Results tagged “brendancanty”

Now We Can See is such a transcendently perky recording that we suspect the Thermals had Japanese poet Masahide’s words ‘Barn’s burnt down- Now I can see the moon’ in mind naming and performing it. This would be especially appropriate in light of their apocalyptic last album, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, featuring one couple’s attempt to escape the clutches of a fascist Christian regime that has taken over the United States. Well, that was 2003, and it’s not just the Thermals feeling a lot more chipper these days.

The relevance of a 7" originally pressed in 1987 (two years after the band broke) being reissued now, in 2008, speaks volumes about a band with impact beyond its lifespan, beyond its then-insular and divided scene, and beyond our own expectations. In 1985, the punk scene in D.C. revolved around a sort of Machiavellian machismo which turned many punks into disgruntled outsiders at their own shows. Rites of Spring retaliated (even before Fugazi did), with unapologetically emotional lyrics about friendship, love and (oh my god hardcore scene) personal issues and groundbreaking song structures that took the hardcore scene by storm.

In the first bit of Las Manitas news this year that has nothing to do with small business displacement or forgivable loans, Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme has announced plans to shoot a new film at the embattled downtown eatery. The film (mentioned at the tail end of this Washington Post article) will apparently be a concert documentary featuring Austin roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo. No word yet on a timeframe for the shoot, but...

Wilco’s not trying to break your heart by skipping Austin on this tour, they’re just trying to focus on some of the towns they rarely get a chance to visit. Fortunately for us, one of those towns is our neighbor to the south, San Antonio. So, why not jump in the car and head down to Sunset Station in the Alamo City tomorrow night to check out one of America’s finest bands? Hell, grab some...