Archive - Jul 2010

Has it ever happened to you that you find a band that is the perfect fit for your taste in music and personality, but you go years before the realization hits you in the face and makes you wonder why you have never been to one of its concerts and don't have the full discography in your music library? I ask you, because I really hope I'm not alone in this. It's exactly what happened to me with State Radio at Wakarusa.

Continue reading and see the photos after the jump.

I will never miss an opportunity to see Mates of State whenever they either come to town or perform at a festival I'm attending. Their brand of indie pop is tried and tested, and has been as consistent as any band I've seen perform on numerous occasions. Husband/wife duo Jason Hammell and Kori Gardner brought a couple of additional auxiliary instrumentalists for this performance to fill out their sound, and it made songs like "My Only Offer" and "Rearrange Us" take on many new dimensions. They performed with a certain vigor, and made openers Free Energy look paltry in comparison – and I really enjoyed Free Energy's energetic and youthful performance. Both bands provided quite a nice soundtrack for a packed weekday performance in Warehouse Live's Studio. I happily drank and danced and sweated out what was still left in me from the previous weekends adventure to Atlanta for Phish's Fourth of July run. This show, on top of the Edward Sharpe show we caught in Dallas a few days prior, was the perfect hangover cure for one of the best weekends ever.

I took a whole bunch of pictures of both Free Energy and Mates of State, which you can check out after the jump.

Editors note: I want to welcome a new Houston-based writer to the fold, one I'm quite excited to have working with us here on BOT. Brett "Biscuit" Forsberg will hopefully be attempting several show reviews in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for his fluffy, buttery goodness.

The closer you can get to Octopus Project the better. Last night at Warehouse Live, and on their much smaller side stage, nowhere was too far away. Ryan, Josh, and Toto were clad in their usual white shirts and black ties, and Yvonne, the theremin and glockenspiel girl, looked fantastic as ever performing for her hometown. The ticket booth sold out after I purchased my ticket, but luckily there was no crushing pressure of some mainstream shows I have seen at Warehouse Live’s main stage.

Read all about the show after the jump

Words and photos by B "Cafe Con Leche" Gutierrez

Fayetteville adores Andy Frasco. And as he told me right before he rocked the lounge at George's Majestic, the feeling is mutual. Andy has been busy traveling around the nation, playing relentlessly and working on his new album. Gathering inspiration along the way, he's learned to give his all in every show he plays. That night at George's was no exception.

He was only traveling with R Bizzy (drums) this time, but he was supported by three Fayetteville musicians. If you didn't know they had never played together, you wouldn't know it. They did a great job that night and the music came together so naturally, that the mood was easy and fun. Everything started with one of Andy's favorite covers, "Hit The Road Jack." And from there, it went into a super jam party Frasco-style. His "Ramble Baby Ramble" brought the room alive and got him a lot of love from the crowd.

The party went on until a little before 2 A.M. when the lights at George's came on. He sure left everyone ready for the week ahead. And him? He was ready to do it all over again the following night at another bar in town.

Check out the photos from that night after the jump.

The Octopus Project is a 4-member band (including husband and wife members, Josh and Yvonne Lambert) from Austin that plays indie electronic music with only a handful of lyrics on a few songs. They have been around since 1999, with their first major album released in 2002 (Identification Parade). All of the members play various instruments including guitars, drums, bass, keyboard, and the theremin, which is an instrument controlled by your contact to two different antennae’s – one for the oscillator and one for frequency. Check out the full review after the jump.

Photo by B "Café con Leche" Gutierrez.

Joseph Israel wrapped up his tour in Fayetteville, AR. His last show was at George's Majestic Lounge on Sunday, July 11th. He took a few minutes to answer some questions for BOT before he hit the stage that night along The Jerusalem Band. Check out the conversation after the jump and stay tuned for a photo review of his show at George's.

Words by Ross "Flapjacks" Freauf. Photos by Anna "HashBrowns" Vernon.

First off, I’m a Scrubs fan and yes, I loved 2 of 3 Zach Braff movies. (sidenote: I am straight) Featured on his platinum selling, Grammy Award winning soundtrack Garden State, Zach re-ignited the career of former front-man of Men at Work, Colin Hay. On Sunday, July 11, Mr. Hay wrapped up his American Sunshine tour at Dallas’ own Granada Theater.
Check out the full review after the jump.

This past weekend, a major music festival took place: LCD Soundsystem, Raekwon, and Major Lazer all played. No, I’m not talking about Pitchfork… I’m talking about Camp Bisco 9, a surprisingly more-than-decent festival in Mariaville, NY built around a surprisingly less-than-decent band: The Disco Biscuits. Before any Biscuit kids jump down my throat, know that I’ve tried, I really have, and it just isn’t my thing. I respect the hell out of what they’ve done with the Camp Bisco lineup though, and I’m pretty sure I’d have guilty fun seeing the Biscuits live. Throw together another lineup like this year’s, and I might have to make the trip. This year’s Camp featured Gift of Gab, Caribou, Girl Talk, Talib Kweli, Meth + Ghost + Rae, Thievery Corporation, RAQ, Holy Fuck, LCD Soundsystem, Diplo (both solo and with Major Lazer), and, best of all, Ween. Check out a video of Deaner ripping up “A Tear for Eddie,” his tribute to P-funk’s Eddie Hazel, below. And to all you Pitchfork hipsters… wise up and Hail the Boognish!

Photo by B "Café con Leche" Gutierrez.

Andy Frasco made his way back to Fayetteville, AR one more time before he goes into the studio to work on his next album. I was able to catch up with him for a few minutes before his show at George's Majestic Lounge on July 11th. We talked about his new album, his experience opening for Jakob Dylan on June 23rd and about the music business for the independent artist. Read about our conversation after the jump and stay tuned for more about his show that night.

Words by Melissa "Sausage" Cox. Photos by Anna "HashBrowns" Vernon.

Lovers of all things breakfast, I would like to introduce you to our new staff writer, Melissa "Sausage" Cox. Melissa is originally from Baytown but is enjoying Dallas to the extreme. We're honored to have you join the musical melee, Sausage. --HashBrowns

Mates of State produces sugar-pop, harmonic melodies that I always put on when I want to be in a good mood. Not only is their music feel-good, but their story is too. The duo, made up of Kori Garner and Jason Hammel, met and played music together because they loved it, and, as such stories go, they fell in love and got married. Their first album was released 10 years ago, so the crowd at the Granada was quite a mixture of young and old, hipster and regular music lovers, and a little heavy on the females.

The night opened with a performance from a magician, which I sadly missed, even though I’m told it wasn’t very good. I also only caught the last 30 seconds or so of Free Energy, the opening band. I made my way down to the front for the show.

Mates of State’s beginning albums featured just the two of them in their drum/keyboard set-up. Their last few albums have a more robust sound with more instruments, so, for their live shows, they have two other people tour with them; one plays guitar and the other an assortment of instruments. Check out the full review after the jump.