So many shows, so much time. This is a big week for our music writer friends at the Austin Chronicle. On Wednesday Audra Schroeder will be reading a music-related piece at Five Things (more on this event later) and on Thursday the magazine is launching their Paper Cuts Live Music Series with a performance from Foot Patrol at the Palm Door.
Weekly Music Picks - Wild Combinations
Dr. Dog at Stubb's [Preview]
Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog built their reputation the old-fashioned way: non-stop, nationwide touring. It also helped that they developed a sizable internet fan base with exclusive, downloadable songs and off-the-cuff blog entries in the days before blogs were blogs and DSL even existed. The group has been around in one form or another since 1999, and the twin songwriting core of guitarist Scott McMicken and bassist Toby Leaman met each other in the eighth grade. As a result, Dr. Dog have developed a sort of musical telepathy for winning hooks and golden multi-part harmonies, which you can witness in all their glory tonight at Stubb’s.
Here We Go Magic at Emo's Tonight [Giveaway]
Here We Go Magic is led by singer/songwriter Luke Temple, who released two folk albums under his own name before recording Here We Go Magic's debut album at home on a four-track recorder. At the time, Temple was earning his keep by painting murals in wealthy New Yorkers' apartments, and his music has a kind of painterly, collage-like aspect.
New Release Tuesday: Here We Go Magic, Ratatat, Ariel Pink
Also out today are Ratatat's LP4 and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Before Today, both of which will be listened to at tonight's listening party, happening at Whetstone Audio. And oh crap, there's a new Teenage Fanclub record too!
Snapshots: Here We Go Magic and White Rabbits
White Rabbits and Here We Go Magic performed at the Independent last night. Our contributing photographer, Trent Lesikar, was there to catch all the action.
White Rabbits & Here We Go Magic at The Independent [Tonight]
The mild weather has stuck around for awhile now creating probably the longest record of known Springery here in Austin. Usually, it seems like there are only about 2.5 of these perfectly sunny-but-not-too-humid-with-a-spot-of-wind days before we creep into the blazing ball-busting heat of summer.
Get out and enjoy it while you can, Austin. One delightful way to spend this particular Spring evening is heading to the White Rabbits show at The Independent. This six-piece indie band based in Brooklyn is a sweet combo of enchanting vocal harmonies and powerful rock beats that's slightly reminiscent of the Cold War Kids.
Le Diamant Brut: ACL Edition w/ Them Crooked Vultures & Here We Go Magic
What’s the Deal: Ah, supergroups. Where would we be without them - The Highwaymen, Traveling Wilburys, Temple of the Dog, Velvet Revolver, Angels & Airwaves, The Dead Weather, and the list goes on? Now, there’s Them Crooked Vultures, a project sure to sell out tours and churn out crave-worthy songs built on the strength of the millions of albums sold of their independent projects. Them Crooked Vultures is vocalist/guitarist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), drummer Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) and bassist/ keyboardist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), with Alain Johannes as a live guitarist. They have yet to release a recording, and the only music out there is from snippets of songs released by the band and live recordings on YouTube, which surely, combined with the fact that they haven’t played a date in the U.S. since their debut post-Lollapalooza performance, has hard rock fans chomping at the bit to really see what they’re made of.
Giveaway: The Raveonettes & Here We Go Magic @ The Parish [Oct. 2nd]
Come the first weekend of October, Austin City Limits Music Festival will once again take over our town, with thousands enjoying the likes of Pearl Jam, Kings Of Leon, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the newly laid lush green grass of Zilker Park. Although this gathering of top notch talent in one spot is appealing to most, some might prefer to dodge the relentless crowds and the sweltering heat and save themselves for the plethora of official aftershows scattered around downtown Austin all weekend. The late night gigs also offer a second opportunity to watch a band you may have missed because of a conflict, or perhaps the festival set was so darned early, you just couldn’t get there in time. Both The Raveonettes (Saturday) and Here We Go Magic (Sunday) are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. sets on the Xbox 360 Stage. However, night owls rest assured, both bands will perform at The Parish Room once the sun has set and dusk has set in.
Snapshots: Here We Go Magic & Grizzly Bear @ the Parish [Last Night]
Photos courtesy Chad Wadsworth.
Austinist Presents: Grizzly Bear and Here We Go Magic
The doe-eyed foursome of Ed Droste, Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear, and Chris Taylor, better known as Grizzly Bear, have been on nothing less than a carnivorous rampage (haha, get it, BEARS) ever since their sophomore album, 2006's Yellow House, slowly but surely worked its way onto a bevy of best-o'-year lists. And when the band made the ballsy move of debuting an as-yet-unheard "Two Weeks" on Letterman last July, the anticipation for a third album reached absolutely fawning proportions.
Austinist Presents: Grizzly Bear With Here We Go Magic
All this success and quality brought anticipation for this year's Veckatimest to fever pitch; tickets sold out for June 16th's show at the Parish room (with Here We Go Magic, alumni of our 2009 SXSW day party) before the album was even released. Chances are, you missed the boat, so we're pleased to offer a few chances to attend the show regardless of your ticket-buying trigger finger.
The Morning After: Here We Go Magic
The album starts off with a couple stunners: “Pieces of You” builds a meditative dirge, a la early Akron/Family, from a nicely woven tapestry of repetitive percussion, and truly, while the entire song is almost absent of variation off its initial theme, it probably could have gone on for a couple more minutes without much complaint. “Fangela,” on the other hand, uses a more standard song structure and is almost strikingly poppy, while still confounding the listener a bit with interpretive possibility, and it’s these two tone-setting tracks plus first single “Tunnelvision” (which may or may not be the album’s best track), that make Here We Go Magic seem destined to take people’s minds off Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective for one godforsaken minute.
NPR SXSW Showcase to Feature Decemberists' The Hazards of Love
This year's lineup appears to be just as in demand, featuring the Decemberists, who will perform their upcoming album in its entirety before the release on March 28.

