This is fine.
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.
I like guitars.
Because of the introduction of technology, synthesizers, and electronic music, the 80s became the decade of exploration in music less organic. A paradigm shift happened on a grand scale in the art of music sometimes for the better, and at times for the worst. The better of that shift has quietly existed, bubbling beneath the surface while electronic music has permeated the industry on a global scale, diehard fans of the true pioneers, at the time considered underground, find themselves embedded in a resurgence of sorts. Whether intentional or not, the three artists on the bill for the first full night of Levitation Fest 21 at Empire Control Room, embody the essence and pay homage to some of the key players in that pivotal movement of music that ushered in a global shift from our analog lives into the digital world. Hit the jump for more and fancy photos.
Say what now, two interviews in one day!? That’s right my peeps, we weren’t done for the day and have one more interview before you head out the door later to Levitation Festival in downtown Austin. Our second interview of the day comes from an old ATH favorite, the Cleveland based band Cloud Nothings. We interviewed them almost 10 years ago at Fun Fun Fun so this should be a nice revisit and a Happy Anniversary post. Cloud Nothings play tomorrow night at Hotel Vegas and tickets are not yet sold out. Get some! Hit the jump for interview, set times, and music.
Remember yesterday when I said Levitation is going down this weekend in Austin? Well it started last night and will continue throughout the weekend, so if you don’t have plans, go check out some live music and support local businesses. Not everything is sold out yet, including a nice lineup tonight featuring Black Angels, Ringo Deathstarr, and old time ATH favorite A Place to Bury Strangers. Prior to this night’s event, we sent Oliver our Levitation Festival questions and he was kind enough to answer them. Hit the jump for responses, set times, and music.
