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Coverage
If you’re not familiar with Gabe Hascall’s contributions to Austin’s music history, then you best head to The Mohawk on Sunday evening when he performs a combination of new solo material as well as classics from his storied past. Hascall was a core member of The Impossibles. The band’s early ska output was a mainstay of the college and live music scene in town in the 90’s. After dealing with some internal issues, the band bounced back with 2000’s Return, boasting a new powerpop sound and a plethora of anthemic sing-alongs like “Enter/Return,” “(Never) Say Goodbye,” “Connecticut,” “This Is Fuckin Tragic,” “Oh Angelina,” and “Hey, You Kids!” The 4 Song Brick Bomb EP followed in 2001.
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With December 25th fast approaching, two of Austin’s most unique bands pile on the Christmas cheer at The Mohawk on December 19th with the Golden Arm Trio & Invincible Czars Holiday Show. We caught up with Golden Arm Trio’s ringleader Graham Reynolds shortly before Fun Fest 2008 -- read our interview here. During Fun Fest itself, we coaxed in Laurie Gallardo from KUT 90.5 FM to have a brief chat with Reynolds -- watch the interview clip after the jump.
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Every year, come December, we face a barrage of office holiday parties and family get-togethers, and then there’s this. Local photographer Aasim Syed has turned an evening at Red 7 into a veritable festival with this Saturday’s appropriately named “Aasim Holiday Party.” The outside stage will feature sets by ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, the legendary (to us) Glorium (performing Close Your Eyes to mark the ten year anniversary of the album’s release), and Those Peabodys, while the spacious inside area will be entertained by Ume, The Black, and Diagonals. DJ sets by Fuckin’ A and Ramesh Srivastava (Voxtrot) to keep everyone warm and busy during the set changes are also a part of this stellar line-up.
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The new Riverboat Gamblers album, Underneath the Owl, doesn't come out until March 2009, but SPIN is offering a free download of the single, "A Choppy, Yet Sincere Apology."
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Pop music has its Brian Wilson, soul has Sly Stone, and rap has Kool Keith – the eccentric recluse whose odd behavior and flights of unpredictability hint at genius.
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For the third year, Transmission Entertainment's Fun Fun Fun Fest turned Waterloo Park into a veritable underground music melting pot. Successfully spanning hip-hop to comedy to hardcore in one weekend isn't an easy feat, and we can't remember the last time we saw so many punks, hipsters and club rats quite so elated.
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We're more dedicated than ever when it comes to spreading the word about our local music community: the bands that keep it running year-round, and the fans who still believe in leaving the house to take part in their scene. We're proud of this community, and we can't think of a better time to celebrate it than on the eve of Fun Fun Fun Festival.
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This year's FunFunFun Fest punk stage is bound to be heaven for those weaned on classic 1980s underground punk rock, as the lineup features a veritable smorgasbord of heavies from that period.
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San Francisco-based eccentrics Deerhoof have spent their entire career on Kill Rock Stars. The sometimes avant, sometimes classically inspired but always interesting group released Offend Maggie in October to rave reviews. They're one of the acts we're most excited to see this weekend, mostly because we just heard about their distribution of "Fresh Born" to an audience in NYC in the form of sheet music -- an urging for fans to submit their own versions. Until we find out if they offer Austin the same privilege, we'll settle for a discussion with Ed Rodriguez, the band's (new-ish) guitarist.
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So many punk bands have gotten embarrassing over time. The Dead Milkmen are not such a band. Their posture was always more smirk than snarl, and their records have aged gracefully, still fun to shout along to, and imminently listenable without being overly slick. The band officially broke up over a decade ago, playing just one gig since -- a memorial show for the band's former bassist Dave Blood who committed suicide in 2004.
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Brooklyn-based Parts and Labor do the kind of clangy tracks that get categorized as experimental, but it's experimental in a way that places it at intersection of rock and noise, listenable even when the blasts of sound are nearly overwhelming. B.J. Warshaw, the band's vocalist, bassist, and electronics expert forked over a few minutes of his time to talk to us about the band's new record, the festival circuit, and what exactly "experimental" means anyway.
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Fun Fun Fun Fest is fortunate this year, as with the last, to have some pretty important names in punk rock on the bill. Bad Brains, The Bouncing Souls and All are just a small part of a long list of groups who have put their stamp on punk over the last 20 or so years. Kevin Seconds, singer of the legendary punk band 7 Seconds, is another one of those important punk figures, and albums like 1985’s Walk Together Rock Together earned 7 Seconds a spot in the hearts of many rebellious, disenchanted youths.
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Seattle-based Minus the Bear have developed a solid following among indie rock fans. The band is notable for their often sophisticated use of non-standard time signatures. Alex Rose, who joined the band after working as sound engineer on their critically acclaimed album Menos el Oso, talked to us about the way the band has evolved over the past few years, and what's up next for the band.
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They’re a four-man psych-folk group who got their start in Stillwater, OK with some thick, harmonic choruses in the midst of crunching, distorted guitars and some grand instrumentation. They have a bursting folk-pop sound built of keys, guitars, even horns.
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Tim Fite is a singer/songwriter living in Brooklyn who blends hip hop and folk to create a very distinct and raw sound featuring Fite's slight drawl and a drawer full of samples. On his Anti Records debut Gone Ain't Gone, which garnered him considerable critical praise, Fite only used samples from records he bought for less than a dollar.
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In the months prior to SXSW 2008, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans (bka the Portland-based YACHT) lived in Marfa, where they recorded their forthcoming See Mystery Lights and tinkered away on a witty sleeve for the AirMac. With the group coming back to Austin this weekend, we had a good excuse to bug them about their time out West (and have a great excuse to get our heads blown Saturday by the deftest drum programming this side of Welcome To Our World). Here’s what Jona emailed us early this morning
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If you haven't already purchased tickets for this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest, there's still time. Head over here and scoop up a pair, then rest up for what promises to be a jam-packed weekend full of independent music's most compelling artists.
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Angry, insular, and propelled by a stripped down Neptunes beat, “Virginia” is the only song on Clipse’s 2002 debut that approached the ferocity and grit of their hit “Grindin’.” Like pretty much all of their songs, “Virginia” is about drugs and posturing on the surface, but between the lines (no pun intended), Clipse depict struggles of class, race, and lifestyle. “Virginia” never topped any charts, but has long been the foundation of Clipse’s live show. This might hold true for the group’s Sunday set, or it very well could not. Rarely is a rap show as potentially telling.
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The Black Heart Procession could not have found a more suitable band name. Their songs mirror a triumphant march into the dark unknown. The San Diego bred band has managed to shell out five full length albums but still not much is publicized about the group's origin. What we do know is that Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel formed BHP in 1997 after their previous band, Three Mile Pilot, disbanded.
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Neil Hamburger, aka Gregg Turkington, will provide a much-needed comedic respite from the barrage of punk, indie, hip hop and local music of this weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. He, along with others like the Tim and Eric Awesome Show and the locals of the Coldtowne Comedy Hour, will do their best to crack up the cold stares of the hipsters and get them to grab their gut for a chuckle.
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The 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest is just around the corner and we hope you've been enjoying our lead up coverage. This year, a solid dose of comedy has been added to the usual punk, indie, hip hop, and electro entertainment on offer at Waterloo Park -- check out the detailed schedule here. And keep checking the Austinist for many more interviews and artists profiles all week.
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Golden Arm Trio is the brainchild of Graham Reynolds, a legend for all his contributions to the music and arts community in Austin. Besides performing live in a wide array of settings around town, Reynolds has scored many a film in the past and continues to bring us innovative compositions and unique shows. The number of members in Golden Arm Trio and the different instruments utilized varies depending on the subject matter of the specific show but Reynolds' versatility and genius is a constant force that impeccably ties it all up. We caught up with the maestro this week to learn more about his inspirations, collaborations, and endeavors.
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This is a star-studded tour if you’re into gritty, gravely punk. It’s Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, Tim Barry of Avail and Ben Nichols of Lucero all playing solo sets, but it usually ends up with the guys all playing on the stage backing one another.
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It wasn't that long ago that Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim were plugging away at a web-based cartoon, Tom Goes To The Mayor, in near-total anonymity. Now, as the creators of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, they've raised the bar for 21st century sketch comedy...
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Jason Reece and Conrad Keely formed …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead as a duo in the mid-‘90s after moving to Austin from Olympia, Washington. Kevin Allen and Neil Busch joined soon after, but the band has undergone a few line-up tweaks since those early days. …Trail of Dead’s self-titled debut and Madonna were landmarks in the Austin music scene towards the end of the century; their rousing live shows were apocalyptic and exhilarating where no instrument or organism was spared if it interfered with the belligerent performance. The band has churned out one inventive record after another, sifting through noisy dream-rock, thunderous post-punk, and intricate chamber-pop during an illustrious even if sometimes underrated career. But there is little doubt in our mind that …Trail of Dead is one of the most influential and relevant bands to come out of our city despite often taking a backseat to the likes of Spoon, Ghostland Observatory, and more recently, White Denim. Although their live performances are not as intense as they used to be, there is no denying their talent and their penchant to deliver melodious rock ‘n’ roll mayhem at the drop of a dime. We caught up with Reece recently to quiz him on the state of the band and the city of Austin.
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When Z-Trip released Uneasy Listening along with DJ P in 1999, a “blend” was still very much Stephanie Mills over “Impeach The President” - that is to say: DJs mixed acapellas and beats from rap, r+b, soul, and funk records at will. It was, and still is, a defining trait of a great hip-hop DJ.
What Z-Trip brought to the table, though, was Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By” over Pat Benatar's “Love is a Battlefield.”
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Now here’s something different: Graham Reynolds and his Golden Arm Trio will bring their progressive jazz fusion to what’s turning out to be the most diverse Fun Fun Fun Fest ever.
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Fun Fest organizers announced the second most important line-up: the local vendors.
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This Portland trio playing Fun Fun Fun Fest gets points for accuracy on the name for sure. They have an indie experimental noise sound that sometimes lands on the side of the sharp and jarring, not too much unlike a fist full of shiny metal picks and tools about to probe around your gum line.
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The excitement surrounding Texan Annie Clark's solo project St. Vincent began long before the release of her debut Marry Me, thanks to the strength of a few early tracks, much blog love, and of course, a stellar live show. Clark is bringing the St. Vincent experience to Fun Fun Fun Fest this year after generally touring all over with acts including John Vanderslice and Pattern is Movement. Clark talked to us via email about her likes (tea, Phil Collins), dislikes (certain Alaskan politicians) and kept mum about the future.
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Franki Chan is a busy guy. He is the owner of iheartcomix, which encompasses a record label, an event production company, a popular blog and a marketing/promotion company. Besides that monstrosity, Chan is a well known DJ in the swelling underground independent DJ movement. Somehow in the midst of these activities, he still brings his head back down to Earth.
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Austin's own Fun Fun Fun Fest is where it's at, and all the cool kids know it. This year, we're trying to one-up the awesomeness that was last year's debauched hootenanny, which will be difficult but doable.
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Ordinary in name but definitely not in game, Frank Smith could easily beat out the Joe Sixpacks of the world in any election if the agenda was bittersweet Americana ditties. Spearheaded by Aaron Sinclair, the Austin based outfit expertly assimilates introspective lyricism with pedal steel malaise, harmonica accents, and strains of the banjo to arrive at its brand of gritty alt-country. They might be fairly new to our town (having moved from Boston last year) but a look at their resume brings to light the fact that they have already released four albums, recorded a Daytrotter Session earlier this year, and received acclaims in the past from the Boston Phoenix and Boston’s Weekly Dig. Catch them early at Fun Fun Fun Fest -- they perform on Stage Two at 1:35 p.m. on Saturday, November 8th. Frank Smith will also open for The Redwalls at Club de Ville on October 31st. We caught up with Sinclair this weekend to quiz him on the band’s name, Juliana Hatfield, and the general awesomeness of Frank Smith.
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We're just a couple weeks out from the third annual Funx3 Fest, and it's time to begin thinking seriously about which sets we know we can't miss. At the top of this concert-goer's list is Walter Schreifels, former member of Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Quicksand and Rival Schools.
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The 2008 Fun Fun Fun Fest is fast approaching and you best have bought your two-day pass already! If you cannot make it down to Waterloo Park on both days (boo!), Transmission Entertainment is giving you the opportunity to have a blast on one day of your choice -- single day tickets go on sale today for $34.99.
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Austin City Limits Music Festival is done and dusted for another year and we’re still many months away from SXSW fever. That must mean the time is ripe for our town’s little fest that could, the fast emerging Fun Fun Fun Fest, presented by Transmission Entertainment. This year’s edition will take place on November 8th and 9th at Waterloo Park and once again, Austinist is a proud media partner. Fun Fest has been improving steadily -- what started out as a three-stage event on a cold winter day in December 2006 and then redefined itself as a two-day shindig in 2007 now officially boasts four stages to showcase the conglomeration of indie, punk, electro, and comedy acts.
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Austinist is happy to announce this year's line-up for the Fun Fun Fun Festival happening at Waterloo Park on November 8 & 9. Once again, we're proud media sponsors, and will be bringing you all the news and coverage you'll need to be prepared for two incredibly packed days of music.
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Today, we're happy to announce that punk legends DOA will be on the bill (does this mean we might get a surprise spoken word performance from Jello Biafra, too?), as well as DJ Z-Trip (that's a YouTube link featuring Z-Trip and Beck together at Coachella. Does that mean ... ) and Minus the Bear.
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The dog days of summer are setting in, but we're already looking forward to the fall: Fun Fest is confirming that the Dead Milkmen will reunite to headline an evening during the Fun Fun Fun Festival being held November 8 and 9 at Waterloo Park. The Dead Milkmen are a legendary punk outfit known for their snotty, satirical lyrics and jangly, jagged punk rock guitar sound.
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