Dirty Dog Bar in Austin, TX Midnight are Cleveland’s hooded kings of lucifer infused metal. They made a stop in Austin on August 31st to play 6th Street’s crowded Dirty Dog Bar on a hot, muggy night. The set was opened up with “Satanic Royalty”, the title track off of 2011’s album of the same name. The crowd exploded into a circular mosh pit as the first chord was struck.…
“I Believe You Can Survive” has become a bit of an obsession lately. Lebanon Hanover is a minimal wave project comprised of power couple Larissa Iceglass from Germany and William Maybelline of England. This song is lyrically endearing while never giving up on the somber aesthetic that makes them what they are, the king and queen of post-punk revival. It’s hard to make music that idealizes the past while looking…
Destruction Unit – Void and Deep Trip (Jolly Dreams Records and Sacred Bones Records) Destruction Unit started off as a side project for Reatards members Ryan Rousseau and the late Jay Reatard. With the addition of Jesco Aurelius ( ex Pigeon Religion/Avon Ladies) this band has become a whole new beast. Deep Trip and Void are great companion pieces for one looking to reach unexplored spaces of the mind or…
Fun Fun Fun Fest is a festival weekend like no other. I arrived around 4:30pm on Friday to find comedian Patton Oswalt doing a standup routine inside a sweaty and claustrophobic tent. Outside of the tent was the orange stage which had Johnny Marr doing How Soon Is Now amongst other hits from the group which he played guitar, The Smiths. The sound was clearly bleeding into the tent as…
Chelsea Wolfe is an anomaly. She may be the only artist in history to cover songs by both Biggie Smalls and Rudimentary Peni. Her music is hauntingly tragic and the vocal accompaniment is often stunningly airy, a perfect soundtrack for the death and decay of fall. Last time Chelsea Wolfe was in town she did a minimal acoustic performance but on this evening the full band was brought along to…
On Friday, August 2nd, doom metal pioneers Pentragram ripped through a set of the classics at Emo’s East in Austin,Texas. I expected the crowd to be bigger but the show seemed poorly promoted in the city. On the upside, attendance wasn’t too bad and those who came out had a blast. The moment wild man singer, Bobby Liebling, took stage, the crowd roared. He grinned and posed, loving every minute.…
Dixie Dave Collins is a fixture of stoner metal. He was a force to be reckoned with during his tenure in Sourvein and the legendary Buzzov*en in the 90s. He rocks the bass with a fury in Bongzilla and Hail! Hornet, all the while fronting the drug-fueled powerhouse, Weedeater. They brought their mammoth sound to Red7 in Austin on Wednesday July 3rd while playing the inside stage. Mala Suerte opened…
Lemuria is the quintessential modern pop-punk band. They aren’t a bratty band paying homage to Screeching Weasel or The Ramones. You will find no teenaged-inspired lyrics in their songs. They are a whole other beast. Taking cues from 90s emo, they combine pop sensibilities with indie intelligence, and a punk rock ethic. The music is smart and earnest. They graced the inside stage of Mohawk on Saturday June 15th and…
What are all of the bands you have played in? This won’t be all of them, but this is what I can remember at the moment: TO THE POINT INFEST LOW THREAT PROFILE DESPISE YOU LACK OF INTEREST BACTERIA CULT SPAZZ EAST WEST BLAST TEST ELECTRO STATIC ORCHESTRA BURN YOUR BRIDGES STIKKY NO USE FOR A NAME JESUS PHILBIN DUH ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET THE LEGION OF DOOM I do recall…
Best Coast started their appropriately seasoned summer tour last night in Texas at Austin’s Mohawk venue to a sold out crowd. Gal Pals from Austin opened up the show. I had never heard of them before but was ultimately impressed with their set of songs that sounded straight off of a 60s Nuggets or Pebbles compilation. They consist of two ladies (on drums and guitar) and write some catchy jams.…
Last night was Of Montreal’s tour stop in Austin,Texas. They played at popular venue, the Mohawk, to a mostly young and enthusiastic crowd clad with x’d hands and painted faces. Wild Moccasins from Houston,Texas opened the show with an energetic burst of indie dance music that fell somewhere between early Madonna and more modern acts like Beach House. The bass lines were steady and funky, creating a nice groove as…