08/23 Matt Pryor Show @ Stubb’s

Matt Pryor has evolved quite a bit to get to where he is now. Would you have believed me 10 years ago if I told you he’d be playing shows armed only with an acoustic guitar? Most of the vagrant punk followers would accuse you of mistaken identity and slap you around a bit. Believe it or not you old Get Up Kids die hards, that’s what Matt Pryor is all about nowadays. He went to being a pioneer in the pop-punk world to now being an extremely solid singer song writer who still inspires the young and old.

Show review and pictures after the jump

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Matt Pryor In Austin (8/23)

Matt Pryor, formerly of The Get Up Kids & The New Amsterdams, will be showing his face at Stubbs in Austin on Saturday for 2 different events. The first set will feature an all ages show from Matt’s kid focused group, The Terrible Twos. Terrible Twos will be performing at 3pm with tickets running you $7.50. Later in the evening, Matt will play a solo set with doors at 9pm and tickets only costing you $12.00. Read more about Matt Pryor on his myspace page or check out our review of his latest album Confidence Man.

Dear & The Headlights @ Stubbs 7/29

Arizona band Dear and The Headlights will be playing the live scene at Stubbs indoor this evening. What Laura Says Thinks and Feels will also be playing with Beaux Loy opening things up for both bands. Tickets are at the low low price of only $10 with doors set to open at 8pm. Buy yourself some tickets at the Stubbs website. Also, check out a song entitled “I’m Bored, You’re Amorous” from Dear and the Headlights 2007 album Small Steps, Heavy Hooves:

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/05-im-bored-youre-amorous.mp3]

Download: Dear and The Headlinghts – Im Bored, Youre Amorous [MP3]

06/21 Grand Archives Show + Interview

The people at Stubb’s Austin were treated to an outstanding set by Seattle’s own Grand Archives on Saturday night. The band mostly stuck to songs from their self titled debut album Grand Archives, which came out earlier this year in February. The set list provided a good mix of upbeat songs along with some of the slower tracks from the album. One big highlight for me was the superb cover of Sam Cooke’s popular R&B song “Another Saturday Night”. Most members of the audience were cracking smiles and singing along to the huge ’60s hit from the late singer. Read more

06/21 Sera Cahoone Show + Interview

The country music & bluegrass world needs more women like Sera Cahoone. Long before my time, women like Emmy Lou Harris & Loretta Lynn carried the torch as THE women of the genre. Not afraid to say what they think about their latest man or toss out the occasional dirty word along with the strum on the finest Gibson acoustic. Sure the world still has their Kathleen Edwards or even Allison Krause to some extent but I feel we need more from the women of the genre. I feel like Sera is one of these women of country music who can carry that torch in the new generation. On Saturday night at Stubbs, she provided an intimate set full of the grit and vulnerability that used to come with those elder stateswomen of country music. Read more

Grand Archives @ Stubbs (6/21)

Grand Archives will be coming to Stubbs this Saturday in support of their recently released album Grand Archives. The band will be joined by label mate Sera Cahoone who will be showcasing songs off her recent Sub Pop release Only as the Day is Long. You can find tickets to the show on Stubbs website for only $10 or you can get one at the show for $12. ATH will be on hand for what should be a stellar show, with a full review and pictures of the show coming early next week. Songs from Grand Archives & Sera Cahoone can be found below:

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/couch.mp3]

Download: tornbluefoamcouch.mp3

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/long.mp3]

Download: onlyasthedayislong.mp3

My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

Rating: ★★½☆☆

When describing “Evil Urges,” the title track from Louisville-based My Morning Jacket’s new album, frontman/chief songwriter/spaceboots-wearin’ fearless leader Jim James talked about how the band would just “go off into space” when writing new parts to the song. The five-minute plus tune evokes soulful R&B grooves to Kentucky fried-dual guitar freakouts and back to it’s central refrain as it is relaunched into orbit. “Evil urges baby, they’re just part of the human way. It ain’t evil baby, if ya ain’t hurting anybody,” James sings in high-falsetto. And he couldn’t have made it more obvious himself because My Morning Jacket not only are throwing fans a musical curveball, but have some inner demons to conquer themselves on their latest offering.

As a faithful MMJ fan, I was fully aware writing a review of “Evil Urges,” their first album since 2005’s life-altering, astonishing marvel “Z,” was NOT going to be easy. However, it wasn’t as difficult writing this blurb as it was hearing this record in it’s entirety. “Urges” is a frustrating listen from the opening drum-wraps to the album’s final four seconds of nonsense. Missing are MMJ’s trademark reverb-soaked vocals, “motivated” guitar jams, and most depressingly, songcrafting.

The one thing I will forever adore about this band is how they create inspired songs laced with an honesty behind their Southern-tinged seven-to-eight minute rockers. Inspiration is certainly M.I.A. on this record.

“Evil Urges” zig-zags like a staggering “Glass Joe” in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out, shifting from funky R&B grooves (title track) to James Taylor man-crushin’ (“Sec Walkin'”) to arena-sized riff-rockin (“Aluminum Park”) to WTF!? (“Highly Suspicious”) The song is so painful that by the time you’ve endured Olmec from Nickelodeon’s “Legends of the Hidden Temple” chanting “Highly Suspicious of You” for the 27th time, it makes you yearn for the cheesy, but appropriate sounds of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watchin’ Me.” Hell, if “Highly Suspicious” was released in 1984, MMJ would’ve given Berry Gordy Jr.’s prodigee a run for his top 40 blood money. Now if they could just get Jermaine Jackson to guest vocal on the chorus instead of a giant animatronic talking piece of foam.

After the undeniably disastrous first half of “Urges,” we’re introduced to a little ditty called “Two Halves.” It’s a nice 60’s-style doo-wop rock tune that reminds us this band can do anything they damn-well please and it works in all it’s Roy Orbison-worshiping glory.

“Librarian” has to be one of the best narratives James’ has ever penned. “Sweetest little bookworm, hidden underneath is the sexiest librarian…take off those glasses and let down your hair for me.” Obsessed much, I know, but the way this tune floats around amidst it’s dusty stack of books and pitch-black summer skies, it’s difficult not to be enthralled by the mood of James’ storytelling. Plus, it’s about damn time someone wrote a great song about a sexy librarian. Gentlemen, we’ve all been there, don’t deny it.

The album concludes with the haunting one-two punch of “Smokin’ from Shootin'” and “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Part 2.” “Shootin” is an excellent builder from Bo Koster’s quiet key-tappin’to guitarist/MVP Carl Broehmel’s heavy-plucking as James brings his A-game to a deafening climax that would make Charles Bronson proud. The song wanders into “Touch Me…,” an eight-minute disco “jambulance” where drummer Patrick Hallahan’s beating eerily reminds me of the B-52’s “Summer of Love.” It’s space-rock-prog-disco-psychedelia at it’s finest…woah.

“This feeling is wonderful…don’t you ever turn it off,” James exclaims as his gang caps off a confusing conclusion to a record that is more intrigued with sounding eclectic than creating the memorable MMJ moments we’re so fond of. If it weren’t for “Urges'” hard to swallow first half, this album would be destined for healthy repeated listens instead of turning the “wonderful feeling” off.

Don’t forget that the band will be showing off one of the best live acts around later this summer at Stubbs. The show isn’t sold out yet so hurry up and buy some tickets. And be sure to check out our (fake) interview with Jim James.

[audio:https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/mmj_evil_urges.mp3]

Download: evilurges.mp3

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