Party Ends

(please don't sue me Annie Leibovitz, it's just such a cool picture!)

   It's about time you lazy S.O.B! Ryan Adams is finally putting out a new record after, what is for him, a pretty lengthy break. The prolific (understatement) singer-songwriter we all know and love (to hate, to an extent) has announced a final track list for his follow up to 29 and, one of my favorite albums of all time, Jacksonville City Nights; culled from over three thousand he has posted over the last year or so on his site. After getting around a little with greats like ol' Willie, I guess he descided it was time to get back to business. Check out some of the tunes and check back at Party Ends for updates; we love the guy. At 13 tracks, Easy Tiger will be available June 5th.

Stream: Ryan Adams - A New Day

MP3: Ryan Adams - A Kiss Before I Go (live)

Continue reading for the track list.

Posted by partyends at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

   You know how you just keep listening to Neutral Milk Hotel and try to fill that void with other acoustic rock that had heart and edge? Well, The Lovely Sparrows are a downright excellent entry into the Texan-Jeff-Mangum replacement contest. The group makes for a startlingly good live rock and roll show, with up to seven folkies on stage, and they record wonderful songs that can be relistened to over and over. The more that is going on musically, the more interesting it is, according the Polyphonic theorem. The Lovely Sparrows take the Okkervil River and/or Decemberists formula of lots of instruments that go from minimal to gigantuaran in a matter of bars, and excel at it. The control they display on their newest twenty minute hand screened EP – Pulling up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint is exactly what that vein of music should be doing: showing range, being smart, being pretty, and being rugged all at once. The soft galloping drums, flute, mandolin, handclaps and above all the lyrics that take some paying attention to- make for a good, dense showcase of songs.  All five tracks are completely solid. The Lovely Sparrows, Voxtrot, the Laughing, and the Always Already have all put out some of the best EPs as of recent times, and they are all from my Barack Obama loving town of Austin. My heart swells with pride.

Cheers to Abandoned Love Records for consistently putting out quality albums.   

Look for the Lovely Sparrows out and about during SXSW and add them on Myspace HERE. 

MP3: the Lovely Sparrows – Chemicals Change 

Posted by partyends at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   Dear God, why can't I seem to get these songs out of my head? No matter how much other stuff I listen to lately, I just can't seem to shake the infectious pop ditty's of Sweden's Suburban Kids With Biblical Names from my throbbing gray matter. With a lineage of mishmashed influences from They Might Be Giants to Euro-Techno to 60's-70's Xanadu-Esq progressions, along with a reckless abandon of almost all convention when it comes to instrumental pairings and song structure, it's a testament to the magic in these musicians that the music didn't just turnout as a jumbled mess of omnichords and banjos; strangely, what seems to draw me into the music the most is that the entire record feels as though it's on the verge of doing just that. Every song has that home-made feel (due, I'm sure in part, to the fact that they recorded most of it in the house of one of the duo's parents), with the self-taught charm of your high school rock band, and many consist of layer upon layer of drum machines and vocal harmony seeming as though it's all about to topple over in it's own momentum, like running with a twenty foot stack of plates in your hands.

   Their recently released full length, #3, is a masterwork in 'overdoing it' the right way. In anyone else's hands, such a big sound would probably come off as too much, but the lo-fi recording and the non-traditional voice of Peter Gunnarson just make you happy that very little restraint seems to have gone into the songs. And, due to the instrumental efforts of Johan Hedberg, everything on the disc only helps to ingrain the remarkable hooks into your very soul, when so many records muddy the melodies with layers of strings and guitar riffs, everything on #3 seems to be rhythmic and driving. That's not to say that there is no subtlety on the record, there are some nice lazy numbers in there, as well as lots of bits you won't catch until you have listened to the songs many times over, but there is an energy to every note, even that distant glockenspiel.

   All in all, I think this record is solid, original, and a great first album from some guys who have the potential to become something great in the near future. I expect that their next album will have quite an impact, but for now, check out these tracks, buy the CD, and try to appreciate the fact that perhaps no one, in the history of music, has used a kick drum sample quite as prolifically as these two young men.

MP3: SKWBN - Loop Duplicate my Heart

MP3: SKWBN - Rent a Wreck

Posted by partyends at 09:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   The internet is replacing everything. From You-Tube to black market pharmaceuticals many of our conventional methods of receiving goods and information are being replaced by this one multi-faceted resource. Radio was at the forefront of this substitution revolution years ago, with themed stations and homespun programs popping up all over the place, the ham radio'ers dream, you could now listen to a station with programs about proper iguana care or a station entirely devoted to Viking Metal. The possibilities were endless, but was anyone really using it to make good radio? Lets be honest; how many of us really listen to internet radio all that often? Me neither. Well, it's time to start.

   Finally, a radio station for people who like good music, don't really want to download pod-casts, and can only guess at the macabre, unholy origins of Clear Channel: Viva-Radio. Now, there are probably other stations out there in the world wide web that do something similar, but I doubt any of them do it this well. Inundated with style, accessibility, and a sense of humor, the station pulls together musical taste into talent pool from which they pluck hot new jams and classic gems alike. With time divided between such taste-makers as Ben Fong-Torres, Brendan Timmins, and L.A. Record, the shows offer up great sets along with all the info you need to find more music by any artists that you like. And, if your not enjoying the particular show that's on, just pop over to Viva-Mix, with a random play-list of tracks from the stations recent past, there is sure to be something for everybody.

   If you needed any other evidence that this site is pretty damn cool, know that it is the official soundtrack for American Apparels worldwide, played in every store, and there is even a link strait to Viva-Radio from their web site. Recently my wife heard the phenomenal Car Stereo (Wars) mash-up Ghostface Observatory pump through our local AA (which is fucking' cool, since it's in all the other ones too). That said, give it a try and I think you'll enjoy what you hear. There are also really wicked tee-shirts available from the site too (American Apparel, of course), so check those out. 

Stream: Viva-Radio

Posted by partyends at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   ... but just in case you didn't, here are the two great performances by everyone's favorite gloomy joy-bringers The Arcade Fire on Saturday Night Live this last weekend. Unfortunatly we were unable to see the occasion live, what with the smash-hit we threw with Green Potato Ventures at the Midlake after party on Saturday night. More on that later this week, but in the mean time, check out these songs. So good.

Video: The Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running

Video: The Arcade Fire - Intervention

Posted by partyends at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   It is time! The Laughing have cometh, and the rocking shalt be delt out to the mulitudes. TONIGHT! Along with Dallas' own Prayer for Animals, and Austin's the Lemurs, this city will not be standing come daylight. Our most favoritest Dj ever, The Flashligh Party will also go forth to shake the earth with a great vynil fist accompanied by the special guest DJ Leeds (AKA- Eric from Midlake).

   As it's an afterparty for Midlake, you can get in for FREE with a ticket from their show down the street, otherwise it's a mere $5 per 21+ and $7 for 18-21! Thats the goods right there! Doors open at 9pm and close when the earth implodes in an apocolyptic sea of fire and break-beats. So don't miss out. Tonight at the Cavern, 1914 Lower Greenville. Bring your friends!

Brought to you by Green Potato Ventures and Party Ends!

MP3: The Laughing - Wearing the Colors

MP3: Prayer For Animals - Reaper

Stream: the Lemurs

Posted by partyends at 10:17 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

(I found this picture while searching for photos of the group, I think it's a quilt!)

   Recently my lovely wife turned me onto this track by a duo out of Los Angeles by the name of The Bird and the Bee. Apparently causeing quite a buzz (no pun intended, sort of) on the Internet, and they have the blogosphere in a bit of a flutter (OK, reaching for a pun there). Front-woman Inara George has already seen some success with a solo career, releasing an album entitled All Rise and featuring a track on some show by the name of Grey's Anatomy; Greg Kurstin has worked as an instrumentalist and producer with such heavyweights as Beck, Lily Allen, Robert Moog, The Flaming Lips and Peaches. Quite a pair, the song is from their recently released self titled The Bird and the Bee, a followup to their somewhat underground success Again and Again and Again and Again. They will also be touring around the UK in the near future with one of our favorites, Lily Allen.

MP3: The Bird and the Bee - Fucking Boyfriend

MP3: The Bird and the Bee - Again and Again

Posted by partyends at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Tonight at the illustrious Club DeVille, home of Austin’s strongest drinks and best patio-encompassing wall to talk about scaling while drinking said strong drinks- Misprint Magazine  is hosting the best idea I have ever heard.  A night of facial hair! The festivities include bearded comedy hosted by local yuckster Matt Bearden, Facial Hair contests, and the best part live toonz from a real life ZZ Top Cover band Sharp Dressed Men, who have real life ZZ Top beards!  Stay Gold will be providing the prerecorded beard rock on vinyl and on laptops thru out!

   All my bets are on Grant, the drummer from the Laughing, who is a shoe in winner for most of the categories unless some dark horse competitor comes out of the wood work.  Other contenders include that tall guy who bartends at Emo’s and the Drummer from the Invincible Czars.  Is it illegal to place bets on this shit?

   For those who will be competing in the various categories: Gnarliest Beard, Sweetest 'Stache, Fiercest Chops, Best Groomed Beard, Freestyle Facial Hair, and Ladies' Division; I wish you all the best of luck.  Please don’t make fun of my inability to do anything manly, especially grow facial hair.    

See you at Club Deville around 9pm!  Misprint shindigs never fail!   

MP3: ZZ Top - Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers

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   It's like I always say: this coming Saturday Feb. 24th at the Cavern  Green Potato Ventures and Party Ends present to you The Laughing, Prayer for Animals, the Lemurs, and the Flashlight Party as well as DJ Leeds (Eric from Midlake) is worth all the golden eggs in the world. This is a Midlake after-party, so you get in for FREE with your ticket from the Midlake show, otherwise it's a $5 cover for 21+ and $7 for 18-21. Doors are at 9pm, so don't be late, and you will all live happily ever after.

Posted by partyends at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

   Austin is the home of many creative people: musicians and painters, directors and hairstylists, and to a surprising degree, fashion designers. The DIY movement of the last few years, combined with the ingrained creative flux flowing from the minds of Austin's youth has created a community of designers and retailers who are innovating and restructuring clothing sales on a growing scale, and a lot of what is going on is happening on one of the best streets to shop in all of Texas, South Congress.

   At the forefront of this new breed is the tasteful, hip, and modest Parts and Labour. Nestled into the cheese-ball Tejas memorabilia shops, and the sickeningly overpriced southwestern arts & crafts stores is a little storefront connected to a gaudy/cool vintage shop that caters to not only casual passers by, but the destination shoppers of home made/independent minded wearables and products.  

   "P&L confidently maintains over 100 labels, representing 200+ creative Texans. Their work ranges from silk screened t-shirts to elaborate jewelry, reconstructed vintage clothes to handmade soaps, children's wear, and more. Not only is P&L intended to showcase Texas talent, but also to illustrate the many benefits of handmade goods." - from the P&L Myspace.

   Now Parts and Labor are officially celebrating their 3rd year of being open to the public tonight and would like to heartily invite each and every one of you to come by and help them kick off another year of doing something right. Tonight is the night, 9pm, so everyone in Austin and beyond should come and pay their dues at the Side Bar, 602 E. 7th St. in Austin, and have a little crafty fun.

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   Also, don't forget, all you Dallas kids and grownups too! Fun for all ages will be had this coming Saturday Feb. 24th at the Cavern when Green Potato Ventures and Party Ends present to you The Laughing, Prayer for Animals, the Lemurs, and the Flashlight Party as well as DJ Leeds (Eric from Midlake) ready for full dancing action! It's a Midlake after-party, so you get in for FREE with your ticket from the Midlake show, otherwise it's a $5 cover for 21+ and $7 for 18-21. Doors are at 9pm, so don't be late. This is a landmark show as it's the first time The Laughing has played outside of Austin, the first step to their world domination. 

Posted by partyends at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   It's been a while boys, and things have changed. No longer do your soft melodies seem out of left field along side your stabbing, airy synths- your name just won't sound all that weird anymore- and people will probably finally notice that when Sam Prekop isn't throatily crooning over your music, they might as well be listening to a Stereolab record. But even in this perfect future metropolis we have built in the four years since your last album, some of us will no doubt love you still.

   2003 brought us The Sea and Cake's last album, One Bedroom, a snyth-pop gem (one of many released through the 90's and into the new millennium), solidifying their place forever in the hearts of young and old music lovers alike. Between the catchy hooks, ahead of their time sound, and subtle, powerful, brilliant lyrics lurked the makings of a band that could someday erupt from their sleeper-classic prison to take over the world; and that day could be here soon.

   The much anticipated new record from this Chicago quartet (man, they raise them right up there) is on the not so distant horizon, and Everybody doesn't pull any punches. Deviating little from their successful thus far formula, they seem to be sharpening their sonic blade to create the most finely tuned and efficient musical weapon in their already intimidating arsenal. The record is due out May 8th on their hometown label Thrill Jockey. Check out this track and then go buy all the old CD's at Half-Price Books, because they are great.

MP3: The Sea and Cake - Crossing Line

Posted by partyends at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

   Awesome Cool Dudes impressed with high-pitched vocals, lap steel guitars, and an amazing Traveling Wilburys cover. The band was able to bring their novelty synth rock to the masses, playing to an audience of fans and many who, after regaining their senses, left with quite a new found story to tell friends who weren’t there: “it was this band. and they like… wore basketball warm up jerseys… it was pretty cool…”

   I saw Til We’re Blue or Destroy at the devastatingly successful the Laughing album release last week, but at their Draft Sessions show the band was given plenty of room to spread their 8 person roster so they all could have room to get into their set, and even have a light or two aimed at them. TWBOD should only play where they have this luxury because the difference is amazing. The band was noticeably happy with the way the set was going, even when one keyboardist ran to the bathroom during a song and made it back just in time to sing her verse.  The reverberations of vintage keyboards and two (count ‘em- two!) drummers off the multiple tanks in the brewery made the group sound exceptional.  I can’t wait for their album to come out!  It’s just a matter of time with these guys…. 

   DJ Orion and Jazz One did what they do best and keept things trill nonstop.  Their radness was subtle in that the brewery never erupted into a full on dance party… but thanks to these guys the urge was palatable on the minds of everyone there, young and old alike.  

(Awesome Cool Dudes)

   Thank you to everyone who made it out and we will keep you posted here at Party Ends on what will be occurring for Draft Sessions over SXSW next month.  Keep your eyes and ears peeled for all sorts of Party Ends madness over that fateful week in March.  Also- for you Dallas folks- don’t forget that this Saturday is our first contribution to the opportunity for fun and debauchery in the DFW area.  Click here for what you should do this Saturday night- clue: it involves Austin’s best new band- the Laughing!

   See more photos of the February Draft Sessions!, Til We're Blue or Destroy and Awesome Cool Dudes here!

Posted by partyends at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

   We told you before about the currently running Spin band of the year contest, and we hearily endorsed the Silent Years for the win. We love the these guys, and we're looking forward to seeing them play next month at SXSW (they might even be playing a day party or two- wink wink, nudge nudge). And so, we ask that you surf on over to Spin.com and lend them a helping cyber-hand (picture a Powerglove(tm) if it helps).

   As a thank you for your vote in this oh so crucial round of the competition- the band is giving away a copy of their excellent self titled album to the person who votes the most times (for Silent Years, of course), and a free song download to any and everyone who votes even once. That means you.

   All you have to do is click the link below, vote, and then forward one of the verification e-mails you get from SPIN.com to votetsy@gmail.com. Include the number of times you voted, and the e-mail address you would like to receive your download at, and that is the that.

Round three voting ends at noon on the 21st so act fast! Click here to vote!

Posted by John at 03:27 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by partyends at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Tonight is the night for independent music and independent beer! Come check out Awesome Cool Dudes and Til We’re Blue or Destroy ! We are proud as punch to donate a good portion of the proceeds to charity! And what a charity! The Groundwork Music Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing weekly music lessons to young children with the aim of helping them reach their full potential. Who knows, these kids could grow up to be the next Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah!

   Come out early to catch Awesome Cool Dudes at 8:30 pm. These Furniture Records rockers love their NBA, Casio, novelty, and good beer.  Stay late for Til We’re Blue or Destroy at 10:30 pm; their HUGE multi-instrument sound coupled with the brewery tanks’ reverberations is not to be missed.  DJ Orion of Raw Word Records is spinning between sets.

   Draft Sessions is proudly coordinated and sponsored by PartyEnds.com, Independence Brewing Company, Raw Word Records, Inside Productions and Groove Labs. 

See you tonight!!! Check out these sweet tracks in the meantime!

MP3: 'Til We're Blue or Destroy - All Shook Up  

MP3: Awesome Cool Dudes - Fruit Smoothie

Posted by John at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   That's right Dallasights! The Laughing are finally playing their first show not in Austin, it's going to be right here in big D, and they are bringing some killer friends along. Our boys in blue (and white) will be gracing this official Party Ends sponsored show along with locals Prayer for Animals, Austin's the Lemurs (who played at our launch party last Summer), and the whole ordeal will be lorded over by the masterful sonic hand of the Flashligh Party's block breakin' beats. And if that isn't enough, we will also have a special guest DJ: Leeds, AKA- Eric from Midlake.

   The event is an after party for the show that will be going down just blocks away at the Granada Theater featuring some of our other local favorites Midlake, as well as Tacks, the Boy Disaster (who also played our summer launch party), and St. Vincent. To place the proverbial cherry on this musical bananna split: if you have a ticket from the Midlake show you get in for FREE! (as if $5 isn't reasonable enough). So, basically, if you don't come to this show: "what the fuck?"

   John and I will be in residence and we look forward to seeing each and every one of you there. Saturday, February the 24th at the Cavern in Dallas, FREE with ticket stub, $5 otherwise, 18+, doors are at 9pm. Seriously! Come on!

MP3: The Laughing - Wait Until He Roars

MP3: Prayer For Animals - Reaper

Stream: the Lemurs

Posted by partyends at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

   Me and Bill, we go way back. All the way back to high school when I stumbled onto a beat up copy of Rain on Lens at the pawn shop, woozy with gasoline fumes. Back to when there were still perenthesis on Smog, before Sigur Ros made them hip. I fell for the old man voice emenating from that sincere boyish little body, the anvant-garde ambiguity of his lyrics, and the sheer, unrelenting darkness of the overal tone of his music.

(it's funny cause this is a pretty old picture, but he still looks and dresses exactly the same; looks and dresses like a badass, that is)

   Well, I don't know if it was Al Gore, that little elf girl he hangs out with all the time now, or the sun shine of his new hometown, but now Austin based Callahan has completely dropped the Smog moniker and is releasing a full album, Woke on a Whaleheart, using just his name and a whole bunch of love. Due out in April on Drag City, I know John is as excited to see where all this funny business is headed as I am. So mark it on your calendar and keep your ears to the ground, gang for anything new, though what you hear will probably sound something like this:

MP3: Bill Callahan - Diamond Dancer

Or even this, though I just put it here because it's totally awesome:

Video: Smog - I Feel Like the Mother of the World  (featuring Chloe Sevigny not giving a blow job)

Posted by partyends at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

   Ahhh, February. A month that provided me with the beginning of 16 consecutive new Lost episodes as well as the arguably equally exciting new John Waters compiled CD entitled: “A Date With John Waters”. 

   This is his second attempt to spice up an otherwise redundant holiday (see also A John Waters Christmas) and both have been a huge success in my book.  The disk begins with the music from one of the best scenes in the Jerk where Navin and Marie are singing and playing the banjo on the beach – “Tonight You Belong To Me” by Patience & Prudence.  What a great song. Its short and for my money I could listen to a version of the song that was longer…opera long.  They could make a Broadway musical with fucking Andrew Lloyd Weber based around this song.  It would do better than the horrible High Fidelity Musical. Anyway after that amazing banjo scene, the two are in bed and Maria is asleep and Navin says:  

   “I know we've only known each other four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days. And the third day seemed like a week again and the fourth day seemed like eight days. And the fifth day you went to see your mother and that seemed just like a day, and then you came back and later on the sixth day, in the evening, when we saw each other, that started seeming like two days, so in the evening it seemed like two days spilling over into the next day and that started seeming like four days, so at the end of the sixth day on into the seventh day, it seemed like a total of five days. And the sixth day seemed like a week and a half. I have it written down, but I can show it to you tomorrow if you want to see it.” 

 

 

 

   That is one of my favorite parts in any movie. Ever. Steve Martin improvised that and if you watch it with that movie trivia in mind it is AMAZING that she didn’t crack up laughing.  Anyway- that’s my Jerk rant for the day… you can have an audio reminder of that moment and much more if you simply seek out this new John Waters comp. 

   Wouldn’t the world be a better place if Cupid were instead a skinny mustached man who directed Serial Mom?   His “love” songs are a much better gift to that special someone than this :

All that chocolate would have just gone strait to your thighs anyway...

MP3: Patience and Prudence - Tonight You Belong To Me 

MP3: Josie Cotton- Johnny Are You Queer?

Posted by partyends at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Two of our favorites are going on tour in North America in the near future; aren't you lucky?! Classic freak pop-rockers the Flaming Lips, in the wake of thier recent Grammy sweep for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and Best Engeneered Album the other night, will be spilling out like a carelessly placed can of hot pink paint all over the deep South. And Euro So-Hot-Right-Now's Peter Bjorn & John will be tearing everyone a happy little new hole with their sweet, melodious pop. Check out these songs and keep an eye open for some good music rolling through your neighborhood in the near future.

MP3: Peter Bjorn and John - Far Away, By My Side  (from Indie Blog Haven)

MP3: The Flaming Lips - The Big Ol' Bug is the New Baby Now

Continue reading for tour dates:

Flaming Lips tour of the deep South: 

• 04-11 Athens, GA - Classic Center
• 04-12 Orlando, FL - House of Blues
• 04-13 Pompano Beach, FL - PB Amphitheater
• 04-14 St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing
• 04-17 Myrtle Beach, FL - House of Blues
• 04-18 Raleigh, NC - Disco Rodeo
• 04-19 Norfolk, VA - The Norva

Peter Bjorn & John North American dates:

• 04-28 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
• 04-30 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
• 05-01 New York, NY - Webster Hall
• 05-02 New York, NY - Webster Hall
• 05-03 Philadelphia, PA - TLA
• 05-04 Boston, MA - Paradise
• 05-05 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
• 05-06 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix
• 05-07 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
• 05-08 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
• 05-09 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
• 05-12 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore
• 05-13 Seattle, WA - Neumos
• 05-14 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
• 05-15 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's
• 05-16 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's

Posted by partyends at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

   You got to love those prolific Chicago Kinsella boys. I have been enjoying brother Mike’s plucking away under the moniker Owen since 2002 when I randomly saw him headline a show that Shearwater was opening for at Emo’s in Austin.  That night I walked away with a CD that I still listen to and have since acquired more, all of which make the heart feel sorrow as the lyrics focus on the most minuscule shreds of relationships gone awry that ultimately prove to be the best material for his style of songwriting.  He’s one of those guys who probably would have a bitching Live Journal account that folks from all over the world would comment on and say that his pain speaks to them and gets them thru hard times in their own lives.  Thankfully, he just makes good music and not an online diary- because let’s face it- people who maintain websites are lame. Owen is one of those Polyvinyl acts that will always be special.   

   Owen’s latest album At Home With offers up more of the same.  The gentle guitars with vocals to match still works for him and makes for a good little listen. 

MP3: Owen - The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi  

Owen just announced a big Midwest and East Coast tour so if you get the chance- this is a great performer to catch live. Continue reading for Owen's upcoming tour dates.

Owen Tour dates:

All dates with Make Believe, Rocky Votolato, & Drag The River.

• 3/20 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub
• 3/21 Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Café
• 3/22 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
• 3/23 Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter
• 3/25 Washington, DC @ The Rock and Roll Hotel
• 3/26 Hamden, CT @ Hamden Masonic Temple 
• 3/27 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
• 3/28 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
• 3/29 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
• 3/30 Providence, RI @ Living Room 
• 3/31 Allston, MA @ Great Scott
• 4/01 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
• 4/02 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
• 4/04 Duluth, MN @ Kirby Ballroom - Univ of MN-Duluth
• 4/05 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
• 4/06 Chicago, IL @ Abbey Pub

Posted by partyends at 10:52 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

   So the first Draft Sessions was a success, full of great beer and great bands; but, being our first swing at the monthly event we learned a lot, and are now happy to pass our newfound knowledge on to you- the good time loving consumer- this upcoming Saturday February 17^th.  Won’t you please come on down to Independence Brewing Co. at 3913 Todd Lane #607, Austin, TX 78744 and see what all the fuss is about? 

   Aside from the thrilling news that both Awesome Cool Dudes and Til We’re Blue or Destroy are confirmedly the evening’s musical entertainment- we are literally tickled to truthfully say that a good portion of the proceeds will go to charity!  And what a charity! The Groundwork Music Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing weekly music lessons to young children with the aim of helping them reach their full potential. Who knows, these kids could grow up to be the next Arcade Fire…

   Come out early to catch Awesome Cool Dudes at 8:30 pm. These Furniture Records rockers love their NBA, Casio, novelty, and good beer.  Stay late for Til We’re Blue or Destroy at 10:30 pm; their HUGE multi-instrument sound coupled with the brewery tanks’ reverberations is not to be missed.  DJ Orion of Raw Word Records is spinning between sets.

   Draft Sessions is proudly coordinated and sponsored by PartyEnds.com, Independence Brewing Company, Raw Word Records, Inside Productions and Groove Labs. 

Mark your calendars and I’ll see you there!  

MP3: 'Til We're Blue or Destroy - All Shook Up  

MP3: Awesome Cool Dudes - Fruit Smoothie

Posted by partyends at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Of all the myriad reasons that it would be cool to move to Marfa, TX, the fact that they ship in top notch musicians from all over the world to do intimate shows in their little non-profit venue Ballroom Marfa is right up there with the awe inspiring vistas, Prada Marfa, the 400 thread count tightness of the local arts scene, the low rent, and the Marfa Lights.

   At the beginning of the year, John and I took a vacation with our lovely ladies down to the little town in the middle of the desert and were pretty much completely taken in by it. You have to expect trade offs for living in a place like Marfa, but one thing you don't have to give up is good live music. While the shows are farther between than in a major city, the resident crazy rich peoples (who happen to have very good taste) bring in world class acts the likes of Jeff Tweedy, and Animal Collective. These performances do bring in some outside viewers who are inclined to drive the 8+ hours from the nearest major city, but half of all the tickets are reserved for sale only in town.

   Ballroom Marfa has put together some really clean sounding, solid recordings of performances from some of their better acts to listen to on their web site. Including more acoustically inclined songs by performers like Jenny Lewis and Joanna Newsome, there is also some rather opposite tunes by bands like Ghostland Observatory (who's show was Dj'd by none other than my good friend Chris- of Car Stereo (Wars) ), Tacks, the Boy Disaster, and Yo Le Tengo. So go check out the site, buy some cool-ass flat-stock prints, or a tee-shirt, and make your next vacation a show in Marfa.

Stream: Various Artists - Ballroom Marfa

Posted by partyends at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Texas sons Explosions in the Sky are fianlly back with thier fourth studio album; and with four years since the release of thier last record, Earth is not a Cold Dead Place, it had better measure up and exceed in great lengths. With All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, it looks like that might actually be a viable possibility, when the attributes behind this effort are combined: produced by none other than resident Party Ends favorite John Congelton (of pAper chAse fame and other great projects fortune), what is said to be "within arm's length of matching the overwhelming glory of their legendary live shows", and the albums 6 tracks having a combined length of almost 45 minutes. When all is said and done, we're glad that a new record is on the horizon for EITS, and how could it possibly be bad? Check out this track, and see for yourself. The album will be available February 20th and a week earlier on iTunes.

MP3: Explosions in the Sky - Welcome, Ghost

Continue reading for Explosions in the Sky's upcoming tour dates:

• Feb 19 -  Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY w/ Mountains
• Feb 20 -  Society For Ethical Culture Concert Hall, New York, NY w/ Ayanoataoka
• Feb 23 -  Gebaude 9, Cologne, GERMANY
• Feb 25 -  Paradiso, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
• Feb 26 -  AB Box / Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, BELGIUM
• Feb 27 -  La Maroquinerie, Paris, FRANCE
• Mar 1 -  Koko's, London, UK
• Mar 5 -  Emo's Outdoors, Austin, TX w/ Eluvium
• Mar 7 -  Numbers, Houston, TX w/ Eluvium
• Mar 8 -  The Republic, New Orleans, LA w/ Eluvium
• Mar 10 -  Crowbar, Ybor City, FL w/ Eluvium
• Mar 11 -  Langerado Festival, Sunrise, FL
• Mar 12 -  The Alcazar, St. Auhustine, FL w/ Eluvium
• Mar 13 -  Lenny's Bar, Atlanta, GA w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 14 -  Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 15 -  Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 16 -  Starr Hill Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 17 -  9:30 Club, Washington, DC w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 18 -  Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 20 -  Webster Hall, New York, NY w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 21 -  Middle East, Cambridge, MA w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 23 -  Le National, Montreal, PQ w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 24 -  Opera House, Toronto, ON w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 25 -  Opera House, Toronto, ON w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 26 -  St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 28 -  Metro, Chicago, IL w/ Eluvium
• Mar 29 -  First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
• Mar 30 -  Sokol Underground, Omaha, NE w/ Eluvium
• Mar 31 -  The Bottleneck, Lawrence, KS w/ Eluvium
• Apr 2 -  Granada Theater, Dallas, TX w/ The Paper Chase
• Apr 17 -  ABC, Glasgow, UK
• Apr 18 -  Academy, 3, Manchester, UK
• Apr 19 -  Astoria, London, UK
• Apr 27 -  The Epicentre, San Diego, CA w/ Eluvium
• May 1 -  Slim's, San Francisco, CA w/ Eluvium

Posted by partyends at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   The Laughing’s debut EP Tiger Cry loosely ties together themes of fantasy and reality, intertwined and channeled thru a self-aware group in matching outfits with ironic accessories, and the results are phenomenal.  The Austin group grabs your attention with their thematic gimmick of obsessing over white tiger imagery on their bodies, album cover and in their songs. What results is a strongly cohesive album that rocks, screams and bangs in all the right places. Each track stands alone as an innovative dance rock single and collectively the EP establishes the band as a true force to be reckoned with- any naysayer will have to face the wrath of their stuffed white tiger mascot Svan.

   But I digress.  Tiger Cry is as mature as it is fun. This EP is going to fit right into (and even trail blaze) the trend of dance rock, following in the footsteps of Q and Not U, Hot Hot Heat, and dare I say it the Killers… you know… only more interesting.  There are odd time signatures, glockenspiels, old school synthesizers, and wicked hot bass licks. The multitude of instrumentation is hard to grasp at times because each song comes packed with a simple and memorable hook.  The fullness makes it hard to believe that this is their first recording. The expectations of this amazing live band are met and exceeded thanks largely in part to Cacophony Recorders' Erik Wofford who has previously worked with such Austin luminaries as Voxtrot, Explosions in the Sky and Okkervil River. 

   Opener Wearing the Colors sets up the disk with a building horn riff that returns at the end of the song as a sleazy and self-aware 1970s audio equivalent to a porno mustache.  The horn sounds like the Wreckx-N-Effects RumpShaka sample, and frankly there is not enough of that in modern music.  The high-pitched vocals float over the synths and drum fills until a climatic build is immediately brought back down into the zone of choppy Bloc Party beats.  The song’s structure is not the traditional verse/chorus/verse, but rather a continually tearing down and rebuilding on its own themes. The band is talented. Period.  For further proof: let the drums murder you on Wait Until He Roars, as percussionist Grant Van Amburgh nails each beat with fast and repetitious fills that become as much a part of the song as guitarist and vocalist Logan Middleton lamenting as a “man of vision" who actually has visions.

   I can’t recommend this larger-than-life album enough.  If you don’t trust me, I am sure you will trust one of hundreds of critics who are about to start talking about the Laughing nonstop.  Tiger Cry we be one of the best releases of 2007. 

   Tiger Cry by the Laughing will be available at their February 10^th show at the Victory Grill and via their website. After that, it will also be available around town (Austin).  This show is not to be missed if you live in Austin… the boys have all sorts of surprises up their white denim sleeves.  Also- we are proud help present their first out of town show in Dallas at the Cavern on February 24^th.

 MP3: The Laughing - Wait Until He Roars 

MP3: The Laughing - Wearing the Colors 

Read more about the Laughing on Party Ends here, here, here, or even here.

Posted by partyends at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

• 02.17 New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge
• 02.18 New York City, NY @ Mercury Lounge
• 02.19 Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
• 02.20 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
• 02.21 Washington, DC @ The Rock And Roll Hotel
• 02.22 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
• 02.23 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
• 02.24 Minneapolis, MN @ The Triple Rock Social Club
• 02.28 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
• 03.01 Portland, OR @ Dante's
• 03.02 San Francisco, CA @ Independent (Noise Pop Festival)
• 03.03 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
• 03.05 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
• 03.06 Tucson, AZ @ Plush
• 03.08 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
• 03.09 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
• 03.10 Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
• 03.12 Houston, TX @ The Mink
• 03.13 Dallas, TX @ Ellum: ONSTAGE
• SXSW!!!!!!!

Posted by partyends at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

   So, I don't know about you, but there are few things that infuriate me more than hearing a song that I love in a public place (not in a club, mind you, I'm talking non-music oriented). I know, I'm a jerk, but it's the truth. Like, the kind of song you feel personally attached to and, if you had your way no one else, save your close personal friends would ever hear it. I know there are agencies working hard to make sure that no good music ever makes it to your ears in a retail establishment, Muzak being at the forefront of this movement, but somehow a few of them slip through.

(not the place to hear The Knife)

   The other day, while carrying a mound of my wifes clothes around Forever Twenty-one, I heard my beloved I'm From Barcelona's We're From Barcelona not two songs before the slightly less shocking but equally angering CSS's Lets Make Love (and Listen to Death From Above). When did all of this start!?

   I've grown accustomed to fucking buzz-kill Urban Outfitters nearly wringing the coolness out of everything from Hot Chip to Spankrock (The Warning is actually available as an impulse buy at the counter! for God's Sakes!), but I shouldn't have to worry about hearing Uffie while I'm pumping gas, or Yelle blowin' up the Lane Bryant in the mall next door to my local Adidas store. It's not just the OC we have to worry about anymore. And, it's not that I don't want these musicians to be successful, especially when so many of them have been in the game a while and deserve to make some cash. It's just that, there is a  distinctly cheapening aspect to being unceremoniously dropped into an inappropriate setting for people who will either not get it, or who will latch onto it and turn it into something it shouldn't be: it affects the musics dynamic in the world. Much like that fateful day I watched Chan Marshal dance around like a middle aged drunk woman last ACL festival- the music will never be the same again.

(Do you really want these kids to like your music?)

   I knew things were going the wrong direction months ago when, walking through a JC Penny's, past the tween girl's tube-tops, stone washed mini-skirts and Bratz(tm) patent leather stripper boots, I saw a giant video screen blaring the music video for M.I.A.'s Galang, which at the time I hadn't even seen. What I thought was a fluke has now become a growing trend and, though I'm sad to say it, I'm not sure there is anything we can do about it. I implore you, though, don't let the good music go the way of Emo, New Wave, and so many other once respectable genres before it. Hold onto what is great with the strength of ancient Native American eagles talons! Don't let those people have it! Grrrr!

   Anyway, that went nowhere pretty fast. So, yeah, be cautious next time your walking around your local Wal-Mart, cause you never know when you might turn around and see some 14 year old deutsch in a letter jacket and Uggs rocking out to Klaxons or Deerhoof; and if you don't know what I mean now, they'll get one of yours soon enough. Just you wait. Juuuuust you wait...

Posted by partyends at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

   So, yeah, you know Junior Boys is the crazy good shit. Since the release of thier debut 2006 album So This is Goodbye the establishment of their superiority in the indie / electronic / dance-dance-revolution has been more than established, so now they are taking it on the road to show the world. Preceding their freshly announced European and North American tour, they have also released an amazing video for their new single Like a Child. Their first single from that album made my top ten tracks of 06' list, and this tune is no slouch iether. The video lends a visual quality to the music that only helps to solidify the soft, dreamy nature of this song with the authenticity of live footage and the aesthetic wonder of hand made stop motion effects. 

   Sadly the tour will not be coming through big Tex, so I guess us locals can head south of the border to Monterey if we want to see these cats live. Check out this video, though, and catch them on tour in your neighborhood / hood if you are lucky enough for them to swing through. 

Here is the song and the video, I also found these three other great videos while I was looking for the Junior Boys video, awesome!:

MP3: Junior Boys - Like a Child

Video: Junior Boys - Like a Child  (from Spinner.com)

Video: Dvendra Banhart - I Feel Just Like a Child

Video: Backstreet Boys - Like a Child

Video: Jars of Clay (remember these guys?!) - Like a Child

MP3: Junior Boys - In the Morning  (in case you haven't got it already)

Continue reading for the US tour dates:

American Tour Dates:

• 3/22/07 Tallahassee, FL - FSU - Club Downunder
• 3/23/07 Orlando, FL - The Social
• 3/24/07 Miami Fl - Post (Winter MusicConference show)
• 3/25/07 Tampa, FL - Crowbar
• 3/27/07 Monterey, Mexico - McMullen¹s
• 3/28/07 Mexico City - La Tirana
• 4/6/07 Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
• 4/7/07 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
• 4/11/07 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
• 4/12/07 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
• 4/13/07 Washington DC - Black Cat
• 4/14/07 Carrboro, NC - Cat¹s Cradle
• 4/15/07 Atlanta, GA - The EARL
• 4/16/07 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
• 4/17/07 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
• 4/21/07 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
• 4/24/07 Portland, OR - Doug Fur
• 4/25/07 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
• 5/2/07 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room

Posted by partyends at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

(wow, if it's possible, she looks even better with this new haircut)

   So, I wrote a whole article about the new single, Bird Flu, soon to come from one of our favorite artists ,M.I.A., a few months ago in the anticipation that, when the song finally hit, we would have everything ready to go. I was that excited; and I waited and waited, and finally I dumped the article. And now here comes the song, a little unceremoniously for me, but by no means anticlimactic. It's good, I mean, really. We haven't got the actual MP3 yet, but as soon as we do, you will too. In the mean time, it's probably better experienced with this great video anyway:

Video: M.I.A. - Bird Flu

P.S. You can check out the audition (remix) video here, and a little gossip: my sources have it that Maya and Diplo are no longer an item. "Ooh, Girl! he ain't no good fa' you!"

Posted by partyends at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   This contest that Spin magazine is conducting closes on the 7^th so be sure to go and cast your vote before then so that the good bands get rewarded and weak bands crumble under the sheer power of democracy.   

My endorsements for this first round robin bracket is as follows:

(Hello Goodbye)

The “All Ages” category:

• Hello Goodbye
• Damone
• Permanent Me
• Hush Sound

(The term ‘the lesser of two evils’ thrives in this category.)  

The “Indie” category:

• Cold War Kids
• Silversun Pickups
• Crystal Skulls
• Bound stems

(There is no question on any of these.  This is an easy category now, that is going to get harder as the contest trudges on.)  

(The Silent Years)

The “Underground” category:

• Daughters
• The Motion Sick
• The Silent Years
• Make Believe

(The Silent Years are the JAM.  Read more about em on PartyEnds and check out the free MP3s below.) 

(Guillemots)

And finally the “International” category:

• White Rose Movement
• Guillemots
• Klaxons
• Sam Roberts Band

Read about Klaxons on PartyEnds here.

MP3: Klaxons - Magick (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) 

MP3: The Silent Years - Someone to Keep Us Warm

MP3: The Silent Years - This Town    

Posted by partyends at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Hey there you Texas peoples, and all other peoples that might be reading. There is a good chance that you've heard the incredible new song Sisters Daughters and Wives from Austin's own Voxtrot (it even made it to my best of 06' track list), but did you know that it this fine piece of music was also spread all over the internet in the form of isolated tracks, ripe for defamation by people like me? Yup, there was a contest on Buffet Libre with the intention of procuring a great remix from some random blog / music-site reader.

   Well, anyway, somehow I got ahold of the tracks, and here are the results. It's not like I've been particularly timely about it, the tracks were listed weeks ago;  in fact, most of those contests are probably dead and gone by now but, just for you, our beloved Party Ends readers, here is what resulted of my (mostly drunken) endevors with cheap sequencers, electric guitars, and Casiotone keyboards. I can't wait to listen to it when I sober up and see if it's actually any good.

MP3: Voxtrot (Party Ends remix) - Sisters Daughters & Wives (Remix)

MP3: Voxtrot - Sisters, Daughters & Wives   (from the Stereogum web site)

Posted by partyends at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

   This is easily one of the scariest things I have ever seen. America is so boring! In other countries, incedible bands like The Knife don't just win all the Grammys (as opposed to our Avrils, Clarksons, and Il Divos), they also make acceptance videos that will give you nightmares. Just watch this- it's not in English, but that really only makes it more uncomfortable to me. It needs some pAper chAse or, well, The Knife music over it:

Video: The Knife -

2007 Swedish Grammys Acceptance Speach

In fact, here is some music to play over it. Seriously!:

MP3: the pAper chAse - We Know Where you Sleep

Posted by partyends at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by partyends at 01:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   The fine folks over at Central Booking qued me in on a little local action with this killer track by the Party (collectively). The intermingling nature of this scene allows me to say that, in connection with this remix, and if you like this bangin' shit, check out Central Booking's Myspace  as well as :SO3ER: and $elect. And for good measure, I can also point out that this crew is throwing down yet another Party next weekend, the 9th at Zubar. So, if you like beat-breakin'-shot-takin'-love-makin'-ass-shakin', then mark this on your calendar. We will remind you next week, also I'm sure, so keep an eye out at Party Ends for more details.

MP3: The Party - Stunna Shades (link via zshare)

Posted by partyends at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   It would appear that tonight at Jo's Coffee house, in Austin, there will be a performance by Austin's own Prince Klassen, whom I hear is a real cool dude. There will also be and a video installation from the church of light and sound, which could be a pretty nice way to spend a lazy Thursday night. Go check it out, 7-10 PM 1300 South Congress Ave.

(photo - oneoctobernight.com)

   Tomorrow night, check him out at Beauty Bar starting at 10pm. You can also check out a full one hour live performance by Prince Klassen & JJ Lopez live at Hump in MP3 form here.

Posted by partyends at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by partyends at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   With Diplo mania being in full swing and there being all sorts of great little DJ nights all over Austin these days- it seemed like it was only a matter of time before someone did a whole night based around Baile Funk and Favela music. DJ Orion will be banging the new 7^th street contender Creek Side Bar with all sorts of high BPM, foreign and filthy dance tracks straight from the Favelas of Brazil.  That bright blue building will be hosting a bumping Rio dance party with the (predicted) likes of Bonde Do Role, Bola de Fogo, Cidinho e Doca and of course the MIA influencing Furacão 2000.  The Feb 2^nd event coincides nicely with the celebration of Carnival and will be much more fun than both the cruise ship and the big stupid Carnival party that happens ever year… which by the way- costs a whopping 35 bucks and has waaaay less booty beats.  Go to Creekside instead and catch a truly talented DJ play music that he loves and count on his set being as good if not better than his madness he performed at Draft Sessions.

   See you there. Also, check out these photos from the Diplo / CSS / Bonde De Rolo show at the Parish in Austin!

Posted by partyends at 09:08 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)