This is fine.
For today’s Friday top 5 I thought it would be fun to take a look at a thoroughly under-appreciated musical genre. Video game music. In particular, video game music from the 8-bit and 16-bit era. Follow the jump as we take a trip down memory lane and countdown the top 5 old school video game tracks.
Our local blogmeister Ultra8201 is putting on a pretty slick little party this Saturday at La Zona Rosa. The lineup is being kept totally local with hot Austin band Ume headlining along with fellow locals True Widow and The White White Lights providing your opening entertainment. Tickets are going for $8, but if you RSVP at Do512 now, it’ll only cost ya $5. Like you’ve got anything better to do on a Saturday night…
Download: Ume – The Conductor [MP3]
Malcolm Middleton was the man behind the pen for Scotland’s Arab Strap, and now that the band have gone their own way, Malcolm is back to his old tricks. This new single is the perfect Middleton tune, full of melancholy and wit. His new album Waxing Gibbous comes your way on June 1st.
Download: Malcolm Middleton – Carry Me [MP3]
Our friends The Midget Men are planning quite the party at Mohawk on Friday. The event is in celebration of the band’s 7 year anniversary and will sport a nice lineup of local and buzzworthy bands. The inside stage features Bankrupt & The Borrowers, The Frontier Brothers, Calm Blue Sea, and Mice & Rifles. Outside stage will showcase Deaf Ears, The Pons, and the obvious set by The Midget Men. Music kicks off at 9pm on the outside stage. Freeloaders take note, free PBR will be provided! Sounds like a tasty deal eh?
Download: The Midget Men – Trickle Down [MP3]
The Black Kids and Mates of State co-headlining tour stopped through Austin on Tuesday night and we were fortunate enough to catch the show. The night brought a lot of dance hall hits along with some pop jams from both bands. It was quite an evening. Follow the jump to read a brief review of the show and see some fancy photos.
Great Nostalgic is a band we’ve been following closely since we first discovered them so we were of course excited to hear about their CD release party at Hole in the Wall on Friday. Joining in the party fun will be fellow locals Sunset and The Sour Notes. The show should be a unique and new twist on your usual Great Nostalgic set because the band has invited the horn section from Hard Proof Afrobeat to play on a few songs. Show starts at 10pm with door charge being $3. The band will also be selling copies of their debut LP for $8 which includes a bonus disc of remixes done by local DJs. Here’s one of those new remixes available exclusively on ATH done by local DJ Business Man.
Not sure why I’ve had Blink-182 on the mind lately, but can you deny the catchy pop/punk tunes this band used to create? I highly doubt it. I remember when Enema of the State came out and I listen to it now just as much as I did back in ’99. This album also marks the band’s jump from a buzz band to a band that packed arenas across the country. I’ll admit that Dude Ranch provided a lot of success and mainstream popularity, but Enema took them to new levels. Hell let’s just celebrate that this album is about to turn 10 years old and you still love it! And let’s not forget that the band is getting back together! I chose one of my favorite gems from the album “Aliens Exist” which features a slick drum intro from then new member Travis Barker.
Download: Blink-182 – Aliens Exist [MP3]
Everyone’s favorite indie kids Death Cab for Cutie are playing a sold out show at Austin Music Hall on Friday. The show should be made more enticing to you music fans as ATH favorite Ra Ra Riot will be joining the band on the stage. Matt Costa will also be playing right before the headliners. Music starts at 8pm. Check out craigs list for some tickets buying options.
Download: Death Cab for Cutie – Little Bribes [MP3]
So if your Saturday plans are looking bleak, take a little trip down I-35 to San Marcos for the KTSW sponsored Mr. Fest this weekend. The event is going to be a big one and we won’t even attempt to list all the goings on in this tiny little space so we’ll hit the key points. For starters, this event will start at 11am, run all day long and end around 1am. All sorts of local bands will be playing at the festival including a headlining night show by one of our favorites Black Joe Lewis. Even better news, our friends Whitman & Built by Snow will be playing hour long sets right before Black Joe on the Bar 141 stage. All of downtown is included with 5 venues setting up stages for live music. Not just a music event, food, drink and games will also be part of the fun. Best of all, this thing is totally free! For more information, head to the KTSW website, see show info on Do512 or check out that fancy flier. This should be one festival you won’t want to miss.
Download: Black Joe Lewis – Sugarfoot [MP3]
We interviewed Pretty & Nice last week to preview this show, but we thought we’d shoot you a reminder about it in case you forgot. The band’s show is going down at Emo’s on Thursday night with Oh No Oh My, The Low Lows and LA Snacks joining in for support. Show starts at 10pm. Tickets are sold only at the door. Check out some music from Pretty & Nice on their myspace page or read our old review of their 2008 album Get Young.
