Over Battles

Not to be Debby Downer but I saw Battles 2 days ago and it was really cool at first but it ended up just wearing on me. There was one song at the beginning where the guitarists were both playing one handed guitar and keyboard at the same time and it was great (the highlight). There was one song towards the beginning where the drummer was accenting the upbeat with hihat accents and it was great, but really those guys just do the same thing over and over again and after 30 minutes i had had enough. I really enjoyed those first 20 minutes dont get me wrong, but as cool as the sound was there was no breadth to it. It was just lets play fast and hit the upbeat with different instruments. The hi-hat accent was the nicest because it was subtle and the real accent of the song was on the downbeat, but the rest of it was not as nice. They are at their best when the drummer is playing something more sparse in a certain way thats sort of crisp. He played that way on whatever the first song they played was, but it was downhill after that.

I really didnt like the opening band The Ponytails.

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Record Breakers at Lamberts

Props to Record Breakers for bringin out the peeps to lamberts last night. Also to the Statesman for the profile and rallying the troops. Also thanks to Lamberts for the 1 dollar drinks. I didnt have any cash so i had to open a tab for one Negra Modelo at 1 dollar and I had to tip 2 dollars on it because it felt redik. Also thanks to Steve for buying me a beer.

http://www.austin360.com/calendar/events2/etc/userEventDisplay.jspd?eventStatus=Approved&eventid=130164

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a long SUNSET

SUNSET played Local Live last night. My bold prediction for the future is that between his golden locks and pedal steels Bill is going to garner himself some "Sea Changes" era Beck comparisons sooner rather than later. My favorite one by theirs is the one that goes "My heart before my brain/I fight like Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens must have fought before." Im not sure it necessarily makes any sense, but when you got 5 guys playing acoustic guitar there seems to be some sort of specific images conjured, although I couldn't tell you exactly what outside of 5 guys playing acoustic guitar. One of the guitarists looked like Sting, which was awesome. They played 15 minutes over so we took licence to have a little fun with delay in the production booth at the end and it got really trippy. After setup (which was long but fun...last week White Denim brought one mic and insisted on only using that one, this week we used every mic we had, including one from the DJ booth) we went over to Hold in the Wall and I got the strangest Bloody Mary of my life. That girl did not know what she was doing ("Ive never had a Bloody Mary before, but I know how to make em!" No...no you dont...) Oguz has spread his Jagermeister disease over to the rest of the production crew. We hung out with a guy named Praveen who was shooting camera for the band and talked about the Battles record among others. Oguz has it but hasnt listened to it yet. He just got back from Turkey this week and is still jet lagged. He is going to love it in all its mathy glory. Those math doctoral students...

Were having a show 7-7-07. It was originally going to be called the Whose Who and Que since it was the 4th of July Saturday and we were going to BBQ, but once we realized it was 7-7-07 we had to change the name. I think its going to be called Lucky 7s or something. Danns booking the DJs, so far on the band end it looks like SUNSET will be playing as well as J Chu, The Satin Hooks (Houston) and Im working on an Effete/Ethan Master of the Hawaiian Ukulele hybrid set that should be fun as well.

Also the new White Stripes record comes out tomorrow!

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Casa Vista House Show 6-7-07

Some Pics. We got some WS Burn video too as soon as we can figure out how to post it. The camera man went conspicuously absent for Firewood, but they looked good while kicking ass (musically) and well catch em next time on film, no doubt.

WS BURN


EFFETE

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[dripping with sarcasm] Ooh someone figured out how to post an MP3 [/dripping with sarcasm]

alright edgar, fucking tell me. pictures too. and will you get the pics off skylers camera?

yours
with
love
xoxo
ethan

ps can i change my name

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Lyrics from Dead Rappers

If you caught a felony, you caught a F
If you got killed, you got left
If you got the dragon, you got bad breath.

Big L - Ebonics
DivShare File - 02_Ebonics.mp3

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It's a Radioclit thing right now

Thanks to everyone who came out to the alt country show the other night. Every act delivered solid sets, including some special appearances on the front porch. The Young Folks after-jam picked up some steam and ended in the declaration that it's time to start a soul band.

But anyway, this post isn't supposed to be about Austin Alt-country, it's supposed to be about dirty British dance music. Radioclit has been making remixes for awhile and they usually hit me just like his name- revoltingly catchy, but just a little bit too hardcore for me.
Maybe I'm getting caught up in the whole beefy synth trend that is hitting every country except the U.S., but I suddenly really get this guy.

He remixes some big acts. Justin Timberlake, Lily Allen, Kano, TTC, David Banner, and Bonde Do Role to quote the Hard Working Class Vol. 1 tracklist. Aside from his My Love remix, which doesn't do much but syncopate the drums a bit, most of these remixes are fairly complete revisions, so complete that they often miss completely. Completely.

But the ones that work are fucking genius. "On Everything" is my favorite, it displaces Twista and David Banner's southern anthem rap perfectly. Despite TTC who I generally don't like, "Mature Macho Machine" manages to punch you in the face with the thinnest synth out of the album. When "Notorious" hit turntablelab a few months ago I wrote it off as the more dubby dance stuff I usually pass up on, but on revisit it is pretty much the coolest shit ever. "Silver Hall" puts Tunde from TV on the Radio over a skittering shaker and accordion and makes me want to dance to it. Wonder and Kano close the album, as if we needed a reminder of how London this dude is. "Hey, no really, I'm not French! People who aren't French can like TTC right?"

Moral of the story: Radioclit is at Beauty Bar on Friday.
Klassen is probably opening for him, as Mel is on tour somewhere or just tired.
I'm really curious to hear what this guy's gonna play. Some serious electro stuff? Grimey British hip hop? Or am I gonna be stuck trying to dance to Bonde do Role all night? Who gives a shit, it's free.

"On Everything" - David Banner feat. Twista (Radioclit RMX)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/2218783563e22a/

www.myspace.com/radioclit

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Casa Vista Alt-Country Spurs Celebrational Show

So we called it before the game even started. Spurs in 4. No questions.
I don't really watch basketball but I bought a Kurtis Blow single at Amoeba Records last week called "Basketball" and it is the first game of the finals, so Ethan wanted his country evening to have a basketball theme. Julian brought 6 balls and threw them on the floor. I was supposed to make a sign attached to our broom that says "Spurs in 4" and wave it around.
But no one really gives a shit about basketball so I forgot to make the sign and no one seemed like they really wanted to hear Kurtis Blow.
Ethan played solo country stuff to a full capacity Blue Room. The radiator was humming a bit loudly but he turned up the twang and played some country songs.
Firewood played upstairs. Great all around set with some light drumming behind acoustic and electric guitars. A much fuller sound.
On the front porch Jason played two or three songs on acoustic guitar. Really soulful. Then Andrew played a good folk song or two. I feel like someone else jumped in but I don't recall.
Then WS Burn played inside.
NOTE: Edgar didnt finish writing this but im publishing it anyways. He would have said WS Burn kicked ass in some fashion.

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Maths and English

Here I am at Lambert's, sitting on a black piano bench waiting to DJ again. Andrew and I have started doing a weekly thing on Wednesday nights. Cheap drinks and such. The place is at 2nd and Guadalupe, it is really cool. I promise.

I downloaded the new Dizzee Rascal record today and as much as I would like to write a review for it I'm not quite ready. I've been following him since before his first album dropped in the U.S. and so I feel like I've got as good a view of his career as any.
Maths and English is his third album, following Boy in Da Corner and Showtime. One of the things that I really dig about Dizzee is that his albums are extremely topical. Boy in Da Corner was all about breaking out, Showtime was his declaration that he had made it, and now we've got Maths and English. It seems like a statement that he has made it, he has learned at thing or two, and he knows he can do whatever the fuck he wants. There are big name collaborations with U.G.K and Lily Allen. There are extremely vulgar songs called Suk My Dick and Pussyole. There are three music videos that have already been shot, one of which you might see me dancing in the background. So, in the next few days I'll shoot out a decent review, but for now I'm trying to figure out if I like the direction Dizzee has chosen. So wait on it. And, uh, come to Lambert's on 2nd and Guadalupe next week so I can play electro and won't be sitting around bloggering.

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New Strange Boys Tracks

up on their myspace.com/thestrangeboys

my fav is "nothing" that harmonicas tite

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Phil Goetz Radio

FYI:
our boy Phil started a podcast.

he is DJ No Alias on
http://www.thefeveredbrainofradiomike.com/

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The Best and Worst Record I listened to Today

Im borrowing my little brothers classic rock heavy CD collection at the moment (he left them at our parents while hes off at college) and since Z102 has been gone for a long time its almost to the point of reintroduction. Im listening with different ears is what Im saying. Anyways, its (fucking finally) summer time in Austin and that made me want to listen to some Zepplin so thats what I did. When I actually listened I was a bit surprized.

Worst: Led Zepplin-How the West was Won Disc 2
I dont know if the main reference point was supposed to be Pink Floyd, but everything punks complained about re: bloated rock bands is probably more true for Zepplin. Honestly they sound totally soulless on this recording. There is no urgency at all. any 2 second pause is stretched out to 10 for essentially no reason. There are only 4 tracks on it and they are all about 10-15 minutes too long. Bohnams solo (like 12 minutes long) is totally boring. I dont know maybe its cause I wasnt high when listening to it, but I think even if I was high I would have found the need to get REALLY high so it wouldnt be so boring. If you are scoring based solely on originality I think John Bohnam (based on this one recording) may be the most overrated drummer of all time. The guy plays HEAVY, fast and solid tempowise you gotta give him that. The way he plays is based off R&B only he makes it into hard rock by pounding away at the kick drum. He also does nice things coming out of snare drum. But its repetitive and not because hes exploring the idea of repetition. He ruins softer melodic passages on the kit by playing too heavy (I'm refering to one specific drum solo here). Really what good can be said about Zepplin IMO is the half of them not tied to R&B and you can get a purer feel for that with Sabbath and Deep Purple. Deep Purple I think is what a band in that era who is heavily influenced but not wankily ripping off the blues sounds like. Everything that ever got said about the British bastardizing the blues is totally true. I will say Bohnam on the backbeat sounds fresh on songs where the phrasing is weird like Black Dog or Kashmir and that Zepplin should be credited as hit-makers and as writers of monster riffs. This record probably would have been good had they forgone the Phish route and squeezed 4 times the number of songs into the same amount of time.


Best: White Stripes-White Blood Cells
I started giving guitar lessons to a middle schooler and after we learn the riff for Purple Haze Im going to make him just learn every song off this record. This record was so accessible for me when I was a kid, because its well recorded, concise, and the vocals and melodies are great. Its a totally logical record too (like, it has integrity). The sound matches the lyrics, and the lyrics are logically written. And its also funny in a way. I think my favorite song is "Im Finding it Harder to be a Gentlemen Everyday," but "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" applies the same logic just a little more depressingly. My 16 year old girlfriendless self totally did not really understand this record, but I still thought I did because of the way he talks about it. Its pretty impressive to write a record so strong stylistically that it encourages that. Also it really was unique at the time that it came out, and even still since then nothing like them has really come out (I dont count Black Keys) and really I cant think of records that apply what they are doing which is somewhat shocking considering how big they are.

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Why Andrew 3000 is the best rapper

"Now hurry hurry, go on to the altar,
I know you're not a pimp but pimp remember what we taught ya."

U.G.K. feat Outkast - Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/21216378b7ef41/

Every part of this track is spot-on. The beat is hypnotic, repetitive, and catchy without sounding trite. The soulful vocal samples collide in the chorus, giving us nice 4 bar breaks between some of the most creative emceeing I've heard in awhile.
Pimp C promotes safe sex, Andre gets introspective on the whole groupie thing, Bun B promises to make his woman the 8th wonder of the world, and Big Boi talks about an infant confusing a pimple for a nipple and not getting fed. Each verse is full of some genius images and rhythms and gets me excited for the new U.G.K album, even though I haven't listened to them too extensively.

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"Record Reviews"

Here are some record reviews. There are going to be loose unwritten rules about how reviews are on this site, but they are unwritten so i think you will just pick up the style.

Battles-Just got this one and have listened to it once or twice through. Really cool, especially the first 2 tracks. The sound is so fresh (the way the drums sound sticks out) and borrows from so many places sucessfully that its one of those records that is worth it just for the tracks where it is really clicking, even if its not solid all the way through. I wouldnt call this record "not solid all the way through" but its so heavy and intense in a proggy way that only time will tell to see if I can adjust to it. More on the second track, I think the best part of it is the confidence of composition. Those guys just introduce new things and it pretty much works. That said theres that one non-chord tone up top that is the accent on the main riff and they never really go into it as part of a chord which seemed like the winning move to me.

Panda Bear- I listened to the most recent Panda Bear all the way through for the first time today. Man it really made me think of Brian Wilson. I remember when the Of Montreal record "Satanic Panic in the Attic" first came out people were like "whoa this is really trippy...sorta like Brian Wilson!" because there were these extreme vocal overdubs and strong melodies, but I never really bought the comparison because it was maybe too self-aware (compared to their earlier stuff) and also the voice is just a different quality in a way that I thought precluded that. Not true with this Panda Bear record. His voice is so light and also in front in the mix of the other vocal lines. The melodies are so strong its almost overwhelming.

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I asked,

"Do you like soul music?"
"You mean, like, with black people?
"Yeah, you know, soul music."
"No. No, I don't."

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Caltech Annual Formal

I've been in California since Thursday. I'm staying in a dorm at California Institute of Technology, one of the top 3 or so science schools in the country. I DJed their formal dance on Saturday. They love Sean Paul and Shakira and I don't play either.
I was driven to the hotel of the dance in a white stretch hummer limo. There were 5 Caltechers and myself. They were playing with the radio and had settled on Classical music.
So naturally, I ask them if they're big fans of Classical music. They respond not really. Then I tell them to put on some fucking hip hop.
So we're driving through Pasadena to Lean Like a Chollo. There are colored lights inside the limo, lining the ceiling above the parallel couch seating. I've got a briefcase with my laptop and a KVRX Record bag with a borrowed Behringer mixer.
The hotel is the Ritz Carleton. It is a 5 star hotel. There are concept cars and Bentleys lining the entrance and they don't have license plates.

Top Quotes:
"Uh, you already played Toxic? Well my girlfriend wants to hear it. So play it again. Right now."
"Um, were you planning on playing some swing music?"

Most Popular Request:
"Play something we can dance to! You know, !"

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