.  If you pick up this album on vinyl you are in for a treat! The packaging is sick.

Water just looks cooler in slow motion. Smoke just looks cooler in slow motion. And so on and so on and so on. Look closely and you’ll be rewarded with a dog wearing glasses. I’d embed it here but the Huff Po has an exclusive thingy that won’t let me. Check it out HERE! Enjoy!

A big juicy overdue thank you for everyone who help with the dayshow last week and to everyone who came and represented. Yes, that means you!

The performers were all incrediballz and I can’t be more thankful for their sharing of time and the talent!

TIGER WAVES entertained the slow waking brunch set with the jangly polyphoinic 6 person pop! It was my first time to see them live and they bypassed the high expectations that their recordings set!   NERVOUS CURTAINS jolted things into high-gear with their dark, proggy-Devo tracks.  They won for best merch of the whole week with their logoed prayer candles that came with an album download of the record!    ISAIAH TOOTHTAKER’s tattooed theatrics engraved the phrase #SXSWAVY into everyone with earshot’s subconscious for the week.  The Hood Internet was in the house and actually met Isaiah for the first time face to face at the show.  Tehir EP Toothy Wavy is going to be a top release of 2012.  Can’t wait!  BLEUBIRD played mostly gaiting gun speed rap songs from his latest opus Cannonball including a few tracks with his producer and hip-hop husband ASTRONAUTALIS. During the Miami-bassed out track Black Sandcastles the two took to the crowd for a healthy dose of booty bouncing with the fans. It was silly and it was awesome. Astronautalis closed out the afternoon at the highball with a full band behind him which featured new touring beat and sample machine Jel from Anticon records. This was Astro’s first of 10 shows over the next four days and the oomph and excitement to be romping on the magical sxsw grounds was certainly there as they cycled thru high-energy songs from This is Our Science and then rounding out the set with the more gentle tracks and even treating the crowd to and oldie and a goodie Seaweed Sheets.

Our friends at the internet’s BEST website Everything is Terrible were kind enough to provide us with projections to be played behind each of the acts and the combination was at times eerily perfect. A giant tip of the shades to those crazy pups!

BROOKLYN BREWERY’s flagship beer the Brooklyn Lager was the thing that most of the audience sustained themselves on for most of the day. Of all the dayshows with their free or cheap cans of swell beer is was so nice to be a part of one with quality brew!

HIDE & SEEK CLOTHING was out at the show in full effect giving out custom made pizza boxes (!!!) full of t shirts as door prizes. Those who won the door prizes were stunned with happiness! If you are wearing a shirt from Hide & Seek Clothing- nothing can go wrong.

I’m still a bit tired from the whirlwind week. I’d like you to remember the good times you had at the day show and plan on doing it again next year!

Check out all of the amazing pictures that Digital Cypher snapped of the day HERE.

SXSWavy yall!

Today is the day- the PartyEnds Dayshow 2k12 is upon us. Come to the Highball today from 1-6 to see some of the best artists in austin for the week TIGER WAVES, NERVOUS CURTAINS, ISAIAH TOOTHTAKER, BLEUBIRD and ASTRONAUTALIS

We’ll have amazing drink specials thanks to the fine folks at BROOKLYN BREWERY all day long.  We’ll have door prizes from the internet’s premier vendor of quality shirts – HIDE & SEEK CLOTHING. We’ll have complete fulfillment.

You can be damn sure that headliner ASTRONAUTALIS will be playing this rallying cry from the new album of the same name- This Is Our Science.  The music video for this immense track hit the internet a few days ago and I’m so thrilled with how it came out!  This is one of those “live footage” videos that if done improperly could have been a boring cliché- but, hotdang- this is not. It perfectly captures the charisma and the energy that Astro fans are addicted to. This video reveals a slice of the indie rap.  This Is Our Science manages to make both touring AND getting a haircut with Astronatualis look amazing. Smiles, veins , raps, whiskey and snarls. You must learn:

We’ve got his FIRST (and let’s face it- BEST) SXSW performance this afternoon at 5pm. Don’t miss it.  There is a facebook thingy for the show HERE. Tell your socials networks and whatnot yo.

It’s time to get excited about the big PartyEnds FREE all ages day show on Wednesday at the Highball.

Tuscon rapper and tattoo artist extraordinaire  ISAIAH TOOTHTAKER is gearing up for his new Hood Internet produced album with rapper Max B dubbed Toothy Wavy. We already showed ya the 90’s bikinied out video for Been Told but a NEW one just dropped and to get ya in the mood for the show on Wednesday let’s check out the vid for A Kingdom.

Max B + Isaiah Toothtaker – A Kingdom (Prod. by The Hood Internet) from ????? Bloglin on Vimeo.

This track is more sinister and more intense than the last and of course the video matches it perfectly.

Gritty Arizona motels, numerous neck tattoos, concentrated stares, giant cigar smoke, whiskey bottles, a ghetto blaster and more. It’s simple and effective. I’m happy to see such a departure from the first one because since every track form Toothy Wavy is getting it’s own video , it’s good to know that they are not ALL going to just be 90s VHS gems. Not that it would be a bad thing- but variety is always a good thing.  We’ll prolly post em all.

Come see Isaiah Toothtaker after TIGER WAVES and NERVOUS CURTAINS and BEFORE BleuBird and ASTRONAUTALIS all for free on Wednesday! Get some cold Beer from BROOKLYN BREWERY and maybe win some sweet prizes from HIDE & SEEK CLOTHING!

Ample Parking. All ages! Killer stage and sound! Bowling! Churros! Crazy video projections. Facebook invite thing HERE.

We try and stay up on comedy both locally and abroad and we can say with a straight face that this show is chock full of the next wave of comedians you’ll be in love with. These are the comics that your friends will all like in a year.   These are the next Azizs, Hannibals, Kinanes and so on. We are proud to slap our name on this as an officially sanctioned PartyEnds event not only because we love free next-level-type-shit indie comedy, but we also love free craft beer and this show has it all in spades yo.

This DISASTER COMEDY showcase features the best buzzy comics from NYC, some of which are here as guests of that big ol’ festival that everyone is excited about, as well as some of the best we have to offer from here on the home turf – one of which sings in the Riverboat Gamblers! The headliner is TJ Miller who I first saw in the AMAZING short film with Lizzy Caplan SUCCESSFUL ALCOHOLICS and since then have been paying attention to his comedy pursuits online. I can’t wait to see him live!  For free.  On Tuesday.  Disaster Comedy puts on radical shows like this all the time in New York and we are pleased as pie to help out with the bringing the chortles and snickers to the Lone Star State.

This show is especially special in that it marks the first time any of us will set foot in the NEW New Movement location smack in the heart of downtown Austin. So- as cozy and east as their current location is- we all must train ourselves to start associate 616 Lavaca with cutting edge comedy.

The show features the amazing comedic stylings of :

TJ Miller (from that movie CLOVERFIELD, and that television show Conan)

Eliza Skinner (Conan) While Skinner is in town she’s also teaching some workshops on musical improvised comedy at the New Movement.  That’s part of her “thing.”

Aparna Nancherla (Last Comic Standing)  SUPER good! I just recently started going thru her youtube videos and am all about em!

Mike Wiebe (Riverboat Gamblers) The owner of one of my favorite twitter accounts there is AND the singer of one of my favorite punk bands there is!

Chris Trew (The New Movement)  This guy just opened yet another comedy theater in the dirrrrty south- this time in New Orleans.  He is about to take his Air Sex tour back out on the road for a national tour.  He’s performing at the first annual Moontower Comedy festival. He is THIS close to being the owner of the Hornets.

Chris Rose (The Onion News Network) Chris Rose was one of standup comedy’s biggest enthusiasts and has now turned into an active participant.  In the process he’s co-founded the greatness of Disaster Comedy.  Rose is also a DJ and was last seen helping a bunch of SXSW interactive dudes and dudettes get footloose and fancyfree alongside in-the-know locals at the Shangri La at That Internet Party on Saturday night.

Jeff Tyc (Gotham New Talent) Another one of Brooklyn comedy’s rising stars telling us jokes in the great state of Texas.

Lindsay Schiffhauer She is also from New York City and they have tall buildings, subways and bagels there! She’ll tell us all about them!

UPDATE: OhmygoshyouguysBONUS! I just caught wind of a very special guest that Is going to be there – KYLE KINANE!!! I caught Kyle at the Mohawk as part of Hell Yes Fest back in April at the Mohawk and he blew me away. He is easily one of my favorite standups right now. Act like you know and be there for this.

Again – this DISASTER COMEDY show is FREE and on Tuesday March 13th at the home of the NEW New Movement space at 616 Lavaca St from 9-11pm. Forward thinking craft  bevereages is being provided by our dear beer friends at Ranger Creek Brewing and Distillery – what a treat you are in for!

Look- there is a facebook invite thingy HERE if that is your thing!

The FREE PartyEnds day party on Wednesday 3/14 at the Highball kicks off with a bang at 1pm with the only Austin representation on the bill- TIGER WAVES! These guys are easily one of the most exciting things Austin music has going for it right now and I was so happy when they agreed to play this lil show. I’ve worn their bandcamp page out and can’t wait to see them live. They’ve previously opened for the likes of Olivia Tremor Control and after Wednesday they’ll be able to truthfully say that they’ve also opened for ASTRONAUTALIS. Plan on coming to the Highball in to catch these guys at one pm, have an ice cold Brooklyn Lager and a plate of honey butter biscuits from the Highball kitchen! Come be amazed by the indie surf rock Phil Spector sound live in polyphonic living color!

For the full lineup of the FREE PartyEnds Day Show 2k12 click HERE.

MP3: Tiger Waves- Quebec

NERVOUS CURTAINS are coming down from Dallas to spook-out sxsw goers with their dark syncopations, challenging time signatures and abstractly cheerless lyrics. These guys are scary-good.  We couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to Austin and to see them on the Highball stage for the PartyEnds Day Show 2k12 Wednesday March 14th! Don’t forget that it’s FREE and ALL AGES!

Their sophomore album Fake Infinity JUST came out last week on Latest Flame records and is already getting great critical reviews. Check out the first video from the release below!

The reds, blacks, rabbits and weirdo sideshow images all artfully accompany the dancy yet gothy keyboards and drums. The tension of the scrambled video single plays in perfectly with the urgent and jittery angst of the song! I am absolutely buying the record on Vinyl on Wednesday- but if you can’t wait snag it online HERE.

Like the song?  Download the MP3 for FREE!

MP3: Nervous Curtiains- Wired To Make Waves

Want to read an awesome interview with the band from the Dallas Observer?  You should do that HERE.

Nervous Curtains play at 2pm on Wednesday the 14th at the Highball totally for free. They play right after TIGER WAVES. They play right before ISAIAH TOOTHTAKER, BLEUBIRD and ASTRONAUTALIS! While they play,  you can probably win a HIDE & SEEK CLOTHING door prize and enjoy some complex tastiness from BROOKLYN BREWERY! Won’t you join us. Look- there’s a facebook thingy HERE.

I am so ready for the new EP from incarcerated hippity-hopper Max B and the previously incarcerated PartyEnds Day Show 2k12 teammate Isaiah Toothtaker dubbed : Toothy Wavy! Yep, half of the record was recorded from within the big house and the other half was possibly recorded in Toothtaker’s personal tattoo parlor. With Max B previously from ByrdGang (it sounds like a long story….) and Isaiah Toothtaker coming correct from the prolific Machina Muerte crew the two are brought together in holy matrimony with the aid of the chilllllled-out production from Chicago’s the Hood Internet!

The album is coming out on the oh-so-hot-right-now clothing brand Mishka’s record imprint (which also brings us Das Racist mixtapes and 90’s jam collections from Mr. Ducker and Nick Catchdubs!) and is going to make for the smoothest rap album around! Did I mention that I’m so ready for it?!

Check out the VHS friendly music video below, it has lots of early-90s ladies wearing bikinis if that’s your thing and also some good looped footage of Jambi from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse! Each track on the EP comes with it’s own video so be on the look out for these over the next few months!

See Isaiah Toothtaker  give MORE previews of the release at 3pm on March 14th at the Highball for FREE as part of the PartyEnds Day Show!  He’ll be rocking it along with Astronautalis, Bleubird, Nervous Curtains and Tiger Waves! Look- you can say your attending on facebook!

Max B + Isaiah Toothtaker – Been Told (Prod. by The Hood Internet) from ????? Bloglin on Vimeo.

It is with great pride and pleasure that I announce the most super-fun day show party that just so happens to be the same week of SXSW. What an astounding coincidence!?

Wednesday March 14th 2012 from 1p – 6 pm magic will happen at the uber swanky Highball (1142 S Lamar Blvd) for locals and out-of-towners alike! Yes, ANYONE who likes free stuff (the show is ALL AGES!) is invited to come hang out and see some of the best musical artists in the world! Keep reading this with your eyeballs!!

1pm TIGER WAVES (Chicago/Austin) A Cosmic surf rock explosion! Epic pop music filtered thru a Wall of Sound and a haze of psychedelia! Surfs up!

2pm NERVOUS CURTAINS (Dallas) Pure minor key intensity from frontman Sean Kirkpatrick who also plays in the Paper Chase and on the studio recordings of all your favorite Astronautalis songs! The dissonance and tight shadowy textures result in intricate, distressed and momentous songs!

3pm ISAIAH TOOTHTAKER (Tuscon) A co-founder of the Machina Muerte hip-hop crew, this heavily tattooed rapper and convicted felon is going to help make this Wednesday afternoon as ill as possible. You’ll be hearing more and more about this dude in the next year as his new album produced by The HOOD INTERNET drops in May on Mishka Records. No promises – but there MAY be free neck tattoos in the parking lot after the show.

4pm BLEUBIRD (Fort Lauderdale) The Anthony Bourdain of rapid-fire indie hip-hop is riding the wave from his recent album release CANNONBALL, which is easily his most personal and awesome yet. That’s no lie. This guy tours non-stop in the Freeebird- a dreamy RV that doubles as a hip-hop venue! He’ll be performing on the stage and not in the back of the RV for this show but keep your eyes peeled for Bleubird around town playing to long lines of folks or in the parking lot of your favorite taco spot. It should also be noted that Bleubird also loves kitty cats.

5pm ASTRONAUTALIS (Minneapolis) The experimental-Americana-indie-rap balladeer will be blowing minds all over the place with his genre-bending songs and insane freestyle abilities. It’s hard to keep count of how many day shows Astro has played for PartyEnds over the year but I will say this- it is an honor that with his level of success he continues to remember us and rock the show with us. Astronautalis is my favorite living performer and if you want to have your jaw drop to the floor you should be at this show by 5pm.

We’ll have amazing drink specials thank to the fine folks at BROOKLYN BREWERY all day long. Anytime you see their logo on a flyer you know it’s a treat!

We’ll have door prizes from the internet’s premier vendor of shirts with sweet vintage motorcycles, elephants with long legs and crazy rams! That’s right- HIDE & SEEK CLOTHING is back this year to spread the hip love!

Won’t you ink us in to your busy schedules? We promise it will be worth your while!

There is a facebook thingy for the show HERE. Tell your socials networks and whatnot yo.

Indie rap’s supreme hetero-lifemates Bleubird and Astronautalis haven’t just been touring the castles and pubs of Europe the last 6 weeks…. For the past LONG time they’ve been working on Bleubird’s new album Cannonball. Yes, Astronautalis, along with Radical Face, did all the behind the scenes musical trickery in order to best showcase Bird’s hyper twisty, twervy and sincere lyrics. Its been a minute or two since his last album’s release because Bird has been criss-crossing the country non-stop in the Freeebird- a tricked out Recreation Vehicle that he lives in that also unfolds Optimus Prime style to be a mobile soundsystem! With this transformin’ road companion he saves money on Super 8s and can focus on rocking parking lots, basketball courts, front lawns- you name it! He technically is from Florida, but really- dude is nomadic.

The Cannonball lyrics are smart and the delivery is smooth and endearing. Above all- it is the real deal. Bleubird is a true bard. Good on Fake Four inc for supporting a worthy cause! There are a lot of flash in the pan folks out there in the game and if you ask anyone in the underground scene you know that Bluebird is genuine poet and not to mention a guy with a soft spot for kitties. As deep as Bleubird can go into metaphors upon metaphors, he can also make you crack a smirk with unbridled silliness- take for instance the Pitbull-infused fun of “Black Sandcastles” which has a MTV beach house funtimes vibe to it but is about oil spills.  Aware and fun- that’s the sweet spot!

To be fully entertained by Bleubird- you have to see him live.   The live show is where his charisma and personality shine. The new album is a document of his verbal prowess and a manifesto of politics, emotion and Italian family heritage and I can’t wait to see the songs from it in the flesh soon. Cannonball is packed with smart rhymes and gusto for life. Pick it up HERE and look for Bleubird live any chance you can.  Ok… fine.  I can’t hold it anymore.  Bleubird is going to be part of the PartyEnds Dayshow this March!   Full lineup announced SOOooooo0000oon!

MP3: Bleubird- Black Sandcastles

I love Houston rap. Woodgrain, purple drank, rapping about being friends with other Houston rappers, candy paint, grillz… all of it. I eat it up. It all can be traced back to the late great DJ Screw. But who has the time to collect all of the elusive Screw Tapes from Ebay or trunks in Houston in the 90s??

The dude behind DanEats (“Dan”) has compiled his 17 favorite chopped and screwed songs by the man himself and hosted them for you to download for free! What a guy! He poured thru over 200 Screw Tapes and over 2300 songs and whittled it down to what we have here a collection he’s dubbed Slow Leek. Featuring drapped up and dripped out versions of hood classics fromthe likes of Outkast, Eazy E, Notorious B.I.G., Bone Thugs, Juvenile, Too $hort, Twista and even Diana Ross!

Click HERE to download it.  Just like that!

DanEats episode two has some intense Mexican food cart binge eating! It is sorta like a hipster Man Vs Food. Watch the short episode HERE Time to eat !

(Image: Virgil Finlay – Strange Compulsion)

You know me as a big Hold Steady fanboy, I’ve got framed posters hanging in my house, I can pretend to air guitar all of Tad’s solos and you know… the lyrics have significant meaning to me or whatever. With the departure of Franz a few years back to go and pursue a solo career and then the release of Heaven is Whenever, the band’s sound had changed pretty significantly. So much so that the step of frontman Craig Finn to put out a solo record of his own actually makes a lot of sense. It’s a logical step for him to explore a little less rock and little more talk. Finn is a storyteller. Always has been, always will be. The poetic characters and chronicles in Lifter Puller and Hold Steady lyrics are identifiable even if you’ve never been in their situations. The dude’s got a gift.

The new record Clear Eyes Full Eyes is a collection of songs that Finn says “were outside of the norm for The Hold Steady, a little quieter and perhaps more narrative. I wanted to gain some experience and insight into the process of making a record by working with new people.” That desire to spread his wings outside of his Minneapolis hometown lead him down to the land of cedar fever and Lonestar beers – Austin! He recorded with producer Mike McCarthy who has his fingers in the bigger Austin namesakes like Spoon and Trail of Dead. McCarthy had the task of flushing out the anecdotes about other musicians and tales about hanging out behind bars with a full sound to envelope Finn’s just-right rushed vocals. The result is a treat. God bless the Hold Steady forever and everything that their members touch. Pick up the album online HERE.

Finn’s got a great little tumblr HERE!

STREAM on Soundcloud : Craig Finn- Honolulu Blues

(image: Daniela Bianchi in 1963’s From Russia with Love)

You know  Golden Bear. They’ve been putting out great records full of robust and perfect post-chamber pop (is that a thing?) songs since 2003. Every time they put out a release they grow more and more. Here on the new album Alive the drums are tighter and the riffs are proggyier. Each songs builds to a huge awesome release and the lyrics are some of the best yet. Overall- the music is sharp and beautiful no matter how you cut it. The latest C-Side Records album has me completely hooked. This is their third full length and it manages to incorporate just about every instrument that can be legally acquired in this day and age. The out-of-this-world arrangements combined with the airtight, HUGE vocal harmonies make for a truly excellent release.

Put this on and let the xylophone, synthesizers and marching band drums guide you to the perfect migas taco in east Austin. Let the smart lyrics and Blue Album guitar riffs steer you towards a great parking spot with plenty of time on the meter on Red River on a Saturday night. This is a seminal Austin album. Nah- this is a seminal 2012 record….. even though it came out late last year.

Frontman Chris Gregory and the boys have achieved something even greater than their polyphonic 2007 release To the Fartherst Star that set the bar high in the sky. The energy and musicianship is all wrangled expertly by Austin’s 2011 Producer of the Year – Good Ol’ Danny Reisch, who is also behind recent works from White Denim, Okkervil River, Shearwater and more. The new Golden Bear record is fantastic. Long live Alive!

MP3: Golden Bear- Who We Are

(Photo: Clara Bow from Paramount Pictures)

Wow, it’s been a long while internet. Is that a new haircut? What ever happened with that one thing? Are you all caught up on the BBC version of Sherlock?

After going this long without posting, it is difficult to get back into the swing of it. Austin has been in a weird state the whole year due to the loss of a dear friend to the music scene. It has been amazing to see the internet be used for good in the wake of her murder. The internet has been a great tool for memory sharing and for fund collecting. It’s been the first time I’ve relied on it so much as a device in this particular way. The ability to view so many acquaintances’ and stranger’s flickrstreams tagged with Esme, the outpouring of Spotify playlist transcriptions of mixtapes she made, and Facebook used as a place for mourning rather than for a survey results of which Game of Thrones character you most resemble; all of these things have made the blow something that many of us have been able to deal with together on the information superhighway. Thanks internet. It’s been a weird year so far. But it’s getting better.

So many more articulate and talented people that I have written memorials, set up webpages, recorded songs, and shared stories to help make sense of what happened, to celebrate her life, and somewhere in the there, hopefully help find a sliver of a lead to aid APD do whatever it is that they are doing about this.

I’ve written and deleted several versions of this post and ultimately felt the need to publish something before I get back to posting new local bands that I like or a rap music videos about cats. Esme seized the day and had the best possible attitude about life. I’m going to try to honor that as best I can. You should too.

Although Esme was a fellow die-hard Wayne’s World fan, the message I want to put out there now is from a different pair of rock music obsessed cinematic budz. “Be excellent to each other.” Look out for each other. Happy 2012. Party on dudes.

At last there is a complete definite version of the Beach Boys’ lost magnum opus SMiLE out just in time for the holiday season. But the fact is – all the Beach Boys super fans have already had their own version of this culled from sweet bootlegs for decades. There is a whole underground railroad of Beach Boys boys and girls that although have assembled their own track sequences and equalizations, will still buy the deluxe edition because BB fans have the “bread” for it. And you know: “black Friday”, “America” and all that jazz.

The Beach Boys are one of my favorite bands and have contributed some of my favorite elements to the current state of indie music and music in general. Really. That being said, I’m not interested in more material from them at this point. I am not impressed by outtakes where Brian Wilson trips into a mic stand or whatever. Like most complete box editions- it seems like pandering and a borderline pathetic attempt to make more money off loyal fans. Let’s focus on where their legacy is now with the sound of young Americans. Let’s focus on the relatively new Austin cosmic surf-rock band Tiger Waves. The group appropriately enough opened for Elephant 6 legends Olivia Tremor Control back in August and since then I’ve been sold on the group hook line and sinker. The two main bros behind the group are Reid Comstock and James Marshall and along with their group of merry men they are making some of the most interesting music out of Austin right now. They have silver-surfed past the download limit on their Soundcloud page which is a radical sign that the good people of the internet have take n notice of the radness that is Tiger Waves. Won’t you let this good band into your heart?

Jingling sleigh bells! Walls of sound! Endless summer fun in the sun when we need it most… the winter! Long live Tiger Waves!

Listen to all the golden neo-oldies on band camp HERE.

MP3: Tiger Waves- Fireworks

(Photo: Miss Speed Flash of 1945)

Seems like only yesterday that the Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup leaked and the universe’s jaws dropped and mindgrapes exploded at the glory of it. The scene was not unlike the end of Dogma … but picture Alanis Morissette with a gnarly beard. Now the time is approaching where the attendees of FFFF get to take Auditorium Shores out for a joyride of epicness. Not to mention the coolness that is FFFF NITES which is basically even more shows for FREE with a festival wristband. Music overload kicks off this weekend!  Okkervil River, Spank Rock , Big Freedia, Tune-Yards, Dan Deacon, Diplo, Bird Peterson, that comedian with the big hair and MORE will be carving Slayer in the collective wrists of all in attendance. Yes, tickets are still available and yes, it will be the best part of your November and possibly your year.  SNAG TICKETS NOW.

(Image credit- RCA ad from 1955)

Astronautalis will be rolling back thru Austin for the first time since SXSW when he graced us with the Texas debut of the full band incarnation at the PartyEnds dayshow and it is going to be a beautiful thing. Back at the familiar rambling grounds of the Mohawk, Astronautalis will be playing material off his STELLER new album This is Our Science, a record full of young lust and encyclopedic 5 dollar words all passionately stuffed down an ironically inked up Tom Waits throat . Read my take on it HERE. The record, put out by independent pusher of great indie hip hop everywhere Fake Four, is packed to the brim with the grimy blood, nitroglycerine sweat and tears for fears and features guest appearances by Tegan Quin (Tegan & Sara), Radical Face, Mike Weibe from the Riverboat Gambelrs and members of Midlake. But wait there’s more! P.O.S, Alias, Sean Kirkpatrick from Nervous Curtains/ Paper Chase, Doometree’s Lazerbeak and even the dude behind Wugazi. This is Our Science is an achievement in recorded sound and an achievement in life. And to think- the tour is stopping here in Austin on Thursday night and you can see it with your own two eyeholes! Tickets to the Mohawk.

Peep the rest of the tour dates and if you can – follow him across the country and get a trouble hunters tattoo.

Oct 20 The Mohawk Austin, TX

Oct 21 Rubbergloves Rehearsal Denton, TX

Oct 22 Fitzgerald’s Houston, TX

Oct 24 Masquerade Atlanta, GA

Oct 25 Handlebar Pensacola, FL

Oct 26 1982 Bar Gainesville, FL

Oct 27 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL

Oct 28 Club Firestone Orlando, FL

Oct 29 Swarm 666 @ Squegee Science Fort Lauderdale, FL

Oct 31 King’s Raleigh, NC

Nov 01 Milestone Club Charlotte, NC

Nov 02 Spazz Haus Greenville, NC

Nov 03 DC9 Washington, DC

Nov 04 Santos Party House New York, NY

Nov 05 The Fire Philadelphia, PA

Nov 06 Obrien’s Pub Allston, MA

#DancehallHornSounds

International rap super group Triune Gods’ first video from their debut album Seven Days Six Nights is for the song Same Train which has heart, soul and makes great use of Tilt-Shift photography. Director Naoto Amazutsumi shows off beautiful Japanese landscapes and railways and ultimately creates a relaxing near 7 min video that make you stop and smell the cross-cultural rap roses.

Triune Gods is a collaboration between Sibitt from Japan, Bleubird from anytownUSA and producer Scott Da Ros from Canada. My admittedly ignorant Texan ears hasn’t listened to a ton of underground Japanese hip hop but I was immediately struck with Sibett’s delivery and it’s pleasant juxtaposition to Bleubird’s verbal gymnastics, that leave the listener wondering where he sneaks in breaths. I can only imagine what non-English speakers think of his verse. They problably think he is one of the best MCs in the land of the free and home of the brave. They might be right. The universal connection that really helps carry the track all the way to world peace is from Da Ros who’s score is captivating the entire 6+min song. With two very different lyricists and one striking video, Triune Gods are a super-interesting project. Relax for a few minutes and check it out:

Triune Gods – Same Train [official] from Triune Gods on Vimeo.

Their debut album Seven Days Six Nights is out now on Japan based Granma Music Entertainment I’m not entirely sure how to order the CD in America but you can snag it on iTunes HERE

Upcoming tour dates

November 19: Tokyo, Japan at Kaikoo Popwave Festival
November 22: Shibuya, Japan at Club Asia
November 23: Nagano, Japan at Porky
November 26: Kobe, Japan at Taiyo to Tora
November 27: Osaka, Japan at Clapper

The best part about ACL weekend is that there is a alternative festival with interesting bands playing it called Ditch the Fest! Taking place in clubs all over downtown (with no mud to slosh in or $9 beers to buy) Ditch the Fest is the best $5 you can possibly spend. And get this: proceeds go to aid the wildfire relief efforts for Bastrop- how cool is that?

12 hours, 5 venues, over 75 acts, 1 moonbounce, kegs and kegs of free Shiner Bock, and enough puppets to ALMOST be annoying (but not quite…)

Check out the full line up HERE to map out when you’re going to see such great acts as La Snacks, the Sour Notes, Blue Kabuki, She Sir, Leatherbag, Butcher Bear and more.

The act I am most excited about performing is a solo set from John Congleton who also performs with the Paper Chase and the Nighty Nite. Seeing and hearing his twisted, lurid songs stripped down on an acoustic guitar is going to be an experience to behold. This is a real treat for the body, mind and soul. Believe. Long live Ditch the Fest.

Tim Kasher with a full band tonight at the Mohawk is going to keep the fine bartenders busy. With the catalogs of The Good Life, Cursive and even last year’s solo record the Game of Monogamy to draw from the show’s set list is sure to have the crowd enthralled and buying shot after shot of whiskey to set at the Omaha icon’s feet. Some songs will be fragile and intimate; others will damage throats with gaspy screams- they all will be full of self loathing and regrets about past relationships. As a songwriter, Kasher’s use of metaphor on top of metaphor paired with genuine emotional remorse has made for some of the most compelling songs to come out of the Saddle Creek label. A drunken story teller- not always placing emphasis on conventional songwriting standards such as “rhyming” – Kasher is able to explore the part of the night when the dive bars are kicking you out but not making you go home, exploring states’ tricky liquor laws, and much like the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn finds magic in the small things.

Needless to say, I am eager to see what the set list will be, but with all the amazing material to draw from it’s is going to be hard to disappoint Kasher fans. Oh- and the show is on the INSIDE stage so get there early. Get advance tickets HERE.

UPDATE: There is a new TOUR-ONLY EP called Bigamy that he’ll be performing songs from as well.

MP3: Tim Kasher- Monogamy