5/7 Shearwater @ The Parish

Last Friday, our incredible photo lady Mary Rehak made her way to The Parish to check out a set by Hospital Ships, Wye Oak, and our very own Shearwater.  Mary claims to have seen these bands more than any living person, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to see them yet again.  After the jump you can check out a short review and some fancy photos from Mary.

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Your Wednesday In Austin

Let’s be straight here.  Austin is the shit.  No seriously, this is the best city in the world.  You know it you not cool people who don’t live here… I say this because this post is only possible because of the great place we live in.  One night and too many options for live music.  Most cities would die to have these kind of choices in a month span.  We get em all in one night!  Here they are for tomorrow night:

From The Mind Of AdiEnglish Teeth, The Georgian Company and Followed By Static @ Mohawk ($5 cover. Doors @ 6pm)

White Rabbits & Here We Go Magic @ The Independent ($13 tickets. Doors @ 9pm)

Julian Casablancas & Funeral Party @ La Zona Rosa ($20 tickets. Doors @ 7pm)

Bonobo, Yppah, & Jesse Brede @ The Parish ($15 Tickets. Doors @ 9pm)

Where you gonna be?

Bonobo – Black Sands

Rating: ★★★★☆

4 years ago, Simon Green (better known for his moniker Bonobo) changed directions. What emerged was 2006’s Days To Come; what many critics believed to be the high water mark for the project.  What these critics were unaware of at the time, is that it was just Green becoming comfortable in his own skin.  The release showed a different side of Green’s DJ and producing style relying on more bass heavy tunes and the obvious influence of vocals as an added element. The latter was the biggest stretch for many fans, but no one will doubt its immediate impact.

Following the world-wide acclaim from that release, Green has taken a few steps back and one huge step forward in the process. His latest from Ninja-Tune, shows the Brighton DJ honing his craft in a way that would make any producer jealous. The result is smooth, like silk covered in butter. His latest, Black Sands is a combination of every influence from his past 4 releases and is no doubt his most fully developed release to date and his best all-around effort.

The layers produced here are no strain for the listener to grasp and this makes Black Sands without a doubt his most accessible release. It’s clean and flows from beginning to end with little effort and the addition of sublime vocalist Andreya Triana is the cherry on top. Vintage Bonobo down-tempo beats begin the album in classic form with ‘Kiara’ and ‘Kong’ displaying simply, the rhythms Green has been so successful over the past decade of producing. We get our first taste Andreya’s silk smooth voice on the first single ‘Eyesdown.’ Right away it’s obvious that Green has found the voice he has been searching for to compliment his sound. He uses the vocal in a unique way, not highlighting the lyrical element, but using it as another music element. Every level feels perfectly compiled and the rhythm and vocal are viewed as one.

Directly following ‘Eyesdown’, Bonobo cuts back into their instrumental numbers with obvious proficiency. ‘El Toro’ is a playful number with a strong bass line with strings and horns playing back in forth in an audio tennis match and ‘We Could Live Forever’ continues the trend but with a little more electronic influence thrown in for good measure. Green slows things down a bit for the intro to ‘1009’, but not for long pushing through to one of my favorite cuts on the record, ‘All In Forms’. The record keeps a pretty solid tempo from beginning to end in a very cohesive manner until ‘The Keeper’ where we get our second glimpse of Triana. The introduction of piano and bass line in the intro is foreboding and plays unbelievably well against Triana’s seductive vocals. If this record has a climax it is in these next 2 tracks, ‘Stay the Same’ and ‘Animals’, which spread the best of what Bonobo has to offer in full view.

Many will argue that Green didn’t take enough of a drastic step forward from his last, but in four years, I feel it’s obvious he has reflected on where he has been and then some. Many artists can learn from this philosophy, as you can’t move forward without knowing where you came from. He builds upon his strengths, removes his weaknesses and creates some of the best jazz fusion in the world today. Bonobo will be at the Parish Wednesday, April the 14th with the full band.

Contest: The Big Pink @ The Parish (4/8)

We’ve got a couple contests coming your way this week and our first one features a couple guest list spots for Thursday night’s much anticipated Big Pink show at The Parish.  Details for the contest are: leave a comment below or tweet us with why you should win.  Be creative fools!  One lucky winner will receive their name with a +1 on the band’s guest list.  Don’t forget that we’ll need a valid email address so we can contact you later.  We’ll be ending things on Wednesday afternoon so get those entries in quick like.  Tickets are also available via Frontgate @ $13 a piece.  Ready, set, go!

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/01-Dominos-1.mp3]

Download: The Big Pink – Dominos [MP3]

FT5: SXSW Bands I Have To See

What’s that ya say?  SXSW is almost upon us?  Get the F*** out!  With our fancy little music festival we call SXSW coming up in March, I wanted to take a quick look at some of the bands I just gotta see during the upcoming week.  Now obviously I had to stick to a few strict rules here.  For starters, the band has to be one I haven’t seen before.  Two, it has to actually be possible to see the band (sorry STP & Band of Horses).  Three, the band needs to be fairly new with high praises coming from us and others.  I’d say that about does it.  These are bands on the verge of breaking it big in the national scene.  Will they have what it takes to impress me and the snobby Austin music scene with their live shows?  Only time will tell…  Follow the jump for my full list of bands I’ll be waiting in line to see during SXSW.
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Sondre Lerche @ The Parish (2/3)

sondre

Date 2/3/10
Location The Parish
Doors 8pm
Tickets $15 from FrontGate

We weren’t huge fans of Sondre Lerche’s last album, but we still value him as a musician and songwriter.  If he floats your boat, head on over to The Parish on Wednesday night to check out his intimate set.  Opening support will be provided by JBM.  I’m gonna drop an old tune down below to show you why  we’ve still got love for ya Sondre.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/04-two-way-monologue.mp3]

Download: Sondre Lerche – Two Way Monologue [MP3]

1/29 Girls @ The Parish

girlsshow_bannerGirls brought the stoned out and sunny, but never too sunny, sounds of their debut Album to life at the Parish last Friday.  With support by The Smith Westerns and Magic Kids it was a night of bright shards of pop bouncing off the Parish’s newly re-decorated walls.  A great night for a reverb drenched acid trip lead by the eccentric weirdness of Christopher Owens and his mighty side kick Chet White.   Follow the jump.

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Girls In Austin (1/29)

girls05

Date 1/29/10
Location Waterloo/Parish
Doors 5pm/9pm
Tickets Free/Sold Out

Girls are making their triumphant return to Austin on Friday and you’ve got two chances to see the band.  First up is a free Waterloo in-store starting at 5pm with the usual free keg beer.  Second is a show at The Parish along with Magic Kids and The Smith Westerns.  That Parish show has been sold out for awhile so try the free in-store or buy a ticket from a homeless guy at Logans.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/01-lust-for-life.mp3]

Download: Girls – Lust for Life [MP3]

Fiery Furnaces @ Parish (1/28)

furnaces

Date 1/28/10
Location Parish
Doors 8pm
Tickets $15 from Frontgate

The always great Fiery Furnaces are making a stop at The Parish on Thursday.  The Brooklyn band will be joined on the stage by Drug Rug.  Should be a good option for your Thursday night in Austin.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/the_fiery_furnaces-the_end_is_near.mp3]

Download: The Fiery Furnaces – The End Is Near [MP3]

The Cribs @ The Parish (1/23)

the-cribs

Date 1/23/10
Location The Parish
Doors 8pm
Tickets $18 from Frontgate

English veteran rockers The Cribs are stopping into town at The Parish on Saturday night.  Locals are solid as well with Adam Green and The Dead Trees getting in on the fun.  This is hands down your best option for music on Saturday.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/03-we-share-the-same-skies-1.mp3]

Download: The Cribs – We Share the Same Skies [MP3]

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