Alright, so I already mentioned tonight's Rubblebucket show at Beauty Ballroom in my Chaos in Tejas post but I wanted to be doubly-sure you were aware of tonight's show. I'm not going to re-hash everything I've already posted about Rubblebucket, I'll just say get tickets, have fun.
So, you're not going to Houston for Free Press Summer Fest, you don't want to take part on the Chaos in Tejas festivities and the Two Door Cinema Club/Bad Veins show is sold-out. Well, fret-not my indie-rock loving friend. There are still tickets available for tonight's Maps & Atlases show at the Parish. The latest record from Maps & Atlases is called Beware and Be Grateful (See what they did there?) it might be their best album to date. It has soulful vocals, creative melodies and lots of creative writing dealing with themes in the fear of aging.
Maps & Atlases - Beware and Be Grateful Trailer video via YouTube
New York-based band, The Big Sleep are on tour with Maps & Atlases and their set is not to be missed. You may recall that they were a band I highlighted during SXSW this year. Their latest album Nature Experiments is brooding, post-rock masterpiece. In a live setting this truly shines so make sure you arrive in time to catch their set tonight at the Parish.
Tonight's Two Door Cinema Club show at Stubb's is sold-out. It seems like only yesterday that Two Door Cinema Club were opening a sold-out Stubb's show for Phoenix. Oh, how times have changed. Tonight, I want you to arrive early enough to see, listen, and not talk-through Bad Veins' set. The Cincinnati band is back in Austin with a brand-new album The Mess We've Made, which was released by Austin-label, Modern Outsider. It picks up where the band left off, with indie-power-pop songs full of heartache and triumph. You can listen to it now on Spotify or wait until tonight to hear the songs performed live!
Bad Veins - Dancing on TV video via YouTube
For those of you who go WAAAY back with Austin Bloggy Limits, you may recall that my first ever interview with a band was with Bad Veins when they were touring in support of their last record. Revel in the awkwardness, marvel at the sudden change in visual formatting and generally re-live the past in that, almost, three year old interview here.
While Austin is buzzing with Chaos in Tejas Houston will be holding their annual Free Press Summer Festival at Eleanor Tinsley Park. The line-up is more mainstream than FunFunFun Fest and more indie than Austin City Limits Fest. Each year FSPF has booked an increasingly solid batch of artists and this year is no exception. If you can't find some music you like on any of the festival's NINE stages then there is, clearly, something wrong with you. Flaming Lips, Afrojack, Snoop Dogg and Erykah Badu headline Saturday night. Sunday night you'll have the chance to hear, Willie Nelson, Descendants, The Avett Brothers, Primus, and Pretty Lights. There are still passes available for one or both days. Oh, and don't worry, if these bold names don't make your heart race there are lots of other really great bands playing FPSF.
Erykah Badu - Window Seat video via YouTube Here are my (non-headliner) recommendations for the rest of Free Press Summer Fest this weekend in Houston:
Alright, I'm not going to pretend to know alot about Chaos in Tejas other than the fact that it should be called Chaos en Tejas. If you've visited this site in the past you haven't seen too many posts highlighting metal bands, punk bands or all of the sub-genres within those headings. I don't mind if YOU listen to that stuff and I recognize the talent that lots of bands in those genres have, it just doesn't appeal to me. Just as fans of Norwegian metal probably don't understand my love for Robyn. With that all said, rather than launch into some diatribe highlighting the "important" bands playing Chaos in Tejas this year based on knowledge I culled from reading lots of Wikipedia entries, I'll highlight the fact that Best Coast are playing the festival!
Best Coast - The Only Place video via YouTube
I have no idea how Best Coast ended up a part of this line-up. Perhaps dating Wavves makes Best Coast eligible for Chaos in Tejas? Regardless, with the recent release of one of the most shimmering, surf-pop records of the summer Best Coast are sure to put on a great show Sunday night. You can buy individual tickets to any of the Chaos shows including the Best Coast show at Emo's Sunday night. Tickets for the full 4-day event have already sold-out but you can buy passes that get you into any event within specific venues and you can buy tickets to other individual shows from the event's schedule page.
The whole thing kicks off tonight, for my money I'd do some hardcore ass-shaking at the Big Freedia/Katey Red show at Club Deville tonight. It's going to be a New Orleans Sissy-Bounce showdown with the most pornographic ass-shaking you will ever see in real life.
My Friday highlight of the festival is No Age. They always put on a really great, high energy show. They'll be at Beauty Ballroom and you'll find individual tickets here. My Satuday highlight is also at Beauty Ballroom. Rubblebucket return to Austin Saturday night with a headlining set. They are sort of included in Chaos in Tejas and sort of not. Regardless, this post is sort of aimed at those of you who, like me, didn't buy a 4-day pass and aren't really into the angry aggressive music.
Rubblebucket was a band I highlighted before SXSW this year and I really love their record Omega La La. They remind me of a more fun version of Stereolab and their live show is like smiling rainbows. If you only get tickets to one event this weekend. I hope that it is Rubblebucket at Beauty Ballroom Saturday night.
Ladies and Gentlemen Merrill performed for Austin City Limits Television last night and she was NOT fucking around. This was my third time seeing a performance from tUnE-yArDs and it was incredibly impressive. One of the most exhilarating things about seeing a live performance from tUnE-yArDs is to witness the construction of the songs. When you listen to W H O K I L L it sounds great but what you might not realize is the majority of the record is vocals and percussion. Merrill starts most songs with a microphone that is attached to a looping pedal. She adds elements of the song that loop and become the canvas for the song. Some of these elements are vocal, some are percussive but most all of them are Merrill herself. She started her set with the song Party Can (Do You Want to Live), which is actually not on either one of her records but is a staple of her live set. It's truly a tone setter starting with just Merrill herself adding her layers and textures until she is throatily screaming, "Do you want to live?!?!" At most shows after this question is shouted to the crowd they respond with a resounding "YEAH!!" Last night this did not happen at first, which sort of frightened me because the audience interaction is one of the best things about seeing tUnE-yArDs live so I took it upon myself to get things going. I was sitting in the mezzanine, which made things slightly awkward but next time the chorus came around and Merrill shouted, "Do you want to live?!?" I shouted "YEAH!!!" with all my might. Luckily, this cued the crowd so the next time I wasn't the only one and then by the third time I think most of the audience was into it. From that moment on, the atmosphere was electric.
It was apparent that a majority of the audience had never even heard anything from tUnE-yArDs before, which is the best way to go into one of their shows. As the performance progressed I looked around to see people completely entranced and energized by Merrill's spirit. You could tell the gravity being booked for Austin City Limits was not lost on Merrill. She acknowledged how lucky she felt for the opportunity and was very aware of the idea that here musician parents would be watching this performance at some point in the near future. She thanked the show and thanked PBS for making her the person she is today mentioning the importance of Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Mister Rogers.
I applaud the producers of Austin City Limits for making such a risky booking. I'm sure there are a lot of people who will be confused and even shocked by tUnE-yArDs performance when it airs but I'm incredibly impressed that the people behind ACLTV went to bat for one of the most exciting and innovative performers in indie-rock today. Even those of you who don't enjoy listening to tUnE-yArDs at home couldn't help but be impressed with her soulful, passionate performances. She is truly a trail-blazing artist whose influence will reach far beyond her time performing and I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to be in attendance at last night's taping.
For those of you who purchased tickets to tonight's sold-out show at the Mohawk, may I suggest face paint?
