Archive - Apr 2009

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect as I walked through the doors of Houston's Continental Club for a performance by South Memphis String Band on April 25th. I found the Saturday night crowd being entertained by opener Cory Branan. The last notes of his set ended just as I moved into viewing range, but the attentive crowd surely found him entertaining. As he's garnered comparisons to Ryan Adams and Pete Yorn, I wouldn't mind checking him out at a later date.

The real reason I was there was to see the third-ever performance by the South Memphis String Band. This southern blues/bluegrass/swamp/gypsy/klezmer 'supergroup' consists of Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi Allstars and, more recently, The Black Crowes, Jimbo Mathus of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and critically acclaimed bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart. All three members spent the entire set switching between different acoustic string instruments – mainly guitars and mandolins with an occasional banjo, jawbone and harmonica thrown in for good measure. Dickinson, Mathus and Youngblood Hart all shared lead duties, trading off on vocals during every song. Their set consisted of several traditional bluegrass numbers, a handful of originals, and a few covers, including a stellar version of Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" sung by Youngblood Hart. Their stage interaction was as natural as any band that had been playing together for years, never flubbing a solo opportunity or missing a chord progression throughout the entire two-plus hour set. While they had a full paying audience in attendance to witness their playing, you could tell that Dickinson, Mathus and Youngblood Hart would have been just as happy performing for their families on the porches of their backwoods Mississippi homes.

I have a feeling that we'll be seeing this project progress over the next few months, and maybe added to a few different festivals (I'm talking to you, Wakarusa and Mulberry Mountain) this summer. For now, check out the photos and videos from their Houston performance after the jump.

On May 8th and 9th, High Lucy Nation will be hosting the Local/Regional Campout in Douglas, NE, just a short drive from both Lincoln and Omaha. Itchycoo Park is the venue, which is promised to be a beautiful area capable of supporting 2 days of music and camping, close to home. Hope to see you out there for some good times, and to support live local music in a truly unique venue. Click here for a list of acts!

April featured a bunch of great shows, but my most anticipated show of the month was a headlining spot by Austin natives Spoon. I've had many opportunities to see Spoon, but unfortunately never caught more than a rocking version of "I Turn My Camera On" as their set ended at Voodoo Experience in 2007. When I saw that they were returning to Houston as a warm-up for Jazz Fest, I immediately scratched it down on our schedule. The date came quickly, and we found ourselves in a usual spot – standing outside of Warehouse Live, ready for the show.

Spoon worked with the buzzing energy that had overtaken the cavernous ballroom from the moment they stepped on stage. Their set consisted of several older tunes, and a few new ones, but the night was mostly dedicated to their last two albums, Gimme Fiction and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Highlights included an ever-so-dark version of "The Beast and Dragon, Adored," a penetrating "My Mathematical Mind" and a brief-but -satisfying "Utilitarian." The biggest crowd reactions, as you could assume, came during their biggest hits "I Turn My Camera On," "The Underdog" and "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb." Britt Daniel, usually not known for being the most engaging frontman, decided to come out of his shell for the Houston performance. When they re-took the stage after a brief encore break, Daniel even proclaimed, "You're a rowdy bunch – we like that....I'm not gonna name any names, or any cities, but this blows last night away!" We found out a few hours later that he was talking about their own Longhorn-loving hometown.

Check out a bunch of photos and videos, including footage of a new untitled song from their forthcoming album after the jump.

The winner of a pair of tickets to see Mates of State and The Black Kids at Warehouse Live on Wednesday, April 29nd is:

Michael Bell

Michael, we have texted you directions for claiming your prize.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this contest! If you didn't win, you can still purchase tickets to the show for $17 here or at the door for $3 more.

The official line-up for the 2009 edition of Austin City Limits Festival was just announced, bringing a smattering of amazing music to Austin during the first weekend of October. Headliners include Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, The Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon and Sonic Youth. The undercard is magnificent featuring The Dead Weather, The Decemberists, Ghostland Observatory, Bon Iver, The Avett Brothers, Mos Def and so many others I can't even believe would be there.

Check out the GREAT line-up after the jump

It was the annual smokers holiday - 4/20 - but the last thing (most of) this crowd had on their minds was kicking back with a spliff in hand. Ladytron and The Faint both brought their respective fans to the full ballroom at Warehouse Live for a Monday night modern disco. Leather-clad youngsters patiently waited for Ladytron, while The Faint delivered an energetic set to the early-goers that actually made it by the 8:15 start time. Highlighted by the impressive lighting rig, and the dance-heavy beats, they played for a solid hour-and-fifteen minutes, leaving the kiddies soaked with perspiration as they exited after the finish of their set.

Ladytron came to the stage promptly at 10:15, bringing with them plenty of synth-heavy beats and even more shiny leather. While their set was good, the energy that was coursing throughout the room during the The Faint's set completely washed away by the time Ladytron finished their fourth song. The matching of these two bands might work in certain situations, but it didn't this particular evening. The Faint was the band that most were there to see, and the fact that they didn't headline hurt the flow of this concert. Many people were disappointed when they arrived around 9:30, only to find The Faint finishing their set. A few, I saw, even left almost immediately after arriving. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Check out a bunch of photos and video from the night after the jump

With summer fast approaching, everyone is starting to make their vacation plans. If you're like me, those plans include a stop at at least one major music festival. Bonnaroo came out swinging early, with a huge line-up featuring tons of great music. A few weeks ago, they threw a bunch of new names on the line-up, but just the other day, they added a couple more. The difference with these additions, though, is that this round was never formally announced. While the bands are not nearly as large as Public Enemy or Ani DiFranco, who were added in the last round, a nice mix of smaller cafe acts have quietly been thrown on the line-up. Included in this round of additions are BOT favorites Everest, SXSW noisemakers Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Sparrow Quartet member Ben Sollee, Parisian electro-rockers Phoenix and New Orleans soul man Dan Dyer among a plethora of others.

Check out who else was added to the bill after the jump

I spent last Sunday in downtown Houston for the first full day (Saturday was rained out) of the Houston International Festival. With Ireland as the festival's theme this year, Guinness and green were abundant as a decent-sized crowd gathered to check out the music program, stage shows, shopping, international food choices and a host of other activities during the all-day event. Mavis Staples topped the bill, and New Orleans was well-represented – unfortunately at the same time – by Marc Broussard and Big Sam's Funky Nation. I also had the chance to catch a few different artists with more of an international flair, when Mariachi Los Arrieros, The Kildares, Celtic Menagerie and more performed throughout the early evening. It was a great day, full of unique and satisfying musical performances around every corner. On top of the perfect weather after a few days of hell-rain, it was a great way to finish the weekend.

Houston's International Festival, or iFest, continues next weekend with a line-up that features Los Lobos, Hugh Masakela, Rootz Underground and a whole bunch more. For now, though, check out a bunch of photos and videos from Sunday, April 19 at iFest after the jump.

As if there aren't enough things going on musically in the state of Tennesee, 1320 records has decided to get you dancing well into the A.M. with a couple of acts on their label for Viva Knox Vegas! Shortly after Phish finishes blowing every mind inside the Thompson-Boling Arena, late-night masters Pnuma Trio and Telepath will take the stage just 1.5 miles down the road at The Valarium. It's sure to be an excellent time keeping you going well into the early morning hours, and would be an wonderful stepping stone into Bonnaroo as well! Click here to purchase tickets. Stay well, and we'll see everyone in Tennessee in June!

Daniel is the Spring Dude,
The Toastman

Band of Horses rocked the California desert during Coachella this past weekend, bringing plenty of classics to their early evening crowd. With a new record set for release later in the year, and a tour schedule that will find them playing numerous festivals, some new material was bound to reach YouTube quickly. Coachella got at least one new song, which was promptly posted to the interweb for us all to enjoy.

Nice and chill, but still has that same old BoH feel to it. If you add it to this song, and the track "Why You Never Get Older," which we heard in Austin a few times last fall, the new album should be great. I can't wait to catch them this summer!