Author: brian.gray
The photo taker and manager of the IT Department.
Show Review: Starfucker @ The Mohawk (3/7)
Another show on the eve of SxSW we had to attend was Starfucker at The Mohawk. They always throw down the jams and recent IT Department favorite Blackbird Blackbird were opening.
It was severely sold out and though I did not witness it, I am pretty sure there were more than a few that managed to sneak in. By the time Blackbird Blackbird took the stage, the entirety of the lower area was jammed. Impressive crowd, they came to dance.
Read on for thoughts and a ton of pics including backstage stuff with furries, a spaceman and Gumby.
ATH IT Dept. & SxSW: 3 to Watch
The IT Dept. is going to SxSW.
My picks for stuff to see is based solely on random selection, what I heard recently that caught my ear while perusing the intarwebs and names that I am happy to see on the list of showcasing artists. SxSW is like that; follow your folly. You will always miss something. You will always hear about some big thing that you can’t go to. So ,take a chance with me and the ATH IT Dept. and dance a little, because I am going digitally affected for my list. Read more
Dance With Shout Out Out Out
This band will be joining us for SxSW. They are high on my watch list, stay tuned for a little playlist action for you digitally inclined SxSW fence-crashers.
Shout Out Out Out is not a spin off of Shout Out Louds with a stutter. They put out hits and I don’t think they have garnered the attention they deserve, hopefully soon to change. Sweet percussion and brooding synthy basslines with playful keyboard wisps and lofty-affected vocals, I think you’ll dig them. Be sure to check out Spanish Moss and Total Loss on your fave digital outlet. Happy Friday.
They are playing all of SxSW, but the big showcase is the 15th at Old School. The track featured here is going to be on an EP from a live session record at NMC in Clagary (the band is Edmonton based, FWIW).
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/80117744″ params=”show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Phaseone Sets Me Right
The name of this track is “Hunter”. It is strong and mellow and dark and stuff.
Andrew Jernigan is Phaseone and he is from Brooklyn. In fact, if I like a song that is slightly electronic in slant and someone asks where that dude is from, I usually act like I know and answer Brooklyn. Nine times out of ten, I’ll be right these days. Fellow Brooklynite Rachel Browne of Field Mouse, takes care of vocals on this gem.
Full length I I TELL U lands May 7th via Williams Street.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/67452901″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Andre Obin at SxSW(ish)
The IT Dept. is getting frisky for SxSW. I am putting together a nice list of artists for the electronic music fans at the Hall and this artist vaulted to the head of my list with this track.
André Obin has this gem called “The Arsonist” which will be on his debut album The Arsonist due on Sky Council. Sweeping synth, low and lower basslines, just enough special sauce to glue it all together with a perfectly restrained vocal. Then the drums.
Listings don’t show it yet, but he will be here 3/14 at Casa Chapala, unofficial day party methinks. He won an “Electronic Performer of the Year” award in his hometown of Boston so I hope it will not be a laptop on a card table. Staying tuned.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/77324695″ params=”show_artwork=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
SxSW Releases Music Schedule
We tweeted out earlier that SxSW released the last batch of wristbands other than the week-ofs that we be available at Waterloo and a few of the venues.
Along with those, other big news landed with the formal release of the Music schedule. You can now peruse the lineups, start stalking artists and getting in line for the big artists at the small venues. The other cool thing is to see the little suspect gaps in venue nightly lineups, such as the hour before The Polyphonic Spree at Red7 Tuesday.
Don’t Know What To Think About Crow44
Just listen to this. I know it should trigger fandome from many people that enjoy the likes of Ariel Pink and maybe Mac DeMarco or Tune-Yards whatever quirky genre straddling, tempo changing and melody challenging.
I recoiled on first listen, but there is something oddly charming? So I put it to you. Verdict?
The track is by Crow44. It is called “Love You To Death”. It is on a self-titled EP and you can read more about the project from Desmond Pierce here. Given the title, I figured it would be an appropriate track for pre-Valentine’s playlisting, even if only a love song in name only.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/78924621″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Thr!!!er Is Coming
Naming your album Thr!!!er is a bold move chk chk chk. Or !!!. Or whatever.
If you want to get a sample of the goodness that awaits, you can download the track “SLYD” for the low-low price of your email address. It is a dancy sample driven groove, shocking right? To pair with this new track is the announcement that they will play The Mohawk on May 25. Tix go on sale later this week (2/15), so get on the for sale page and start refreshing.
Channeling my inner-Al Czervik – “LET’S DANCE!”
[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/chk-chk-chk-Slyd.mp3]Download: !!! – SLYD [MP3 via Email Registration]
Show Pics: Another Holy Mountain Night (2/9)
Got another big batch of pics for you, this time from the show we helped out with over at Holy Mountain.
Pretty random lineup, Grape St. shimmied their way in first and put down another solid set of jams with some schtick and banter. Residual Kid played above their age group again; I think these kids should consider quitting their day jobs. Finally, The Calm Blue Sea gently took things by the scruff of the neck only to slap us around a little with their wall of sound.
I’ll talk briefly and share pics after the break.