12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM
Profetas
9 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Profetas
event::about "Profetas create a niche of identification for all Latin America, from 8th street down to Ushuaia. A mix of Afro-Latins, mestizos, Indians, whites, mulattoes and other races that make up this multi-ethnic America. Profetas is the new blood that runs through the sonorous veins of a Colombian hip hop scenario, thirsty for identity, novelty and urban reality." Rolling Stones, September 2006. Since 1997 Profetas has become one of the essential groups to understand the new urban music in Latin America. The fusion of Afro-Colombian music, reggae, rock and a strong basis of hip hop has helped the band to get a good number of followers in Latin America and some European countries such as Germany and Austria. The duo composed of the African singer Antombo Langangui and the Colombian MC Pablo Fortaleza, has received outstanding comments by music critics: already in 2001, the Colombian newspaper EL TIEMPO presented them as the revelation of Colombian hip hop, after the band's live presentation at Hip Hop al Parque (the most important hip hop festival in Latinoamerica with around 100.000 visitors). PROFETAS, a multicultural band with members of different origins and with different musical backgrounds, have so far participated in festivals such as Hip Hop al Parque 2001 and 2005, Rastazo Bogota 2005, La Fete de la Musique in Medellin 2004 and 2005 and in Bogota 2006, Rock al Parque 2009, Reggaejam Germany 2008, European Summer University Germany 2008. In addition they have shared the stage with Gondwana from Chile, Junior Reid, Michael Rose and Tanya Stephens from Jamaica, Culcha Candela from Germany, Alborosie from Italy, Los Cafres from Argentina, and Method Man (Wutang Clan) from the USA, among others. In 2008, PROFETAS toured Europe twice, first in spring as opening act of Culcha Candela's “Hamma” tour and later in summer participating in recognized festivals like the Reggaejam in Germany, the Reggaebenefiz, the Afrolatin Day in Berlin, and the Summer University Convention organized by ATTAC in Saarland, Germany. During these tours PROFETAS played 25 concerts in more than 20 cities all over Europe. In addition, PROFETAS won the German version of the European Reggae Contest, competing with more than 400 European bands. In 2009, PROFETAS supported the Latinamerica Tour of the famous American rappers METHOD MAN and RED MAN, and promoted their new single BAILA on radio stations and at live concerts around Colombia. In 2010 Profetas began the Baila World Tour with 25 concerts in Europe ( alemania, austria , Suiza), the tour have dates in NYC (LAMC) and 8 concerts in Denmark . After the success of their first record Amor y Fortaleza (Love and Strength), PROFETAS are preparing BAILA, their new groundbreaking album!
event::tags All Ages
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
Casiokids
124 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Casiokids
event::about In an age when virtually everything -- especially music -- is instantly accessible and easily transmitted from anywhere in mere seconds, it's no small wonder that Europe has managed to keep Casiokids to themselves for this long. But, Topp stemning pa lokal bar is poised to place Casiokids on the tips of tongues across the U.S. (Even if most would be hard-pressed to correctly pronounce the album's title!) Hailing from the same celebrated Bergen scene that has produced Datarock and Annie, Casiokids were so-named for the beat-up old keyboards with which the band members first conceived their club-ready sound. Formed with the intention of making electronic music more visual, the band has since added guitar and drums to produce a collection of incredibly catchy tunes often sung in their native Norwegian and influenced by afro-beat, techno and out-and-out pop. Like former tour mates (and now labelmates) of Montreal, Casiokids put on a theatrical live show -- incorporating a blend of shadow puppets, video projections and animal costumes -- that is not to be missed. Whether playing for the truly young (as during a 12-date kindergarten tour in Norway) or the young at heart (at almost all of Europe's largest festivals and on tour with Hot Chip), Casiokids generate the kind of unrestrained party mood that inevitably transforms any audience into a joyous, dancing mass. And yet, apart from a few much-buzzed about performances at CMJ and SXSW, as well as a short headlining tour in Fall 2009, the quintet has remained relatively under the radar stateside -- an undeserved status that will surely be changing soon. Featuring the first Norwegian-language pop music ever to be released in the U.S., Topp stemning pa lokal bar contains the type of addictive melodies, distinctive vocal harmonies and danceable pop hooks that translate flawlessly no matter where you're from. Spanning the widths and breadths of bass heavy pop, synthy dub and darker percussive club moments, Casiokids makes its music felt as much as heard. The songs on Topp stemning palokal bar were previously distributed in Europe via Moshi Moshi, both as part of the label's renowned Singles Club and as a series of double A-sided 7"s. For this debut US release, all eight tracks have been re-mastered and are accompanied by a bonus disc of new material (including six remixes and two covers). With Casiokids, even if you don't understand the words, you'll soon find that the music speaks for itself.
event::tags All Ages
2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
Ximena Sariñana
32 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Ximena Sariñana, !!!
event::about Ximena Sariñana When Mexican vocalist Ximena Sariñana released her debut solo album, Mediocre, in 2008, Rolling Stone gave it four stars and praised it as “one of the strongest debuts from a female singer-songwriter since Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me.” Recording the Spanish-language album was a natural step for Sariñana, who had risen to fame in her homeland as a child actress and had fronted a successful indie band for four years. “In Mexico, people believed in me as an artist,” says the fully bilingual 25-year-old. So when she began thinking about recording an album in English she was confronted with a tough decision: “Either stay in my country, where everyone knows who I am, or start from scratch and convince people that I’m worth it.” She chose the latter. The result is a collection of songs that showcase her deep, striking voice, smart, thoughtful lyrics and offbeat personality. “I think of albums as Polaroid pictures of who I was at that given moment,” says Sariñana. “All the songs are a bit dark. They capture a sort of general doom that I try to compensate with humor,” she says. The lead single, “Different,” opens with a playful whistle but is really an apology to listeners “about maybe not expressing myself clearly because of my different nationality,” while “Bringing Us Down” was inspired by the poem “Candles” by Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy and deals with growing older and looking back at the fading past. The album not only reflects Sariñana’s wise-beyond-her years demeanor, but also the kind of sonic growth and experimentation expected from a risk-taker. “Everything was about forcing myself out of my comfort zone,” says the singer, having leapt beyond her usual stripped down, mellow arrangements and into more daring musical territory. “I wanted quicker, bigger sounding songs and more bass and electronic instruments,” says Sariñana, who plays the piano throughout. “I needed to be able to move to it on stage.” To help accomplish this, she enlisted producers Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Devo, The Bird and the Bee), Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Natalia Lafourcade. Recorded in Los Angeles, the songs are indeed snapshots; vignettes of events and emotions ornamented by lush arrangements and lightened by occasional whimsy. “Common Ground” is exalted with bells and space drums and “Wrong Miracle” includes circuit-bent children’s toys and footsteps on gravel. “Echo Park,” one of the last songs recorded, was built around a Casio drum machine and the need for a little comic relief. “I wanted to write something that was going to make me laugh. I didn’t want to go too deep or serious like I usually do,” says Sariñana. “I decided to make fun of how girls, especially in my world, always fall for guys in a band.” “Tu Y Yo” (You and Me) is the only song on the album sung entirely in Spanish. “My mother language and the country where I live in is such an important part of who I am,” says Sariñana, who was born in Guadalajara and raised partly in LA before moving to Mexico City. Raised in a highly creative family—her mother is a screenwriter and her father is a film director and producer—instilled a love of the arts in her early on. “I was four years old when I started acting,” says Sariñana, a natural-born entertainer who became a household name in Mexico by appearing in 11 films (among them box office hit Amar Te Duele and film festival winner Dos Abrazos) as well as three prime time telenovelas. An early discovery of jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald ignited her love of music, and at age 15 she began studying at Mexico’s Academia de Musica Fermatta. At 17, she honed her vocal skills during a five-week program at Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music and then began fronting a jazz-funk fusion band called Feliz No Cumpleaños (Happy Un-Birthday) which “made a bit of noise in the underground,” as she puts it. She also brought together her loves of film and music on occasion, co-writing and singing three songs on the Amar Te Duele soundtrack (which stayed on the Top 10 Soundtracks list in Mexico for 10 years) and acting as music supervisor for several films. By the time Mediocre was released, Ximena’s status as a artist was already cemented; the record debuted at number one in Mexico and went platinum soon after. Mediocre reached #10 on the Billboard Latin Pop Chart, #38 on the Billboard Latin Album Chart and Ximena was the only Latin artist in iTunes Best 10 Albums of 2008. She won the Best New Artist Award in the Premios MTV Latinoamerica 2008 (Latin MTV Awards) and received three Latin Grammy Nominations for Best New Artist, Best Alternative Song and Producer of the Year. Mediocre also received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. Despite her successes, Sariñana has no expectations when it comes to her English-language debut. “It’s my first record to a lot of people. I just hope listeners can hear the honesty in the album,” she says. “I titled it after myself because my name keeps it close to me and who I am as an artist and a person.” It’s a name many will come to recognize soon enough.
event::tags All Ages
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
James Vincent McMorrow
64 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM
Jessica Lea Mayfield
147 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Jessica Lea Mayfield
event::about The 21-year old from Kent, Ohio first performed with her family band One Way Rider at the age of 8. At age 15, she recorded her first album White Lies in her brother's bedroom, printing only 100 copies. One of those copies fell into the hands of Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys). After an introduction, Mayfield and Auerbach hit the studio, laying the foundation for her debut album "With Blasphemy So Heartfelt." Says Auerbach of the recording experience, 'I think she's dark and moody in a mysterious way.' He adds, 'I'm just always really excited to make music with her.' "Tell Me," Jessica's 2011 Nonesuch Records debut, is a stunningly forthright 11-song set that addresses late-night longing, serial heartbreak, and intoxicatingly dangerous liaisons conducted in dimly lit barrooms or roadside motels. By the end, the only heart intact is Mayfield's own. It's as if she'd stripped the sentimentality and ruefulness from a bunch of classic country songs, leaving only stark emotion. Auerbach also produced and engineered "Tell Me" at his Easy Eye Sound System studio in Akron, Ohio, matching Mayfield's candor with eerily minimal, brilliantly constructed tracks that keep her mesmerizing, unadorned voice front and center. The New York Times hailed the album a Critics' Pick, while the Associated Press calls "Tell Me" 'the portrait of a precocious girl growing into self-assured womanhood and a producer reaching the peak of his powers. It is a dark and moody album, full of delights throughout, and if it doesn't make Mayfield a star, that too will be heartbreaking.'
event::tags All Ages
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
Brett Dennen
107 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Brett Dennen
event::about Brett Dennen is a talented folk/pop singer and songwriter from Northern California. Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as an “Artist to Watch” and identified as one of Entertainment Weekly’s eight "Guys on the Rise," Brett’s narrative-rich and timeless songwriting has garnered instant critical praise and the adoration of music supervisors who have featured his music on popular television programs such as House, Grey’s Anatomy, and Scrubs. Brett has headlined every major city in the United States, Europe and Australia and has been hand-picked by a "who's who" of his contemporaries including John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and Dave Matthews to support tours. His fourth album, Loverboy is due out in April 2011.
event::tags All Ages
12:05 PM
to 1:05 PM
The Belle Brigade
43 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists The Belle Brigade
event::about Like many siblings, Barbara and Ethan Gruska had their ups and downs over their years growing up together in Los Angeles. “Oh, we hated each other as kids,” Barbara says with a laugh. “And by hate, I mean ‘love dearly,’ but we could never get along. We started to become friends for the first time when Ethan was 15 and I was 21. Then we became best friends and four years later we started writing songs together and formed The Belle Brigade.” Listening to The Belle Brigade’s self-titled debut album, you could never tell that these two were ever not in perfect sync. The Gruska’s familial chemistry, not to mention their obvious songwriting gifts, have resulted in one of the most thrilling debut albums you’re going to hear all year. Inspired by the duo’s love for Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder, their artfully arranged, freewheeling songs brim with breezy, California melodies and bracing pop harmonies, fueled by the driving rhythms Barbara plays on drums. As performed by Ethan and Barbara and their talented group of backing musicians, Bram Inscore (bass), Blake Mills, (electric guitar), Aaron Arntz (piano), and Jimi Hendrix/Joe Cocker keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Hammond B-3 organ), songs like “Sweet Louise,” “Where Not To Look For Freedom,” “Lucky Guy,” and “Lonely Lonely,” are tailor-made for road-tripping up the coast with the car top down, sunshine on your face, and the music blasting into the roar of the wind. “We didn’t want to make something small and precious,” Barbara says. “We wanted to make something big and exhilarating. Recording this album was an incredible lesson at walking the line between holding on and letting go. Every note is intentional, but we gave up the reigns to let the music go freely where it wanted to go. We wanted to make a record that was personal and aching, but still uplifting, relatable, and fun to listen to.” Barbara and Ethan credit their co-producer Matthew Wilder (No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom) — a family friend who offered his services after hearing a few of their songs — with helping them to keep open minds. “He created an environment where it was safe to try anything,” Ethan says. Adds Barbara: “If you had told us that we’d be using our screaming voices, have a 30-piece orchestra on a song, or use reverse guitar-looping effects, we wouldn’t have believed you. With Matthew and our engineer Csaba Petocz’s help, we let go of our inhibitions and fear of being uncool or too exposed.” The liberated mood of the music dovetails beautifully with the duo’s thoughtful, emotionally resonant lyrics. “A lot of this album has to do with the struggle to let go of our fear of being judged and our judgments of others in order to find powerful connections,” Barbara says. The thematic centerpiece is “Losers,” on which Ethan and Barbara sing in perfect harmonic unison: “Don’t care about being a winner / or being smooth with women / or goin’ out on Friday / Being the life of parties… Or if I am a loser” and declaring “So I wanna make it known / that I don’t care about any of that shit no more.” “The song is about being insecure and jealous and letting go of all the terrible things you can feel about yourself and realizing that life is not a game,” Ethan says. “It’s not a competition. It’s kind of a pep talk to ourselves to remember that.” Other songs reflect on disillusionment (“Belt of Orion,” “Punch Line”), yearning (“Rusted Wheel”), and awkward romance (“Sweet Louise”). Then there’s “Lucky Guy,” a song about how fortunate we are to be alive. After the duo sing “But now everything’s all right / Even though I think about dying,” they complete the phrase in harmony with a Beatle-esque “Ooh!” — which distills, in the simplest way, the happy-sad paradox within their music. “That balance between happy and sad was intentional,” Barbara says. “When I was Ethan’s age, I wrote a really sad song and played it for my dad. He said, ‘I dare you to write a happy song. It’s so much harder to write a happy song,’ and he was right. That really stuck with me. I love the combination of sad lyrics with happy music and vice versa. Too much of one thing feels like going overboard.” It was just one lesson that Barbara would get from her father. Jay Gruska is a songwriter and composer who released two albums of his own on Warner Bros. Records in the early ’80s and wrote a number of hit songs for other artists (including Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Dusty Springfield), as well as hours of music for films and television. His studio, in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, was in the family’s backyard so musicians were constantly coming and going. “My dad was like my songwriting coach, but he was never overbearing,” says Ethan. “He’s always the person we test our new songs out on,” Barbara says. “If he cracks a smile it’s a keeper. If he doesn’t, it’s usually back to the drawing board.” Barbara and Ethan’s maternal grandfather is Oscar- and Grammy-winning film composer John Williams (Star Wars, Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark), someone they both cite as a huge musical influence. Not surprisingly, both Barbara and Ethan began playing music at a young age. Ethan has been singing since he can remember. He took a few piano lessons as a kid, but really began playing piano and writing songs in earnest at the age of 14. He studied classical composition for a year at Cal Arts in Valencia, CA, but “I never really felt that fire with it like I did when I write a little, stripped-down pop song,” he says. As for Barbara, when she was nine, she fashioned a drum set out of random objects in her room (“I hung a pan lid on my pull-up bar to use as a cymbal,” she says) and played that until her uncle gave her her first drum kit. Barbara studied jazz drumming at both Oberlin College and Cal Arts before dropping out to hit the road with The Bird and The Bee’s Inara George, followed by tours with Benji Hughes and Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis. The musicians mentioned above who play on The Belle Brigade album are all friends of Barbara’s from the Los Angeles music scene. “There’s a really high level of musicianship and creativity coming from all the guys on this album,” Barbara says. “They are all our close friends and it was an incredibly rewarding experience to be surrounded by these amazing musicians. I like to hear other people in the music. That's what the album is about; it was such a group effort. It’s just more fun to make things with other people. Hopefully what comes across is that we work hard and love what we do and are grateful for the opportunity to actually be artists.” Warner Bros Records ###
event::tags All Ages
12:45 PM
to 1:45 PM
Emmylou Harris
163 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
1:30 PM
to 2:30 PM
Josh Ritter
159 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Josh Ritter
event::about "
he sets out to carry a world of ideas on a few basic chords
.there is no limit to the depth and ambition of his songs." The New York Times 'If you love music and have a device on which to play it, you should listen to Josh Ritter
'
- Mary-Louise Parker in Esquire Josh Ritter is from Moscow, Idaho. The son of two neuroscientists, he was on his way to follow in their footsteps when he discovered Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" in high school. He has since released five studio albums and has been recently named one of the 100 greatest living songwriters by Paste Magazine, alongside Dylan, Springsteen, and Neil Young. Joan Baez has covered one of his songs; Stephen King named one of Ritter's albums the best of recent years and David Letterman has requested him twice, so far. His new album, So Runs the World Away, is ambitious and literary. It was released on May 4th, 2010 by Pytheas Recordings, a label recently started by Ritter and his longtime publicity partner, Sacks & Co., with Redeye Distribution. His first novel, "Bright's Passage," will be published by Random House / Dial Press on June 28th, 2011.
event::tags All Ages
2:20 PM
to 3:20 PM
The Head and the Heart
177 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
DeVotchKa
335 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists DeVotchKa
event::about For more than a decade, DeVotchKa has been melting its sweeping collection of influences into an authentic and totally original blend of rock 'n' roll. With the release of the band's fifth album, "100 Lovers" (Anti-, February 2011), the band has headed back to the romantic influences of the Arizona desert with producer Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Neko Case) to create a compendium of short stories inspired by the varied moments the band experienced since the release of A Mad & Faithful Telling (Anti-, 2007). Like many bands, DeVotchKa spent much of their early years traveling the highways and byways searching for gigs and a musical direction. As time went on, the band began to foster important musical collaborations with the unequivocal Calexico and the seminal gypsy punks Gogol Bordello. International tours with Gogol and recordings with Calexico have helped spread the band’s sound around the globe. DeVotchKa's first big break happened when Nic Harcourt, former music director for KCRW, introduced his listeners to a then unknown rock band of worldly sounds on his daily radio show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic". Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, who were listening that day, stumbled upon the sound for their movie, "Little Miss Sunshine". A critical and box office hit, the film was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and, for DeVotchKa's soundtrack, a Grammy. The little gypsy wedding band from Denver was suddenly known all across the nation, playing large venues and major music festivals, including Coachella, Bumbershoot, Lollapalooza, and Mile High Music Festival. After years of toiling in obscurity, the band was selling out shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco and First Avenue in Minneapolis, with breakout performances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits Music Festival. The love spread to Europe, which has become a yearly destination for the band. "100 Lovers" is the album DeVotchKa had always wanted to make. "How it Ends" was recorded and mixed in only nine days, mainly due to lack of funds. On "A Mad and Faithful Telling,” the band had more time and conducted complex arrangements and experimental recording techniques. For "100 Lovers", DeVotchKa spent over a year defining their sound, taking multiple trips to the desert studio to craft twelve new recordings. The final product is the bands strongest album to date, filled with songs fans will love, songs to draw in new listeners, and exciting numbers that fit nicely into their rousing live sets. Guests on the album include members of Calexico and Mauro Refosco, David Byrne and Thom Yorke’s go-to percussionist. With a full tour lined up for the spring and dates booked all over the world, 2011 is gearing up to be the biggest year for DeVotchKa yet. DeVotchKa is: Nick Urata: Vocals, guitars, Theremin, trumpet, piano Jeanie Schroder: acoustic bass, sousaphone Shawn King: drums, percussion, trumpet Tom Hagerman: violin, viola, accordion, piano
event::tags All Ages
4:00 PM
to 5:00 PM
Chapel Club
54 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Chapel Club
event::about It's the stuff of narcotic dreams and nightmares. It's the fulfilment of the promise of a decade of sonic cellarscapes. It's Kitchens of Distinction, Echo & The Bunnymen, Neu, My Bloody Valentine, The Cocteau Twins and - yes, okay - Joy Division encapsulated and crystallised in one almighty rush. It is 'Palace', the debut album from London's Chapel Club - and it is quite possibly the album of the year. In making the record, we were thinking in terms of artists like Mercury Rev, says drummer Rich Mitchell. We weren't scared to put extra sounds in there, to try interesting ideas. It felt like a good time to do it, at the start of a new decade. In the words of guitarist Michael Hibbert, it's also about "not being afraid to be too ambitious. We wanted to take the grandeur and force of the lyrics and make a record that resonates on a large emotional scale. It's music to thrill to." As singer Lewis Bowman explains, it's also the result of an ardent refusal to compromise. We're a new band, a young band, and we've had to find our feet quickly. Our approach this year has been to take things slowly and stick to our vision of what we are and can be. It's very much this is what we want to do and you're gonna have to make space for it in your plans because this is the way we're operating. Hence the photoshoot on the famous Abbey Road crossing wearing grotesque animal masks. Hence the unconventional recording sessions with the legendary Paul Epworth, which saw the band recording live in the same room as the producer, experimenting with Epworth's wild variety of musical toys. And hence the cult following and insane industry buzz that swiftly grew around the band when they started gigging in late 2009, eschewing regular venues to play their cavernous and brilliant spire-rock in art spaces, warehouses and the back rooms of Jamaican pubs. We did things a bit differently to make it all more interesting, says Lewis. Whereas if we told people we're third on the bill at the Purple Turtle this Tuesday and after us there's a hard rock band and before us there's an electro duo, people would've been like Mmm, yeah, think I'm busy. The resulting A&R battle for Chapel Club was among the most ardent of recent years, which came as a shock to the band. Though all apart from Lewis had been in bands before (Rich had been signed to an underground noise rock label aged 14: Our only mention anywhere was an NME review that said 'The sleeve is infinitely better than the racket it surrounds' - we split up after six months), it seemed particularly sudden to Mike, who'd been a little lost in the three years since his previous band split: I didn't have a clue what I was going to do at all. I had no money and no focus. No-one I knew had moved to London yet so I just sat there feeling sorry for myself, smoking shitloads of weed and starting to write songs. Next, Mike recruited a (then) 17-year-old bassist called Liam Arklie, new to London from Swindon, and the pair began to hang out all day and try things out, then go out drinking. We repeated that process seven days a week for a while. The line-up grew with the addition of mild-mannered guitarist Alex Parry, Liam's best friend since childhood. But it wasn't until Mike was introduced to Lewis that Chapel Club found their focus and their spark. Lewis had been writing stories and poetry for years, never showing it to anyone beyond a few close friends. "I wasn't bothered about getting published," he says. "I just wanted to get better. I had a vague hope of making something of it all one day, but I knew I had a long way to go before I could compete with the writers I respected. Then Mike asked me if I wanted to try writing something for this embryonic band he was putting together, and I thought I may as well have a go. It seemed like the perfect outlet." Of the tunes that emerged from those first attempts, several appear on 'Palace', pushing the dark arts of Interpol and My Bloody Valentine way off into the future, stunning and confrontational in equal measure. Debut single O Maybe I offers a moral tug-of-war between romantic security and recklessness (O maybe I should settle down to a quiet life, or maybe I should fuck around with someone's wife), while Surfacing - a pile-driving shimmer that'll never make the band any money since Lewis included a large chunk of the lyric from Mama Cass Dream a Little Dream of Me in the chorus - is an out-and-out hate song directed at an unnamed London scenester. I can't tell you who it's about, Lewis insists, but it doesn't matter. It's enough to say it was inspired by someone who for me represented a certain type of London life-form, totally vacuous and celebrity-obsessed and success-obsessed. I remember being at uni and putting on these club nights and it was all about music and sex. Everyone used to go back to after-parties and everyone was trying to get off with everyone else. I had a girlfriend but I was like this is the way it should be when you're young, this is fun. Then I came back to London and it all changed. Everyone here was all about success, about how much you earn and what access you've got to which parties. And 'Surfacing' is about someone who represented all that for me, a person who'd squandered their humanity or something. They were devoid of personality, of talent, of taste or insight or innocence or wisdom - yet they were doing very well despite all this. I guess you could work out who it's about if you looked into it, the clues are there. The lyric's cryptic rather than obscure. Surfacing then, is the first spite-bite of Palace, a thunderous opening like the crack of a volcano. As the record develops, however, it takes on a different form, with many lyrics drawing on a sense of almost spiritual awe for the natural world, while others reflect the confusion and romance of youth and early adulthood through the warmth and borderline mania of the hedonist's post-party haze. The Shore replays a morning-after walk home through a flower market (I felt awful," says Lewis, "I wanted to get home and get to bed, but at the same time the experience of everything was so alive and vivid), while the shoegazey Fine Light envisions a brief but grateful moment of existential calm, sat on a beach at the peak of a high, watching lights over the sea. Second single Five Trees, meanwhile, offers a vision to rival Coleridge at his most wankered. That lyric came from a scribbled paragraph based on a dream I had years ago, Lewis remembers. I'd over-indulged one weekend and woke up at a friend's house on a drizzly Monday morning feeling pretty fragile. In the last moments before waking, I had this amazing dream. I remember it so clearly. I was watching five trees on a hilltop. Each tree had five branches and there were five leaves at the end of each branch. As I looked the leaves started to glow and turned into these giant glowing snowflake-typeshapes and fell to earth. I woke up on such a comedown and I had to go to work and it was raining and I felt like crying because it was such a vivid, beautiful image in my mind. I felt my life wasn't really going anywhere and I just wanted to retreat back into the dream. Elsewhere, the krautrock drive beneath both After the Flood and White Knight Position serves as the engine room of the record, while luscious pop hits like All the Eastern Girls and Blind provide the intricate and immaculate decoration - bright, enormous love songs that illuminate the core meaning of the album. "The album's a love story," Lewis says. "The whole thing's about love, but not in a typical way, it's not about falling in or out of love. I don't really understand the concept of love as a fall. Real love doesn't strike me as being so sudden or swift or clean or complete. For me, the album is like the fragmentary history of a long relationship, as well as a reflection on some of the questions you ask yourself as you move from youth to adulthood." It's also very much the first chapter in a growing story, hence the title of the record - which refers to the band's first name. "We were called Palace for a few months, but there were too many other bands who'd gotten there first," says Alex. "C
event::tags All Ages
5:00 PM
to 6:00 PM
P.O.S
72 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM
The Black Angels
208 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists The Black Angels
event::about Since Aristotle, man has organized his knowledge vertically in separate and unrelated groups---Science, Religion, Sex, Relaxation, Work, etc. The main emphasis in his language, his system of storing knowledge, has been on the identification of objects rather than on the relationships between objects. He is now forced to use his tools or reasoning separately and for one situation at a time. Had man been able to see past this hypnotic way of thinking, to distrust it (as did Einstein), and to resystematize his knowledge so that it would all be related horizontally, he would now enjoy the perfect sanity which comes from being able to deal with his life in its entirety. It is possible for Man to alter his mental state and thus alter his point of view (that is, his own basic relation with the outside world which determines how he stores his information). He then can restructure his thinking and change his language so that his thoughts bear more relation to his life and his problems, therefore approaching them more sanely. It is this quest for pure sanity that forms the basis of The Black Angels. -Tommy Hall
event::tags All Ages
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
224 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
event::about Joe Lewis is stuffed into a van with his six bandmates and one stranger, as they hurtle across Texas to a gig in Marfa. Most of the guys are sleeping now, content in the knowledge they've just made the record of their lives. All killer, no filler, the fittingly titled, take-no-prisoners Scandalous (Lost Highway)'once again produced by Jim Eno, moonlighting from his main gig as Spoon's drummer'is a churning slab of rock & roll, blues and funk, laced with a double shot of 100-proof punkitude. This band has gotten tight as a gnat's ass through nearly two years of barnstorming without a break. ÂWe've grown a lot as a band, and so has our fan base, the lanky, enigmatic Lewis acknowledges. ÂHopefully it's still going up, but it will ultimately be what we make of it. As the shows get bigger and we get bigger, we have to keep improving to meet the demand. If we can't do that, it won't go anywhere. From the look in Joe's eyes as he glances at the one-stoplight towns and endless open country of central Texas whizzing past, you can tell he knows whereof he speaks. While on the road, they also eagerly soaked up the worldly knowledge of touring mates the New York Dolls and Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm. ÂThe Dolls covered Bo Diddley and Sonny Boy Williamson, and so do we, says guitarist Zach Ernst, riding shotgun in the van, as he does in the band. ÂThat youthful, aggressive, unschooled thing is really appealing to us. That's what we like to listen to and what we're shooting for. We've had some lineup changes since the first record, but at its core, it's still the same band, and everyone's excited to move on to the next stage. Like his forebears, Lewis writes from direct, often bitter experience with unflinching veracity. The songs of Scandalous are littered with the debris of age-old issues: hard times and one-night stands, lying and cheating, redemption and revenge. Gritty, raunchy and real, his music is not for the squeamish, but experiencing it fully can be genuinely cathartic. The album opens with the funky fantasia ÂLivin' in the Jungle, as Joe wails with tonsil-shredding abandon over a rhythm section erupting like a tropical storm and horns honking like hyenas in heat. ÂI've always said that if I ever got rich, I would go buy a bunch of land in the Congo or the Amazon, build a nice house and have an Amazon woman to hang out with, he explains, straight-faced. On the following ÂI'm Gonna Leave You, the band sends a jolt of electricity through a Mississippi hill country blues template. ÂIt's about leavin' a girl, just gettin' out while you can, before the shit gets too thick, he says, punctuating the line with a wicked cackle. From there, it's all hands on deck, as one sonic assault after another rips into the eardrums and the pelvis all at once. The instant-classic highway boogie ÂMustang Ranch recounts, in sordid detail, an overnight drive between Salt Lake City and San Francisco, Joe spinning out the narrative as a revved-up talking blues. ÂIt was a long, ridiculous drive, and we got the idea of stopping at the Mustang Ranch, he recalls. ÂWe were like, 'Let's go, man'we got nothin' better to do.' So we stopped in there, and it was a really odd experience. Here, another quick laugh escapes Joe's lips. ÂWe figured out that we don't fit brothels that well, and the girls are all fuckin' busted. But nobody caught anything. Then we left, and we stopped in Reno at six in the morning. It was a freaky experience. We went into a casino and got a cheap breakfast, and all the burnt-out gamblers were walking the town like zombies out there in the early morning. There were even weird lights hovering in the sky. That song's a true story, pretty much. Lewis seems to be channeling Robert Johnson on ÂMessin', which turns on his spooky, low-down vocal and acoustic guitar. ÂI'm just an old-style blues fan, and I'm tryin' to do that kind of thing with it, he says, reeling off the names of his favorite practitioners: Lightnin' Hopkins, Junior Kimbrough, Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf and Magic Sam. The album's biggest surprise is ÂYou Been Lyin', a torrid, politically-themed workout in the tradition of Parliament-Funkadelic and late-'60s Temptations. Featured on this track are the group vocals of the Relatives, a Dallas gospel funk band that made some criminally under-exposed records three decades ago. ÂThey're like the greatest band ever, says Joe, Âand I'm glad we got them on there, 'cause they made the track really sweet. Here and elsewhere, you can also pick up the influence of the Stooges, another of Lewis' touchstones, in the confrontational physicality of the performances. ÂPeople call us a soul band, but we're more of a rock & roll band, he points out. ÂWe feel like what we're doing is different from the soul bands with horn sections that are out there right now, Ernst adds. ÂWe always joke that we would do that kind of music, but we're not good enough: our guitars are too loud, we're too primitive on our instruments, and Joe is more of a shouter and a talking-blues guy than a smooth soul singer. So we're carving out our own thing because it's the only way that we can do it. We can't play it any cleaner or smoother'and we don't want to, either. Growing up in Austin and Round Rock, Joe took it all in'Delta and Chicago blues, Memphis soul, Detroit garage punk'and what came out the other end was, and is, unlike anything else out there. ÂI don't know, man'I just kinda dove into it, Lewis continues. ÂThese neighbors of mine were in this country band and they got to go on tour all the time, and I had to go to work in this stupid factory. I was like, 'Man, I gotta get in on that.' So I pulled a guitar down off the wall of a pawn shop where I was workin' at the time and learned stuff as I went along. The people I was playing with wanted to practice all the time, and I was like, 'No, man, let's get out there'I wanna try to do this shit.' I pretty much learned on stage. After years of struggle to get heard, things started moving fast for Lewis after he and Ernst put together the earliest incarnation of Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, naming themselves after a crusted container of honey they found on the floor of their Âdisgusting rehearsal room. They went out with Spoon after Britt Daniel caught a set, and their subsequent, Eno-produced EP caught the ear of Lost Highway's Kim Buie, who signed them to a record deal. Eno then helmed their 2009 debut album for the label, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!, much of it cut live off the floor. ÂThe album manages to maximize every incendiary second of sonic sexuality the band is putting out, raved PopMatters' Christel Loar. ÂMake no mistake, Lewis knows his history, but he also knows his moment, too, and it's now. The Honeybears aren't afraid to mine the past to make music for the future. That spot-on assessment goes double now. ÂWe pride ourselves on keepin' our own style and staying true to the guys we look up to, says Lewis. ÂWe play the music that we like listening to. It's always about the music first. As night falls, the van pulls into Marfa, the musicians rub the sleep from their eyes and stretch their muscles, which will soon be put to use unloading their gear. This is what they live for'another night blowin' the roof in front of a houseful of boozed-up locals looking for a thrill. For the paying customers, it's a few hours of sweet relief. For Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, it's another long day and hot night in the life of a working band'seven hungry guys with their eyes on the far horizon.
event::tags All Ages
2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
Fitz and the Tantrums
217 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Fitz and The Tantrums
event::about Pickin’ Up The Pieces Fitz – vocals Noelle Scaggs – back-up vocals/tamborine James King – saxophone Jeremy Ruzumna - keyboards John Wicks - drums Joseph Karnes - bass In just a year or so, soulsters Fitz & the Tantrums went from the living room to the main stage. The recipe for meteoric success? Six killer musicians, five dapper suits, irresistible songs, some serendipity and one vintage organ. Since their first show at Hollywood’s Hotel Café in December 2008, Fitz and co. have toured with Maroon 5, played to thousands at Colorado’s world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, shared the stage New Year’s Eve with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and performed on KCRW’s esteemed show, Morning Becomes Eclectic, all this on the strength of their stellar five-song EP, Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1. For some bands, it takes a lifetime to build this success, but few performers deliver an unrestrained blast of soul-clapping, get-down-on-the-floor, moneymaker shakers like Fitz and the Tantrums. Now post-release of their debut full length, Pickin’ Up the Pieces, which has since earned them a 3 ½ star album review in ROLLING STONE, the troupe is poised to get down in dancehalls across the universe. It all began when… [cue flashback sounds] “I got a call from my ex-girlfriend,” Fitz explains, “And she said, ‘My neighbor is moving out in a hurry and has to sell everything. And, he has this organ…” Fitz, the Svengali frontman of the crew, describes the find like the discovery of a compass, or that treasure map in Goonies, which undoubtedly leads to adventure. Not one to say no, Fitz called some piano movers, cashed in some favors, and seven hours later, the organ went from the curb to his living room. That night, Fitz stationed himself in front of that vintage instrument and wrote a blue-eyed soul anthem, “Breaking the Chains of Love.” “Sometimes, the Music Gods just give it to you,” Fitz says. The overflow of inspiration startled Fitz. He’d spent years in L.A.’s music industry, writing music and working in a studio with Beck producer, Mickey Petralia. But at those 88 keys, just seven hours after that organ dropped into his life, Fitz had finally found his voice. “I’ve always been a singer,” Fitz says, “but with so much music, I felt that I was trying to push a square peg through a round hole. I was being not true to myself, and it never felt right until I wrote that song, and I sang like that. I thought, this feels so real, so natural.” Fitz shared his vision with long-time friend and saxophonist, James King, who immediately connected with the sound. While the electric guitar drives rock, the saxophone takes center stage in soul, and that’s the way Fitz likes it. “We wanted to find a new vocabulary for the genre, I wanted to make a record without any guitars. Could we make a huge sound with out any guitars?” A huge sound takes a huge studio--Motown had Studio A in Detroit, Philadelphia International had Sigma Studios, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound was created in Hollywood’s legendary Gold Star Studios-- but when it came time to capture the feeling and the soul of soul, Fitz knew of the perfect studio: his home. There in the living room, he recorded Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1, a burst of effervescent swingers and floor-stompers, infused with the energy of long forgotten songs. The infectious, rolling rhythms of “Breaking the Chains of Love,” immediately turns your head and actually get cemented in your brain, like a good pop song should. The sound is familiar, but distinct. That’s what grabbed the attention of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Levine was getting a tattoo in New York when the tattoo artist told him he had to hear this new band he had discovered. After that one encounter, Levine personally invited Fitz and the Tantrums to join their tour. Like the EP, Fitz recorded the full-length debut back at home, to bottle the lightning that struck in those first jam sessions. He now delves into more acerbic lyrical territory, going on the offensive against gold diggers on the exceptionally funky “MoneyGrabber,” and even gets political on the piano-banging, handclap-driven call to action, “Dear Mr. President.” "L.O.V." is a jaunt through pop music history embarking with a groovy organ intro, meandering through juicy big band breakdowns and Fitz's svelte croons, then carrying us away with flute outro. It's a funk-filled plea to give love a chance. These powerful songs take the band’s energy up a notch, but like their energized performances, they never loose control. Those blistering performances are now well-chronicled for adequate ubiquity, Last Call With Carson Daly nailing the money shot for “MoneyGrabber” at the band’s sold out show in November at LA’s El Rey Theatre featuring a sea of a thousand pogoing fans and a handful of F.A.T.T. gems rocked along with blue-eyed soul vet, Daryl Hall on the band’s spot on Live From Daryl’s House. Lest we forget, an omnipresent T-Mobile HTC ad that actually namechecks the band that, for the past several months, is impossible not to see if you’re watching even an hour’s worth of television. Oh, and there are the hot spots on Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives and a great many more, not to mention a ton of success at radio for the aforementioned runaway “MoneyGrabber,” all with the promise of more to come. In their sound and on the stage, Fitz and the Tantrums are nothing but professionals, and never less than classy. Enter the Tantrums, Fitz’s airtight ensemble keeping it real like it’s 1969. Funky drummer John Wicks is a Motown B-side aficionado and prolific session player, Jeremy Ruzumna manned the keyboards and was musical director for Macy Gray. James King backed De La Soul and bassist Joseph Karnes is a well sought after session player. Then there’s Noelle Scaggs, the powerful voice behind Fitz’s croons. Make no mistake, Scaggs is not just there for “doo-wops” and handclaps. She shimmies and flirts, she stokes the crowd and simmers them down, and she has no qualms about keeping Fitz in check. “She is not just a backup singer,” Fitz says, “We have repartee. Onstage, we’re Ike and Tina.” There, on the stage, Fitz and the Tantrums are not just a band, they’re an explosion. Scaggs high steps it to the tight-as-hell rhythm section, while Fitz, cooler than cobalt, croons like the aforementioned Mr. Hall for a new generation. It’s obvious that this is no tryst for the band, this is a full-blown, head-over-heels love affair. Pickin’ Up The Pieces is available on the Dangerbird Records website: http://dangerbirdrecords.com/downloads/fitz-and-the-tantrums # # # FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Perry Serpa/Rob Lawi – Good Cop Public Relations (718) 846-0518 perry@goodcoppr.com rob@goodcoppr.com www.goodcoppr.com Cristina Parker – Noise NY 917 684-0452 cristina@noiseny.com FITZ & THE TANTRUMS: www.fitzandthetantrums.com DANGERBIRD RECORDS: www.dangerbirdrecords.com
event::tags All Ages
3:00 PM
to 4:00 PM
The Felice Brothers
105 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists The Felice Brothers
event::about The Felice Brothers Bio Celebration, Florida out April 19, 2011 on Fat Possum '
what separates The Felices' mud-stomping folk from that of their peers is their no-winking honesty the sense that these songs and the places and people they're singing about aren't literary devices but actual people doing their damnedest to rage against the growing darkness.' Filter Good Music Guide, 2009 Here's what's already known about The Felice Brothers: they are a close-knit band of two brothers and three longtime friends, all in their twenties. They are self-taught, not one of them played an instrument prior to the band's inception in 2006 when they started busking in New York City subway stations. The Felice Brothers have released three full-length albums; their last, Yonder Is The Clock, on Team Love Records (2009). The majority of their work was recorded in a converted chicken coop in upstate New York near their hometown of Palenville. Esquire, Filter, The New York Times, NPR, Spin, Time Out New York, Uncut, and Under The Radar have praised them, among others. They are on virtually constant tour in the States and overseas, and have performed at festivals including Bonnaroo, All Points West, Outside Lands, Langerado, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Recognized for their live show, The Felice Brothers will play for their audience come hell or high water; the foremost example is their transcendent performance at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival, where they soldiered on, unplugged, in the rain, and barefoot in the mud after a lightning bolt shorted their stage's power supply. Here's what might come as a surprise about The Felice Brothers: their new and fourth LP Celebration, Florida is an exhilarating amalgamation of frightening horn sections, unexpected 808s, ambient synth lines, schoolyard taunts, booming, primitive drum beats, heavy bass lines, piano, violin, accordion, ringing guitars, rave beats, and sinister acid jazz that captivates and mystifies. Recorded in the library and theater of Beacon, NY's old high school, the band explores a multitude of sounds and instrumentation throughout the expansive album. It's inspired, imaginative, heady, menacing, passionate, and rollicking. Most importantly, it's as steadfastly authentic as ever, expanding upon the dark, woozy undercurrent of ramshackle barroom blues, vaudevillian atmospherics, and surreal storytelling of their previous albums. Under The Radar wrote in a review of Yonder Is The Clock that The Felice Brothers find 'inspiration and freedom rather than constraints in the traditions of folk music.' Celebration, Florida revels in this inventive, outlaw spirit; it's the sound of a band that knows its roots and knows where it's growing. It's a group who just might expand the definition of Americana music along the way. Celebration, Florida casts scenes of dreamy characters and stories interwoven like a block of primetime TV. Among the tales: a young woman who sets off to find a secret paradise; a teenager who enters a boxing gym in Catskill, NY; a late night host recounting his rise to fame to his honeybee while traveling in a private jet; shady degenerates who get lost in a mystery concerning a Honda Civic; a young girl who crimps her hair and spies her dead father driving down the road; a Wall Street scandal hits a little too close to home; and even a trip through space to find long forgotten Hollywood parties and hopefully make it back there in time to walk down the red carpet. The Felice Brothers are: Ian Felice, James Felice, Christmas, Greg Farley, and David Turbeville.
event::tags All Ages
3:50 PM
to 4:50 PM
J Mascis
194 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists J Mascis
event::about J Mascis is probably best known as the frontman of the highly influential indie rock trio Dinosaur Jr. With acclaimed LPs like 1987's You're Living All Over Me and 1988's Bug, the group emerged among the most highly regarded in alternative rock history, with Mascis' brilliant volume infused guitar heroics becoming a primary influence on the burgeoning 'grunge' movement - Mascis was also credited by many for single-handedly bringing back the guitar solo to underground and indie rock. By reintroducing volume and attack in his songs Mascis shed the strict limitations of early 1980's hardcore and practically reinvented punk rock in the process. Mascis' body of work continues to inspire a generation of guitar players and songwriters today. In 1991, Dinosaur Jr. disbanded and Mascis released More Light, his first recording under the moniker J Mascis + The Fog. With its revolving line-up of stellar musicians J Mascis + The Fog continues to churn out new material and tour frequently. Members and collaborators of the Fog have included Mike Watt (Minutemen / fIREHOSE), Ron Asheton (the Stooges), Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) Dave Schools (Stockholm Syndrome / Widespread Panic) and Kyle Spence (Harvey Milk). Aside from his work with The Fog, Mascis finds himself behind the drums in the band Witch, and most recently playing guitar with garage rockers Sweet Apple. He is also known to perform solo acoustic proving that there are truly no limitations to his abilities. Fans of Mascis' huge guitar wails will not be disappointed by his intimate acoustic performances as he always brings in plenty of pedals to pepper these performances with the sonically enhanced solos he's best known for. In addition to his own work Mascis has been heavily involved behind the scenes appearing on, producing, and mixing records for a string of highly regarded acts like: fIREHOSE, Tad, Buffalo Tom, Beachwood Sparks, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, The Breeders and many others. J Mascis has also composed music for film and has occasionally appeared in films such as Alison Anders acclaimed Gas, Food and Lodging. When the original line up of Mascis, Lou Barlow on bass and drummer Murph re-formed in 2005 for select live dates it was apparent that the years apart had not eroded any of their vitality. Restoring the sound established by the opening hat-trick gambit of Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and Bug, 2007's Beyond continued the band's march into rock greatness by making old ears smile and new ears bleed afresh. In 2009 the band released Farm, Dinosaur Jr.'s first double LP and their fifth full length record by the original line-up, an album propelled by the unique energy of one of America's greatest living rock bands hitting their stride.
event::tags All Ages
4:40 PM
to 5:40 PM
Bobby Long
24 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Bobby Long
event::about Bobby Long believes in making up for lost time. The young British singer-songwriter didn’t even start to play guitar until he was 17, but from then on he’s been creating memorable songs inhabited by hauntingly poetic lyrics. With model good looks and an engaging smile, he is a formidable presence even before he begins to sing. And when he does sing, it's with a heart-wrenching soulfulness that crushes any chance for apathy. It's a voice that simply demands attention. Now armed with an enviable repertoire of material and a legion of loyal fans cultivated through non-stop touring, this force of nature will be impossible to ignore. But recognition has actually been hard-won. Born in Wigan near Manchester in Northern England, Bobby Long grew up from age four in a small town in Wessex—Thomas Hardy country. At 18, he moved to London to attend university, graduating with a degree in sound and media for film. He quickly established himself on the local open mic circuit, finding his voice and beginning to develop songs characterized by catchy melodies paired with elusive, imaginative lyrics. In London he met a circle of fellow musicians, among them Marcus Foster, with whom he wrote a song called “Let Me Sign,” and soon-to-be megastar Robert Pattinson, who would sing it in the 2008 blockbuster film Twilight. The next step is his studio debut album, A WINTER TALE (on independent record label ATO Records), on which he wanted to capture the immediacy of those live performances, “to have flaws in it, some signs of human nature.” Grammy®-winner Liam Watson (The White Stripes’ Elephant) and his analog Toe Rag Studios in London—where they put down five initial tracks in just three days—proved an ideal match for the artist's old-school recording approach. Backed by a coterie of studio musicians on many of the tracks, he would end up recording 18, finally making a taut selection of 11 original songs. Impressing a widening circle of admirers, including many critics, Bobby has packed venues across the United States, Canada and Europe. In 2009, he played 160 shows in seven months in seven countries. The Boston Herald praised his "likeable, rough-hewn voice" and "catchy way with a chorus," while Pollstar reported that he "continues to amaze audiences with a bare-bones sound reminiscent of early Bob Dylan." Radio, too, has done its part, beginning when WXPN in Philadelphia added “Who Have You Been Loving” from Dirty Pond Songs to its playlist and invited him to perform live in their studios. His 2010 tour schedule kicked off in March with a live WXPN Free at Noon session, which was broadcast nationally on NPR's World Café Live while he was still unsigned. He cites Dylan's career, as well as his songwriting, as a major influence. He also lists Richie Havens, Neil Young, Tim Buckley and Leonard Cohen as influences, along with more modern troubadours like Elliott Smith and Conor Oberst. A love of American roots music shines through his songs, evident on the album in the intense minor-key folk of "Penance Fire Blues," the two-step groove of "Two Years Old" and the old-timey waltz "Being a Mockingbird" with its banjo and pedal steel accents. And Bobby is no dilettante when it comes to traditional sounds—his university thesis was on the social impact of American folk music. Above all, it's the honesty and aching vulnerability in his intricate songs (not to mention his shy demeanor on stage) that endears Long to burgeoning audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. “He breathes a labyrinth of imagery that is so fragile and heartrending—it’s impossible to let go” declared one writer, and as another one put it, "If music is truly a form of self-expression, then British singer-songwriter Bobby Long apparently cannot tell a lie." It's been a fast rise, but he's not looking for a cheap route to success. "I'm in it for the long haul. This first [ATO] record is just the first step on a ladder. I want every day to be a learning experience and to have the same kind of career as some of my heroes," he says. And he's determined to work hard to do just that. At 24, Long is an accomplished guitarist, having mastered an uncommon finger-picking guitar style through non-stop performing. That impeccable approach lifts gentler numbers like "The Bounty of Mary Jane" and "Sick Man Blues" just as assuredly as a full-on strum drives the folk-rocker title track of the album, "A Winter Tale," and the acoustic epic about loss and longing, "A Stranger Song" (“Where the wings that sting the borderline, words fall softly to the floor, A woman’s love can cause a man to spill his every flaw”). Finally, after countless solo shows, Long is fleshing out his acoustic sound with a band behind him, though he still steps out during the set to play alone. "I'm writing more with a band in mind now. I love how good that feels, when your playing is matched by the snare, the bass." Inspired by everything from old Jack Teagarden recordings to Dylan going electric, he also says he "learned a lot from touring about how a show can be like theater." A WINTER TALE merges band power with acoustic rawness, featuring Nona Hendryx (LaBelle) on backing vocals on "Penance Fire Blues," B. J. Cole (Elton John, Sting) on pedal steel, Icelandic singer Lay Low on several tracks, and other top-drawer musicians. And by way of continued extensive touring in North America, he will be bringing A WINTER TALE and what has been called his "tapestry of tales" to the ever-growing audiences seduced by his compelling voice, musicianship and charm.
event::tags All Ages
5:20 PM
to 6:20 PM
Caitlin Rose
30 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Caitlin Rose
event::about Caitlin Rose is a 23 year old singer/songwriter from Nashville, TN. Her full-length debut, Own Side Now, will be released on March 15, 2011 on Theory 8 Records. Rose co-produced the record with Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Will Oldham & Andrew Bird) & Skylar Wilson (Justin Townes Earle). Own Side Now was released in Europe in August to rave reviews. NME included her on their Cool List for 2010, her album landed #4 on Rough Trade's Top 100 list of 2010 and The Sunday Times calls the record “a stunning debut.” The 23-year-old Rose has spent the most of time since the release touring in Europe. She toured fourteen dates with Justin Townes Earle in December and will have a full US tour around the release of the record. Rose draws on her love for the female greats such as Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks (even covering Fleetwood Mac’s “That’s Alright”) as well as those from a pure country lineage such as Patsy Cline, and is on the fast track to placing herself in the same league. Her Dead Flowers EP showed the budding of a ripe talent, but this time around she has a seriously talented full band to assist in elevating Own Side Now into a different class.
event::tags All Ages
12:00 PM
to 1:00 PM
Foster the People
125 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
1:00 PM
to 2:00 PM
Toro y Moi
249 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Toro Y Moi
event::about Toro Y Moi is 23 year old Columbia, South Carolina native and resident Chaz Bundick. After earning a BFA in Graphic Design at The University of South Carolina, Chaz decided to push his music further now that he has more time on his hands. His mom came from the Phillipines to the United States, where she met her future husband (who's African American) in college. They lived in New York City taking in all the wonderful cultural influences the city's rising underground scene had to offer at the time (late 70s/early 80s). Deciding to slow down and be closer to family, they moved to Columbia, South Carolina where they had their first child... Chaz Bundick's methods are constantly changing and evolving. Heavily influenced by his parent's vinyl and tape collection, he also possesses great admiration for contemporary influences like Animal Collective, Sonic Youth, J Dilla, and Daft Punk. Like most prepubescent teens, he had his punk band and once that died out, the "side project" soon became the main focus. Toro y Moi started in 2001 as a bedroom project but quickly grew into the live performance realm. The songs are born from a plethora of different genres, from freak-folk to R&B to French House. Before any full length album has been released, Toro Y Moi has already received praise from music websites like Pitchfork and Gorilla Vs. Bear as well as print features in the NME and Dazed and Confused.
event::tags All Ages
2:00 PM
to 3:00 PM
Tapes n Tapes
242 schedule::attendees
Location
Radio Day Stage Austin Convention Center
eventtype Music
Artists Tapes n Tapes
event::about Tapes ‘n Tapes is a rock band from Minneapolis, MN, made up of Josh Grier on guitar and lead vocals, Matt Kretzmann on keys and horns, Erik Appelwick on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Jeremy Hanson on percussion. Grier said he formed the band in 2003, to “have fun with my friends. I always wanted to see if I could play music with others and for others.” Grier and his buddies amassed “tapes ‘n tapes” of noodling, experimental jams and declared themselves officially a band. In the winter of 2004, the band now known as Tapes ‘n Tapes bought some recording equipment and headed out to a rustic cabin in the woods of Wisconsin. They recorded their self-titled, now long out of print, seven song EP in three days. Songs like “Beach Girls” and “50’s Parking” from the EP are still in their live set today. Next up for the band was recording their critically acclaimed follow up, The Loon. Appelwick recorded, mixed and produced the eleven song record with the band in one week at a friend’s home studio. The Loon came out in November of 2005 on ibid records, and no one was ready for what came next. People started to notice the foursome’s jangly, melodic brand of rock and the band started touring – gaining more and more attention from music critics and fans all over the world. Even the Thin White Duke took notice. “’Insistor’ is the first single, and it's cracking. It was a slow grower, but once that chorus digs in there's really no escape,” said Mr. David Bowie. The prestigious XL Recordings re-released The Loon in July of 2006, the same month Tapes ‘n Tapes made their national television debut on the Late Show with David Letterman. The band then toured around the world for the next few years- playing shows with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Spoon, Cold War Kids, The Black Keys, Echo & the Bunnymen, and The Wrens. In 2006 they were honored to play Reading/Leeds, and 2007 saw them rock out at Lollapalooza and Coachella. When starting to work out songs for their follow up, Walk It Off, the band was asked who their dream producer was. The obvious answer to them was Mr. Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, MGMT). With twelve songs in hand, the band made the jaunt to upstate New York to live and work with Fridmann for two amazing weeks- one week in September 2007 to record and one week in October 2007 to mix. However, years of touring, the political climate, and distance from friends and family had changed the band, and given them a different point of view- one that seemed to pervade their sound. Spin praised the record saying, “the tunes are tighter and performances far more dynamic and aggressive…..they can now pull off jittery punk and understated, graceful melancholy.” XL released Walk It Off in April of 2008, on the same day the band made their debut on Conan O’Brien. After touring and supporting Walk It Off for the following year, it was time for a little R & R- rest and relaxation. They purposefully took their time and tried to get back to a place where the band was fun, and not work. They also decided to go back to their roots and do everything on their own, with no label involvement. They cut ties with XL, and re-launched ibid records, their own label which initially released The Loon. The brothers tapes had saved their pennies over the years and set out to make the record they’ve always wanted to make – Outside. They wanted to record at home and self-produce, which they did over two weeks at The Terrarium in Minneapolis, MN in March of 2010. The next step was getting the talented Mr. Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) to lend his ears to the mix. Grier spent two more weeks in Bridgeport, CT, while Katis mixed the record to perfection. The result is twelve songs that are playful and melodic, while also capturing the essence and energy of their live show. Grier said, “We had a great time making Outside and we wanted our enjoyment of the process to be audible in the recording, and I think we succeeded.” One thing is for sure, Tapes ‘n Tapes feel like they are making music for the right reasons – fun and pure love for music. And as Grier always says, “Everything else is gravy.” Outside will be released on January 11, 2011.
event::tags All Ages
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