Results tagged “spoon”

Since his 2000 debut, San Francisco-based singer/songwriter John Vanderslice has earned consistent critical praise for his work. His strong lyrical themes coupled with beautiful production aesthetics have found an audience both in the US and Europe, where Vanderslice is touring this fall. Vanderslice recently phoned us from California to discuss his latest work, 2009's Romanian Names, which he'll be showcasing at the ACL Festival next month.

We hear quite of a bit of Doves influencing their sound, pared down just enough to firmly place the Mercers within the camp of sarcastic pop bands currently flashing chord progressions as juicy as their lyrics’ wit is dry. Austin seems to be an incubator for this "Wit Pop" (can we trademark that?) sound, hatching such masters of the style as Spoon and Okkervil River.

Despite the unbearable heat, Spoon's mini-fest was a huge success over the weekend at Stubb's. Austinist contributing photographer Aasim Syed was there to capture everything.

More than 25 years later, there's an arrest made for the murder of local musician Johnny Goudie's mother, Natalie Antonetti.

The openers for this festival are a strange mix indeed, but all the better for breaking musical genre barriers. Be sure to check out at least one night; these are supposedly the last of Spoon's Austin shows for awhile. Don't get too distracted with the openers, though. There's also some amazing after shows, including The Low Lows, Nakia & His Southern Cousins, and The Black.

Spoon’s music is all about propulsion, while the Low Lows focus on creating inescapable drag forces behind their melodies. But both bands seem thematically engaged on distilling the complexity of their musical ideas down into almost impossibly simplistic statements. In Spoon’s case, it’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga- pre-symbolic infant babble or chord structure? And on the other hand, with The Low Lows it’s a penchant for psychic denials so thinly veiled as to call attention to their transparency, which has vocalist Parker noon crooning heartbreakers like "There is no such thing as Sara Jane."

There are few bands currently performing that can't shake Austin the way Spoon can't. Even though most of the band lives elsewhere, their presence lingers on the streets, in the record stores and in the bars.

By now you've heard about the three-night-stand Spoon has at Stubb's in July. We're excited about it too; and we're presenting night three along with KVRX (that's July 11). The (somewhat) local heroes will be playing tunes from their rich catalog as well as songs from their forthcoming full-length and new EP Got Nuffin.

For nearly a decade, John Vanderslice has consistently accomplished the difficult task of seamlessly, and seemingly carelessly, blending the streamlined, edgy production he terms "sloppy hi-fi" with complicated lyrics expressed by cryptic characters.

On a night packed with the potential for multiple sonic eargasms (The Faint, My Bloody Valentine) the fact that Spoon sold out an intimate show at the Scoot weeks in advance should come as little surprise. These one-off, intimate Spoon sets feel like family reunions, bringing together the younger generation of Austin's cool-sters (relative babies in their bassinets from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) the middle aged yupsters (Kill the Moonlight) and the hipsteratti of 'ol timey pre-condo Austin (A Series of Sneaks).

Mark your calendars and buy tickets early - this Spoon show at the Parish on October 13 will sell out fast. Those lucky enough to get tickets will cram into the small (but delightfully warm-sounding) room with a few hundred of their new best friends to support Texas Democrats and the campaign of Mark Thompson, Democratic candidate for the office of Railroad Commissioner.

One of our favorite post-rock acts here in town, My Education, have a new album called Bad Vibrations. Until our review, get a sampling over at NPR Music, where the band is featured on Second Stage.

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.

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon.

Brownout! kick off their tour this week but not before supplying the Beauty Bar with diverse concoctions comprised of Latin funk, Afro-beats, soul and R&B. Following their Tuesday night gig in Austin, the eight-piece plays one more show in the Lone Star State, at Zeppelin’s Pub in El Paso before leaving for California.

There was no escaping the gravity of Austin in 2007. Three major festivals drew artists, labels, promoters and press from around the world. Critically and commercially, Spoon was an undeniably dominating force. Production power increased with the emergence of C3 Presents, a joint venture between heavyweights Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker. Yet our unique universe still grows from within. Bands like Okkervil River and businesses like Transmission Entertainment continue to expand our horizons. My best of list is a celebration of what makes the Austin music scene independent and innovative.

It's been a big year for local acts. Big name bands like Spoon, Iron & Wine and Okkervil River made a huge impact on the independent music scene world-wide, while up and coming acts like White Denim and Moth!Fight! captured our attention at the indie rock water cooler all year long. As rising hopes and swelling egos swept the town alongside buzz and bravado, we parted ways with bands like SOUND Team and Clap!Clap!.

A sad week for LAist as they lose their trusted and amazing editor Tony Pierce to the LA Times, but what a blast his last week was. He shared his 25 Favorite CDs of 2007 and wrote a great review of just a good movie, No Country For Old Men. At UCLA, thousands of students celebrated the end of their quarter by running around campus in their undies (lots of photos in a two-part photo essay, one, two). That wasn't the only photo essay either: Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy friends and Star Trek actors all joined in at the Writers Strike and KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas brought two nights of amazing bands that included Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park (Part I), Modest Mouse, Muse, Spoon and The Killers (Part II). Not only is L.A. a great music town, it has just been named the best city for bookish types. For those who are looking for something a little more active, American Gladiators are back (yes!) and if that's not enough, how about a Christmas gift of action and adventure?

Image from Myspace; Photo by Colin Smith The Ponys + Chin Up Chin UpWednesday November 14The Mohawk (912 Red River)Doors at 9pm, Free![info] [The Ponys MySpace] [Chin Up Chin Up MySpace]Chicago's The Ponys traffic in post-punk and dark overtones, and have been tirelessly touring the club circuit for years. The band have recently opened for both Spoon and Bloc Party, but are now headlining their own fall trek through the South. Their latest work Turn...

P&K Grocery, South Austin's fancy mom-and-pop corner store, has gone out of business. Though open for only a year and a half, the tiny market on West Mary became a neighborhood staple, offering, among a host of more exotic specialty foods, wonderful sandwiches, hot dogs, and (best of all) cupcakes. The store did what it could to help out the community, and, in turn, became a much-appreciated part of the community as well. "We are...

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring...

Fun Fun Fun Fest captured more than a few hearts last December on a cold winter evening with a three-stage-pronged attack that provided ample genres for everyone in attendance. Some of the stand-out acts included Spoon, The Black Angels, The Octopus Project, Peaches, and Prefuse 73. This year, the fest is back, bigger than before, and a month earlier to boot. November 3rd and 4th will see Waterloo Park transformed into a musical carnival featuring...

As our friend The M.O. reported, Ghostland Observatory are set to perform on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tomorrow evening. It will be their first nationally televised performance, and they're expected to play a tune from delete.delete.i.eat.meat.... GLO recently recorded a set for Austin City Limits, and we can expect that episode to air on KLRU sometime in December. Known for their energy-packed live sets, GLO are wrapping up a very exciting year that saw...

Spoon (6:30pm): So here's the thing about Spoon: they're a studio band. And on record, they're pretty much bulletproof for this decade. But the band also have a deserved reputation as a sometimes shaky live act, and such was the case for the show's beginning today. Britt Daniel and the band emerged without opening music or much ceremony, plowing right into a half-dozen tracks from new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. But they...

You have to love ILYBICD's patience. They haven't played a show in "ages," (according to their MySpace), but will come out from hiding Saturday night at the Mohawk to "Hopefully play some new material." In the fall, the band will be heading back to the studio to begin work on their second full-length. Their self-titled 2003 release (produced by Brit Daniel) featured the slow-burning and pop-infused "Your Worst Is Your Best," but the long-awaited...

Now that Spoon have a Top 10 album on the Billboard charts, if there's a new king of the Austin indie-rock scene, it's Ghostland Observatory. If you've not heard them yet, we'll classify them as a dance and electronic rock duo who utilize synths, drum machines, and guitars to create a fairly unique sonic space for themselves which never fails to get a crowd moving. The duo of Thomas Turner and Aaron Behrens have...

If you happened to be downtown two weekends ago, you might have found yourself startled, amused, or even aroused (it’s okay, you’ll be totally accepted at some clubs in Japan) by the sight of four human forms wandering the streets in golden, skin-tight zentai suits. There must be something in the way head-to-toe spandex outfits cling to one’s body, because clubbers all over downtown were completely enamored with the mysterious beings - perhaps it...

ACL Previews Interview: Midlake Interview: The National Preview: The Wonderful Harmonizers, Loretta Williams Gurnell Preview: JJ Grey & Mofro and Charlie Musselwhite Preview: Young Love and the Dynamites Featuring Charles Walker ACL Band Clash, Round 1: Spoon Vs. Queens Of The Stone Age Snapshots Lollapalooza 2007 Snapshots: Summer Extrav-O-Ganza 2 Weekly Features The Argyle Academy New Release Tuesday: Art in Manila, Flight of the Conchords & Marissa Nadler Feature Review: Okkervil River's The Stage Names...

Austinist guest correspondent Beth Bellanti, Director of Marketing at Tito's Vodka, was at last weekend's Lollapalooza Music Festival in Downtown Chicago. With Austin having such a large presence at this year's event— the lineup included Spoon, Ghostland Observatory, Roky Erickson, and Blue October—we thought it only fitting to invite her to share some photos from the fest. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above, an alternate version appears after the jump....

Okkervil River The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)