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For those not familiar with Squeeze, the most obvious reference points are Crowded House and XTC. The duo of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook have been creating a clever, pop-based, amazingly catchy brand of music for over 30 years. Their work has led to countless hits, a loyal audience, and loads of bands like Razorlight and Lily Allen citing them as a touchstone and trying to emulate the band's effortless sound. The band's hit-filled catalog propelled them all the way to gigs at Wembley Arena and Madison Square Garden in their heyday, so it's a rare treat to have a 'greatest hits' show in La Zona Rosa's more modest confines.... [continue]
Austin's Electric Touch are something of an overnight sensation. They turned up on the local scene in late 2007, the product of former IV Thieves member Shane Lawlor (who moved here from Nottingham, England with his ex-band) and former Bojones members Christopher and Louis Messina. After playing a few gigs, the band quickly landed a record deal with Houston's Justice label along with gigs at SXSW, Lollapalooza, and ACL Fest. The band will also be touring for a month with Scotland's The Fratellis this fall.... [continue]
In an effort to further educate local wine professionals, The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas and the Texas Sommelier Association sponsor a two-day conference every year to educate Texas sommeliers on trends, vintages, and regions. This should, in turn, increase both the quality of wine lists seen at Texas restaurants and the knowledge said restaurants have about the wines they're presenting to the public. While this conference is primarily designed as a trade event, it's a little-known secret that many sessions are open to the public for a nominal fee. ... [continue]
For a time there, we weren't sure if this show would ever happen. Montreal's Wolf Parade took a lengthy break after touring for debut Apologies To The Queen Mary, which led frontmen Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner to pursue multiple side projects. The resulting success (on album and in person) of their time with Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, and Handsome Furs caused some band discussion about whether to re-activate as Wolf Parade at all. Thankfully, Krug and Boeckner saw the benefit of continuing to work together, and the result was this summer's At Mount Zoomer, which is named after the band's recording space.... [continue]
When one thinks of B-movie icon Roger Corman's disciples, big names spring to mind: Coppola and Scorsese come first, followed by genre directors like Jack Hill. One name that's not so immediate is Monte Hellman, but for cinéastes, it's nearly as important. Hellman's films are often concerned with obsession, ambiguity, and genre in a manner that manages to be simultaneously intriguing, fairly abstract and avant-garde. ... [continue]
As the voice of Til' Tuesday, Aimee Mann seemed destined to become a one-hit wonder. But with 1995's brilliant I'm With Stupid, Mann defined her musical identity and found wide critical acclaim (though, at the time, not a sizable audience.) Mann mined the emotional territory of breakups, dysfunction, regrets, and longing, and most who heard the music could relate to Mann's regretful glances into the past. In an interesting twist, right as Mann found her niche, her personal life changed dramatically when she married fellow singer-songwriter Michael Penn.... [continue]
Jason Pierce and his band Spiritualized blew most British bands off the stage with the 1997 epic Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, a masterfully lush, orchestrated mix of gospel, rock, and Britpop. One wondered whether the chemical indulgences so explicitly discussed in Pierce's songs would ever lead to diminishing returns, and that seemed to be the case on follow-ups Let It Come Down and Amazing Grace: both had their moments, but neither felt like a cohesive whole.... [continue]
If there's something to take away from The Cure's sold out gig at the Austin Music Hall, it is that Robert Smith has no intention of coasting. Given that The Cure have existed for nearly 32 years, the gig could have easily gone the way of pat nostalgia. But when your die-hard fans line up ten hours prior to show time, one had best be prepared to deliver the goods. Sunday night, The Cure appeared full of energy and purpose during a 36-song, three hour marathon that featured both loads of singles and a host of deep cuts from three selected Cure albums. The 2008 Cure tour is primarily playing arenas, so the relatively small (4,400) confines of the Music Hall essentially gave Smith permission to jettison some greatest hits (among them "Close To Me", "Hot Hot Hot", and "The Lovecats") to spend much of the set focusing on songs from Wish, Pornography, and Seventeen Seconds. The large number of out-of-towners in the crowd justified Smith's song selections: in our immediate circle, we met fans from Dallas, Houston, Nebraska, and Chicago.... [continue]
Stubb's has been heavy this year with big acts in relatively small confines: we've already seen Justice, R.E.M., Wilco, and The Raconteurs there and it's merely May 15th. The list will continue in August when the pride of Kentucky, My Morning Jacket, headline a scorchingly hot evening at the BBQ venue on August 24th as part of their Evil Urges tour.... [continue]
The weather is warm, the wildflowers are out, and it's nice to get out to the park. To that end, the Wine and Food Foundation is starting a new Spring tradition at wedding hot spot Zilker Park Clubhouse. On Wednesday, four wine distributors will pour over 100 of their new release wines at the first annual Spring Fling from 6 to 9pm. Distributors Prestige Cellars, Ambiente Importing, Pioneer, and Horizon Wines will show off a literal world of wines designed for spring and summer sipping. This all takes place in the comfy confines of Zilker Park, where you can relax after a long work day and concentrate on choosing your new favorite vino for the season.... [continue]
A regular fixture on Austin's stages, Jeff Tweedy and Wilco certainly appeal to a broad cross-section of our city's music fans due to their sonic juxtapositions of alt.country, folk, and noisy Neil Young/Sonic Youth guitar rock. The group turned down their amps on last year's Sky Blue Sky, which found a pensive Tweedy retreating into gentle folk tunes after a series of critically lauded experimental albums like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. The new record was more of a polarizer: in a "year in music" wrap-up on KUT last year, KUT DJ David Brown named it one of his Top 5 of the year, while Austin American-Statesman music writer Joe Gross called it one of the year's biggest disappointments. ... [continue]
Tonight, Austin's Victory Grill will be metaphorically moving to Beale Street. KOOP's "Excavation Nation" show is sponsoring a STAX Nite, which will be packed with live and DJ-spun tunes celebrating the likes of Booker T, Issac Hayes, Carla Thomas, Albert King, Sam & Dave, and the incomparable Otis Redding. ... [continue]
One of our favorite Washington wineries is J. Bookwalter, a family-owned Columbia Valley producer who began making wine in 1983. The winery was started by Jerry Bookwalter, and his son John assumed the helm as winemaker in 2000 along with consultant Zelma Long. John's decade of experience on the sales side of the wine business has led him to make big changes during his tenure with everything from branding and packaging to the winery's tasting room experience. Mr. Bookwalter has also poured his efforts into focusing the winery on top-flight reds, and the success of his results will be clear to everyone that tries his Merlot or Cabernet at the Hill Country Wine & Food Festival. The wines are approachable, elegant, and complex, yet represent solid value compared to many of their Californian counterparts.... [continue]
To shake up the sometimes stuffy image of wine festivals, local organizers of the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival have added some late night events to this year's slate of tastings. To kick off the festivities, Threadgill's will host Austin Uncorked & Acoustic on Thursday, April 10th at 9pm. The key ideas are these: an outdoor setting, live music, a casual atmosphere, and great Texas food and drink. ... [continue]
As Elvis Costello once said: "Oh, I just don't know where to begin." How does one describe Austin's best food and wine event of the year? Let us simply say that if you're a foodie, and you don't plan to attend this...perhaps your credentials should be revoked. This is prom night, homecoming, and the big game all in one. The top wineries are pouring. The best restaurants in the state are competing to one up each other. And the sheer volume of it all is overwhelming. Stars Across Texas is the marquee event of the festival, an expensive but amazing feast for your palate featuring everything that's great about Texas food and international wine and spirits.... [continue]
One could hardly hold something called the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival without devoting an event to the glory of BBQ. So the folks behind the THCWFF have put together a Saturday afternoon feast of gluttony, with a bevy of ribs, brisket, sausage, and pulled pork that's bad for the heart but good for the soul. Particpating BBQ purveyors include both The Salt Lick and New York's popular upstart Hill Country Barbecue Market, which has been packing them in in Chelsea by serving up Lockhart-style BBQ and beers. Other restaurants will be announced soon. ... [continue]
The week after SXSW is tough. Everyone is behind on their work and buried in email and errands, all of the out-of-town visitors have headed back to cold climes, and nobody has it in them to head out for a show just yet. To combat the post-SX gloom, we've compiled a list of major concerts coming to Austin in the next 90 days. This is by no means comprehensive (check Showlist Austin for that), but merely a warning about great upcoming events that will likely sell out - indeed, two already have. So peruse the list, hit the appropriate ticket outlet (or Craigslist for Feist or The Cure), and get ready to continue to rock.... [continue]
Simian Mobile Disco are no strangers to SXSW. The duo were one of the highlights of the electronic music at SXSW '07, and they've returned for four shows at this year's event. James Ford and Jas Shaw are still touring behind 2007's Attack Decay Sustain Release, which has lit up dance floors worldwide with cuts like "I Believe" and "It's The Beat." The band are currently working on material for their second album, so one can hope that a few new tracks may turn up in these live performances. Ford is also working as an in-demand producer for acts like Arctic Monkeys and Klaxons, thus is a busy man indeed.... [continue]
Aziz Ansari gets SXSW. While you know him best for his role on MTV sketch comedy show Human Giant (which also features Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer), Ansari is also a music nerd. He has a blog, writes comedy bits about music, and can't help but mock the indie scene we all partake in. For those less familiar with Ansari, here's a quick primer: "Shittiest Mixtape Boombox Blast", "Clell Tickle: Marketing Guru", "Indie Ad Exec", "Other Music" ... [continue]
More Wristbands Available Wednesday: At least a few of the coveted SXSW wristbands will be sold via the conventional route this year. The Austin Chronicle reports that 400+ wristbands priced at $165 will be on sale from 9:30am on Wednesday 3/12 at Waterloo Records. These wristbands do not require an local ID, so out-of-towners can finally get their show at wristbands not obtained through nefarious means. They also report that a second batch may be made available next week, so stay tuned for more information.... [continue]
