ATX Music Mag - Oct 2012 (ACL Issue)

ATX Music MagAustin s Music Media Source

INTERVIEWSFISHBONE

WHEELER BROTHERSQUIET COMPANY

ANDY DICK

CONCERT REVIEWSRIOT FEST

UTOPIA FESTCIRCA SURVIVE

PASSION PIT

OCTOBER 2012 - Issue # 10OCTOBER 2012 - Issue # 10

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CreditsPublisher/Editor:

JEREMY J. DAVIS

Co-Editors:

PAUL VALENZUELAJOSHUA DAVIS

Writers:

JEREMY J. DAVISJOSHUA DAVISPAUL VALENZUELALEE ACKERLEYJOHN MICHAEL LEIJAJOEY OLIVARESLAZARO CHAVEZANNIE TREVINOJORGE CANO

Interviewers:

JEREMY J. DAVISPAUL VALENZUELADENNIS M. AYOTTELEE ACKERLEYLAZARO CHAVEZ

Photographers:

LAZARO CHAVEZCHRIS THOMPSONPAUL VALENZUELAJACOB JESSE GUERRERODAMIAN SCHILLACI

Graphic Designers:

PAUL VALENZUELAJACOB JESSE GUERRERORICKY ERWINLAZARO CHAVEZFRANK MORRIS

Mag Contributors:

MANNY RAMOSTOM “PRIMO” GOMEZTOMMY DONNELLYDAVID TEJEDALETICIA UGARTEWALLY GONZALESSTUART CHANEYVANESSA FORSYTHJESSICA DUARTECHRISTIAN BARBUTOJOHN PAUL FEDIGANROBERT HICKS

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ATXMusicMag.com / October 2012 / 9





CIRCA SURVIVE MAKES “VIOLENT WAVES” AT EMO’SWhile the rest of Austin was enjoying a seemingly uneventful Tuesday eve-ning, the streets of the East Riverside area told a completely different story as CIRCA SURVIVE’s Violent Waves Tour made its way to Emo’s. With fans from all corners of Austin and the surrounding area forming a mas-sive line that stretched around the side of the enormous building that is Emo’s East, one thing was vividly clear to everyone in attendance: this night would be big. With tour sup-port from the likes of Atlanta’s own, O’BROTHER, Philadelphia-born rock band, BALANCE AND COM-POSURE, and LA post-hardcore quintet, TOUCHÉ AMORÉ, it was sure to be a night filled with excep-tional performances.

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ quickly ener-gized the crowd. Like a bolt of light-ning, the band played through songs like “Home Away From Here” and “Tilde”, frontman, Jeremy Bolm, en-ergetically shouting the lyrics and leaping about the stage. Each mem-ber of the band showcased excep-tional skill with their respective in-struments and stage presence. At one point in the set, the band was joined by CIRCA SURVIVE frontman, An-thony Green, who provided guest vocals for a performance of the song, “History Reshits Itself ”.

After three phenomenal perfor-mances, the crowd began to grow anxious as they anticipated the en-trance of Philadelphia alternative-

rock band, CIRCA SURVIVE. With an air of confidence, the band im-mediately worked the crowd into a

frenzy, opening the show with a per-formance of the 2007 release, “Semi-Constructive Criticism”. Frontman, Anthony Green, displayed unrivaled vocal prowess, hitting unbeliev-ably high notes with the greatest of ease. The band’s light/stage show was brilliantly coordinated, com-plete with fan-powered confetti can-nons. Throughout the show, Green continually expressed gratitude to everyone in attendance and singing along, repeatedly thanking the crowd and even showing genuine concern for a fan he thought was injured in a crowd-surf-related mishap, then dedicating a song to her after learn-ing she was uninjured, playfully re-ferring to her as “that dead girl”, to the audience’s amusement. Midway through the set, around 15-20 giant confetti-filled balloons were released into the crowd, with show-goers pro-ceeding to pass the balloons around, not ever letting a single balloon touch the ground. After a 90 minute performance, complete with encore, the band closed out the show with an energetic performance of the 2010 song, “Get Out”.

Still reeling from the sheer epicness of the evening, fans began making their way back to their vehicles, excit-edly discussing their favorite parts of the evening. With their tour pressing on through October 27th, last night at Sunset Station in San Antonio was the tour’s last Texas date. CIRCA’s new album, “Violent Waves” is avail-able now.

by: John Michael Leija

Photo: Jacob Jesse Guerrero14 / October 2012 / ATXMusicMag.com

Sitting on my couch, just hours before Passion Pit would headline at the Back-yard, a Taco Bell commercial came on the television that featured a 20-something year old hipster male biting into a Dorito taco while ,“Take A Walk”, the first single off of Passion Pit’s latest album Gossamer, plays loudly in the background. The ad was a harbinger of the maximalist direction that the Boston quintet has taken in their latest effort, Gossamer. Lead singer, Michael Angelakos, and his corp of Berklee-grads have upped in the ante in the way of production and main-stream appeal in comparison to 2009’s sugary, synth-laden , Manners. Anyone in

the crowd on Saturday night that had previously seen Passion Pit in concert, bore witness to the hyper-evolution of an indie band that had gone from local blog sensations to International festival headliners in the blink of an eye.

The first time this writer saw Passion Pit was three years ago at the Paradise Rock club in Boston. The band was a bit rougher around the edges then, as they hadn’t yet shed their claustro-phobic stage presence and college duds for the power-pop dynamic they’ve embraced on their most recent tour. http://vimeo.com/5289777

The group I saw walk onstage at the Backyard couldn’t have been further from the disheveled, and scruffy outfit that I’d witnessed three years ago. Here we had Angelakos, dressed right out of an Urban Outfitters commercial, greeting the stage with the poise and confidence that only comes out of sustained pop idolatry. While the rest of the band, equally as dapper, were spatially equidistant in their positions as to not compromise the sound of their new vintage equipment, recently paid for new licensing fees off fast food TV ads. Al-though Passion Pit has embraced change aesthetically, their music, and particularly their live show still packs a bombastic power pop punch.

After great opening sets by Pacific Air and local band The Oc-topus Project, Passion Pit took the stage in grand fashion in front of a packed crowd at The Backyard. Launching into their first song “Take A Walk”, which is their first single and most pure pop song to date, I couldn’t help but envision everyone in the crowd eating a Dorito taco (damn those Taco Bell ads). The next few songs, “The Reeling”, “Moth’s Wings”, and “Bet-ter Things” were an invigorating leap into the high-energy set that left Angelakos sweating profusely through his shirt on the humid summer night. Then came a lull in the set where new songs like “Carried Away” and “Its Not My Fault, Im Happy” became ignorable scores to an opportune bathroom or beer run. Since I last saw him live, Angelakos’ stage presence had gone from Quasimodo to Bono, strutting around the stage and working the crowd like a pro. Finishing their set strong with hits like “Constant Conversations”, “I’ll Be Alright”, and “Sleepyhead”, Passion Pit has certainly established themselves as one of the premier, if not the best, indie pop groups on the circuit right now. Although clothing, equipment, and bank statements may change, talent is never fleeting. Passion Pit has proven that they’re no gimmick and will certainly be back through Austin soon. I wonder how’d they sound in the Er-win Center?

PASSION PIT Live at the Backyard

- Lee Ackerley


A We t , M u d d y, & F u n W e e k e n d i n U t o p i aUtopia, Texas... A place where you go to get away from the big city. A place with no cell phone reception (for most carriers). A place where whole deer herds eat from the palm of your hand. And it’s also the place that is home to UTOPIA FEST.

With a storm brewing in the Gulf, those who were headed to Utopia Fest knew what to prepare for. Rain, mud, chills, and great live music. Being that we were driving in from Austin to cover the fest, I really wasn’t looking for-ward to being in the cold and rain. That is until we caught an epic set by Dr. Dogg. We all got to jam out, sing along, drink some brews, and of course play in the mud.

Afterwards, we stumbled upon a few camp sites, and whether they were a friend or a stranger, everyone was willingly offering brews. It wasn’t because the beers are cheap at Utopia Fest, but because it is also B.Y.O.B. That is one of the best things about Utopia Fest.... No corporate beers are forcing their product down your throat. You actually get to pick the beer of your choice. Ours happened to be Shiner Bock (in the can).

After dealing with the rain and the mess we made of ourselves, we took it in early, so that we were well-rested for the following days acts such as Wheeler Brothers, Ben Kweller, Victor Wooten, Mexican Institute of Sound, Charles Bradley, Jimmy Herring, and the list goes on.

On top of the good music, the atmostphere of the festival was pretty awe-some. It is not too crowded, yet enough people for a decent sized fest. I really enjoyed that aspect about it the most.

Lastly, I must say, if you have never been to Utopia Fest, you are truly miss-ing out. We actually missed it last year, but we heard so many great things, that we definitely had to make it this year, and it has definitely been a mile-stone in our agenda this fall.

Be sure to visit their website at www.utopiafest.com and follow them on facebook and twitter for exclusive photo releases from this year’s fest and to be informed about pre-sale tickets for next year’s festival.

Writer: Jeremy J. DavisPhotos: Chris Thompson


Who Rocks?

T h e M u s i c B u s R o c k s

I got the opportunity to catch up with Robert Slangen and Nathan Anderson, the duo behind The Music Bus ROCKS!, the innovative mobile music learning bus. Never having lived here before, Robert and Nathan moved to Austin with the ambitions of pursuing music professionally. With no place to live and everything they own with them, they were left with little options when the band they formed with other musicians from college decided to go their separate ways. Once the idea sprung between the two of them that teaching music in a fun cool way is something they could see themselves doing, they got to work.

Pulling their funds together, they decided to purchase a fully operational school bus with the intentions of turning into a mobile music learning center.

Upon deciding to pursue this idea whole-heartedly, they quit their jobs. Living off the basics during that time (sandwiches and Ramen noodles) they spent all summer preparing the bus to get it ready for its public debut. It took four months for The Music Bus ROCKS to makes its full transformation. Initially catering to clientele solely by word of mouth, the Music Bus ROCKS has now found itself at the forefront of innovative never before seen methods of music education.

Certainly, something you can expect from The Music Bus ROCKS are unexpected ways to make and enjoy music. What started as an idea that sprung from what The Blue Man Group

does with random items that can be made into instruments snowballed into what they call the Junkyard Orchestra. Uti-lizing everything from 55-gallon plastic barrels, empty cans with uncooked rice in them, and pots and pans to a xylophone handmade from PVC pipes, The Junkyard Orchestra serves as a centerpiece to the passionate creativity that Robert and Na-than share for this project.

Working on building funds and seeking investors to procure a second bus in the near future, their goal is to have 5 buses run-ning in the next 3-5 years in Austin as well as to have a non-profit bus in operation for charitable causes. With the intent of enriching the community, to “have that place where you can be super creative” is of the up most importance to them and serves as the main priority in what they want to see children and parents take away from The Music Bus ROCKS experi-ence; “A new creative way to learn and play and keep the art alive.” (Nathan Anderson)

Nathan Anderson knows no bounds with his knowledge of instruments including the violin, guitar, cello, piano, and bass in addition to a formal music education including studies in music theory, music composition, pedagogy and child psychology to name a few. Being influenced by every-thing from Mozart and Beethoven to Pink Floyd, has not only helped him realize his true potential in his own band, it has also provided a healthy dynamic in his teaching style as well. With a collection of over 2000 vinyls, Nathan truly understands the importance of knowing your musical roots.

From a very early age, Robert Slangen was able to grasp the concept of working hard for what you get in life when his parents didn’t immediately give him a set of drums that he’d been wanting. In particular, they made him practice play-ing the drums on a rubber practice pad for an entire year before awarding him with the real set. “In doing that, it taught me to really appreciate drumming and really work towards [something] to get that discipline.” With musical tastes ranging in genres from heavy metal to classical opera, Robert has been able to see the bigger picture in where he’d like his personal music style and teachings to go. Finding that happy medium between classical training with disci-pline and being able to improvise jam sessions with other people, has given him a better grasp on how to focus this wisdom and channel it so that it can provide maximum ben-efit to his students.

This duo’s message is clear. They want people to know that The Music Bus ROCKS will provide the whole family with a 100% new and original quality experience. They do things very differently than the rest. In an attempt to push the envelopment, their grassroots efforts have succeeded in making them the most uniquely special music learning experience available today. Clearing the way for musical visionaries, Robert and Nathan have started something; an incredible way to listen to the world aboard The Music Bus ROCKS! - Annie Trevino


Whether you first heard about him from the hit T.V. show “News Radio” or off his sitcom on MTV, the man of many characters we all grew to love and who fill our lives with his dark satire and witty humor that we just cannot get enough of. I’m talking about none other than Andy Dick! The ever hilarious comedian is back again and this time with a different spice in the mix. Hang on to your hats people. You’re in for a treat!

Yes folks, the rumors are true. Musically in-fluenced by comedic gurus “Andy Kaufman and Paul Simon” Andy Dick is back and on the road with his band “Andy Dick and the Bitches of the Cen-tury” which the name, I must admit is classy to boast “will capture you with whimsically inappropriate songs”-Andy. We had a chance to get a few words through email with Andy. And when I say few, I really mean a few.

He was supposed to make a surprise appearance dur-ing ACL weekend, but he got lined up with another re-ality show, so expect something from him in the near future, and look out for him in Ausitn soon. Looks like he’s knocking at the door.

Visit www.ATXMusicMag.com for the full really re-ally short interview with Andy!

Andy Dick Is Back!

youtube.com


“Doubt Creeps In”

Via 101X’s No Control


Swaths of contemporary psychedelic rock bands around the country can cite the Austin 60’s psychedelic rock scene as one of their key influences. Bands like Shiva’s Headband, The 13th Floor Elevators and Conqueroo revolutionized the Austin music scene while contributing to the counter-culture wave that would sweep America by urging people to ‘tune out’. While Austin psych-rock has thrived since the 60’s, there has never been a more worthy groundswell of new bands to carry on their forefather’s legacy than the likes of the Black Angels, Night Beats and, newly minted The UFO Club, of which Christian Bland (The Black Angels) and Lee Blackwell (Night Beats) have collaborated for their latest project.

On a humid, hazy, and rum-soaked Wednesday night, Sailor Jerry’s and Austin’s Psych Fest collaborated to bring together some of Austin’s headiest, psych-rock bands to cel-ebrate the release of The UFO Club’s self-titled debut album. Other Austin bands fea-

tured on the bill included The Wolf, Cheap Curls, Holy Wave and Blackwell’s Night Beats who tantalized the crowd with different shades of pop/rock psychedelia under the intricate light show provided by Psychedelic Light and Sound.

The debut album by The UFO Club, which was released through Austin Psych Fest’s Reverberation Appreciation label, is described by front-man Christian Bland as “50’s psych-rock dragged into 2015”. The 11-track album has been sitting on the shelf for some time as it was recorded almost two years ago in Austin Texas’ Laguna Studios.

“We spent two years ‘perfecting’ and ‘un-perfecting’ the tracks until we had it right” said Blackwell. “And we’ve started in on our next one, so it wont be as long of a wait”

The UFO Club draws from a variety of influences, citing Phil Spector, Bo Diddley, The Beatles, and Buddy Holly, as well as hover boards, Back to the Future II and the

recent Mars Landing. However varied their influences, it doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten their Austin psych predecessors.

“It’s revering the legacy of the psychedelic music that started here in Austin. We are preserving what started here and that’s what its all about” Bland said. “Its like a Chia Pet. When you buy it, its dead. Sprinkle a little water on it and begins to grow.”

I asked Bland if the UFO Club was the ‘water’ reviving the ‘Chia Pet’ of Austin psych-rock.

“Well no. We’re the acid rain that’s falling on it. It might not fodder or foster a creative situation, but all we can hope for in the future is that people who hear it are like… yes …YES...YES!…..YES!!!”

TO BE CONTINUED.... Vist ATXMUSICMAG.com or scan the QR Code to continue reading.


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Bringing you the best Local Music from around the Lone Star State!

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Every Wednesday @ 8pm on www.ultimatelocalmusic.com

A l b u m R e v i e w s

6.5

7.2

Rating

Rating

Review by: Cool Arrow

Review by: Lee Ackerley

Filling a void lost with overproduction and portentous themes, Jeff the Broth-erhood is a refreshing nostalgic adventure back into simpler and more un-hinged times. It is not a coincidence that Jeff the Brotherhood’s seventh album, Hypnotic Nights, was released at the beginning of the summer, as it scores perfectly to a raucous, sun-bleached, beer-drenched summer. With a Ramones-like 40 minutes of total record time on eleven tracks, JTB manages to blend garage, psychedelic, and grunge into a pop infused masterpiece of unpretentious proportions.

Jake and Jamin Orrall, the fraternal duo that make up JTB, have skirted be-tween their newly found power-pop fascination, and their Tennessee grunge roots. On their latest album, Hypnotic Knights, the product comes out some-where in the middle, a psychedelic pop grind that winds through distorted guitars and Weezer-esque pop choruses, never fully escaping the back country flavor imbued by the Nashville rockers.

Dan Auerbauch, of the Black Keys, who was brought on as producer for the latest album, has an assertive presence as he reigns in the washed out distortion and manicures each track into a comprehensive packaged pop song. The song “Country Life” , which opens with the line “I want a place where I can smoke meats/ Where I can drink and swim in a creek” is an ode to the ban’s modest world outlook. The grass roots shout-outs and down-home attitude has gone a up a level in response to their newfound media attention that their 2010 album, We Are The Champions, brought them. Al-though JTB is barreling through the initial stratospheric levels of media pub-licity and fame, they are firmly tied down to reality by their cultish Nashville following.

Granted the amphetamined-grunge pop motif netted the band an over-whelming amount of critical attention on We Are The Champions, they still haven’t fully embraced up-tempo pop as their signature sound. Hypnot-ic Knights is a step to the side of pop purification. While a few songs like “Six-Pack”, “Hypnotic Mind”, and “Wood Ox” still retain the butane-fueled, Ramones-like, speed pop qualities, the majority of the album holds more weight and adds some depth to the album without losing its common-man appeal. JTB’S cover of Sabbath’s “Changes” is not just a great cover to close the album out, it is indicative of the band’s mindset to continue to explore their identity and the influences that come with fame. JTB, with their unbelievable live shows and back-country party music are reminiscent of a punk-influenced Kings of Leon. Lets just hope in a few years we don’t hear a watered-down Avicii-remix of a JTB single playing in every club from Austin to Ibiza. (Cough…..Sex On Fire)

When I heard NOFX was coming out with a new album, I instantly became anxious; also I found interesting that they were going to release it on Sep-tember 11th.

As I’m listening, I noticed that the album is a very dark one. It starts of with a song “72 hookers”, which clearly refers to what the Jihad assholes think they get in the afterlife; I liked this song as the start of the album. Some other favorites were “Cell Out” which talks about him being a sell out I’m guessing, but the song really rocks; “My Sycophant” which is about how people should stop kissing his ass and that he doesn’t need a bigger ego; and probably one of my favorites of the album, “I Believe in Goddess” has a riff unlike any I’ve heard from NOFX- very unconventional and awesome. Overall, it’s a pretty solid album. Just don’t expect a Ribbed- or a Punk in Drublic-like show-ing; it’s different. Just like every album has it’s own identity, so does this one…very dark in my opinion. The guitar work and vocals are really dominant in this album and it might take some time getting used to, but it’s a good one.

Overall, I enjoyed what was being expressed; but since Fat Mike asks for it and since being a sycophant isn’t the goal, I’ll give it a 6.5 out of 10. But the rating doesn’t really matter, you’ll enjoy it if you’re willing to accept the evolu-tion of the band, lyrically anyway.

NOFX - Self-Entitled (2012)

Jeff The Brotherhood - Hypnotic Nights (2012)


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ATX Music Mag - Oct 2012 (ACL Issue)