yeasayer

Yet another night spent in Omaha at the Slowdown on April 19th, 2008. The night was sure to be an interesting one with some experimental rock provided by Yeasayer out of Brooklyn, NY. Following them was Man Man, who could only add to the madness with their gypsy styled grooves out of Philadelphia, PA. I have had the chance to check out both of their studio releases, particularly Man Man, as they have been on the scene for some time. After knowing what both of these acts were all about, I thought that it would be interesting to see them live. The complexity of each of these acts seemed as if it would be a great one two punch.

Chris Keating, Luke Fasona and Ira Wolf Tuton of Yeasayer

Man Man

Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, The Raconteurs, Wilco and Kanye West are all set to headline the 2008 edition of Perry Farrell's brainchild, Lollapalooza. Also on the bill are Lolla-alumni Gnarls Barkley, the Black Keys, Broken Social Scene, G. Love & Special Sauce, Blues Traveler and Mates of State. Other acts set to appear are Bloc Party, Cat Power, Stephen Malkmus, Girl Talk, Kid Sister, Office, the Cool Kids, Battles, MGMT, Yeasayer, Jamie Lidell and Grizzly Bear (who will be opening up for Radiohead on the second half of their tour).

The full line-up after the jump!

If you ever find yourself perusing the internet with no specific destination, and are in the mood for the most creative, original music videos that you could ever see, head on over to La Blogotheque to get your fix. This Parisian music blog looks like it would be a great read, but unfortunately my French comprehension skills are currently at a second grade level. Merci beaucoup is pretty much all I know (I have to admit that I even googled the spelling and babel-fished this post's title). Fortunately for us non-French-speaking people their videos do all of the talking.

#87.1 - Yeasayer - No need to worry / Redcave

Check out some of my favorite Blogotheque videos after the jump.

Click the BOTheads below to listen to this week's highlighted tracks:

Pancakes: Ralph Stanley & Patty Loveless - Pretty Polly
Eggs: Yo La Tengo - Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind
Cereal: Sia - The Girl You Lost To Cocaine
Toast: Yeasayer - Waves

bytes

Just recently got into this percussion oriented group out of Brooklyn. I definitely recommend checking them out, as they are now on tour with Man Man.

The second annual Mess With Texas party is set to take place on Saturday, March 15th in Austin at Waterloo Park. It will feature many of today's up-and-coming and established indie acts that will be in Austin for SxSW. Leading the bill are the recently re-united Breeders, punk rock mainstays NOFX, Canadian folksters Islands and English electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco. The musicians are also going to be sharing the stages with many of today's headlining comedians including Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry, Brian Posehn and Human Giant (Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer). The best part about this event is that it is FREE!

Check out the full lineup after the jump

Today the SxSW Music Conference announced their full list of showcasing artists. There are hundreds and hundreds of acts that are going to be making their way to Austin next month for the world renowned multi-media conference. I included the full list after the break for any of you music nerds who need to read every band (like me). For those of you who just want to see some highlights, check out the tags for this post. Also, for all of you Houston readers, I went ahead and bolded all of the bands that are coming from the Bayou City (congrats guys!).

2008 Showcasing Artists for the SxSW Music Conference:

This is a big time for bands that fall under the umbrella we like to call indie-rock. People are sick of the same old thing on the radio, or on that certain music television channel we all love to hate. More and more people are now searching out music that they can't find on the Billboard Top 200 (or top 2000 for that matter). One of the major reasons for this is the ever-growing popularity of the independent music scene. This growth is particularly evident in types of bands we are now seeing at all of your major music festivals. I am pretty sure that I can speak for Cereal, Doughnut and Coffee when I say this: I have been eating this damn indie-rock thing up. I can't get enough of it! I used to be excited when I heard that a band like Umphrey's McGee or Particle was going to be in the area. Not that I don't now, but in my new indie-rock-discovery-mode I wouldn't think twice about skipping them to go see The National or Yo La Tengo. Fortunately, I did not have to miss another band on Sunday, January 20th when Walter's On Washington played host to MGMT and Yeasayer, two of Brooklyn's finest new offerings to the indie music scene.

Check out the review, pictures and video from the show

This week's Video Omelette features the bands that I'm currently overplaying. I always find myself overplaying bands and getting really sick of them. I never seem to learn my lesson either, which in turn makes me stop listening to bands for a while. Maybe that is why I am constantly seeking out new music? Actually, I'm sure that's why.

Anyway, here is my Video Omelette.

Upcoming shows in the Houston area:

Fri Jan 18
Big Sam's Funky Nation at Continental Club
One of the funkiest brass bands that New Orleans has to offer! Show starts at 10; tickets are $10.

Bad Boy Bill at Rich's
Legendary Chicago DJ brings his brand of House music to a Midtown Houston night club. Show starts at 11; presale tickets are $15.

The Mathletes at The Proletariat
Local indie-rock band The Mathletes are performing their last show of 2008. Also make sure you get your last trips in to the Proletariat because it is closing its doors for good on the 3rd of February. Show starts at 8; tickets are $5.

Sat Jan 19
The Toasters at Fitzgerald's
After over 20 years of touring, The Toasters are still bringing their third-wave ska to the masses. These guys should sound really good upstairs at Fitzgeralds. Doors at 8; tickets are $10 in advance/$12 at the door.

Sun Jan 20
MGMT and Yeasayer at Walter's on Washington
This is definitely our show of the week. We cannot wait to check out these two buzz bands. MGMT's album Oracular Spectacular is currently on heavy rotation on my stereo. I am holding out for the show to pick up Yeasayer's latest album, All Hour Cymbals, but from what I hear it is just as good as Oracular Spectacular. Get your tickets before this show sells out! Show starts 9; tickets are $8 in advance/$10 at the door.

Tue Jan 22
Jeff Daniels at McGonigel's Mucky Duck
The actor has a country/blues album out that sounds pretty good. I don't know about the hefty ticket price, but I am sure that Harry Dunne will put on an entertaining show. Shows at 7 & 9:30; tickets are $25.

Road trip of the weekend: Dallas

Fri Jan 18
Les Savy Fav and the Fatal Flying Guilloteens at the Palladium Ballroom

Sat Jan 19
DJ Shadow, Kid Koala, and Cut Chemist at House of Blues

If you have the weekend off, head out to Dallas. Les Savy Fav will put on a show to remember at the Palladium, while the triple threat of DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and Kid Koala will surely keep your ass moving. Austin is also featuring these acts on opposite days, but the Shadow/Chemist/Koala show is already sold out.