Results tagged “elviscostello”

With Elvis Costello, it's all about timing. The restless nature of the man's creativity seems to dictate that he never stay in one place for too long, be that physically or creatively. As such, fans hoping for a pass through Costello's greatest pop hits were likely disappointed at the setlists that emerged last week both at Austin City Limits and at Bass Concert Hall. We suspect, though, that those fans were in the minority. As fans of Costello's great mid-80's record King Of America, we welcomed the chance to see Elvis return to a genre he seems awfully good at given that he's not exactly a folk or country lifer.

I heard Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light the other day and the muse screamed at me to tell you all why PBTDL is possibly the greatest pop song ever written, how magnificently it captures teenage angst, hormones, and the power of pussy in negotiations. So there I was, all set to wax poetic on Ellen Foley’s dramatic interpretation and beautiful pipes. And I was even going to give a nod to Scooter Rizzuto. Then I was going to tie it all into the radio conversation I started here last week by putting forth the theory that the real reason Paul and Larry got cut back has nothing to do with money or ratings, but simply because they didn’t play near enough Meat Loaf. But then… then something happened at the Elvis Costello show and blew that imagined column to hell. Because you will not, will not, will not believe what I witnessed at the Bass Concert Hall on Tuesday night. But I have just got to tell you anyway.

If there's a musical genre that Elvis Costello has missed over the past 30 years, hold on a year or two and he'll probably record an album to cover the omission. The eclectic nature of Costello's prolific catalog began all the way back in 1981 with Almost Blue, a collection of country covers that featured Hank Williams and Gram Parsons tunes. Since then, he's often veered away from his main job as a rock singer-songwriter to tackle chamber pop (1982's Imperial Bedroom), roots rock (1986's amazing King Of America), classical (1993's The Juliet Letters), easy listening (1998's Burt Bacharach collaboration Painted From Memory), torch songs (2003's North), and even opera (2004's Il Sogno). In recent years, he's done collaboration albums with both New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint and indie-pop darlings Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice. Confused yet?

UTPAC has just announced a September 1 performance at Bass Concert Hall featuring Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes. The all-acoustic band will be supporting the release of Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, out on June 2. Tickets go on sale May 18 at 10 a.m. For more info, click here.

Costello has already released Momofuku on vinyl (2xLP), but the CD release arrives today. Those who purchased the vinyl two weeks ago had codes to download digital versions then, but not much has "leaked" to the web yet in terms of reception. Costello's 24th official release features collaboration with new friend Jenny Lewis, who enlisted EC to help with her upcoming solo release.

Austin's own Weird Weeds spent seven months in the studio working on their latest full-length, I Miss This, and by their own admission, the effort asserted towards this record is by far the most intense in their history. One listen demonstrates their devout attention to detail in regards to both production and songwriting amply. "Red" oozes thick guitar dirges, sweetly tempered percussion and odes to Indian sitar harmonies (and carefully executed dissonance) with equal precision.

Asleep At Heaven’s Gate – Rogue Wave (Brushfire Records) The year 2006 was full of activity and turmoil for California’s Rogue Wave. There was some great news when founding member Zach Rogue had a baby daughter, but sadly, guitarist Gram LeBron’s father passed away and drummer Pat Spurgeon had a kidney transplant (and was understandably out of commission for a good amount of time.) Adding to the mayhem was the fact that Sub Pop was...

Shout Out Louds Our Ill Wills (Merge) 2005's Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff produced a moderate buzz for the Stockholm-based Shout Out Louds, dropping a snappier, poppier version of garage rock on our tightly belted laps. The record, equal parts Johnny Marr and Rivers Cuomo, pondered the woes of hipster heartbreak, dumb-luck sadness and singer Adam Olenius' distinctive croon simply oozed with longing and hope. That being said, Howl Howl is not at all a...

If you don't already know about Nick Lowe, it's time you found out. The quick and dirty: He's been around since the mid-'60s, playing a mixture of country, rock, blues, and pop. His first band Brinsley Schwarz is constantly noted as a major influence on '70s punk. He wrote "Cruel to Be Kind" and "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," a song destined to become an Elvis Costello hit in 1979; in...

FRIDAY [8] music • DJ Krames (Cobra Kai), Prince Klassen at Beauty Bar (Free) books • Dominic Smith presents The Beautiful Miscellaneous at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • Punchline, open mic stand up comedy at ColdTowne Theater (10pm) film • "The Secret Mirror" at The Paramount film • Master Pancake Theatre: "The Breakfast Club" at Alamo Downtown film • "Severance" at Dobie Theatre food • Central Market Cooking Class: Manicotti Workshop with Foodie Barbara Sampson at...

Despite mammoth popularity in the UK, Europe, and Japan, Paul Weller remains largely unknown in America. Since forming The Jam in the late 70's, Weller has been the UK's answer to Neil Young, the "Modfather", perpetually moving forward while always showing his fandom for bands like The Who, The Small Faces, and the English 'Northern Soul' music so popular in Weller's youth. At once a member of the same musical spaces as 'London Calling'-era...

The following is a column by guest contributor Laurie Gallardo. Hear her on KUT 90.5FM, Friday evenings from 11pm-3am. -- The Editors Greetings, ghoulies! I must admit that this happens to be my favorite time of the year, which means I just may wreak a bit of havoc on the ol’ airwaves this evening. With plenty of helpful recommendations from some of my KUT peeps, including music director Jeff McCord, Texas Music Matters producer...

As Elvis Costello might say, we just don't know where to begin. Even if you are skipping ACL, the fall is turning into a music wonderland. Acts of every genre and size are booking Austin's clubs up like there's no tomorrow, leaving music lovers with many questions on how to spend both time and cash this fall. Trust us, you can't see it all, so pick your favorites and buy tickets in advance to...

Austin is such an NPR town. How else can one explain a sold-out house of 2,800+ at $35 per ticket for author David Sedaris? Austinist hadn't been to many readings before, let alone one at a venue hosting Elvis Costello this week, so we weren't sure what to expect. We found a fawning audience, a writer in command of what he does best, and a great number of laughs through the course of the...

MONDAY [10][karaoke] Monday Karaoke at Beerland (Free, 9pm) (link) [film] Monday Movies al fresco, with 'Heavenly Creatures" and "Welcome to the Dollhouse" at Sidebar (link) [comedy/books] David Sedaris at Bass Concert Hall (8pm) (link) [music] Elizabeth McQueen at Theadgill's (Free, 8pm) (link) [film/drinking] FUSEBOX Happy Hour at Blue Theater (6pm, $5, screening of short films by Austin's Zellner Brothers as part of the ongoing FUSEBOX Festival) (link) [theatre] "Durang/Durang" at Mary Mood Northern Theatre (8pm,...

Sondre Lerche has made no secret of who his influences are; in interviews and in his own candid online diary, he often praises the likes of Elvis Costello, Prefab Sprout, Chet Baker, and even Steely Dan. He praises them all for good reason, of course. Lerche’s previous two albums, Faces Down (2002) and Two-Way Monologue (2004), were quirky pop creations that illuminated the depth of his songwriting abilities and the sweet qualities of his voice....

As part of his Symphony Tour, Declan McManus aka Elvis Costello will be visiting Austin for one night only at the UTPAC's Bass Concert Hall and will be performing with the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

The Bill Jerram Band will rock the Saxon Pub this Saturday night at 9PM for the release of their new self-titled cd. For the uninitiated, singer-songwriter Jerram and his band meld a raucous mixture of country, roots-pop, Americana rock and soul. Jerram’s guitar playing and powerhouse vocals are supported excellently by keyboardist Will Cornforth, bassist Marty Hobratschk and drummer Slade Crabtree. The band’s solid sound reminds Austinist of an amalgam of The Band, The Cars, Elvis Costello and Lenny Kravitz, if you can imagine that. But trust us, it will get your feet a-tappin and will probably inspire you to have a drink or four. In honor of the release, the new cd will be available Saturday night for the one-time cost of $5. Guy Forsyth will follow the boys with a set of his own.