8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Ben Miller Band
9 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Ben Miller Band
event::about Poet and songwriter since childhood, Ben Miller started playing guitar at age 16. He soon left his home in Curlew, Washington and began his musical career on the streets of Northern Europe, playing his distinctive delta-blues slide guitar and honing his one-man-band performance style which now includes guitar, banjo, harmonica, autoharp, and foot percussion. Armed with a plethora of original songs and unique sounds, in 2004 he met Scott and Doug in Joplin, Missouri and formed the Ben Miller Band. Scott Leeper started playing drums at age 7 and by age 10 he was wowing audiences in his family’s band, The Leeper’s, playing local clubs in the Kansas area from 1970-1980. Throughout the 80’s he and his brother, Verne, worked as a duo and in various local bands, and in the 90’s Scott had a one-man country act. From 1997-2002, he played drums for hill country blues legend, Lightning Malcom, and also started playing wash tub bass. Throughout his career he’s performed with other blues and country legends such as Jesse May Hemphill, T Model Ford, and Jana Jay. In 2004, Scott began playing wash tub bass and singing backup vocal with pitch-perfect harmony for the Ben Miller Band. Doug Dicharry started playing trombone in the 6th grade and continued to study music throughout his college years. As an Air Force brat growing up and moving across the globe every two years, he assimilated an array of musical styles, from punk to ska, to progressive noise and school marching bands. In high school, he began playing trombone in various bands while teaching himself to play the drums. In 2004 he picked up the washboard, and with a bit of homemade ingenuity, made it electric. During that time, he met Ben at an open mic night in Joplin, Missouri and “followed him until he had to hire him”. Now Doug plays drums, trombone, trumpet, mandolin, percussion, electric washboard, and electric spoons for the Ben Miller Band. Together for the past seven years, the Ben Miller Band has crafted a tight, dynamic, and amazingly original sound that captivates and embraces people of all generations.
event::tags 21+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
The Orbans
19 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists The Orbans
event::about Formed in 2008, The Orbans from Fort Worth, TX have combined a “do it yourself” indie attitude with a very unique style of pop music that is not afraid to show a little twang. That year, the band released a well received debut EP titled Switchblade Waterpistol and began touring regionally in support of the release. With their debut full length album produced by Adam Lasus, The Orbans moved into 2011 with a firm answer for all of their efforts. Recording “When We Were Wild” was an intense experience for The Orbans. The initial attempt to record in the spring of 2009 seemed to be missing something and the recordings were set aside. The band regrouped and contacted Producer Adam Lasus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Yo La Tengo, Clem Snide). The band first met Lasus when he helped mix the Switchblade Waterpistol EP in 2008. After discussing the goals and expectations for the record, it was collectively decided to record the album live. They began looking at studios and found the perfect spot in Austin, Tx at Cedar Creek Recording. The large space allowed for the isolation required to have the band play together and record live. Adam and the band were also drawn to the vintage gear housed at Cedar Creek and it didn’t hurt that Uncle Tupelo had recorded Anoydyne there in the same manner, with the band all playing at once. From the pre-production days spent at a house around Lake Austin to the playback of the first takes on tape at Cedar Creek, the entire team realized that something special was happening. The vibe and energy continued through the sessions at Cedar Creek and into Fireproof Recording, Adam’s studio in Los Angeles. Nearing the end of what had been such an amazing time for both Adam and the band, it seemed like the obvious choice that they should title the record When We Were Wild. The Orbans can certainly draw comparisons to bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Big Star, Dr Dog and Ryan Adams but more importantly have created a debut record that takes the listener on a personal and infectious sonic journey with Peter Black’s wistful and heartfelt songs. The song "Like a Liar" was recently picked for NPR's Song Of The Day and the band performed a showcase at the 2010 CMJ Music Marathon. "Favoring a tasteful brand of lush, roots-tinged indie-folk, the band is about as far from trendy as Fort Worth is from Brooklyn." -NPR "Jaunty ’80s-pop-rock rhythm and raw guitars, plus a chorus of multi-part harmonies. Imagine The Replacements trying to fight off being possessed by The Beach Boys’ surfin’, drag-racin’, Hawaiian-shirt-wearin’ demons. Unlike anything anyone’s probably ever heard before." - Anthony Mariani, FW Weekly "When We Were Wild is charming, playful, adventurous, and heartfelt. " - LA Music Blog
event::tags 21+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
Baskery
8 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Baskery
event::about It has never been about which music you play, where you are from or where you've been- it has always been about if you touch people or not. Baskery is a band built on what three people can do together. The music is not to be confused with country/bluegrass just from looking at the instruments. Baskery is not bound to any genre. It's all there in the live act, cause it is real. The three sisters of Baskery can't recall why or when they started playing, it has always just been there, as an occupation, as a distraction and mostly, as a conviction. "Performing live has become the most natural thing to us". In their teens the sisters joined forces with their dad, who was a one-man-band who played old blues and country songs for a living, and got introduced to the music business in a quite unglamourous way. "We played cover songs for drunk people, but we never played songs we didn't like just to please the crowd". This foundation of early "roots music and americana" settled in their hearts, but also awoke the urge of breaking the rules of traditional music. Baskery is all about turning the music on its head, blending the straightforwardness of punk with the subtlety of singer/song writing. Baskery are back with their new full length album, "New Friends", ten songs partly delivered on the road. It's been over two years since the release of debut album "Fall Among Thieves", an album that received acclaims from the press all over Europe. It wasn't lack of inspiration that delayed the second album. The only hard thing about writing and recording album no. 2 was, according to the band, finding the time. "Our first album served us well. We've been constantly touring the last couple of years and we don't hesitate to go where we're requested. Yet, we came to a point when we started craving new songs and "New Friends" is the result of that." The foundations were recorded in two different studios in Sweden whilst most of the vocals were recorded on the road, on different locations. "We brought a computer and condenser mics with us on tour and padded hotel rooms with mattresses and bed spreads." The songs were then brought to Berlin, where the band teamed up with awesome mixer Peter "BlackPete" Schmidt (Depeche mode, Joe Jackson, Beatsteaks) and Simon Beizai. The album delivers new sounds from Baskery, still keeping the intensity and live vibe, but It's darker and more mature sounding than "Fall Among Thieves". "Not because we've been in a dark place lately, we just decided to listen more to that side of ours this time." Baskery has successfully toured all over the world, performing at festivals such as Glastonbury UK, Woodford Australia, SXSW USA, Calgary Folk Candada, Lowlands Holland, Azkena Rock Spain, Storsjoeyran Sweden, Bergen Fest Norway, Toender Denmark and many more. Come and see us, you know where we are. Visit Baskery at: http://baskery.com http://myspace.com/baskery http://twitter.com/baskery http://facebook.com BASKERY official
event::tags 21+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Hot Club of Cowtown
19 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Hot Club of Cowtown
event::about Bob Wills has always been a core inspiration for the Hot Club of Cowtown's sound, but it has taken the Texas-based trio a dozen years to fully honor the King of Western swing. A fortuitous tour in England last spring led the band to London's Specific Sounds studio, where they spent two days recording a 14-song marathon of only Bob Wills tunes. The result, What Makes Bob Holler, is a lively tribute to the American music icon, respecting Wills' legendary music while putting Hot Club's own signature on these songs. 'We have been meaning to make this album for a long time,' says Elana James, who co-founded Hot Club with Whit Smith (they're joined by bassist Jake Erwin). Launched in 1994, the Hot Club of Cowtown has grown to be the most globe-trotting, hardest-swinging Western swing trio on the planet, continuing to develop a unique sound inspired by the band's namesakes: the hot jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli of the Hot Club of France, and Bob Willis & the Texas Playboys. And with the imminent release of What Makes Bob Holler, the Austin-based band looks to a busy 2011. They start the year with a public radio broadcast, NPR's Mountain Stage, in Charleston, W.V. in late January, and will appear at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March before touring coast to coast in support of the album. Bob Wills' music - in this case the recordings of radio shows from 1946-47 called the Tiffany Transcriptions that are the fundamental inspiration for HCCT's repertoire and style -offers a terrific platform for some ace musicianship in the form of Smith's guitar, James' fiddle and Erwin's nimble bass. By spotlighting Wills' early, pre-World War II catalogue, the disc happily matches obscure B-sides with some of Wills' most popular work. Tunes like 'Big Balls in Cowtown' and 'Stay All Night' are numbers that 'people always love when we play them live,' says James, 'so it was a no-brainer to gather them into a record.' Other songs, like 'Osage Stomp' and 'The Devil Ain't Lazy,' might not be as well known, but they are the type of tunes that originally attracted Smith and James to Wills' music. 'We're playing what knocked us out about Western swing in the first place - the early fiery energy and jazzy improvisations,' says James. By 1998 Smith and James had relocated to Austin, Texas, and released their debut, Swingin' Stampede, on HighTone Records. Seven more albums over the next decade generated much critical acclaim and a devoted following. The New York Times' Neil Strauss proclaimed the Hot Club 'conscious always that above all else, the music is for dancing and an old-fashioned good time.' Craig Havighurst, in Nashville's Tennessean, calls them 'one of the most original groups on the Americana circuit, deserving of attention both live and on record' while the Sunday Times of London lauded HCCT as 'the world's most engaging Western Swing band - their shows are all about energy and joie de vivre . . . the devil-may-care style that combined the rigor of Jazz with the down-home sentiment of country and earthiness of the blues - it is as a live act that they have made their greatest impact.' What Makes Bob Holler arrives on the heels of 2009's Wishful Thinking, an Americana radio Top 100 album on which HCCT blended their love of hot jazz and Western swing with original songs, a Tom Waits cover and forays into more eclectic territory. The Austin Chronicle's Jim Caliguiri called it 'the Cowtowners at their peak' and David Eldridge, in the Washington Times, describes the disc as 'one of the year's most unexpected listening pleasures.' What Makes Bob Holler is something of an 180-degree swing from Wishful Thinking's more eccentric set list. It is the first time HCCT has focused on only one style for an entire album and they are proud enough of the results to express interest in doing more. 'There are so many great songs that we didn't get to,' says James. 'We're going to have to make a box set, eventually, but we're just going to make it piecemeal,' adds Smith with a laugh. While the new disc focuses Bob Wills music, HCCT's live show remainsan engaging mix of what the band does best - whatever moves them at the moment. James reveals that the band often plays without a set list. 'We have faith in the system that is the band. This energy that we plug into and it takes us away.' Smith describes their shows as 'like a rock 'n' roll show' and 'people pick up on the energy and the sincerity.' Hot Club of Cowtown returns to SXSW fresh on the heels of a ten-day stint with Roxy Music in the UK.
event::tags 21+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Chickasaw Mudd Puppies
26 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Chickasaw Mudd Puppies
event::about This legendary Athens duo made its mark in the early 90's with two Michael Stipe/Willie Dixon produced records: White Dirt and 8 Track Stomp and a rockin'-stompin' live show that earned them adoring fans all over the world. Dubbed swamp rock their unique sound owes in large part to their inventive approach to instrumentation, with Brant Slay playing the rockin' chair and stomp box (yeah that's right), wash board, cowbells and tin cans, combined with Ben Reynolds' frenetic blues guitar riffs. Alan Lumpy Cowart, former drummer of the legendary Jacksonville band Beggar Weeds (also Stipe-produced), recently joined the band and is no stranger to the Mudd Puppy sound, having shared many bills while on tour with CMP. The Chickasaw Mudd Puppies drag old-timey porch music kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. The Mudd Puppies are a couple of self-styled rustics who toy with old southern musical styles, both black and white, without being either folkloric or too-cute roots-rocky... White Dirt - augmented with drums, fiddle, and guitar - sweetens the mix without smoothing the edges, but live their foot stompin' and noisy guitar strumming goes down like a gulp of Old Grand-Dad, raw and fiery... The Village Voice, May 1990, Don Palmer The Chickasaw Mudd Puppies... come complete with their own image, sound and esthetic. They're not just [a] band; they're [a] concept... The Mudd Puppies do blues as modern-day folk art... New York Times, January 1991, Karen Schoemer Their reunion after a 20 year hiatus was sparked by recent interests in their music including songs in the upcoming films, The Mechanic (Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland) and indie film, Tracing Cowboys. The Mudd Puppies enjoyed buzz band status in their first SXSW appearances and 2011 promises no less interesting. So dust off your stompin' shoes Mudd Puppies fans, its "The Young'uns Gotta Eat Tour"... HOOTEE HOO!
event::tags 21+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Dash Rip Rock
28 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Dash Rip Rock
event::about In Louisiana and throughout the South, it is almost impossible to have never heard of Dash Rip Rock. Known for tight musicianship and live wild shows, over 25 years the band has amassed a loyal and eclectic following whose wide tent somehow holds punk rockers, roots rock aficionados, Norwegians, and country and rockabilly fans alike. In 1984, Bill Davis founded Dash Rip Rock, and Louisiana cowpunk was born. The band quickly became a national college radio darling, mixing Austin's punk rockabilly with Athens' southern pop. They started as a rockabilly trio, making a name for themselves by playing punk rock as if they were the Stray Cats, then belting out country standards as if they were the Sex Pistols. Dash Rip Rock has been a club and festival favorite with their legendary live shows and unique brand of roots punk ever since. Dash Rip Rock has toured with the dBs, the Cramps, Georgia Satellites, and Reverend Horton Heat and shared stages with the Circle Jerks, Jerry Lee Louis, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, David Allan Coe, The Ramones, The Replacements, Lou Reed, No Doubt, Los Lobos, Social Distortion, and many others. The current lineup is Bill Davis on lead guitar and vocals, Eric Padua on drums and vocals, and Patrick Johnson on bass guitar and vocals. Dash Rip Rock has released 15 records that have been hailed as country punk classics. In the eighties the band was signed to Mammoth Records. In the nineties they scored a national modern rock radio hit with "Let's Go Smoke Some Pot." In recent years, the band joined forces with Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label to release Hee Haw Hell (2004), the world's first country punk rock opera. In 2010 Dash Rip Rock followed it up with Call of the Wild-- a soulsy, blistering concept album that both extols and critiques that most unique of institutions, the Southern party. No Depression says Call of the Wild proves Dash Rip Rock is "one of the greatest bands working today."
event::tags 21+
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Superstardjs Presents-The ThrowBacks
5 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
event::about Throwbacks, Austins best kept secret. DJ Spinner T. and Crop Diggie are not new to the game hip or music for that matter but are ready to bring a new perspective to the world of hip hop and music alike. Both are former members of Austin's legendary 90's hiphop group Sociopath Left. Spinner T. and Crop Diggie have been quiet as DJ and Rapper but have been very busy as DJ/Producer. As members of the DJ crew SuperStarDJs, since 2005 the SSDJS have been a main stay on the Austin DJ scene, with there once historic monthly event Sqratch Karnival bringing Djs together on a open DJ forum to share information and skills on the art of scratching from 2005 to 2009, with there podcast Fatlaces Radio and Unlaced Radio gaining world wide fame in many countries with over a million downloads, the SSDJs brought you a new 90min mix once a week from 2005 to 2009 with plans to revamp the podcast in 2011, Crops two year stint at the Tap Room partnering with Richard Henry with SuperstarTuesdays, and producing for Austin acts such as Mirage and Crew 54 and now stepping back into the arena as the Throwbacks. "It's been over 5 or 6 years since I picked up a mic to rock a stage as an emcee, but I'm telling y'all it's been worth the wait!" Crop Diggie states! With there yet untitled EP due in March 2011 produced by the artist themselves, you can expect for it to be pure fire! Don't take the name lightly, "Just cause we are called the Throwbacks doesn't mean were just giving you that old boom bap. It's there and then some. It's hip hop at it's best from some Austin,Tx OG's"! Crop states. You can catch the Throwbacks making there debut at this years 2011 SouthBySouthWest music conference, there 15th year performing and participating in the worlds largest music conference! You can hear and download there new singles Night Move and Ugh! at there website: www.SuperStarDJs.org
event::tags 21+
8:45 PM
to 9:45 PM
Jazz One
4 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
event::about Jazz One is a renaissance man. "Mixing modern music with the classics is his M.O., and he has become a popular DJ in the Austin area as a result." -AOL Austin's finest, Jazz One WILL make you wiggle. He is a true mixologist. Jazz One is a party rocker. He has shared stages with a diverse range of artists such as Dan Deacon, Pigeon John, Asher Roth, Blaqstarr, Killah Priest, U-God, Pac-Div, The Cool Kids, DJ Class and C Rayz Walls. In 2009 Jazzie started the One Take Mixtape series. Jazz One collaborated with Fifth Gallery, Off Shoot Media and Austin's best MC's to turn the One Take Mixtape into a mult-media event. After years of playing un-official shows during the South by Southwest music festival with local, regional and national acts, Jazz One played SXSW officially in 2010. If MC means move the crowd or mic controller, then Jazz One is an MC. Jazz One is not a rapper, he's a poet with good self esteem. His poetry has been seen in films. It's been on television. It's been heard over the radio. In 2007 Jazzie's poetry was been featured on a Hip Hop album from the Fresh Boy Crew. Jazz One has performed at shows with some of poetry's top talent. He performed poetry at music shows. He has recently taken his poetry on the road and playing shows around Texas and out of state. Jazz One's was last film was 2007's Night People: Seize the Night. The film directed by Eric Power won Best Experimental Film at the Traildance Film Festival. He also was seen in Alex Salahi's film Destiny's Bug. He has a cameo in the film Fourplay.
event::tags 21+
9:20 PM
to 10:20 PM
DJ Dontizl
Location Speakeasy Kabaret
Location Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists DJ Dontizl
event::about I have been spinning for a little over 6 years now all around the Central Texas area. I have become a well known name among the city of Austin with local businesses, artists as well as all of the surrounding Colleges and Universities. I work the majority of the college events from San Antonio to Waco. I'm and UT grad and I create all the pregame mixes for the UT Longhorn football team. I also create mixes for dance groups and fashion shows. I also have worked a number of the live hip hop shows that are brought to Austin and surrounding cities. I have residency at two night clubs on 6th and work several others in the area for various events. My span covers anywhere from the 18+ crowd all the way to corporate events and even weddings. I can be found on both Facebook and Twitter under DJ DONTIZL. My catch phrase is POW!!!!! I hope you enjoy what you hear POW POW!!!
event::tags 21+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
Los Macuanos
7 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Los Macuanos
event::about Armed initially with only a laptop, a sequencer and a shoddy wooden güiro, Los Macuanos have surfaced as one of the most promising acts in modern electronic music, in what Camilo Lara (Mexican Institute of Sound) has proclaimed “the great hope for Mexico in the coming years.” Though emerging in the wake of the burgeoning global bass scene, and strongly situated in the continuum of Tijuana electronic music, Los Macuanos nonetheless go beyond this spectrum, in a sound that is wholly their own. To describe their music is to inhabit a unique vision of Mexico’s sonic legacy, rooted in centuries of akin sounds and sensibilities which are digitally permutated almost beyond recognition. Through spectral evocations, and ominously low-frequencies, Los Macuanos invoke the spirits of their country’s past, resulting in a macabre rendition of traditional Mexican sounds. A hauntological feast, equally suited for the ears and the hips. Employing the format of a live band, Los Macuanos navigate the mid-ground between the energy and dynamism of live performance and the textural intricacies that only a DJ set can afford, presenting a unique kind of hybrid for the modern dancefloor.
event::tags 21+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Telephunken
7 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Telephunken
event::about This Spanish Nu- Funk band, has recently release 8 maxis in different european an Us labels such as Manmade, Howling Records, Big M Productions, and has been performing all over the world, US, Europe, Africa...
event::tags 21+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Chico Mann
18 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Chico Mann
event::about "Chico Mann finished the showcase with far-reaching, utterly danceable electronica... The songs, in Spanish, swept through a 1970s African diaspora — stop-start funk, Afro-Cuban Santeria rhythms, reggae vocal lines, Miami disco, early hip-hop thuds and claps — to dissolve decades, along with borders." - Jon Pareles - NY Times The sounds of Africa have taken multi-instrumentalist Chico Mann—aka Marcos García—all over the world. So itʼs fitting that after spending years learning to speak Afrobeat, albeit with a Cuban accent, Chico Mann has employed several dialects to make a larger musical statement, creating a hybrid of Afro-Cuban rhythms, Afrobeat and classic freestyle that has emerged to be one of the new, vibrant musical styles of today. Born in New York City to Cuban parents—his mother a pianist and disc jockey, his father a record label head and producer of merengue records—a young Chico started early, diving headlong into the spheres of guitar, piano, and break dancing; the works of Willie Colón, Fela Kuti, Lisa Lisa, and Afrika Bambaataa led the way. His father told him to steer clear of the business, but did he really have a choice? Fast forward to the early 2000s. When he wasnʼt burning up stages worldwide with the mighty Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Chico was home cooking up a more personal sound, featuring himself on all the instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards, programming) and vocals (in Spanish!). A debut album Manifest Tone, Vol. 1 emerged in 2007 and now 2010, he is ready to drop another groundbreaking statement - Analog Drift, his first for Wax Poetics Records. Here Chico Mann introduces the rhythms of Afrobeat to the music of Cuba, the Latin freestyle flavors of 1980s New York and Miami, and the synth-heavy electro beats of dance floors across the globe. This is music is good for your mind and behind. And itʼs always real. The total package. Chico says it best himself: “If you want it you can have it / If you want it, you can take it, you can grab it.” So go out and get what you want, and let Chico Mann provide the soundtrack.
event::tags 21+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
Que Bajo
10 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Que Bajo
event::about Founded in 2008 by Uproot Andy and Geko Jones, the NYC tropical dance party Que Bajo has quickly found itself at the center of a constantly widening, global dance music scene. The residents’ now widely known remixes and productions mix the folkloric music of Latin America with modern electronica. Initially intended as an outlet for this new sound (often known as Tropical Bass), Que Bajo has increasingly become a showcase for an ever evolving array of new musical trends emanating from around the globe. The party continues to host many of the young artists and DJs on the cutting edge of these new sounds, such as El Guincho, Toy Selectah, Choc Quib Town, Maluca, Zizek, Radioclit, Bersa Discos, Munchi, DJ Rekha, DJ Rupture and Jahdan Blackamoore.
event::tags 21+
8:00 PM
to 9:00 PM
Les Jupes
9 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Les Jupes
event::about Les Jupes are a new band from the centre of Canada versed in expansive musical landscapes, sharp lyrics and an observer's eye for the world. They are four Anglos with a French name making big, broad and determined music. And they are at the centre of a prairie renaissance growing around Head In The Sand Records. Their debut album Modern Myths has been getting rave reviews across North America and charting Top 15 across Canada. Produced by Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, Silver Starling, Stars).
event::tags 21+
9:00 PM
to 10:00 PM
Fast Romantics
16 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Fast Romantics
event::about Artist Information Biography Fast Romantics formed in Calgary, Canada. It was in the heat of an indie-rock dance party. It was really late at night and there may have been whiskey or beer involved, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that they all decided to make music together, and thank goodness they did. They’ve played Virgin fest along with Flaming Lips and Stone Temple Pilots. Opened for other awesome bands like The Stills and the Von Bondies. Won radio contests, and toured Canada twice. In 2009, they played a rock show in an Albertan farmer’s garage during a tornado. They were also flown to New York City by Spin Magazine and a fashion designer named John Varvatos, just to rock a giant sweaty concert at the former CBGB’s. And then there was that time that Jeremy Piven cut in and played drums with them. But it doesn't really matter if they’re in a farmhouse, on a legendary New York stage, or jamming with Ari Gold. Fast Romantics just want to make people feel good. In 2010, Fast Romantics saw their music placed in television shows like Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars. They also worked with producer Howard Redekopp. He's produced the New Pornographers, Tegan and Sara, and Mother Mother. That's the sort of name-dropping that means that he is super good at making music. They made a new EP called “Kidcutter”. Also, a man named Mike Fraser has mixed everything they’ve done. He’s mixed bands like Franz Ferdinand, Elvis Costello, and Sam Roberts. Fast Romantics mean business. In fact they just set up camp in Toronto just so they can drive around and play one thousand shows a year. The new EP, released in July 2010, is now available on iTunes. Their debut LP, released in March 2009, is also available. The band is currently working on their sophomore LP, and looking forward to a tour of the US and Canada, including a showcase at SXSW, in March/April 2011.
event::tags 21+
10:00 PM
to 11:00 PM
Hungry Kids Of Hungary
21 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Hungry Kids Of Hungary
event::about Hungry Kids of Hungary have been unavoidable in the last 18 months or so thanks to a relentless touring schedule, both around Australia and around the world, as well as a strong string of radio hits like 'Scattered Diamonds', 'Set It Right', 'Let You Down' and most recently 'Wristwatch' and 'Coming Around'. Their recently-released debut album Escapades has cemented the band as one of the Australia's finest up and comers and displays their uncanny knack for penning an immaculate, modern, indie gem dressed with a healthy dose of 60s pop sensibility. Their live show displays the band's duel-frontman formation at its best, showcasing the band's inherent skill for infectious hooks layered with lush vocal harmonies.
event::tags 21+
11:00 PM
to 12:00 AM
Simple Circuit
10 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Simple Circuit
event::about Simple Circuit is from Austin Texas and has been active since November 2009. They independently put out their first 7inch in March of 2010 and this 7inch on Super Secret Records is their second release. (They are real excited about not having to cut, fold and stuff all the copies of this release themselves. All hail Super Secret Records!) It was recently picked up for distribution by Matador Direct The band recently recorded some new songs with Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring for a 2011 release and have a track on the upcoming Casual Victim Pile II compilation curated by Gerard Cosloy and released on his newly relaunched 12XU imprint.
event::tags 21+
12:00 AM
to 1:00 AM
Drew Smith's Lonely Choir
6 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists Drew Smith's Lonely Choir
event::about "Drew Smith's obvious pleasure in the obvious pleasure of hooks feels both old-fashioned and completely revolutionary" Steve Almond, author of 'Rock n Roll Saved My Soul' and frequent NPR critic ======== "Jaunty Americana-pop with a Harry Nilsson streak. Smith's arresting delivery is the linchpin here, his wit and knack for character sketches share the spotlight in Abe, Jack, and Superman and Squeezing the Elephants." Austin Chronicle ======== "Drew's real draw is that he delivers his songs with a style and attitude that makes you a believer. If he is not wearing a suit and tie and surrounding himself with some of Austin's best players, he is wearing his heart on his sleeve and belting out lyrics with a conviction you just can't find anywhere else." Austin Daze ======== "So full of talent and promise." Big Takeover Magazine ======= "Drew Smith creates perfect pop classics that will warm the ears of Newman and Nilsson fans and likely the fans of indie acts like Spoon and The Shins." Austin Sound ======= "Drew Smith's Lonely Choir has restored my faith in Austin somehow. It's smart pop, no doubt, but with an immediately recognizable down-home vibe that strikes a free-spirit chord." Houston Press ======== "One of my favorite albums to come out of Austin this year, Smith plays contrast with a mad scientists glee, pitting a bouncing Bacharach like piano against a weepy pedal steel on New Year's Day, strings and a banjo on NYC Song, sloppy bop-ba-da's bounce nicely against brass on Diamonds." Houston Chronicle ======== "Giving generally good music a label is no fun. It's usually inaccurate, and it's always limiting. When you encounter groups like Drew Smith's Lonely Choir, the best thing to do is just say it's an amalgamation of so many of the good aspects of several genres like rock, indie, blues even jazz. But, if you want the best description, you have got to check out the Austin group yourself." Austinist.com ======== "Drew Smith's incredibly well-crafted lyrics; inventive melodies proffering pop, blues and even twang; some Sgt. Pepper's/Kinksian/post-Vaudeville flourishes; and a roster of well-known supporting players convey this is no first-timer's effort." Texas Music Magazine ======== "Drew's music is supremely smile-inducing." Dryvetyme Onlyne ======== "Sometimes lost in the roots-rock, alt-country sound that has come to typify Austin music is a handful of very, very good pop bands with chart-topping success, such as Spoon and Fastball. Such a band is Drew Smith's Lonely Choir. Smith is a self-described disciple of '70s pop, a sound that - on his new album - is freshly updated and beautifully delivered." Blog Critics Review ======== "Smith has no intention of blowing your mind with over the top production or jaw-droppingly shocking lyrics. Instead, he writes perfectly-crafted pop songs that will make you happy, sad, lonely and hopeful, sometimes all in one song." Atlanta Music Guide ======== "Drew Smith has carved a well-deserved place for himself and his brand of poppy, retro rock." madeloud.com ======== "All sorts of other media have been singing their praise and it seems I am arriving late to the party. But, better late than ever." Party Ends
event::tags 21+
1:00 AM
to 2:00 AM
The Boat People
23 schedule::attendees
Location
Speakeasy Kabaret
eventtype Music
Artists The Boat People
event::about THE BOAT PEOPLE BIO With three critically acclaimed albums The Boat People have gradually gathered together a chorus of emphatic praise from around the world. One such person is long time supporter KCRW's Nic Harcourt who has called them "my favourite Aussie band" and invited them to play a live set on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Jason Bentley described The Boat People as “a great band” and invited them to be part of the KCRW 2008 SXSW showcase. Recent single “Under The Ocean” was included in US itunes compilation album “Indie Spotlight Alternative - Best Of 2010 and best indie album releases together with Arcade Fire, Yeasayer, Wavves, Surfer Blood, Local Natives, Beach House, Deerhunter, Two Door Cinema Club, Junip and fellow Australians Tame Impala. They return to the US for a fifth time for SXSW 2011 and a string of side shows in support of the their latest album ‘Dear Darkly'. Less straight-forward than their second album, the shiny, 60s-pop-styled Chandeliers (2008), it ranges through inky-soul and triffids-inspired surf guitar, fey garage rock, absurdist lyrics, programmed beats, asperges mantras and the odd bedroom recording of a nervous breakdown. It is a full-spectrum, stream of consciousness, pop montage that takes in (as the title suggests) flashes of wry optimism and romance as well as moments of loss and quiet despair. With reviews throwing such wildly disparate comparisons as Roxy Music, Elliot Smith, The Decemberists, and the Go Betweens around, it is perhaps genuinely more accurate (rather than overly ambitious as is often the case) to say The Boat People have "a sound that is entirely their own" (Inpress).
event::tags 21+
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