Party Ends

   Just felt like I should chime in on how the previews for I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry already come across as offensive to gay people and to my sensibilities as a moviegoer. And belive me I, more than anyone, understand that comedies are meant to be offensive- the good one's anyway.  That's why Family Guy is so great and why the Simpsons scared the right aprox. 400 episodes ago. I think that often- the most offensive things can be the most funny.  Really. But that does not include things intended for the lowest common denominator of Americans. Delta Farce- although technically 'offensive' to Mexicans- is not a funny concept. But, any Mexican joke that Sara Silverman would ever make would probably be amazing. Dave Chappelle = fantastic racial humor, Carlos Mencia = unacceptably unfunny. The goal is to be offensive and smart; the goal is to be funny in playing off things we as a society are afraid to talk about. A faux gay wedding with Rob Schneider pretending to be an Asian holy man is not funny. It is sad.

   I have zero interest in seeing INPYCAL, but I would bet money that there are about fifty jokes where the two heterosexual firefighters make cracks about things being ‘flaming', and maybe a joke or two about the large, long hoses that they use. That is how I imagine the movie anyway- oh- and I bet it conjures a little bit of post-9/11 rescue worker sympathy too. Heaven help us if I've just made up funnier gags than actually exist in this movie.

   Here is the real issue - everyone can shamefully shake their heads at the fat guy from King of Queens and Little Nicky, they are dead to intelligent America* but the real sin here is are writers of this blockbuster: Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor! You might recognize these names as being behind smart and insightful comedies such as Election, About Schmidt and Sideways.  Something tells me that writing this vehicle paid a lot better than their early days of Citizen Ruth.  Might as well do a Waynes Brothers movie with that midget from Bad Santa. But, then again- I haven't seen the film, not that there's anything wrong with that. I heard that it's backed by GLAAD, but then again- the Ringer was backed by the Special Olympics.

MP3:Propaghandi- Homophobes Are Just Pissed Because They Can't Get Laid

*Editors note: Luther- Adam Sandler has been incredible in the past, God only knows what happened when he signed on for Click! and it all went down hill.

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   If you want to see homosexuality in the arts in a true envelope pushing way (read: fake French accent, novelty oversized mustache, short shorts and Geordi Laforge glasses) then we have the show for you this Thursday night.  Save your hard earned dollars and don’t give them to Chuck or Larry- give them to MVSCLZ, Bark Bark Bark, Lady Pterodactyl and TJ Lazerphone!

Posted by partyends at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (485) | TrackBacks (0)

   Alright, so, everyone knows how fucking cool this coming Sunday's super summer party, the Summer Extrav-o-ganza 2: Cruise Control is going to be, so don't even start with me. I know you've seen it everywhere, from here to Austinist, to the Onion, but time is running short. It's less than a week away now, and this, my friends, is pretty much worth driving from any city in Texas for. There are only a few spots left for the 150 or so partygoers to set sail on the not so salty seas of Lake Travis aboard the good ship the Ark. $20 gets you 5 hours of live music, including the transcendant White Denim, and Dj's Markus with a K and Hustle Simmons, and all the beer you can drink, and food you can eat (burgers, hot dogs, andh veggie options). Come on!

Get your tickets HERE! Before they are gone!

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(photo john gross) 

   In honor of this party inevitably going down as a historic event in Texas History (right up there in the text books with the Alamo and Kelly Clarkson winning the first American Idol), we are bringing you the exclusive, and I'm sure soon to be all over the fuckin' place performance video of White Denim strait killin' it on stage at thier EP release party at the Mohawk in Austin. This is the shit, brought to you by the almighty Transmission Entertainment and epic Super! Alright!.

MOV: White Denim- Talk About It (Live at EP Release Party)

Posted by partyends at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (26) | TrackBacks (0)

   If there's anyone that's changed the way I listen to new music in the last couple of years, it's probably M.I.A. I wasn't really down with the 'hot-new' dance thing until she came along and pointed out that you can enjoy rap and dance music in a totally un-ironic way, changing my enjoyment of such music from novelty to serious listening. Yeah, I'm always a little behind, I know. Anyway, Arular was in some ways revolutionary, and in many ways classic, and it's about time we got something new.

   I'll admit that I've been a little dissapointed in singles from Kala so far, though the Birdflu video Killed. These are a couple of tracks from the new record including the first track, Bamboo Banger, an alteration of Jonathan Richman's Road Runner, and the slow jam 20 Dollar. The record also features Nigerian MC Afrikan Boy, Tim 'Timbaland' Moseley and a group of Aboriginal street kids called The Wilcannia Mob (mob being a little ominous for a group of youngsters). Check these out, and I can't wait to get the whole thing in my hands.

MP3: M.I.A.- Bamboo Banger

MP3: M.I.A.- 20 Dollar

Posted by partyends at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (282) | TrackBacks (0)

   I know a lot of people don't get what makes Will Oldham so magically enthralling; being put off by his sometimes strange wailing, his sometimes overtly crude or awkward wording, or his prolific alter egos seems pretty natural to me, but I don't think anyone can deny his fierce talent, his impact on the state of good music everywhere and, if nothing else, he has some awesome album covers. But, no matter who, you have to give any musician credit for having the balls to release a trailer for a music video (even if it's a silly one).

   Enter the Seedling, a creepy new video from his Bonnie 'Prince' Billy persona with cinematic qualities the likes of which I've only seen surrounding a few other musicians, Midlake being one of them. This is, however, decidedly darker than most anything by Midlake, skewing more in the direction of Tom Waits or a Guillermo Del Toro film, with more classic imagery and implication than outright special effects. Billy takes you on a slow ride, trying to figure out what's so creepy about this video, and in the end doesn't even show you outright, leaving you to make the visual connections for yourself. Take note, musicians, this is how you make lifelong fans.

MOV: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy- The Seedling  (court. of Drag City)

Posted by partyends at 01:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (195) | TrackBacks (0)

   Tonight is the night.  Come out to the Beauty Bar for a night with recent cover boys of the URB magazine’s "next 100" of notable musicians- FLOSSTRADAMUS. These two friends (J2K and Autobot) work turntables and laptops to make entire dance floors rumble, and swarms of ironic 80’s t-shirts sweat. They are down  with Kid Sister, Cool Kids and A-Trak so you know they come correct.  It is an honor to be a part of hosting them back in Austin.  As if that wasn’t enough- the brilliant man behind my favorite song about Lindsay Lohan’s shorn private parts- Pase Rock.

   Tonight is going to be the best thing at the beauty bar until the Rub comes back down or until Aug 18th for the Car Stereo (Wars) cd release show!  Pase Rock and Flosstradamus are hard to beat as far as a bill goes. Central Booking's Prince Klassun warms up the turntables for the evening and tonight when I see him- I wont have to bug him to play Lindsay Lohan’s Revenge- I can just wait until Pase Rock plays it him self.  I won’t have to pray that he plays the Flosstraduamus remix of "yeah yeah!"- I will just wait for them to play it them selves! Man- I can’t wait!

   Meanwhile- up in the DFW metroplex- We Shot JR is taking matters into their own hands and hosting their own local music awards. Voting ends Friday, August 17th so head over there now and punch out your chads.

   Thanks to EVERYONE who came out last night to the Mohawk show! What a grand ol time that was eh? A full recap will appear here later… first and foremost I had to remind you about tonight at Beauty Bar!

Posted by partyends at 02:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (127) | TrackBacks (0)

   I know Party Ends might seem a little slim on the 'new music' front of late, but we have some pretty damn good excuses, and one of them is scheduled for tonight in the form of a killer Thursday show that you, well- just can't afford to miss. Kicking the night off with a vengence is La Snacks, followed closely in time but not in style by the Carrots, doo-wopping thier way into your hearts, and finally capping the evening are the slick beats and mean techniques of Single Frame. 

   On top of that you'll have the 3-D visual extravaganze of SUPER!ALRIGHT!'s projection visuals to compliment the sonic excellence. Car Stereo (Wars) will also be on hand to doll out dancy goodness the whole night on the patio with a set of songs and mashups composed of everything from hot new joints to classics you never expected to hear 50Cent rap over. FYI Austin: CS(W) will be releasing his first actual mixtape, The Bandit, on brand new Austin imprint Artifact Workshop Records next month with a release party at the Beauty Bar to end them all. PartyEnds will keep you up on all the details as they develop.  tonight's cover is $6 for over 21 and $8 under.

MP3: La Snacks- Emo Kind of Love

MP3: The Carrots - Kissing and Telling

MP3: Single Frame- the Slip

Posted by partyends at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (249) | TrackBacks (0)

(you'll note that there were more people than seats, so a bunch of people stood through the movie)

   The Daft Punk screening was better faster and stronger than I had possibly imagined.  The Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek told me that they started the line at 1pm!  By the time seating and music by Markus With a K and Ocelot began at 6:30 the largest theatre in the place was packed.  Vice swag was limited but the beer specials, trippy robots on screen and Daft Punk mega mix had folks smiling, and at any given time at least 2 super fans were dancing in the aisles!   The firemashall defining evening began with the hilarious Vice shorts (courtesy of vbs.tv), which sent the crowd into a sitting ovation at the conclusion of the expose on the “purple drank” phenomena of screwston.

   The crowd enjoyed Electroma- I only saw a few people get up and leave during the long, long sequences of robots driving by scrolling landscapes.  One thing is for sure- all 200 or so DP fans in that room wanted that California license place on the Ferrari that just said “human”. The movie itself was a concentration about two robots on a quest to become human. It was filled with indigenous non-robot-rock (including an amazing Curtis Mayfield jam) and enough subtle jokes to keep your interest the whole time. There was even a good old-fashioned postmodern fake ending. The men behind the masks achieved exactly what they wanted: an arty movie about robots. Visually there were segments of extreme awesomeness via the use of green screen and costuming. The set design of the robot small town was exactly what I imagined a robot town would be. From what I understand Vice will be distributing the film on DVD in America before long.  It is absolutely a conversation piece and something to throw on the DVD while listening to some Daft Punk or the latest Ed Banger release; a must see to one up your Daft Punk loving freinds who have only seen Interstella 5555.

   Thanks to everyone at the Alamo, Vice and the president and vice president of Austin’s I heart Daft Punk chapter Markus with a K and Ocelot from the Mischief and Trouble DJ crew.

MP3: Markus with a K - I Heart Daft Punk (mixtape)  (Z-share file)

Posted by partyends at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (266) | TrackBacks (0)

   Ok, so we figured how we are doing “tickets” for the big Summer Extrav-0-Ganza 2: Cruise Control boat party. I would advise reserving your seat right now for the best thing happening in Austin all summer involving green potato ventures, SUPER!ALRIGHT!, PartyEnds and Austinist!  

   Sunday, August 5th we will be jumping off the Arc into lake Travis! The hyperactive White Denim will be rocking everyone’s bikinis off and DJ’s Markus with a K and Hustle Simmons will do their best to not get electrocuted. The boat will be stocked with lifeguards, beer, food and speakers.  For it to be really fun you need to reserve your space now!  We will take care of the rest!  Get them for only $20 now by visiting the ticketing page (service provided by 4th Wall Tickets).

   For those wishing to carpool, we'll be meeting up at the TRS Parking lot, between 10th and 11th Street on Red River, at 12:30pm. Otherwise, join us at Highland Lakes Marina in Volente at 1:30pm. The Ark departs promptly at 2pm.

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(Ocelot and Markus with a K)

(these people totally danced)

   Thanks to EVERYONE who made it out to the Daft Punk screening last night and an extra thanks to the few who threw modesty out the window and danced in the aisles beforehand.  You are American robot heroes.  (More of a recap to follow…)

   Thanks to the Austin Onion for "shouting out" our Single Frame, the Carrots, La Snacks and Car Stereo (Wars) show this Thursday!  The new Onion is out on newsstands and I am still blushing.  But I have Erythrophobia (look it up)  

"John Gross’ PartyEnds blog may not have the sway of Gorilla Vs. Bear or Stereogum just yet, but currently there’s no better source of commentary on the Austin music scene (save these pages, of course). An early champion of hip bands like White Denim and The Laughing, Gross has a knack for spotlighting unusual talent just below the radar, and more recently he’s turned to promoting shows himself, including this sampling of some of the city’s best-kept secrets. Headliner Single Frame stirred up some buzz a few years ago with the short-circuit art-punk of Wetheads Come Running and the support of big shots like Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner, but shifting lineups delayed its breakout success—although the recently expanded four-piece sounds readier than ever. It’s joined here by The Carrots, a fashionably old-fashioned revival of ’60s girl groups, sloppy smart-asses La Snacks, and mash-up mavens Car Stereo (Wars), featuring Single Frame’s Adreon Henry." -- Sean O'Neal, the Onion

   Luther is about to move down to Austin in the next few weeks and PartyEnds.com will be entirely based out of one Texas city and we plan to eat Juan and a Million out of business and talk more in person about graphic novels and Arrested Development (the TV show and the band) rather than sending so many emails back and forth.  

   Go ahead and mark August 2nd on your calendar too while you are at it.  NEXT Thursday at the Mohawk we are hosting Assacre’s good twin MVSCLZ, Retard Disco Records’ Bark Bark Bark, the young ladies of Lady Pterodactyl and Austin’s best tape jockey Lazerphone.  More details on this amazing electro art show to follow…  

Posted by partyends at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (295) | TrackBacks (0)

   What a week.  We’ve told you about FREE Daft Punk Screening  tomorrow night and Single Frame, Carrots, La Snacks, CS(W) show on Thursday but what you don’t know about it the amazing killah shit coming into Beauty Bar on Friday night.  We are proud to help out with Central Booking in bringing the cover stars of URB magazine “next 1000” issue back to Austin for the first time since SXSW!  Ladies and gentleman – put your hands together for the DJ duo that brings Sigur Ros and Twista together and throws that B-more beat behind all your favorite jams – (best read in a low pitch robot voice) FLOSSTRADAMUS!  Check out our Flossy D sxsw pictures here.

(sxsw 2007, photo jgross)

   As if this show wouldn’t be sick enough alone- we had to go and up it with Pase Rock.  Auteur of Lindsay Lohan's Revenge- possibly my favorite track to hear out and about these days.  It’s vulgar, its topical, it’s funny and it’s catchy.  All of his joints I have are golden (Sexy MF and So Fucking Disco) so I am ultra exited to see him bring the house down.  Anyone down with Spank Rock and the Rub should have your respect. “Take yo paaaaanties off / show ya baby rat!” Turntable Lab says it best: “Even the most jaded hater will crack a smile for this one” B Bar is going to be destroyed with gutta breaks, b more bass and hilarious danceable profanity. Prepare your self with some supplies from TTL.

   Opening is hometown superstar hero Prince Klassen. Last time I caught Klassen was at the Flight of the Conchords advance screening we helped host at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown (RIP) he spun all sorts of new ish that was perfect for a theatre full of people quoting a TV show, I can’t wait to see him use that record collection to warm up the glittery Beauty Bar dancefloor. 

Come grab all the Prince K mix tapes you can muster here. May I recommend “lip service”?

   This will be an amazing, fun time.  And don't you dare go and think that we don't have all sorts of madness coming up next week too.... (MVSCLZ, Bark Bark Bark, Lady Pteredactyl, TJ LAzerphone, White Denim, Hustle Simmons, MArkus with a K) Stay tuned.

MP3: Flosstradamus- Overnight Star

MP3: Pase Rock- So Fucking Disco

MP3: Pase Rock (feat: Spank Rock)- Lindsay Lohan

Posted by partyends at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (502) | TrackBacks (0)

   Alright, so, the first time I heard Ryan Adam's lead single So Alive, from Rock&Roll, all I could think was "what the fuck are you doing? This is wrong!", though I turned out the enjoy that particular song, and none of the rest of the album. The first time I heard Phantom Planet's (yes, I like Phantom Planet, make all the fun you want, you know they're good) electro-fied Big Brat, I was also flabbergasted, but I enjoy that song very much now. It all makes me wonder is that's the route the new Rilo Kiley single the Moneymaker will go.

   I'll admit, I'm still not the biggest fan of the majority of More Adventurous, being the most overdone and least pulled together of their albums, in my opinion, but the first time I heard this song, in the other room when my wife put it on, it's generic sound and general 'run of the mill'-ness had me wondering, literally and truthfully, if maybe it was the new single from some 'it' girl the likes of a Miss Duff or Lohan. No joke. But, like So Alive, it's damn catchy, and unlike anything Ryan Adams has done, it has a relatively sexy, porn star studded music video (that portrays their trade with pretty much no irony or negative connotations). Let's hope in August Under the Black Light brings us a post Rabbit Fur Coat coolness Takeoffs and Landings, or at least something a little less cheese-ball than Does He Love You, huh?

MP3: Rilo Kiley- the Moneymaker

Oh, and I have to share a couple of the You-Tube comments of the Moneymaker video, are these the new RK fans?:

SarahRaraPaul: "I never realized how much Rilo Kiley looks like Mischa Barton. o_O Scurry!"

Silver91: "that one riff reminds me of finger eleven's paralyzer. still, this is a good song."

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   This is such a great time for you Austin. Not only do you have next weeks insanely cool premier of Daft Punk's Electroma, a minimalist, art house, creation from the minds of the dudes who practically invented modern dance music as we know it, at the Alamo Draft House, the coolest theater in, possibly the entire world, with a complimenting dance party lorded over by turn-table-top-of-the-pops Markus with a K and Ocelot, crafted exclusively with Daft Punk music, you also get all of our other upcoming events. (Brought to you by PartyEnds.com and Vice Magazine- Oh yeah, and its FREE!)

   Events including, but only limited temporally to: the Summer Extrav-o-ganza 2: Cruise Control, featuring the musical stylings of dance dance revolutionaries White Denim and an extended set of music by Markus with a K and Hustle Simmons. 5 hours, floating with the jetsam of Lake Travis on a boat called The Ark, with nothing to do but drink free booze, eat free food, and listen to free music. Reserving a spot on the boat is a mere $20, and, as spots are very limited (around 150 people), this will sell out toot-quick. So don't delay. Read more about it at our co-sponsors, Austinist's, site. (sponsored by: Green Potato Ventures, PartyEnds.com, Independence Brewery, Super!Alright! and Progress Coffee)

   You also get the indelible Single Frame, next Thursday at the Mohawk, which is really the show to beat, with openers the bee-bopin' Carrots , the tear-it down stage show of La Snacks and record flipping by none other than Austin's premier DJ Car Stereo (wars). Throw in custom visual projections by Super! Alright! and a couple of the Mohawks' High Life 40's, and you have a nice start to that weekend. Done cha'?

MP3: Single Frame- Make Yourself  

MP3: La Snacks- Are We in Danger

MP3: The Carrots - Kissing and Telling

Posted by partyends at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (930) | TrackBacks (0)

   I may be a little late in letting you's guy's know about the momentus occasion going down this evening, but I hope everyone will join me for the Party's one year anniversary tonight at Zubar. You know they have earned something special, so expect nothing less than what inevitably happens when something called the Party throws itself a party. Seriously. Don't miss this.

Posted by partyends at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (53) | TrackBacks (0)

  Where to begin? Astronautalis killed it last night at the Mohawk. Freestyle topics included: Shatner, Manifest Destiny, Lonestar, white boat shoes, dick in a box being nominated for an Emmy, Chris Elliot and too many others to remember because so much of my memory was devoted to the climatic line for the suggestion Battlestar Galactica: (“Klingon, Cylon, Taliban, nuclear weapon”) Praise be to Astro, so say we all.    

   White Denim had some minor sound issues that were another brick in the wall of strange things to happen last night which all began with the Pinkertones canceling leaving a headlining position wide open for the WD taking.  

   Tonight- there is some good stuff happening at the Mohawk again courtesy Transmission Entertainment.  It is “a secret show” which means that everyone knows.  Hell, I heard it announced on the radio yesterday after a track was played off the new album Ga Ga GA GAGaGaGaGA. So you know what I’m just going to say it- the secret show is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Start lining up now around Club DeVille and 'Turn Your Cameras' on because it’s going to be crazy.  Ha. (UPDATE: Stay Gold is djing the Spoon show tonight at the mohawk! YES! $10 cover. doors at 9.  first band at 10. Spoon at 11.)

   Tomorrow night- the Mohawk once again is the place to be for Crawling With Kings, Toko Ri-Get High, Black Panda, The Naysays and me Djing all night long outside. I hope that Red river is ready to have nothing but slightly above mediocre mixes blared out into the night.  

   Sunday night at the Cavern in Dallas- everyone in Dallas really really needs to go to the Cavern to see Mom and Mothfight.  This is the first date on the Mothfight national tour and they will be coming up 35 like a bowling ball full of antique liquid and more equipment than the Polyphonic Spree with almost half the members.  Dallas- go see that show.  Support Mothfight because they are possibly the best.

Posted by partyends at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

   If you think there is nothing to do a week from today you have got it all wrong! I am full of pride in offering up a unilateral night of the best Austin bands ready to roll for you.

   I love La Snacks.  The smart and politically relevant (yet fun- not preachy like that new White Stripes single) lyrics, the avant guitar work, the overall solidness of a band that puts on a live show that immediately impresses and wins over.  

   I love the Carrots. I love the maracas, the tambourines, the good-time Motown harmonies and above all- I love matching hipster Dream Girl outfits. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new “I love the Carrots” fanzine which apparently is available at their live shows now… (no, really). Unlike En Vogue, Bananrama, and the Pussycat Dolls- The Carrots are made up of 6 Austin scene members with their fingers dipped in a myriad of projects (Gene Defcon, Yellow Fever, and polar opposite to the carrots Finally Punk) Who have a hearty love of the Supremes, the Ronettes, and the Chiffons.  Like Amy Winehouse? Want to see her multiplied with an irony gun? Come see the Carrots, They will provide a uniqueness to the evening that will separate this show from anything else.

   I love Single Frame. They are the Austin band that has more artistic talent and vision in their little keyboarded fingers than most bands in America. Come to hear vital vocals over odd-timed drum beats and walls of synthesizers. Then, stay to see a 3-D visual achievement as a backdrop compliments of envelope pushing SUPER!ALRIGHT!. Car Stereo (Wars) will be playing records and mixing and matching genres all night long on the outside patio. CS(W) will be releasing his first actual mixtape (read: not just a free download) on brand new Austin imprint Artifact Workshop Records next month with a release party at the Beauty Bar to end them all. PartyEnds will keep you up on all the details as they develop.  See you at the show Thursday night!

Are We in Danger

MP3: La Snacks- Emo Kind of Love

MP3: The Carrots - Kissing and Telling
MP3: SF- Digital Witness (Creepykid's Protection remix)

MP3: Single Frame- the Slip  

MP3: Single Frame- Make Yourself 

Posted by partyends at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (166) | TrackBacks (0)

   Montreal's Miracle Fortress has been around for a little while. As a one man band in the tradition of everyone from Beck to Dan Deacon, Ghram Van Pelt recorded his debut album in 2005, an EP by the name of Watery Grave, all by his lonesome that garnered a fair bit of attention in his home town as well as around the world wide interweb. His dense compositions and modern sound call up a poppier Sigur Ros and a less poppy Panda Bear, though he counts his influences similarly with both Brian's Eno and Wilson.

   Also in the tradition of other great musicians, he is at the forfront of a community of artists in Montreal by the name of Freindship Cove, with a venu for shows, an artspace, and a studio where he recorded the Miracle Fortress LP Five Roses. A result of the success garnerd from his EP, this gem was released in May and is a beautiful, upbeat, and uplifting addition to a year where it should feel right at home. Now, with a rounded out live group and a rumored tour on the way, I think we might be hearing more from this brave new group. I've been listening to the record lately, and it gives out a little more with every play. Check out this track and more on their MySpace:

MP3: Miracle Fortress- Have You Seen in Your Dreams

Posted by partyends at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (59) | TrackBacks (0)

Official PartyEnds Memorandum

Secrecy level: top

Current mood: governmenty

Posted by partyends at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (95) | TrackBacks (0)

  This is the coolest thing I have had ever had the privilege to tell you about. We have been planning and scheming for quite some time now on outdoing last year’s big summer party and what we now present you with is just crazy enough to work  (Work = get you: drunk, wet, full, dancing, and sun burnt)

   You see, PartyEnds, green potato ventures, SUPER!ALRIGHT! and the mighty Austinist have teamed together to weave what will go down in Austin’s beachtowl tapestry history.  We present you with the majestic White Denim, DJ’s Markus with a K, and Hustle Simmons like you have never seen them before…. On a boat!    

   We have a party barge stocked with beer, food, water and a bombastic sound system- all we need is Austin’s fun loving thrill seekers to join us on Lake Travis on August 5th and we will be all set.  It is going to be an all inclusive cruise (thanks to Independence Brewery and Progress Coffee) with live entertainment that Royal-Caribbean and Carnival could only dream of.  

   Tickets to hold your space on the boat are limited and can be purchased at an upcoming Mohawk happy hour that will be disclosed soon. Stay tuned and mark your calendar for August 5th!  
Please enjoy these White Denim MP3's and start lathering up with sun block

 MP3: White Denim- Mess Your Hair Up

MP3: White Denim- ShakeShakeShake

MP3: White Denim- You (Live at KVRX) 

MP3: White Denim- Don't Look That Way at it (Live at KVRX) 

Posted by partyends at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (131) | TrackBacks (0)

(Photo from KarmaJunkie's Flickr... check out more from last night here.)

   The free Decembrists myspace “Secret” show at the Mohawk last night was a ton of fun. The Mohawk were affable hosts, Til We’re Blue or Destroy was extremely grateful for the Decembrists being their opening act (ha!), and DJ Markus with a K played some Pase Rock, which always makes me extremely happy.  

   It was wild to see a line of ironic t-shirts stretch around the Mohawk’s entrance, past Club DeVille and up 9th street. Usually sites like that are reserved for SXSW. The band specifically requested to play an intimate show so they declined the outside stage with the much larger capacity for the inside stage. Luckily for the other 700 or so people, the sound was piped outside for all to enjoy.  The myspace secret show was a special thing to be a part of because a band like that- in the last three years or so- hasn’t played a venue where fans can belt out requests and have them met with a smile. At one point Colin Meloy took a request from a guy with his face pressed against the pane glass window from outside. It was clear that the group was thrilled to be playing a different type of show for hardcore fans.   

   The last song (The Mariner's Revenge Song) was played after a literary conga line of sorts trekked from the inside stage to the middle of the crowd outside where the band formed in the middle (ala the Arcade Fire playing Wake Up)and had complete and utter vocal support from Austin’s sailor-rock aficionados opposed to a PA.

   Til We’re Blue or Destroy and Markus with a K did what they do best and impressed be hell out of me as always.  It’s a downright dirty shame that all the myspacers didn’t stick around to have their horizons broadened.

WMA: Colin Maloy (Live on KEXP)- Clementine

WMA: Colin Maloy (Live on KEXP)- The Engine Driver

Posted by partyends at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1291) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by partyends at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (601) | TrackBacks (0)

(photo by Cera Barrett, she has more too, check it!)

   Mothfight:  the best band in Austin Texas that you haven’t heard a lot about...yet. Take notice:

   Mothfight is a hugely arranged band with intricate multi-vocals that top off a mountain of vaudevillian tribal beats and meticulous whirlwind walls of noise. Bigger sounding than Arcade Fire and more listenable than Animal Collective; Mothfight is about to take America by storm. By the end of July this post will look silly next to the accolades the theatrical group will be recieving. The thematic brilliance of Mothfight will have taken off and hordes of fans will be swarming to get their hands on the upcoming 7" inch and avant-garde "infinite playing cassette". How will this experimental technological oddity be conducted? Magic.

   Please enjoy these Mothfight digital songs. Fire up the victrola, turn up the volume all the way, and listen over and over and over again.

MP3: Mothfight– Hopscotch

MP3: Mothfight- Hopscotch (Pt. 2)

   Austin Sound has a nice little interview with group here.

Keep reading below for upcoming Mothfight experiences:

• 7/22 - Dallas, TX @ The Cavern
• 07/24 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
• 07/25 - Chicago, IL @ South Union Arts
• 07/26 - Cleveland, OH @ The Parish Hall
• 07/28 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's
• 07/29 - New York, NY @ ToddPNYC.com
• 07/30 - Washington DC @ DC9
• 07/31 - Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox Laundrolounge
• 08/01 - Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light

Posted by partyends at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (504) | TrackBacks (0)

   If there is one thing that we love in this day and age, it's obvious and intentional contradiction. It's the spice of life and it confuses old people, which is always a plus. It seems that NYC rockers the Virgins know this, hence their ironically innocent, and at the same time subversively risqué name. In the same way their geographic location juxtaposes their name, their lighthearted, layed back, almost cute sound is conversed by their faux-tough, dreary, modern, love-lorn lyrics. In the lead single off their recently released self titled EP, Rich Girls, the band ' do-do-do 's and ' who-who 's around the bouncy confines of the track in a lackadaisical falsetto about the hopeless drift of listless youth while the trouncing bass line and hooky guitar keep you bobbing your head and smiling. With the hip abandon of California minstrels Phantom Planet or fellow locals the Strokes, the Virgins have a lot of headroom with the accesibility of their sound, while still keeping the music intelligent and sonically interesting enough for more discerning listeners.

   You can check out more of their music, news and updates at their homepage and on their MySpace. They don't seem to be playing many shows anytime soon, but if they head down this way, you can be sure I'll check them out.

MP3: the Virgins- Rich Girls

Posted by partyends at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (335) | TrackBacks (0)

   Well, my usual Sunday has been interrupted by some other Party Ends related business in the area of getting some shit together for all of our upcoming events (many of which will be announced in the coming weeks). So I don't really have any cool / ridiculous videos on cue for this beautiful morning.

   I do, however, have a phenomenally hot new mix from my good friend and Austin tastemaker Chris ( AKA Car Stereo (Wars) ) that is damn, damn fine. I just finished letting this mix make my day a lot better and, from the opener CSS/Cribs remix to the Chromeo close, this one plays for keeps. The jams flow nicely from semi-obscure new waves to hot right-now bangers to hip-hop I don't otherwise bother to listen to, while maintaining a pleasantly mid tempo dancability. Seamless and classy as always, this is the shit to beat.

   Car Stereo (Wars) will be Dj'ing our upcoming show at the Mohawk at the end of the month featuring Single Frame, La Snacks and others; and, since the other half of CS(W) is Adreon from Single Frame, they will no doubt bring their A-game. This is the cherry:

MP3: Car Stereo Wars- Only Child Mix

And here is the opening track all on it's own, just cause it was on hand:

MP3: The Cribs- Men's Needs (Cansei de Ser Sexy Remix)

Posted by partyends at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1263) | TrackBacks (0)

   What a day! Tonight is the Belaire CD release show! Oh man, oh man! The Party Ends division of Dallas is making the drive down in a true sign of solidarity behind historical synth-indie-pop! The last Belaire show was in June of 2006,  and since then- fans of killer harmony and large amounts of keyboards have been bubbling at the mouth in anticipation of any sort of activity at all. Sure, sister Cari has been busy around Austin, sister Christa doing amazing art up in New York, and the rhythm section making magazine covers all over town with Voxtrot- but nothing is quite like the sweet sweet experience of Belaire. I can’t wait to get my hands on their first full-length Exploding, Impacting and truly get summer into full swing.

   I caught openers Yellow Fever on the Mohawk ‘s recycled wood framed inside stage recently and had a blast. With their simple lyrics about boys, girls and.... boys- this group makes the extraordinarily simple extraordinary enjoyable. Friend to Party Ends Reynard Seifert was on hand with a roll of 35mm and took some b&w photos to (thankfully) remind us all that there was a time before megapixles.

MP3- Belaire- Ces Mots

MP3- Belaire- Dadada

Posted by partyends at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (243) | TrackBacks (0)

   I'm almost completely unsure as to whether or not I actually like Dandi Wind, though this is not uncommon for me. They are one of those groups that, when you listen to their music, you can't immediately tell if they are being pretentious or ironic, or ironically pretentious; or if they are playing on the popular whims of hot-right-now music, or if they are playing with ideas that are hot-right-now whimsically. Their pictures certainly didn't help, consisting of a mishmash of conversely cool, minimal  and overtly 'artsy' (the way that high school theater girls dressing up and taking photos is 'artsy') photos, mostly of their female lead singer in over the top outfits and makeup, all of which points to art school kids who have so little actual responsibility that they have nothing better to do with their time than try and be 'hip'. Of course, the same could be said for great groups like CSS and The Teenagers, so I can't hold that against them too hard.

   That being said, there are certainly good elements here that I enjoy more each time I listen through a track. Fat synths, overtly dirty saws and beats, and spastic, spattered vocals lay out the dark and sometimes disturbing lyrics. Think Crystal Castles meets Tom Waits pushed through a circuit bent Casiotone and a little overproduced in a hip-hop studio. Try it on:

MP3: Dandi Wind- Apotempnophilia

MP3: Dandi Wind- Balloon Factory 

Posted by partyends at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (716) | TrackBacks (0)

   So, as usual, I skipped out on a show recently and have come to really regret my slothful ways. This time the regretably neglected musicians were Animal Collective at a show that is now being reffered to as one of the best performances to come through Dallas all year. Damn it. Anyway, I'll just have to suck it up and move on, and to help me along the way the fine young men of AC have given us a new music video featuring the first track that I've heard off of the upcoming record Strawberry Jam, which sounds like it might even be better than thier somewhat revolutionary (evolutionary?) previous offerings.

   It seems that, with how good Panda Bear turned out to really be, the group actually has an even higher bar to jump than it did following Feels. This is a very fourth of July centric video, which is why I didn't post it yesterday, combining their charming embrace of silliness with the outright enjoyability of their tallent for making big, beautiful, stange music. I also got ahold of the song by itself, if you want to listen to it sans-moving pictures.

MP3: Animal Collective- Fireworks (ripped from video)

Posted by partyends at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1093) | TrackBacks (0)

   Ahh, July fourth, the day we all remember how much better our idealistic forefathers thought this country would be today than it all really turned out. We of course commemorate this by gorging ourselves on lots of red meat and alcohol and then blowing things up. We sure like to blow things up. I love Independence day, actually, but today I'm stuck at work because it's a Japanese restaurant and they, apparently, don't like independence; so I'm going to use this time to post some arbitrarily fun stuff. So enjoy your hamburgers and hot dogs by the lake, speeding around on your jet-ski, while I eat sushi in an office cubicle, and listen to this:

   This is a track by the up and comers The Cribs (who's album was produced in it's entirety by Alex Kapranos), whom we have talked about before and rather like, remixed by the universally cool CSS. The airy sound of the original is substituted here with a denser, actually more Euro / techno sound, layered with cheese synths, bloops, and washes. The only elements that seem to remain from the original are that infectiously catchy guitar hook and the scratchy / snarky vocals.

MP3: The Cribs- Men's Needs (Cansei de Ser Sexy Remix)

   And, if your not still mad at Interpol for stealing pretty much every aspect of Joy Division's sound, or you are a child / too young to have head of Joy Division, or if you have no interest in music, you might want to swing by and check out their new album, which, as I'm listening to it, sounds pretty damn good. I enjoyed Turn on the Bright Lights as much as the next guy for a while, and I'm sure this one will be no different. I'm also sure that this will be huge:

Stream: Interpol- Our Love to Admire (full album)

Posted by partyends at 09:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (168) | TrackBacks (0)

   The first thing that John said when I sent him the link to Kick Ball's myspace was "how is no other band called Kick Ball already?!" and he makes a truly decisive and intriguing point. It is generally held as one of the awesomest sports, nigh art form, and hence does make a truly awesome name because of the inherent visual and nostalgic references those words paired together instinctively bring to mind. And so, it's a good starting point to bring you into the mind to enjoy this band's raucous, sometimes juvenile, and always fun music.

   Sort of like a post pop-punk epileptic Built to Spill after too many drinks, Kick Ball has the feel that underneath all the yelling and dancing, something substantial is going on. Based out of Olympia (which I haven't heard a lot of music from lately), the band seems to be on a pretty rigorous series of small tours across the northern states. Reportedly they have a rather crazy live show, which is totally believable after listening to the wailings and thrashings of the singer and his crew as they bounce around their enjoyably hollow and homespun recordings with seemingly reckless abandon while keeping everything just orderly enough to be listenable. Top that with some truly memorable hooks and playfully cryptic lyrics and you have something really, you know, "special". Check out these tracks and their MySpace, and if you live up northern way, let me know how the shows are.

MP3: Kickball - Underground Husband

MP3: Kickball - Polar Bears

Plus, they list this funny board game that my sister in law is kind of obsessed with called Settlers of Catan as one of their influences on their MySpace, which is really funny. I played it once, it's pretty good, like Risk but without army's.

Posted by partyends at 04:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

 Photo by Jean-Marc Luneau

   August 7th- hurry up! Come quickly! And bring the new Okkervil River album with you! On this fateful date their 4th JagJaguar release the Stage Names comes out. Then and shortly thereafter you will be hard pressed to get me out of the house as I will be glued to the record player. They have a huge tour all lined up with Damien Jurado- sadly no Austin dates are currently listed… oh well- we got the DVD taping and the super orchestra show- suck it North America! Check out up to the minute tour info here.

   And lastly- I am beyond proud to present you with the first single from the new album Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe. This track has only previously made the rounds as a live bootleg so enjoy this legal MP3.

MP3: Okkervil River- Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe

   Also, read this GREAT interview about the new album from Pitchfork here. I ganked the photo above from the same link because it looks to be the most recent and proper lineup.... thanks Pitchfork!

Posted by partyends at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

   Everyone’s favorites robots made a movie! No, it’s not a Gondry exploration of mummies, swimmers and skeletons… Daft Punk have been there and done that. Their new film, Electroma, is hardly a dance-a-riffic music video; in fact- none of the music in the film is by Daft Punk. Instead it’s a drawn out story about two robots’ (Hero Robot 1 & Hero Robot 2 according to the credits) journeys to becoming human. Along the way there are Ferraris, explosions and extremely long desert treks! Apparently the avant-garde awesomeness was lost on the premier crowd at the Cannes film festival when most of the audience walked out of the screening. I take this to be a good sign! I take comfort in knowing that Daft Punk is pushing the limits of our feeble human souls- it's a nice alternative to the summer of threequls and sequels (Live Free or Daft Punk Almighty 13: Rise of The Silver Potter?)

   I am happy to help bring the film to Austin for it’s regional premiere on the big screen at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek! Along with Vice magazine, PartyEnds.com is going to do Electroma up proper on Tuesday, July 24^th for FREE with live Daft Punk Dj Sets from Markus with a K and iheartcomix’s Ocelot. There will be giveaways, food / beer, and best of all: robot rock! Come see if you can stomach the ultramodern android filmic stylings of two French robots for free, on us! Did I mention that it is free?

Posted by partyends at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

   Saturday nights are pretty hit and miss around here, you kind of just have to take your fun whatever day of the week you can get it, but last night was quite a bonanza of good elements that made for a pretty descent evening.

   I'm not sure what part our friend at GvB played in this event (hype man, I suppose), but the Granada was pumped full of 'X' handed Denton kids as P-Fork approved local upstarts Ghosthustler strait killed it with a short set of high energy, pleasantly dissonant dance music in front of a half bemused and drunkenly confused crowd of hipsters, ravers, and dudebros. Completely lucid (in part because they were underage) were their followers from little D lining the front row and dancing like it was the end of the world. Front man Alan Palomo twitched and flailed like a broken marionette as the four piece tumbled through their set. Everything sounded great, minus the overbearing addition of a somewhat conflicting and seemingly improvised guitar line on Parkinglot Nights. I don't know if that was all the material they have so far, but if so, it's a great start.

   As usual, Faux Fox put on a more visually than audially stimulating show, with the lead singer prancing across the stage, pumping up the crowd in what I can only describe as a kimono with a skinny little rope headband and knee high moccasins, bringing to mind an emaciated Boy George Christmas elf. They sounded great and even seemed to win over the SMU log-necks who probably called the band 'fags' when the curtain first went up.

   And of course the Party was all over it, decking the large floor of the Granada with rave-centric lights and pumping a pleasant mix of techno, house, grime, hip-hop, and new-rave. Despite the lack of a large dance percentage in the crowd, the few people who really went all out seemed to put out enough energy for the whole room. Always a good crew.

   And I have to admit, for a free show, it's was pretty damn fun. Check this shit out:

MP3: Ghosthustler - Busy Busy Busy

Posted by partyends at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)