cereal's blog

We thoroughly enjoyed the two shows (Dengue Fever and Extra Golden) we've caught at the incomparable Orange Show thus far, so we've been looking forward to their next event ever since it was first announced. The wait is finally (almost) over: San Francisco's Xiu Xiu will grace the monument with their experimental indie stylings on Thursday, August 21. Xiu Xiu were originally scheduled to play the Orange Show back in April, but inclement weather forced the cancellation of the performance. The band was kind enough to agree to swing back through Houston to cash in their rain check, and we couldn't be more appreciative. (Unless, that is, Thao Nguyen with the Get Down Stay Down were coming along to make up their performance as well. What is it they say about gift horses?)

View the press release and more info after the jump

Xiu Xiu

Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest first attracted our attention last year with an enticing sophomore lineup that included several indie treats. Given the festival's prime location in Waterloo Park and late fall weather (read: not blazingly hot like ACL), we'd already decided that we would be in attendance at this year's edition; now that we've taken a peek at the artists on the bill, FFFFest has leaped to the top of our can't-miss list. The 2008 lineup, released today by Austinist, includes such diverse acts as Clipse, the National, Bad Brains, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Annuals, Dengue Fever, Atmosphere, Grupo Fantasma, and Dan Deacon.

Fun Fun Fun Fest is set to take place on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 at Austin's Waterloo Park. Two-day passes cost $59.99 and will go on sale soon.

View the full Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup after the jump

Music television actually worth watching - who'd have thunk it? The MTV Network recently revealed that their Music High-Definition (MHD) channel will present a fresh face beginning September 1. The changes start with a new name - Palladia - and continue with expanded music programming. As part of the planned renovations, the channel will premiere a different concert every Saturday at 9pm EST/8pm CST. Palladia also aims to curate "the finest collection of seminal rock movies ever in one place," offering movies every Thursday at 9pm EST/8pm CST.

Palladia will kick off its first revamped week by celebrating "Outdoor Music Week," an event that will feature an impressive roster of outdoor music concerts. Footage from this year's Glastonbury and Isle of Wight festivals will be aired during the first week of September, as will open-air sets from Dave Matthews Band and Duran Duran. But the programming scheduled for Friday, September 5 is what really caught our eye: on that day, Palladia will premiere a special featuring BOT's favorite festival, ROTHBURY. If you weren't able to make it to the inaugural edition of this Michigan musical extravaganza, this will be a great opportunity to see some of the greatness you missed. You might also find yourself compelled to attend the 2009 event - if they include any footage from the Sherwood Forest, this is almost guaranteed.

Read the Palladia press release and view the upcoming show schedule after the jump

The Austin City Limits Music Festival released their lineup of official aftershows today. The schedule includes several bands that are involved in major set conflicts during the festival (for us, anyway), so it's great to see that we'll have another opportunity to catch them during the weekend. Besides, what's a festival without a little late-night action?

View the full ACL aftershow schedule after the jump

I'm not exactly a huge Man Man fan - that's Eggs' territory - but when I saw that La Blogotheque had posted some new videos of the band, I decided to watch at least part of one (primarily because I dig most of La B's videos). I was a little surprised, then, to find that I felt compelled to watch all five installments of Man Man's musical jaunts around Paris. La Blogotheque main man Vincent Moon did an exceptional job with the videography; this is some of his best work yet. It helps that the band (and frontman Honus Honus in particular) got so into the spirit of things; they look as though they were having a great time. Watch the videos to see Sergei Sogay getting his head shaved while the band musically accompanies the barber, Honus Honus attempting to negotiate a jewelry purchase, some enthusiastic assistance from a group of rollerskating kids, and other Man Man-style antics.

View the rest of the videos after the jump

"Van Helsing Boombox":

There are several album reviews we've been meaning to write for some time now, but just haven't found the time (and/or proper discipline) to get the words onscreen. We've slapped ourselves on our collective wrists and, tails between our legs, pledge to improve. This post will kick things off with Cereal's take on The Sour Notes' debut effort, The Meat of the Fruit.

Read the review after the jump

Over 90 musicians and music industry personages have banded together to draw the presidential candidates' attention to New Orleans and the Louisiana coast. My Morning Jacket, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, and Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor are among those who signed a letter calling upon Barack Obama and John McCain to attend a September 18 debate in NOLA. The letter, which was developed by the Gulf Coast Restoration Network and Tab Benoit's Voice of the Wetlands organization, asks that "the future President of the United States direct the resources and attention necessary to restore coastal Louisiana and secure the future of Louisiana's communities." Rapid loss of coastal wetlands and unhealthy water are mentioned as primary causes for concern. Neither candidate has yet committed to the event, which will be sponsored by Google/YouTube and New Orleans universities.

Read the press release after the jump

On Sunday, July 27, sixty of the best musical acts Houston has to offer will descend upon downtown to exhibit their skills as part of the 2008 Houston Press Music Awards Showcase. Starting at 4pm, ten venues (Butterfly High, Dean's Credit Clothing, Flying Saucer, Hard Rock Cafe, Havana Latin Grill & Bar, Live Sports Cafe, Notsuoh, The Real Sammie's, ROCBAR, and Venue) will be playing host to nominees in all categories of this year's music awards. Mosaic will cater to the late-night crowd with sets from five DJs beginning at 10pm.

More information and the full Houston Press Music Awards Showcase lineup after the jump

Twotenanny, the second edition of The Skyline Network's Hootenanny event, will take place tonight at The Mink/Backroom. Beginning at 8, both the upstairs and downstairs stages will be in motion with staggered sets from local musicians performing as some of the biggest names in entertainment history.

Twotenanny lineup:

American Sharks as The Cars
Buxton as Bjork
Custom Drinker as Rod Stewart
Flowers to Hide as The Cure
The Kimonos as Blondie
Paris Falls as Rush
Sharks and Sailors as The Police
Tody Castillo & Friends as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Welfare Mothers as Johnny Cash
Wild Moccasins as B-52's

Tickets are a whopping $5. Doors open at 7, and those under 21 intending to attend are advised to arrive early, as only a limited number of minors will be admitted.

Saturday, July 19th was BOT's first real day back in the live music swing of things after the end of the gloriousness of the Rothbury Festival. What better way to ease back into everyday life than with a relaxing night filled with world-beat music at hippie-friendly, hula hoops-and-sand venue Last Concert Cafe? Before the night was over, we'd journeyed to Zimbabwe with Rattletree Marimba and Indonesia with Space City Gamelan, and we were finally able to shake off our post-festival back-to-the-real-world funk.

Full review plus photos and videos after the jump

Rattletree Marimba

Space City Gamelan