8.28.2007
Meiko

"I need you, but you and onions make me cry."

Alanis Morisette. Fiona Apple. Meredith Brooks. Shirley Manson. The Spice Girls. What do all these people have in common? Vaginas! And... Girl Power! Girl Power in the '90s had so much to do with angry women, done wrong by their male counterparts, spilling their hurt into their music (yes, the Spice Girls too -- the only guy they let get close was a gay man... ahem... Elton... Spice World anyone?). Most prevalent in the acoustic, pop/rock category, these women made you wonder how fucked up their boyfriends really were. But finally in 2007 there comes retribution in the form of a little songbird named Meiko! (Even her name sounds cute and unthreatening.) This part-Japanese, part-something else singer/songwriter delivers peace with her debut self-titled album, Meiko, after the Decade of the Bitches. Pleasant and pretty, Meiko had an almost stereotypical start singing in Baptist churches, baseball games, and coffee houses. Apparently still a waitress at Hotel Cafe, Meiko is slowly, but surely, getting people's heads to turn with her gentle, yet soulful voice and absolutely infectious songs, mine included.

m4a Heard it All Before
m4a Piano Song


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Soyea this is going to be my last post in Austin. I'm leaving for Baltimore on Thursday. Yuhhhhh.
Published at 4:12 PM by Alina.
4 comments
8.20.2007
Sean Lennon
I was raised on The Beatles. Impressive for a second-generation Korean-American, I must say. My mom was struck when John Lennon passed, along with other victims of Beatlemania all over the world. I was negative nine on December 9, 1980, but it affected me as well. Poor Alina had to learn that the founder of the Greatest Band of All Time was years gone, and Poor Sean had to cope with the loss of his doting dad of five years. But oh, how the product of Yoko and John has grown. Sean Taro Ono Lennon is now 31 and sixteen years musically active. First on the scene as a collaborator on Lenny Kravitz's album, Mama Said, and later a bandmate of own his mama, Sean Lennon is currrently standing on his own as a solo artist. His latest album, Friendly Fire, released last year, is a delicate gem, showcasing his trebly voice, poetic lyrics, and inclination toward Beatles-like melodies. Sean claims his musical influences range from the Beach Boys to The Beastie Boys. Honestly, I hear neither in his music, but, regardless, his sound is definitely inspired. Look out for a collaboration with Irina Lazareanu, It Girl model, in the near, near future. And, they're supposedly not together. Yoko may have broken up The Beatles, but without her, we would have no Bed-Ins, no U.S. vs. John Lennon, no "Oh, Yoko," and, oh yea, no Sean Lennon.

mp3 Dead Meat
mp3 Parachute
mp3 Wait For Me

[Sean Lennon's Myspace][Sean Lennon's Official Site]


Video for "Parachute"
Published at 9:30 PM by Alina.
9 comments
[Spoon - Don't You Evah]

"Betcha' got it all planned right. Betcha' never worry, never even feel a fright."

Just something I forgot to post a few days back, but now's just as good a time as ever. Start your week off right by working some grooves out to Spoon's newest video for their song Don't You Evah from their latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Can you spot the Spoon cameos? I'd ask that seriously, but it's honestly not hard to spot white people in Japan. Working with those guys at WIRED, the boys managed to get quite the hookup with this video by being able to use the very sophisticated, very awesome Keepon dancing robot. So go on then, grease up those joints and start up your week with domo roboto-ing.

Spoon has a slurry of dates in the Fall and you can purchase your tickets now at their site.
Be their friend!

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No Otherwheres On This One Guys
Published at 12:05 AM by Anonymous.
3 comments
8.17.2007
[The Early Tapes]
"Screamin' and laughin' together, the cops were on their tail. They kissed each other goodbye, and Thomas drove off the street, straight into the river creek."

As evidenced by my four days of dormancy, every now and again I hit a point where I just feel the need to stop a moment and cleanse my musical palette of rock for a few days, and I usually don't put that musical retainer back in until I feel fit. This morning I woke up to The Early Tapes, and rather than snoozing my clock to death, I found myself coaxed to consciousness so that I could prick up my ears and hear more. The Early Tapes is a four-piece outfit coming out of right here in Austin, Texas and play music with the spirit of an expired decade. Calling influence from the likes of Hendrix, The Stooges, Zeppelin, and The Stones, The Early Tapes play with the early 70s at their backs in a way that few bands manage to execute in terms of success and skill. The Early Tapes sends off waves of nostalgia with a sturdy stream of smooth bass lines, a persistent drum beat and confident vocals. I can just imagine dusting off an old vinyl from a worn sleeve and hearing these guys start crackling through the speaker. When it comes to these guys, you're sent dizzying into a trance and drift off towards a care-free demeanor, and drifting's definitely the word. I feel like these guys are just nomads that go from place to place and play tracks in those dark, smoke-filled bars in the middle of the desert off the 66. The boys don't have much of a discography as of yet, The Early Tapes are currently in the studio working on a full release.

Various Songs From The Early Tapes (all songs are right click - save as):
Charles Hand
Betty And Thomas

Learn more and pick up another track at The Early Tapes site.
Be their friend!

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Otherwheres - I was wondering why Devendra's been on the tips of everybody's tongue, and rest assured, Connor over at IGIF is here to educate me...

Otherwheres - Elvis aficionados can gyrate themselves over to Covert Curiosity for their fix...

Otherwheres - Oh, and I've been stupid with forgetting to mention this for a while now, but the Austinist has all you need to ready yourself for this year's ACL Fest...
Published at 8:58 PM by Anonymous.
3 comments
8.13.2007
One for the Team

I'll admit to occasionally neglecting our inbox. When you have 477 new e-mails, it's only natural to be intimidated and hide. Nevertheless, a couple weeks ago, I checked a message from the ever-present Ian Anderson, a representative and member of Minneapolis's Afternoon Records. Attached were a couple of mp3s from one of his bands, One for the Team. I've had pretty bad experiences with attached mp3s from completely unheard of bands, but something made me open both. Lo and behold, the first, "Best Supporting Actor" immediately rooted itself in my inner ear upon listening. The structure of the song was beyond refreshing - I can't even name the last time I heard a truly successful bridge. And the verses! More or less chanted by a chorus of raw voices, I was reminded of an adolescent Jimmy Eat World. Their adolescence should not be confused with immaturity, however. Sentimentality is kept at arm's length, along with whiny melodies and forced feeling. Instead, their music proves to be controlled and sincere, embracing a pop aesthetic, but never slipping into the saccharine. With their debut album, Good Boys Don't Make Noise, already receiving flattering reviews, these kids have no need to grow up anytime soon.

Upcoming Shows

Aug 16 Schubas Chicago, IL w/ Christians and Lions
Aug 17 The Bluebird St. Louis, MO w/ Thor Axe, Tree Heart Orchestra, & Ghost of the Forest
Aug 19 Bali Satay Ames, IA
Sep 7 O'Gara's St. Paul, MN w/ the Alarmists
Sep 22 M-Shop Ames, IA w/ Poison Control Center


--

Soyea check out Blog Fresh Radio for interviews with all your favorite bloggers... including us!

Soyea I am very, very excited for Across the Universe. It hits theatres nationwide September 21.

Soyea Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight drops in less than a week! Watch out for it on August 21.
Published at 10:25 PM by Alina.
4 comments
8.07.2007
St. Vincent
"Marry me, John, marry me, John, I'll be so good to you."

I saw St. Vincent before I heard her. Willowy limbs, curly mop of hair, penetrating eye-globes, and impeccably stylish clothing. I then hit play and fell in love, musically speaking. How much deeper do you think I fell once I learned that all the sweet, sweet music I was hearing was derived from her mouth and fingers alone? Yes, St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, is yet another one of those multi-talented wonders that exists in the musical world, providing not only the voice, but also the guitar, bass, piano, synthesizer, and programming for her music. To amaze me even further, it came to my knowledge that she also performs by herself. St. Vincent is Superman.

As the established guitarist for both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens (!), it was only time before Annie spread her wings as a solo artist. July 10 saw the release of her debut album, Marry Me. Coyly named and coyly executed, her first record showcases her melodic soprano voice and whimsical instrumental style. Pleasant and equally heartfelt, songs like "Now. Now." and "Jesus Saves, I Spend" immediately root themselves in the listener's good graces with their refreshing originality and quirkiness. My prediction for St. Vincent for the upcoming years: raging popularity rivaling that of Sufjan.

Upcoming Shows

Aug 7 Modified Phoenix, AZ
Aug 8 Club Congress Tucson, AZ
Aug 9 Launchpad Albuquerque, NM
Sep 1 Bumbershoot Seattle, WA
Sep 4 229 London
Sep 5 Slaughtered Lamb London
Sep 14 Granada Theatre Dallas, TX
Sep 18 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Sep 19 Slowdown Omaha, NB
Sep 20 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN

mp3 Now. Now.
mp3 Jesus Saves, I Spend


DUMBO Session of "These Days"

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Soyea only two more todays until The Octopus Project's Hello, Avalanche drops! If you just can't wait, stream selected tracks here.

Soyea Architecture in Helsinki has recently announced their fall tour. First show on the list is at Philly's Starlight Ballroom on the 10th of October. For the rest of the dates, check out Helsinki's Myspace.
Published at 12:19 AM by Alina.
5 comments
8.03.2007
Great Northern @ Emos: A Review

So last night was our first little shindig at Emos with Great Northern. The turnout was pretty impressive considering it was a Thursday night, and I hope some of you Austin readers came out. No one said hi or anything, but then again, no one really knows what we look like either... Do we even have readers in Austin that we don't already know? If so, say hi!

Well the show was pretty good. The two opening bands were our local Experimental Aircraft and Possessed by Paul James. Experimental Aircraft was... uninspired? The layers of sound were overwhelming and made me feel kind of claustrophobic. Like the infamous judges at Project Runway always say, a point of view was lacking. Grunge? Half-ass metal? I really have no idea.

On the other hand, Possessed by Paul James really made me smile. Although I think he has Terrets or something (he whinnied and shook his head like a horse every minute), the music he created was enjoyable (unlike Terrets). Genuine bluegrass complete with fiddle, banjo, and foot-stomping as percussion, Possessed had everyone in the room whoppin' and hollerin'.

And then came Great Northern. I've always said that they're a really good-looking band, but lead singer Rachel has always seemed a bit of an ice princess to me. Fortunately, she warmed up to our always-friendly Austin crowd, cracking jokes about the crickets that attacked her onstage (she initially thought one of us had thrown something at her), and complimenting our little city, saying she "love[d] it here." Her cordiality did not go unrewarded and the band received a more than enthusiastic response after each of their songs. For good reason too. Musically, everything was en pointe, which was almost unexpected judging from past experiences at Emos (Starlight Mints suffered from poor sound quality on one of their three stages). Although male vocalist Solon Bixler's mic could definitely have been turned up (Rachel's voice totally overpowered his), the band's vocals were as smooth and dreamy as ever. Their male/female vocal combination is one to be envied. Ambient feedback and heavy percussion saturated all of their performance, leaving raw nerves to be scintillated by the waves of keyboard and guitar. Emos was transformed into an echo room that night, with each crafted sound reverberating around the space, especially so in their performance of "City of Sleep." The sounds of voice and instrument almost swarmed around me during that song, creating a cocoon that nearly did lull me away into Sleepy Land. Another standout performance was "Into the Sun," with its fun clapping rhythm that bassist Ashley Dzerigian (gorgeous, by the way) was more than happy to teach us. All in all, Great Northern provided a great, fun night for us. On that note, please, please, please come out to our next event! We'll keep you posted on that, whenever it may be.

m4a City of Sleep
m4a Into the Sun
Published at 6:43 PM by Alina.
0 comments