This is fine.
Austin Psych Fest was always one of our favorite festivals, for many reasons. But, now rebranded and relocated, Levitation has quickly risen to the top of our list of Austin musical events. Friday night brought tons of great shows, with the highlight on most people’s list being Night One of the King Gizzard Stubbs Extravaganza. J and I hit up some different sets, trying to cover as much as we could.
Your friendly ATH crew went Levitating last night and we sent teams out to several different venues to cover as much as possible. All of us were amped to get back out there and have a somewhat normal festival with loads of bands to see throughout the weekend. After the jump we’ve got a few thoughts, some live sketches, and fancy photos from last night. Hit it.
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Maybe you’ve heard about this thing called Levitation Festival going down this weekend in Austin? You haven’t? Well your boys at ATH are here to help with a little Festival preview and guide as you head out to the shows starting on Thursday. The number one thing to remember is — pace yourself, drink tons of water, and wear comfortable shoes. Okay that was three things, but you get the idea. Hit the jump for some nightly recommendations and tuneage.
Things are heating up in the Red River District and beyond this weekend here in Austin with Levitation Festival set to kick off on Thursday night. We’re all staring at the walls at work as we look towards the jam packed festival of musical delights. Of course when we do interviews, we never do just one or two, but like to hit as many bands as possible to give you a truly unique and varied perspective of bands coming into town. Our interview today features Tuareg quintet Imarhan. Hit the jump for interview, set times and music.
Now that most of us have moved on from ACL and the madness of things at COTA, it’s time to turn our attention to a music Festival going down this weekend which is a ‘lil more aligned with the ATH team. As I’m sure most you music fans knew, Levitation kicks off on Thursday and we are here for it with some interviews, previews and general guides. Today I’m excited to share our second interview of the season with one from Perth based artist Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. Hit the jump for their interview, set times, and tunes.
It’s that time of year when singles begin to dry up a bit, and everyone’s already sending us a reminder of all the songs/records we should have covered. But, there’s still great music to be had, thus why we’ve got some real bangers to enjoy below. There’s the expected from Dry Cleaning; I mean you can’t miss that one anywhere. Personally, I think the Melby and Twain records are my highlights this week, so don’t skip out there…especially to Melby (if they were from the States or UK, they’d be huge). Then, we’ve got a few others, including a look at Lucid Express, who visit next week for Levitation. Plus, Paul Thomas Saunders new LP gets love.
Lucid Express – Floret (Kanine Records)
Melby – Looks Like a Map (Rama Lama Records)
Paul Thomas Saunders – Figure in a Landscape (7476 Records)
Dry Cleaning – Stumpwork (4AD)
Twain – Noon (Keeled Scales)
Levitation kicks off next week, and one of the acts we’re really excited to see again is French outfit, La Femme. They’ve got a brand new record titled Teatro Lucido coming our way in November, and it takes a little bit of a departure from their previous album, using vocals all in Spanish this round. It also has a bit more of a pop sound, which is one of the ways Levitation has continued to grow their brand since the early days as Psych Fest. So, we reached out to band and asked a few fun questions to see what was coming our way from the group on their trip to the States.
My priorities for Levitation were simple. Take photos, vibe to Nation of Language, get melted by A Place to Bury Strangers, get in the middle of it for The Hives. I am happy to report that my mission was accomplished.
Ah yes, The Hives. White suits, energy overdose, hits, jams, cathartic chaos…
Along for the ride on the closing night of Levitation were Pussy Gillette and The Mystery Lights. I saw old friends, made new ones, overshot every band and loved every minute. Click on through for more thoughts on the night and all the photos. Yes, I got mic stand shenanigans, crowdsurfing guitarists and the iconic jumpshot.
It was a quality lineup that found balance at the headliner. Last Friday at Stubb’s, Levitation hosted Ringo Deathstarr, A Place to Bury Strangers, Kikagaku Moyo and The Black Angels. If you are familiar with these names, you can understand the ups and downs, from groove oriented fuzz, to chaos, to pure psych, to a blend of all three.
Everyone contributed best-of material, whether by playing classics, smashing guitars or just sticking with the hits. Click through to read a few more thoughts and view another rad gallery of photos from the fest.
…BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE. I got some bonus coverage of Black Midi at The Mohawk.
