This is a post about following bands. Tonight I saw {{{SUNSET}}} and Weird Weeds at the Cactus Cafe. I have seen both bands numerous times, and also fairly recently. That said, it was a great show I enjoyed very much. I think there is a part of me thats getting very "fuck you!" about bands on tour. Like actually, alot of them are really cool, and to tour is a beautiful thing, but maybe I should just get 30 years older and move to South Austin, because I prefer to hear the same old bands I like, i guess. Which is to say, to Follow them. Sunset played a song tonight that they usually play with a Rhodes, but this time they didn't bother schlepping the thing out. Also everything in their set was appropriately volumed. I saw em at Mohawk opening for Will Johnson, and it was really loud, which was good for the space, but it was better to be in a better space (Cactus) and have it be at a better volume. Like that space can do no wrong, it sounds great. That place and The Parish are acoustically the best rooms that I can think of in Austin, and barring places I haven't been yet, the only 2 really on their level.
But back to "the topic" (ha). Yeah, I really like those bands. I'm starting to pick up what the words to SUNSET songs are, and I don't have anything of theirs recorded. Its funny to consider music consumption patterns, be it via, a record, a cd, a tape, an mp3 blog, or a live show. Live shows are cool in the way they are fundamentally tied to the ephemerally of the whole bit, which gets sort of masked by a recording, but recordings are valuable for the opposite reason---they allow time for consideration to take effect. That's really a different "topic" as it were, but what I look for in a show is allowed to be something different if its a band I have seen a few times, and I just thought I would write a little something so if people were so inclined, they could think about how seeing bands over and over in a short period of time made them feel (as opposed to once every year to two years when they come around on tour).
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Seeing Bands vs. Following Bands
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saw a show at the Greenbelt
so....i saw a myspace message about a show at the greenbelt last night. I was having a really weird day, and getting in a really weird mood. I had written a song that morning called "it really sucks to be all alone" and i had already played it for all my roommates and wasn't feeling much better. Anyways, i biked down, first to KVRX, then to Waterloo, where I picked up a longsleeve shirt and this 80s Captain Beefheart record that Alan has been bugging me to listen to, then to Halcyon (where i recharged with a bowl of corn flakes and a Dos Equis) and then down to the West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt. I got there at about 8:45 for a 9 o'clock show, and the only person there at that time besides myself was Max, of Max and Henry, and a E.M.H.U. alumnus (he plays trumpet). Dude had brought a 12 string, and was nice enough to let me just jam on it for a while, which i did while people who i didn't know showed up. It was nice to play on a 12-string, I think i might sell one of my axes and pick one up. I would definately get an acoustic 12-string. The only bad thing is that since I do alot of finger picking, I miss some of the doubled notes. I think this one was strung backwards (which is to say the octaved notes were on the wrong place) so when I would hit the low E, it would actually be on octave higher, unless i really bore into it, if that makes any sense.
So we walked down to the greenbelt and candles were lit and it was like "whoa, this is really nice, why aren't all shows out here?" Actually, I think i am seriously going to have to throw a bill together for a show there soon. It's even better than a house, and maybe my dear readers know how I feel about house shows (I like em pretty good.)
For me, the highlight of the evening was a set by Lonesome Dustin, being Dustin of Best Fwends/Dumb Haircuts fame. As could be predicted, his set consisted of songs that never broke the 90 second mark, many much shorter than that. There were about 13 songs, 2 of which accompanied by guitar, and the other 11 accapella. He played the ones on guitar first, and as good as they were, the accapella ones were even better. Having songs that are just singing is like, really breaking it down. You might say. There was some audience participation, some counting off (always "2, 3", which was a nice little quirk) a bunch of songs about daddy, and just a general and very on point charm emitted. It really made me feel good to watch just singing in a greenbelt for a show, like all this other stuff, from stages and electric sound on down to even acoustic guitars, to some extent is bullshit. Well not bullshit, but technology. The voice is not technology, as far as I am concerned. Like as in, you could call it that, but then there would be no distinction b/t technology and the organic, which is what I'm trying to highlight here.
Music is just a mode, a :language:, but there is nothing more :language: than language. Maybe as language like. You know my minor is in linguistics, right? Semantics are random, they are not tied to the syntax, and what a certain sound means is culturally relative. More oftan than not we seek mates that are similar, and share our cultural values. People that are moved by the same things. hyperreality (media) removes us from the world of signs, but you can not have what is more real than real, only less real than real. Hyperreality is a poor substitute, for the world of signs which nature takes us back to. So does music......................................................................................................{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{
}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""''''''''''''''''''''''''''''>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
music is patterns
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Hardcore Valentine's Day
Howdy
We have a really special treat for yall coming from the Rancho Re-Web-o... ever wanted to download music OFF THE INTERNETS? Now you can, completely for free. Or you can contact us and donate whatever you want, I'm sure the guys would love it. This is for the FULL ALBUM, with all artwork including disc scans (flac coming soon).
So in spirit of love and valentines day, we present the inimitable Crotch On Fire 'Anarchist Panther EP'. Why today? Because the band just broke up. You heard it here first folks; CasaVista/Rancho Relaxo breaks the news that matters before pfork.
Enjoy
http://www.turntablearchives.com/crotch-on-fire.html
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
damn, check this guy
I want to be a badass hip-hop drummer with a lot of cymbals. Also a double kick pedal.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Remember "School"?
Hey fuck school!!!! Mothafuckaaaas!!! I graduated, what the fuck am i still doing???? Gotta get on wit it!!!
no srsly, I dropped all my classes except one today. The one I am keeping is intermediate jazz improv. Its only twice a week, Monday and Wednesday. I am keeping it because 1) it rules and 2) i need to take a class to be a UT student/keep being music director at KVRX.
Look for a follow up post "I need a job" coming soon....
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Oasis is...
...the best rock band.
Ever.
CAN WE NOT AGREE THAT OASIS IS THE BEST BAND SINCE THE BEATLES, CAN WE NOT AGREE ON THAT!!!
Keeping it relevant, here is the script to that awesome sketch
Transcript
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Sir Richard Bishop Concert videos (sans Richard Bishop)
So here are some videos of the evening taken by my friend Nari. Featured below are Ralph White, The Weird Weeds, and Jonathan of Plutonium Farmers. Blake has video of Sir Richard Bishop and
Country too but that hasn't been uploaded anywhere yet ... so enjoy.
Also, check out Nari's other videos. Especially the first one she posted. You will laugh and smile.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
COF-AP coming on yer computer 14th February 2k8
check back here at casavista / rancho on the web for the best valentine gift you done ever gotten.
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