photo credit: ashley hopper

with the first day of summer fest behind us, the wwm fam and friends once again descended upon eleanor tinsley park to bear witness (get it?) to sets from even more texas bands and a modern-day glam rock headliner. the day would be full of scattered showers, endless vitamin water, a paint slide, and a trippy little guy who only came to be known as ‘hippie mike‘.

-sunbear

photo credit: mark c. austin

we arrived at summerfest: day two, quickly claiming our spot from the previous day as austin’s eastern sea were in mid set. with enough band members to rival broken social scene and more musical talent to boot (lookit an accordion!) the eastern sea treated us to their pastoral indie-folk. their warm tranquil sound was a perfectly peaceful introduction to the day’s festivities.

the eastern sea on myspace

photo credit: mark c. austin

with the rain causing a delay to the entire festival, houston’s very own sideshow tramps took it upon themsleves to cut their set time and cram a whole 45 minutes of energy into their rollicking 15 minute set. turns out the freewheeling americana-inspired rock and roll was just what houston needed after the dreary weather that plagued the festival. i’ve only two words to describe their performance: “honky-tonk”. take that to the bank and cash it.

sideshow tramps on myspace

photo credit: mark c. austin

ah, the adorable ankle-biters of wild moccasins. already locally renowned for their pop prowess as well as their playful live shows, the houston quintet possessed an unbridled energy, perfectly reflecting their youthful exuberance. the sprightly moccasins played to their twee-strengths, dual vocalists cody swann and zahira guitierrez harmonizing perfectly to their keyboards and quirky guitar licks courtesy of andrew lee. our tutu clad leading lady even bombarded the audience with water-balloons prior to their hit “fruit tea”. quite possibly the cutest moment of summerfest. this band has such a bright future and it’s gratifying to see them play to such a large audience that the moccasins are certainly worthy of.

the wild moccasins on myspace
download:
wild moccasins – fruit tea

photo credit: mark c. austin

new york’s prince paul treated houston to a dj set of self-described “hip-hop history”. originating from the same native-tongues collective that spawned a tribe called quest and de la soul, prince paul certainly has the roots and authority to give houston a proper “hip-hop 101″. assembling cuts from all corners and eras of hip-hop, from black sheep, to nas, to dr. dre, prince paul proved to be the most proficient teacher, all the while moving bodies.

prince paul on myspace
download:
de la soul – ghetto thang

photo credit: mark c. austin

austin’s smiths-y, lo-fi kings of twee voxtrot took the stage to the clamor of the younger ladies of summerfest. lead singer/guitarist ramesh srivastava played to the audience, regularly commenting on their voxtrot-related attire as well as the heat, which almost took him with it as it blighted the stage. still the young men of voxtrot played on, ramesh’s confectionery sweet vocals unmarred by the sweltering sun, the music as bouncy and lively as their core audience. songs from their first two eps sounded beefier and more realized and their musicianship was remarkably tight: an exuberant and refreshing pop addition to the summer festivities.

voxtrot on myspace
download:
voxtrot – kid gloves

photo credit: mark c. austin

it’s difficult to pin a single genre of music to what made milwaukee famous save to say they sound much akin to their austin bretheren spoon; if spoon embraced the power-pop of big star with both arms, that is. comparisons aside wmmf played a rousing set of songs that kept the kinetic energy alive: the perfect summertime festival band.

what made milwaukee famous on myspace
download:
what made milwaukee famous – sultan

photo credit: mark c. austin

devin the dude came out simultaneously with everyone’s peace pipes and kind bud. a cloud of mary j. smoke brushed over the crowd as the dude breezed through his catalog. he even treated the crowd to his patented verbal beatboxing ability. it’s always a good thing to be able to claim artists as hometown heroes, but it could be better. i mean, he’s a great performer and all, but you can only enjoy so many songs about receiving oral sex and smoking reefer when you aren’t under the influence.

devin the dude on myspace
download:
dr. dre – fuck you f. devin the dude and snoop dogg

photo credit: mark c. austin

the always flamboyant and flashy of montreal brought their whole stage setup to summerfest: disco-inspired drum risers, kaleidoscopic projections of psychedelia, confetti, and more costumes than a halloween party. it all made for a grand spectacle that of which i’m fairly certain not a single person could discern any significance. there were the gas mask-family presenting a smoldering present to a rabbit-like humanoid, the gold buddha that mysteriously vanished into thin air, and what could only be described as oogie-boogie from the nightmare before christmas. presentation aside (and there was much to be seen), of montreal executed their songs splendidly, kevin barnes making for a formidable frontman, prancing about like a young bowie, to the extent that they even covered “moonage daydream”: his sexiness and ambiguous dancing perfectly correlating to the music: a mix-mosh of electronica, soul, jangly pop and glam rock. compromised of equal parts of their latest album skeletal lamping to their older material, of montreal’s set played like a greatest hits collection: from the nascent disco synths of “the party’s crashing us now” to the overly pretentious movements of “beware our nubile miscreants”. for a band whose over the top theatrics threaten to overshadow their musicianship, of montreal proved that they are as adept a live band as they are a full on production. fun and gayness was had by all.

of montreal on myspace
download:
of montreal – she’s a rejector

————————————————————–
VIDEOS:

the wild moccasins performing “spanish + jazz” at the summerfest in houston, tx on 8-09-09

voxtrot performing “the start of something” at the summerfest in houston, tx on 8-09-09

devin the dude performing “do what you wanna do” at the summerfest in houston, tx on 8-09-09

don’t forget to check out the of montreal video post as well.

————————————————————–

that’s day two. see ya next year!

-sunbear

You know how when you look at old photos from the 70s, they’ve got that weird look about them – not just the colors and clothes and so on but the people too, like everybody just woke up in a disco or some such. I feel kinda the same way about older skate pics – if it’s the way they’re composed, the outfits, tricks, spots, whatever, I don’t know. This shot of Sam Hitz backside hitzin’ the coping at Milwaukee’s storied Turf skatepark is a nice example, though theoretically this same photo could be snapped today. From Thrasher’s always-good photo annual, aka the Antwuan Dixon magazine, which has a few other photos from the glory days of the Turf along with this kid Tom Remillard doing a zany f/s rock-n-roll.

See the Dirty Projectors

Lots of amazing acts coming up this month. Check out the Dirty Projectors if you’re bored, and anyone with a childhood will want to see Rancid, Rise Against and Billy Talent on the 17th.

7/1 – Patrick Wolf, Living Things, The Plastiscines, Jaguar Love at Antones. Forget your sexual orientation and party down. Jaguar Love has most of the members of The Blood Brothers, but has a more electropoppyy sound.

7/2 – Black Panda, Monkeytown, The No No No Hopes, Serious Tracers at Emo’s. Serious tracers are fun rough-around-the-edges math rock with a surprising amount of foot-moving power behind it. Black Panda brings some solid garage-tinged retro punk worth listening to at least once.

7/4 – Explosions in the Sky, The Octopus Project, The Wooden Birds at Stubb’s [7pm] Epic and dancy instrumental music, respectively. We’re sure the Birds are fine, too.

7/5 – The Calm Blue Sea, Gifts from Enola, Irepress, Hotel Hotel at Emo’s. Calm Blue Sea is some good chillout ambienty indie, while Gifts from Enola…just has a badass name. Go see em, tell us if they’re any good.

7/6 – The Lovely Houses, The Lennings, Kacy Crowley, Drew Smith at the Mohawk. Drew Smith is great, the Mohawk is great. Together, they’re fucking awful. Or great, rather.  Yep, great.

7/7 – Abe Vigoda, Talbot Tagora, Loser Life at Emo’s. Abe Vigoda is indie rock in a watery time-warp. Expect reverb.

7/8 – Golden Boys, Howlies, Texreys at Beerland. Can’t go wrong with the Golden Boys. Country- tinged rock. Or rock -tinged country. Who knows?

7/9 – The Story Of (tour send-off), The Soldier Thread, The Bright Light Social Hour, Fellow Citizens at the Parish. Don’t ever miss The Story Of, even if it means you have to miss Spoon and Black Joe Lewis, who are also playing that night (Stubbs). Spoon is playing 3 nights, anyway.

7/10 – Spoon, Low, Dale Watson at Stubb’s. This one works better with a pro-Story Of schedule. Stay away from Emos, where Christian Bland and the Revelators are going to be sucking it up and resting on their neigh-nonexistent laurels.

7/12  – Ugly Beats, Black Hollies, Candle Shop and the Psychic Readers, Dikes of Holland at Beerland. Ugly Beats = adorable powerpop.

7/13  – Pete Yorn, Zee Avi at La Zona Rosa. If thats your thing…

7/15 – Dirty Projectors at Red 7 are our personal recommendation, but RX Bandits, Dredg, and the Good Old War at Emo’s would also work.

7/17 – Rise Against, Rancid, Billy Talent at Stubb’s. Eat the nostalgia like a scoop of gelato, this shit runs thick.

7/18 – Ween Hoot Night at Trophy’s. Sing along to your favorite nonsensical middle-aged stoners.

7/19 – O’Pioneers!, Bomb the Music Industry, Laura Stevens and the Cans, Paper Moons at Red 7. Crusty folk.

7/20 – Skeletonwitch, Saviours, Trap Them, Pack of Wolves at Emo’s. Saviours are the best thing since Motorhead, because they sound exactly like Motorhead.

7/24 – Motel Aviv, Built By Snow, The Green, Prince Klassen at the Beauty Bar. O’ we emplore thee, don thy hipster gear! Also, PlayRadioPlay is at Emo’s. Try not to burn that mother down; I still have a brain abscess that I chalk up to hearing this schmuck play, and not in the good, rock-induced sort of way.

7/27 – Benefit for the Midwives Alliance of North America with Iron and Wine, Glen Hansard (of The Swell Season & The Frames) at the Paramount Theater (713 Congress Avenue)  [8pm] Benefits are beneficial, and Iron and Wine ain’t half bad either.

7/28 – Reel Big Fish, The English Beat, The Supervillains at La Zona Rosa

7/29 – Jesse Woods, Dana Falconberry at Stubb’s. Dana lays down some gorgeous tunes, and the high-quality sound at Stubb’s’ll only help.

7/31 – What Made Milwaukee Famous at Antones. Even though they suck live, maybe you can pick up an album if you don’t have it already.

SkyStereo apologizes for the lack of a June show list.

Ich bin ja ein grooooßer Fan vom Stumble-Button. Das ist ein AddOn für den Firefox, mit dem man z.B. auf Myspace, Youtube oder hier auf WordPress zufällige Seiten, und daher Bands, Blogs und Videos finden kann. Gut gegen Langeweile oder Beschallung neben der doch so interessanten Arbeit.

Eben gerade, die Band “What made Milwaukee famous”. Hier das erste offizielle Video “Selling Yourself Short” der Band:

__________________________________________________________________

link: myspace.com/whatmademilwaukeefamous

gefunden mit: Stumble Upon AddOn

Well here we are, another Wednesday, another FAIBW! In case you’re not hip with the acronyms and/or twitter, FAIBW is Follow An Indie Band Wednesday on Twitter (search #faibw and find tons of great music!)…and I’m sorry you failed to celebrate it! Good thing we’re here to catch you up with the highlights!

Among many great artists, you will find some of my faves of the day…

What Made Milwaukee Famous
So What Made Milwaukee Famous isn’t completely unknown (finding the unknowns is the best thing about FAIB), but they’re still a great indie folk rock band! I’m digging the call and response on “Sweet Lady” (call & response always makes for a great drinking song) and “Sultan” has great line…is that a music majory thing to say? I’m loving the keyboard! And the driving bass line!

Nicole Atkins & The Sea
I’m not sure if I should have heard of Nicole Atkins before or not, but now I have and I am loving her voice! It is beautiful, rich, and chock full of emotion–if I had to make a comparison, I could point to Fiona Apple or Aimee Mann but I’d rather not, because she really is incredibly unique. Her voice + what sounds like a full orchestra behind her = Broadway for indie rock [in a good way]. I’m not sure if she was classically trained or not, but lord she sounds fabulous. American Idol can suck it. Check out “Maybe Tonight” and “The Way It Is.”

The Gin Riots
The Gin Riots have a dancey London Saturday night feel, and if BritPowerPop is a genre, I guess that’s what they are?  They remind me a bit of the Kooks, but less manufactured.  I love when a band provides release…don’t get me wrong, twee is fabulous, but there’s something to be said for pure catharsis, and The Gin Riots definitely provide that.  My faves are “Pretty Little Things” and “I Didn’t Mean It.”

Yves Klein Blue
Yves Klein Blue only has 3 songs on their myspace, but those 3 songs are enough to tell me that they are going somewhere, and there will definitely be more to come.  Their lyrics are sassy which is always fantastic, and they’re from Australia, so Michael Tomlinson’s accent adds something to the overall aesthetic that we Americans just love.  As for the music, the genre could be classified simply as indie rock, but they’ve got a dancey, throwback feel.  Keep your eyes and ears open (we will too!) because their debut album comes out late June!  Also, they’ve got an advert on their myspace that says “Want us to play a gig at your house party?”  Um, yes.  Will you fly to the States to play for my house party slash wedding?  Mmkthat’dbegreatthanks. 

That’s all for this week, folks!  Thanks for listening!  Tune in next week!!

Word: milieu [mil-yoo] n. surroundings, esp. of a social or cultural nature: a snobbish milieu

Birthday: William Shakespeare (1564), James Buchanan (1791), Cow Cow Davenport (1894), Lester B. Pearson (1897), Shirley Temple (1928), Roy Orbison (1936), Lee Majors (1939), Sandra Dee (1942), Hervé Villechaize (1943), Joyce DeWitt (1949), Michael Moore (1954), Jan Hooks (1957), Valerie Bertinelli (1960), George Lopez (1961), Timothy McVeigh (1968), John Cena (1977), Kal Penn (1977), Jaime King (1979)

Occurence: 1985 – In the most unpopular move in soft drink history, The Coca-Cola Company replaces Coca-Cola Classic with New Coke. Three months later, the original is back in stores.

Standpoint: It’s time for this week’s edition of Annoying Sayings & Misused Words. Let’s get to it.

“figuratively” vs. “literally” – Literally, everyone is abusing the word “literally.” (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.) But it’s almost true, I guess. If you’re like me in that you (a) have normal hearing and (b) understand the English language, then you know what I’m talking about. For example, a statement like, “The party was so packed. There were literally 2,000 people in that apartment.” Sure, I understand that there were a lot of people at the party. But unless the host lives in one of the most impressive apartments in the history of indoor dwellings, then I think the numbers are a bit off. To put it lightly. Rather, the word “figuratively” should’ve replaced “literally.” “Figuratively” means “metaphorical” or “not literal.” “Literally” means “in a literal manner” or “word for word.” So all these people saying things like, “Jesus, it’s literally been raining for 20 straight days,” or, “You should’ve seen the dog park. There were literally like 700 dogs down there today,” need to simply substitute the word “figuratively” for “literally.” The problem here? It won’t happen. “Figuratively” just doesn’t roll out of the mouth the same way “literally” does. It doesn’t convey the same feeling or deliver the same kind of impact. So, sorry, folks, I think we’re stuck with this one. Literally.

“My Bad” – Once, an employee of mine showed up for work about two hours late on a very important day. First thing he said to me? “Sorry, Josh, my bad.” I just about shot through the roof. “My bad” has become one of those things that people say in lieu of an apology. I think it started with pro athletes who say it frequently after a missed pass or a dropped ball. But showing up two hours late for work? I needed a little more than that because I was already completely certain it was ”his bad.” I wasn’t sitting around wondering if the guy was late because of something I might’ve done. I knew that the blame rested squarely on that clown’s shoulders. So, do me a favor. Unless we’re playing flag football and you miss me wide open by a mile in the end zone, don’t bring out ”my bad.”

“Same Difference” – As with “My Bad,” this falls into the category of “lazy sayings.” One article I read qualified it as a “verbal shrug.” I think that about sums it up – it’s the equivalent of “whatever” nowadays. “Same difference” isn’t so much misused as it’s overused. It really should be ”same thing, no difference,” but that’s not how most mean it. Mainly, it’s used in the same way as, “I’m just saying.” It’s just a conversational device for one to end an argument in which they are wrong without having to admit it.

Tune: Last summer, I listened to “Sultan” by What Made Milawaukee Famous about 4 times a day. I like the use of horns. Also, pretty great name for a band.

Gallimaufry: I was working and didn’t get a chance to watch it, but according to everyone who did, this week’s disco episode of “American Idol” was pretty awful. Joymarie described it as “a trainwreck”…Tonight, the Flyers face elimination in their first-round playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. If the Flyers can’t pull it out, losing to a team with as little heart as the Penguins will be tough enough. But what might be worse is losing to a team with some of the most pathetic fans in sports history. Disgraceful. And we in Philly get a bad name as fans…For the record, I think Perez Hilton is annoying and probably secretly loves all the celebrities he shreds on a daily basis. But, after some deliberation, I think what he did to Carrie Prejean during the Miss USA competition was a pretty strong and calculated move.

Incoming: Tomorrow – 3 Things To Do In Philly When You’re Dead and 5 Things You Should Say To Your Waiter If You Want Him To Dislike You.

What Doesn’t Kill Us – What Made Milwaukee Famous. (2008.)

In 2005, the band performed for Austin City Limits with Franz Ferdinand, making them one of the only unsigned bands to play that festival. They were quickly signed with Barsuk Records. Since forming, the band has played such festivals as South by Southwest and Lollapalooza, and have opened for The Smashing Pumpkins, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, and Snow Patrol. They have also been featured on bands-to-watch lists in Billboard and Rolling Stone.

As a Midwesterner, I was both shocked and excited to find a band that references one of my hometown destinations. Imagine my surprise when I found out the band is actually from Austin, Texas. A little disappointing, to say the least. But I’ll forgive them, because they make great music. They have bouncy indie tunes that can still make an impact on the most jaded of ears.

wikipedia
myspace
last.fm
(buy What Doesn’t Kill Us on amazon)
“Sultan”
“Cheap Wine”
(though it was cheap beer that REALLY made Milwaukee famous. ask anyone.)

HOUSE OF BLUES PRESENTS
TEXAS SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN WITH

WHAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS, BLACK JOE LEWIS, DOVE HUNTER, DOUG BURR, THE ORBANS, TELEGRAPH CANYON, MATTHEW AND THE ARROGANT SEA, LITTLE BLACK DRESS, ELKHART AND THE CUT* OFF

seriously they couldn’t have mad a flyer?

Hope everyone is having a terrific week so far. It’s been good for me, but I have a couple things to bring to your attention…

1. First off, if you haven’t heard about the Twestival, you need to get on it. Your town has it going on, I am almost positive. I am booking bands for the Austin date, so if you have any ideas…let a brotha know! Or..if you have Brit Daniel’s phone number…that would be cool

2. 2008 is over and I promised to shake off the hate of 08. But this page is awesome…surprisingly Kanye West isn’t on it. Now you may be offended by them dissing one or two of your favorite people, but they slam the ones you hate!

3. I lied. I can’t publish this damn Hotel Cafe blog. I can’t do it. I get 2/3s in and then start all over. I can’t write about a possible demise of something that I love. I think that’s what it comes down too. Basically the question is…Can the Hotel Cafe continue to survive when the singer-songwriter trend is starting to fade and the biggest proponent of the genre and the Hotel Cafe, KCRW, no longer will be pushing the genre like it has in the past? That’s a long ass sentence.

4. If you haven’t checked out indieoma, do it yo!

I promise to have something more enlightening soon. Don’t forget to check out this week’s show at The Backline Show. Great stuff from Michael Kincaid and Adrian Quesada. Plus, a not-yet-released song from Ume.

Man…this is a good show. Check it out at The Backline Show. The music is good including a track from the yet to be released Sunshower EP from Ume. Plus, Paul Saucido and I get after it in another swell segment of Buy or BS. We take on marching bands, Tee Double, Ginger Leigh and Phish. And I can’t forget about two fantastic interviews. The first with Adrian Quesada where we discuss Inside the Circle, a new Brownout album on the way, Grupo Fantasma and what he’s wearing to the Grammys! The second interview might be one of my best ever. Michael Kincaid from What Made Milwaukee Famous discuss video games, 2009 and possible tour to Europe. That guy cracks me up; it was difficult to edit out all the laughter.

Anyways… here’s the playlist…

1. East of Hercules -Ume
2. Yes, Yes, Yes -Brandi Shearer
3. Arroz con Frijoles – Grupo Fantasma
4. The Sexican – Brownout
5. You Got It Blue – Lucinda Black Bear
6. The Stakes Were Raised – Slow Runner
7. Sultan – What Made Milwaukee Famous
8. idecide – What Made Milwaukee Famous
9. Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier – Corb Lund

Let me know what you think…

Hope everyone is having a good start to their 2009…The Backline Show is doing well…here are a couple things to let you know about…

1. I wasn’t aware until just recently that Black Joe Lewis has signed with Lost Highway. Good for him and it’s an interesting move by Lost Highway. I think they are wanting to get their diversification on!! Congrats to him and the rest of the crew and be on the lookout for their EP release on January 27th. I think he has a ton of talent. F the haters!

2. This week’s Backline Show has been pushed to Monday. I got two really good interviews for the show. One with Adrian Quesada, the man behind Grupo Fantasma, Brownout and Ocote Soul Sounds and one with Michael Kincaid, the lead singer of What Made Milwaukee Famous. Ridic news on new albums and craziness from both those guys!

3. I have been struggling with a blog on my theory on the possible demise of the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. I have been working on it for 2 months now and I promise to have it out next Tuesday.

4. I love the web and the internets and all that. I wanted to make sure you knew about indieoma. It’s a great place to check out awesome film and music interviews. They have some really cool stuff.

Anyways…back to putting the show together and enjoying the beautiful day!

Essentially we’ve decided to give over our lives to Austin’s Free Week. Tonight–too many great bands to choose from but we’ll likely find ourselves at the Mohawk’s River Boat Gamblers show or the What Made Milwaukee Famous show at Emo’s outside at 8/10 pm tonight. Our lovely friend Jen is visiting and she hearts these Austin boys a great deal. Also excited to see Austinites and my long time MySpace-besties Oh No! Oh My!

We’ve not heard The Pons yet but we do love their pink album art! You can also get your new year paws on The Mercers and The Georgian Company. Doors open at 8 pm and the show starts at 10 PM. Get yo’self an early bird IHOP special downtown and then bring your syrupy head on over.

-DD

If you are in Austin Saturday (1/3/09) night…rumor has it that Kathleen Edwards will be singing with What Made Milwaukee Famous at Emo’s that night. She is phenomenal…if you don’t know her, here is some info!

Kathleen Edwards

Ah…holiday time off, a perfect time to catch up on all those DVD’s, grab some more sleep, spend time with family, go to a bunch of movies, by the time your done having fun, you have to go back to work! Oh well, such is life. I am planning to get a list of my top 20 records of 2008 prepared for sometime this week or next, so look forward to that. I still have a ton of 2008 records to listen to yet, and I may not even get to them for a few weeks, so they will just have to be disqualified. In the meantime, enjoy these 5 releases!

What Made Milwaukee Famous – The Sugarhill Sessions EP – *** – Good stuff, shows a bit of growth of the band, but they are going in so many directions, it is hard to know what’s going to stick around, and what’s just for this project, etc.

Radio Soulwax – Part of the Weekend Never Dies – ** – More electronica insanity from this, group, who at one time, had some really cool pop songs. And this does have an air of understanding of what makes music good, rather than a bunch of blips and boops. But, it is difficult to find the appeal of much of this.

Jon Brion – Synedoche, NY – ***1/2 – There’s nothing better than a Jon Brion score in my book. It brings to movie music, what is needed, melodic, almost song structured music. You could probably add lyrics to half these songs, and have great pop songs. And it’s quirky and interesting enough to keep you interested.

The General Store – Mountain Rescue – *** – Great pop music from this group, ranging from folk-rock, alt-country, Beach Boys style, etc. Very great, melodic, pop gems. It’s a beautiful record, with soaring melodies, harmonies, and just a calm style throughout.

Andy Reed – Fast Forward – ***1/2 – Very cool record from this guy. At times, very fun and almost bubblegummy, but also more subdued and introspective. Using a palette of Brian Wilson, Jellyfish, Apples in Stereo, make this a very enjoyable record.

Ah…holiday time off, a perfect time to catch up on all those DVD’s, grab some more sleep, spend time with family, go to a bunch of movies, by the time your done having fun, you have to go back to work! Oh well, such is life. I am planning to get a list of my top 20 records of 2008 prepared for sometime this week or next, so look forward to that. I still have a ton of 2008 records to listen to yet, and I may not even get to them for a few weeks, so they will just have to be disqualified. In the meantime, enjoy these 5 releases!

What Made Milwaukee Famous – The Sugarhill Sessions EP – *** - Good stuff, shows a bit of growth of the band, but they are going in so many directions, it is hard to know what’s going to stick around, and what’s just for this project, etc.

Radio Soulwax – Part of the Weekend Never Dies – ** – More electronica insanity from this, group, who at one time, had some really cool pop songs. And this does have an air of understanding of what makes music good, rather than a bunch of blips and boops. But, it is difficult to find the appeal of much of this.

Jon Brion – Synedoche, NY – ***1/2 – There’s nothing better than a Jon Brion score in my book. It brings to movie music, what is needed, melodic, almost song structured music. You could probably add lyrics to half these songs, and have great pop songs. And it’s quirky and interesting enough to keep you interested.

The General Store – Mountain Rescue – *** – Great pop music from this group, ranging from folk-rock, alt-country, Beach Boys style, etc. Very great, melodic, pop gems. It’s a beautiful record, with soaring melodies, harmonies, and just a calm style throughout.

Andy Reed – Fast Forward – ***1/2 – Very cool record from this guy. At times, very fun and almost bubblegummy, but also more subdued and introspective. Using a palette of Brian Wilson, Jellyfish, Apples in Stereo, make this a very enjoyable record.

First of all, I don’t get as much new music across my desk as I once did.  Enough excuses, here are my top 10 albums from the past year.  I paid for over half of the these and deserved to get one for free.

1.  My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

2.  Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

3.  Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

4.  Santogold – Santogold

5.  Q-Tip – The Renaissance

6.  Kings of Leon – Only by the Night

7.  She & Him – Volume One

8.  What Made Milwaukee Famous – What Doesn’t Kill Us

9.  Albert Hammond Jr. – Como Te Llama

10.  TV on the Radio – Dear Science

In this episode we’re checking out the acoustic side of the Americana scene.

Music in this episode:

Matrimony by The Avett Brothers (from Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions) – www.TheAvettBrothers.com

I Don’t Feel That Way by Jon Dee Graham (from First Bear On The Moon) – www.JonDeeGraham.com

Some Day Just Like Today by Beaver Nelson (from Legends Of The Super Heroes) – www.BeaverNelson.com

Hold It, Kid (Your Heart Just Skipped A Beat) by The Weeks (from Comeback Cadillac) – www.Myspace.com/TheWeeks

To Each His Own by What Made Milwaukee Famous (from The Sugarhill Sessions EP) – www.WhatMadeMilwaukeeFamous.com

Cigarettes & Coffee by Backyard Tire Fire (from Sick Of Debt EP) – www.BackyardTireFire.com

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson (from In Between Dreams) – www.JackJohnsonMusic.com

E-Mail: AmericanaRockMix@gmail.com

Forum: www.AmericanaRock.Ning.com

Twitter & Skype: ARockMix

by Katie

FYI, gang, I downloaded two free EPs this weekend. I have not yet listened to them. When I do, I will probably review them just for you. But for now, I’ll give you the opportunity to download them. This is totally legitimate, the artists have made their music available at no cost for you to hear. Of course I encourage you to support your favorite artists by going to their shows, buying their CDs, talking them up to everyone you know, etc etc etc.

Free shit after the jump!El primero: What Made Milwaukee Famous. Here’s what the Examiner says about them:

The modern indie band with a 1970s power pop vibe and who is known for covering Billy Joel, has a chef who doubles as a drummer and has been known to sing on a bus (not to mention a great sophomore album, What Doesn’t Kill Us) also just released last night their SugarHill Sessions digital EP. For free.

The five songs available are all acoustic with a great use of piano (rather than Drew Patrizi’s keyboard) and done in one take: ‘Sweet Lady,’ ‘The Other Side,’ ‘Self-Destruct,’ ‘To Each His Own’ (a rousing favorite), and ‘Cheap Wine’ (a forgettable version until they rock out at 1:20 into the song, showing of that Jeremy Bruch is just as much the glue in this band by whacking the kettles as lead singer/songwriter Michael Kingcaid).

Sounds pretty cool, once you get past the poor syntax of the first paragraph, right? Until November 17th, their EP will be available here.

And, because I love you, numero dos: The Canon Logic.

Their MySpace page quotes the CMJ Staff Blog as saying:

Their upbeat songs and emphasis on vocal harmony exudes a Brian Wilson in Williamsburg vibe….If you have a penchant for getting songs stuck in your head and liking it, don’t miss this show.

Sure, maybe they rhyme “Delia” with “feel ya” in the first song on their profile, but based on two minutes of one song, it sounds catchy and danceable.

Reviews forthcoming.

(PS: If you want a free Yes We Did! Obama sticker, those are here. I’m totally partisan and I dont care.)

First, the weather was great, and we didn’t think the dust was all that bad. Both have been much worse in the past. Please know that the weather in Austin the last two weeks has been outstanding, and since next year’s ACL Music Festival will be one week later (October 2-4, 2009), fingers crossed, the weather should be prefect for the festival (God, I hope I haven’t cursed it for next year).

Second, I want to thank the person/committee for making the decision to serve 24 ounce beers. I also want to thank the person/committee for the continuation of the wonderful festival food/beverages. Once again, Boomerang’s Pies, Vespaio Ristorante/Enoteca Vespaio, Wahoo’s Fish Taco, and Sweet Leaf Tea provided the tasty energy needed to enjoy the festival. The quality of the food is unbelievable.

Third, I don’t want to talk about the port a potties, except to say thanks to those who smoked weed in all the port a potties I used because it masked smell and I never needed to use my gag reflex training. However, I have been thinking I need some way to shield my eyes when I first enter a port a potty (thankfully, the night terrors have finally stopped). It is beyond disturbing how quickly they can become disgusting, and how unfair it is for female attendees. We don’t live like this at home (or maybe some do) so why is it okay at the festival. 

Fourth, my backpack system and its contents (see earlier post) worked very well. We had everything we needed for the three days of the festival. The only downer occurred on Sunday morning when security took my spray sun tan lotion. It was on the list of prohibited items (no Metal aerosol containers, including sunscreen), I should have known better. Lastly, our special festival chair/canopy system worked flawlessly. A ton of people came up to ask where we got the chairs and canopy. Because the chair/canopy has proven so effective in providing shade/reducing the temperature, and is of such interest to so many festival attendees, I plan to post a short/simple video or two in the near future to show how to create the chair.

Fifth, the music was great, we just didn’t like having to choose between two, sometimes three great bands. We hate splitting sets, so selecting a band came down to which artist comes to Austin the least, and that is the one to go see/hear. For example, we went to Eli “Paperboy” Reed instead of Sharon Jones. I wanted to hear both, but we will wait to see Sharon Jones when she and the band returns to Austin in the future. I heard her set at the festival was great. I just wish bands of a similar genre of music would not be scheduled opposite each other. Lastly, enough with inviting British soul/R&B divas who don’t show-up. Joss Stone is the only one to deliver the goods (I love her for showing-up).

Here is a list of the bands we heard:

Friday – Dan Dyer, Asleep at the Wheel, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Vampire Weekend (along with 80% of festival attendees – man that was a crowded stage), Jamie Lidell, Patty Griffin (only parts) Hot Chips, N.E.R.D (only parts), Swell Season, and Donavan Frankenreiter (only parts).

Saturday – Langhorn Slim, The Fratellis, Band of Heathens, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Les Freres Guisse, Robert Earl Keen (only part), MGMT, John Fogerty, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.

Sunday – Belleville Outfit, Octopus Project (only part), Mike Farris, Joe Bonamassa, Heartless Bastards, Gnarls Barkley (only part), and Band of Horses.

Favs - Jamie Lidell, Hot Chips, Langhorn Slim, The Fratellis, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, John Fogerty, Belleville Outfit, Mike Farris, and Joe Bonamassa.

We would have liked to have heard - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (opposite Eli “Paperboy” Reed) and Galactic (20 minutes late starting the set).

We heard M Ward had a great set.

Sunday after show (not ACL related) – The Gourds at Threadgill’s World Headquarters – This was a great show, and a wonderful way to end the weekend.

Final Words – Fun was had by all and we are looking forward to next year’s 2009 ACL Music Festival… did I mention that we have already bought tickets…

If you attended the festival, I hope your experience was as good as ours, and if you didn’t attend, think about 2009, you’ll have a great time.

As always, comments are welcome…

WMMF’s Sophomore CD, What Doesn’t Kill Us, is the first I have heard of this Austin band (yay for local bands!) and I am thoroughly enjoying this CD. I can hear a mix of influences in their music, some of their piano driven songs remind me of Ben Folds (And the Grief Goes On), while others of the Fray. Middle of the Night reminds me a bit of the late Beatles, it’s a bit more unproduced and raw. Overall I’m really enjoying this CD, it’s a good mix of songs.

I’m really excited because I get to see WMMF in concert this Thursday night for FREE! Paste Magazine subscribers got invited to an RSVP only free Pre ACL concert that has some great bands playing. We choose not to go to ACL this year (too expensive!) so it’s great to know that we will still see some fantastic live music! It should be pretty funny to see us there since the doors open at 9pm which means the show is going to go LATE and we are not night owls by any stretch of the imagination! But hey, everyone needs a fun late nights a couple times a year and this seems to fit the bill.

Have you been to Cooking With Rock Stars yet? It’s a great web site featuring recipes from indie rock musicians. The folks behind the site also host a show by the same name with guest musicians in the kitchen.

In the interest of promoting vegetarian and vegan ideals, I’ll share with you the links to some meat- and dairy-free recipes whipped up by members of today’s coolest bands.

Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie (and the Postal Service) prepares this, uh, interesting Peanut Butter Veggie Sausage Toast.

The kids in Yacht make a yummy sounding Coconut-Corn Chowder.

Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley offers a recipe for Vegan Worcestershire Sauce.

Jeremy Bruch of What Made Milwaukee Famous makes these great Smoked Tomatoes and Portabellas.

if you leave the parmesan cheese out of Robyn Hitchcock’s Food Pie, it’s vegan.

Sune Rose Wagner of the Raveonettes shares the recipe for Sune's Simple Summertime Sauce.

Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats suggest using vegetarian broth instead of chicken to make a vegetarian Polish Cabbage Soup.

Matt and Kim want you to enjoy their Carrot Salad.

Luke Temple shows you how to make a Simple Spinach Salad.

Oh, you like salads? The site’s creator Jennifer Robbins has you covered with a nice Citrus Couscous Salad, a Couscous Salad With Peas and Mint, a Spicy Cucumber Salad With Peanuts, and a Tomato and Sumac Salad and finally this Corn and Bean Salad.

Which recipe sounds best to you? Would you try any of them at home?