Blood, Girls, Randomness, Ya Know...

This is the time of year when all of us concert-going types, in Austin, get to collect our thoughts and breathe and mentally-prepare for SXSW 2010. That's right, the concert season is, relatively, slow this time of year. There aren't as many bands touring in the winter anyway, and the venues are all preparing for one of my favorite times of year, which is Free Week. Yay Free Week!! Woooo. Anyway, I mention all of this because I'm going to do something I don't, generally, do. I'm just going to hype this EP by the Middle East, I don't think it will make very many year-end "best of" lists since most of those focus on songs and LP's but I wouldn't be surprised if the song Blood from, The Recordings of the Middle East makes a lot of lists. I would rank it as a top 5 song of '09 for sure. I bought my copy of the EP from my friends over at End of an Ear for $3.99 so just glance around you'll see it somewhere.


the Middle East - Blood video via YouTube


Seriously, how gorgeous is that song by the Middle East?

I'm thinking this year instead of participating in the List-Culture with a best LP's of '09 list from Austin Bloggy Limits, I'll just compile some of my favorite lists. So, I suppose I'm still supporting List-Culture just in a more meta, pseudo-rebellious, hipstery kind of way. I do love lists, I think it is in the DNA of every music/film geek that you want your favorite things to be validated with a good number. We can't just love Radiohead's Kid A, we're not satisfied to just enjoy it as a beautiful piece of art. No, we need others to recognize and bow down to Kid A as one of the best records of the MF decade y'all! Seriously, people bow down, it's Radiohead. Anyway, I had a point here and it was about the band Girls their, appropriately-titled, Album has been popping up on a lot of year-end lists and I just want to throw my hat in the ring here. I proclaim Album by, San Fran band, Girls to be Bloggy-approved and worth your hard-earned ducats.

My San Francisco homies over at Rhino Knife Films shot some nice live videos of Girls this summer. The sound clips at a couple of points, but it's still a really nicely captured performance. It's also the first time this song was ever played in front of an audience. Check out the loud, drunken woman screaming at the beginning, it's kind of hard not to notice.


Girls - Solitude video via YouTube

If you haven't seen Girls perform here in Austin yet, you have another chance at the end of January. They'll be playing, one of my favorite venues, the Parish room. Tickets will set you back $12 before fees and the show is sponsored by, the loathsome, 101X. Have you EVER heard 101X play a song by Girls? I know I haven't, but I guess I don't listen very much anymore. I can only hear Hey Man Nice Shot so many times in my lifetime and 101X has already exceeded my limit on that song. Along, with the 12-16 other early 90's alt-stalwarts they refuse to relegate to classic-rock. But I digress.


Girls - Laura video via YouTube

I noticed, when I was looking at the calendar for the Parish that they'll be participating in free week this year! That's exciting, I love the Parish, it's wood floors and beautiful sound. Not to mention, I've never been to a show there where I thought to myself, "There are a dangerous number of people in here right now. If shh went pear-shaped we'd all be effed." (I don't even think swears I promise) Looking at you Emo's. What is the capacity of Emo's? 'Cause I think they sell like 50 more tickets than that and then the door guy has like 30 or so friends he lets in for free. I kid, I kid...don't beat me up Emo's I'm just s blogger.

I was trying to find a video that illustrates how bonkers and packed Emo's gets but most of the video I found are focused more on the stage than the crowd, who'd a thunk? Bands who play Emo's it is your mission to start filming the crowd so my out of town friends know what I'm talking about. I am finding some amazingly terrible videos from Emo's, seriously people leave the zoom alone! Don't effing touch it! Ok, I give up trying to find the perfect video to illustrate my point. Check this out out though, it's the Gossip playing Emo's in 2001. The sound sucks, I'm including it more for historical value.


the Gossip - Live at Emo's video via YouTube

Or how about this 13 seconds of Emo's nostalgia. Arcade Fire from January '01, mere months after Funeral came out...


Arcade Fire - Tunnels clip via YouTube

See I'm not totally hatin' on Emo's, I was just using them as an example of something typical, that you won't experience at the Parish Room (most likely). I've seen a lot of great shows at Emo's but that's another post or series of posts unto itself. I'll close this out with one most burst of randomness, I saw this band open for MGMT on Emo's inside stage the Tuesday night that Oracular Spectacular came out. I couldn't find footage from that night so I'm just going to include one of my favorite Yeasayer songs...ever.


Yeasayer - Tightrope video via YouTube

You can kind that Yeasayer song, on one of the greatest compilations in recent memory, Dark Was the Night. You should buy it, it's 2 discs, proceeds go to charity plus you'll get mad, indie-cred on the streets (2 Blogs years ago).