It’s no surprise that Dallas, Texas’ Beach House’s second LP Devotion which came out at the beginning of the year still receives spins on a regular basis here at the Cannibal Cheerleader headquarters. A collection of some of the best dream-pop in ages, Beach House is really coming into their own and Devotion remains one of our favorite releases of the year.
Recently the band traveled through Norway by train and were apparently asked by a Norwegian film crew if they would write a song impromptu for the trip. What the film crew captured was an inspired, transcendent sing-a-long worthy of inclusion on their next, sure to be excellent LP. Check it out, straight from Stereogum: Stereogum comes this report of a video done by a Norwegian film crew following the band as they rode a train through the country. What follows is a transcendent little singalong that you can check here: Beach House – “Wedding Bell” (from the Devotion LP)
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – THE ROLLER
Austin, Texas’ own black-metal act The Roller have just come onto the Cannibal Cheerleader radar and we’re sorry we didn’t know about these guys earlier. With a dirgey, brutal delivery and instrumental experimentalism both reminiscent of bands like Wolves in the Throne Room, true Norwegian darkness has finally landed in Texas. Check out this tune and swing by their Myspace.
******************************************************************** THE HORROR, THE HORROR – THE STRANGERS
Here’s a new feature for Cannibal Cheerleader – The Horror, The Horror, where we preview new horror movies coming out. The inaugural flick is The Strangers, starring Liv Tyler, seems like a blast from a suspenseful past. Check the trailer.
Promises to have a low body-count but will undoubtedly have some wicked scares to make up for it. Reminiscent of my favorite movie of ‘08 thus far, Funny Games, in that it seems obsessed with how Americans no longer feel safe in their own homes, trapped in the prison of suburbia. On Monday I’ll post up a review! Sorry to have skipped Terror Thursday for the past few weeks, and sorry for the small update yesterday. Comment folks and see you next week!
(that picture above is the Submarines, this picture below is Headlights) Add 6/13 to our summer tour list because Cannibal Cheerleader definitely wants to attend the double-header of Headlights and the Submarines at Emo’s that day. An indie-pop love-fest the likes of which may never be seen again (seriously, go to this show and you’ll experience a spiritual Nirvana), this show promises to be fantastic. Hit up each band’s Myspace up there and check these tracks:
Hi, we’re going to work on our myspace less (because myspace sucks) and focus more on this new FFA BLOG. It’s a mix of FoodForAnimals projects, other music-videos-etc, DJ mixes, writings on whatever-we’re-into-today, etc.
Check it out, its up already!
Ricky”
So hey, if you dig these guys as much as we do, swing by their new blog, you know we will!
******************************************************************** AUSTINIST PREVIEWS RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS SHOW
The Austinist posted a little the Riverboat Gamblers so give that one a read. I’d also like to take this time to announce we will be filming the Gamblers this Saturday at Red 7, so definitely be there for what promises to be a great show! ******************************************************************** CONVERGE ARTICLE FROM WAFFLES
It’s come to my attention that many of you cannot read the article by yours truly that was up on the front page of Waffles.fm this week because it’s a members-only site. Well here I have it reprinted for your enjoyment, please read and comment! To those for whom the word ‘converge’ is usually preceded by the words ‘mother-fucking!’ and shouted from breathless lungs as a furious pit swirls dangerously around them, the Webster’s definition of the term which reads “to come together from different directions so as to meet”, seems, at best, deficient. The denotation implies some form of unity; some advanced knowledge or foresight, not the urgent fiery carnage and whip-crack wailings that is the ferocious Converge; a fabled hardcore act originally from Salem, Massachusetts. “Circle pit right now!” screams bassist Nate Newton at an Austin, Texas Converge show at the Red 7 nightclub in April. The already battered hardcore kids happily oblige as lead singer Jacob Bannon wrenches a monitor from the front of the stage mid-verse and heaves it up onto his shoulder before thrusting it into the pit with utter abandon. Shrieking in blood-curdling alto, spit and bile stream down his face and onto the front of his captive audience, all awash in glorious fury, eyes alight as in a fever-dream. To an outsider, the scene couldn’t seem farther from a ‘coming together’, though perhaps when the world does end (it won’t look much different from this) the singleness of destruction at hand will suggest some unity. However, from a more academic standpoint, the band Converge represent a welcome trend in a hardcore community become too far removed from its artistic origins. The menacing cries and technical guitar-work expose a degree of thought that suggests a band ahead of its time while still heavily entrenched in the hardcore scene. As modern hardcore bands attempt to recapture the energy of the past by dumbing-down their music to rudimentary levels, it’s comforting to know that bands like Converge still bring ingenuity to the sound of hardcore. Guitarist Kurt Ballou stands solo on stage, apparently tuning his guitar and correcting the volume on the monitors. What starts as rudimentary noodling with his strings slowly segues into the opening riff of a No Heroes standout tune “Plagues” and the audience comes to the slow realization that they are no longer experiencing the sound check. As lead singer Jacob Bannon would state later in the night, “I’ve been in this band since I was thirteen years old! I’m 31 now. The numbers have reversed! It’s an anagram!” He’s not kidding either — Converge formed in 1990 and graduated to live shows in 1991 after some home-recorded demos. Converge has been a staple of the hardcore scene for approximately two decades now. With a sound derived from hardcore acts like Born Against and proto-metalcore like the astounding Starkweather, Converge’s blend of polyrhythmic drumming, intricate and distorted guitar-work, and the token Jacob Bannon shriek have given the band amorphous sound qualities which have “converged” multiple genres together. Mixing the noise-rock elements of bands like New York’s Rorschach, the hardcore tendencies of Detroit’s Negative Approach, and even the no-wave experiments of bands like New York’s Swans, Converge’s musical influences are as disparate as the band’s music. “You’re at a hardcore show, you’re surrounded by friends!” barks Bannon mid-set in Texas, answering all questions as to where the band feels they fit into the musical spectrum. The air fills with stage divers as the band launches into “Eagles Become Vultures” from the experimentally-tinged You Fail Me. To define the band as merely ‘hardcore’ however almost cheapens the technical skill and virtuosity that each band member displays. While Bannon’s declaration of adherence to the hardcore scene represents his affinity with its unity, the progressive lengths Converge’s writing has taken remains leaps and bounds above simple three-chord punk acts. Since their first release, the underrated Halo in a Haystack, Jacob Bannon has exemplified the role an artist plays in hard rock music. Many of the greatest icons of rock and roll were art students, from John Lennon, to Mick Jagger, and finally, to punk legend John Lydon (otherwise known as Johnny Rotten). Since the origin of punk, some the best minds were art-school students turned musicians, thus it comes as no surprise to discover Jacob Bannon’s alternate life as an accomplished visual artist whose work is highly respected among art communities. All of Bannon’s work is done by hand and much of it has been displayed as part of the Converge canon in the form of cover art, T-shirts, or other items. The designs selling at the merch table in Austin looked to be the work of a mad graffiti artist rather than a proper screen-printer. His unique work could be seen on the sweat-stained clothing of moshing hardcore fans throughout the show “Look at that!” screams Newton as he points to Ben Koller, the drummer who seems to be delivering blast beats at one-hundred miles per hour throughout the Converge rarity “Locust Reign” from their Deeper the Wound split EP with Hellchild. The technicality of the band on this song is reminiscent of early Converge recordings like Caring and Killing and Petitioning the Empty Sky. Of course, while the band was gaining notoriety in the underground, their brand of hardcore first became more known to the general public with the release of their album When Forever Comes Crashing and their concept album Jane Doe. The latter, a story of a devastating romantic breakup, instills a great sense despair and fury. Some consider the album to be the band’s defining work. However, the band burst back into the hardcore scene with their follow-ups to Jane Doe, You Fail Me and a throwback hardcore album No Heroes. The latter, their most political and confrontational album to date, was lauded by metal giants such as Mastodon and Isis as being one of the best hardcore albums in years. “This song is from Jane Doe”, spits Bannon, heaving with exhaustion at the end of the show. “And this song…” he says before pausing for emphasis and to allow the shouts of the crowd to die down “…is also called “Jane Doe”.
The band ends their set with their 12-minute epic, a testament to their technicality and rage all in one. Even as Bannon curls up into a ball in the middle of the stage, pulling his microphone close to his chest and writhing and shrieking like a dying animal, the crowd does not move but watches instead in awe. The guitar riffs, perhaps more at place in a shoegaze outfit, blend atypical guitar strumming and drum clicking for truly engaged experience. With the final shouts, Bannon lets his microphone drop to the ground and walks off stage, aloof, leaving his band mates to shake hands with the hardcore kids who rush the stage to congratulate the foursome on a fantastic show. While much of music criticism seems focused on the popular aspects of modern music, the more ferocious and technical work of bands such as Converge deserve respect as well. There is a hidden thoughtfulness both in their lyrics and song structure despite the aggressive nature of their music, and while some may think the band sacrifices mass-appeal for speed or scene politics, Converge continues to produce exactly what they know they are good at. They may not be easy to approach for the average listener, but they most certainly push the limits and continue to define a particular hardcore sound that is distinctly their own.
Sorry for the late update guys – slept in too late. Oh well, any comments today (especially on the article)?
According to the Giant Drag website, Annie Hardy of our favorite My Bloody Valentine-referencing, shoegazey, post-punk solo/duo band will be recording a new, as of yet untitled EP. The tracklist will include live favorites such as “Swan Song” and “White Baby” as well as tracks “Heart Carl” and “Stuff to Live For”. This is a welcome change for Hardy who was unceremoniously dropped from Interscope following her first awesome LP Hearts and Unicorns. Hardy and other GD contributors are hard at work slamming out a new record but in the meantime visit her Ebay Store so you can donate to the cause of saving Giant Drag from obscurity. Seriously, this is one of my favorite bands in recent memory and definitely deserves to get the opportunity to make more music, so check it out. Also, here’s a sample of “Swan Song” taken live from a Giant Drag show in Paris.
******************************************************************** PREY FOR SLEEP TOUR CANCELLED!
“Due to issues with our booking agent we’ve been forced to cancel our upcoming nationwide summer tour”, says lead singer Hunter Townsend of awesome Austin metal act Prey For Sleep. Apparently the booking agent was unable (or too lazy!) to secure spots for PFS and the band was forced to call it off due to monetary issues. In the meantime though Hunter and the boys would like to know what Austinites or any of their fans want from the band now. Their latest Myspace bulletin reads:
“Here’s a thought.
What do you want from Prey for Sleep in the next few months?
T-Shirts? Lighters? Hoodies? DVDs? Lunch boxes?
Let us know what you need to spread the word.”
So there you have it, let Prey For Sleep know what you need from them by contacting them at their Myspace. A PFS lunchbox sounds pretty rad to me that’s for sure.
The band will be heading up to Cleveland in August to record an as of yet untitled EP, then plans to attempt a nationwide tour in January. Good luck guys! ******************************************************************** SUMMER SHOWS IN AUSTIN – CC CALENDAR
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming shows in Austin that Cannibal Cheerleader will definitely be attending:
Hey to all of the readers/users of Waffles.fm, the best replacement ever for Oink.cd in my opinion. Thanks for swinging by the blog and reading the ‘Converge’ piece posted on the front page of Waffles. If you don’t know what Waffles is you should read this article about file-sharing and see if the Oink/Waffles movement is right for you. Until next time, comment people!
Sorry about taking a break for Memorial Day guys, hope this monster post makes up for it! See you tomorrow!
Quickie here, some absolutely awesome Austin bands (Faceless Werewolves, the Black, and Toko-Ri Get High amongst others) will be playing a late-night set at Spiderhouse from apparently 2am Sunday to 2pm. Check that shit out!
Quite a birthday bash we had last night, thanks to all who came! In celebration of the ‘morning-after’ feeling here’s a reminder: Rilo Kiley will be playing Stubb’s on Monday June 16th as the last stop of their Under the Blacklight tour. You know we’ll be there, blogging hats on!
Here’s a proper hangover tune from RK:
Rilo Kiley – “The Angels Hung Around” ******************************************************************** BE YOUR OWN PET PLAYED A SECRET AUSTIN SHOW?
Be Your Own Pet apparently played a secret gig at the Broken Neck after their Stubb’s show last Thursday. Why weren’t we invited?! Oh well, the Austin Chronicle was there and they have some pictures up – enjoy! ******************************************************************** NEW CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES VIDEO
Here’s a video for “How I Could Just Kill A Man”, the first single from Charlotte Sometimes‘ debut album Waves and the Both of Us.
Remember when we told you earlier in the week that there was no news on that 3-song EP featuring the tracks that were left off the US version of Be Your Own Pet’s sophomore LP Get Awkward because of a record label dispute? Well turns out there IS news and it’s in the form of Get Damaged, an EP (or two 7″ records) that feature all three missing songs (”Becky”, “Blow Your Mind”, “Black Hole”). The EP is due out June 3rd (smokes that’s soon!). Read here for all the details and check out that completely rad cover up there! Here’s an obscure BYOP track as well for the newly converted.
******************************************************************** NEW BORIS MUSIC VIDEO – “STATEMENT”
Here’s the new Boris music video for their single “Statement” off of the excellent Smile LP. Remember, these guys are playing Saturday June 28th at the Mohawk right here in Austin. You know Cannibal Cheerleader will be there, sporting our rad Boris hoodies!
******************************************************************** GUESS WHOSE BIRTHDAY IT IS?
It’s John B.’s! Thanks to everyone for reading my blog the past few months – the best kind of birthday present is having people enjoy your work. If you know me and live in Austin, hit me up – we’re having a pool party before we hit up Terror Thursday tomorrow. See you there!
There appears to be growing controversy around the suspicion that Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Crystal Castles have not properly credited some artists in the “chiptune” community after sampling their songs for such songs as “Insecticon”, “Mother Knows Best”, and “Love and Caring”. Here are some links to articles that detail the specifics here, here, and here.
Here is a quick video trying to make the case that “Insecticon” (a tune which can be found at the Lies Records Myspace) mimics a song by electronic artist Lo-bat.
Also the Covox song “Sunday” does bear some resemblance to the music in “Love and Caring” (you can here Covox’s version of the tune here).
These articles all seem to claim that Crystal Castles has broken a fundamental rule of the Creative Commons agreement, that is, the original artist needs to be credited.
Here’s the Cannibal Cheerleader take on the situation:
First off, these blogs seem to claim some sort of unity to the “chiptune” community, a musical collective that comprises of artists who use videogame consoles to create sounds. However, such is the basis of electronic music – the sampling of basic blips and whistles from instruments (usually created by others) in order to form your own hooks and rhythms. The chiptune community clearly thrives on swapping these sounds, both from the original video game console designers and with each other. So why the hubbub about Crystal Castles sharing a few of these beats?
One word: money. As soon as a “chiptune” band became successful enough, the free-love that was swapping beats suddenly took a backseat to profiteering. Having lost sight of the original intent of music-making (enjoyment!) the chiptune community is quick to back stab one of their own as soon as they make it big. Most of the tracks in question haven’t even received a proper commercial release but these articles seem biased against an artist that is in reality just following the spirit of swapping beats. Much like the Trevor Brown controversy there seems to be quite a few people vying for attention over compromise when it comes to dealing with the up and coming Crystal Castles.
Lastly, the articles commit a logical fallacy by somehow suggesting that Ethan Kath and Alice Glass are stealing these beats with malice intent. These are not evil people, just music-makers looking to make the best tunes possible. It’s not that they don’t have the money to pay for a few hooks that fall outside of ‘fair use’ (heck, I saw a guy downtown in Austin this past Thursday with a Crystal Castles shirt and not ten minutes later another man bicycling down the street listening to “Courtship Dating”), it’s that they believe in the spirit of sampling. Just my two-cents.
Now that THAT’S out of the way, here are a few Castles treats for CC readers. First off we have a video from what was one of our favorite shows of the year, the Crystal Castles SXSW ‘08 performance.
Well, it looks like our album will be released August/Septemberish! We would like to tour in celebration and to share with y’all! If you, or someone you know, books a club or a college, or plays in a band with a local draw, and could help to set up a show, please reply to this post!!
Can’t wait to hear from you guys and come to your cities!!
m
p.s. I’ll post some new songs soon!”
A new album and a new tour! If you’re a club promoter here in Austin definitely book these guys! Their blend of Rilo Kiley-esque country folk with a more lo-fi edge (think older RK) fits perfect here in the ATX. Contact them via their Myspace! Here’s hoping they’ll swing through town and we’ll be posting any tracks they upload.
******************************************************************** NEW HOLD STEADY SINGLE
What does the Hold Steady have to do with Austin? The lyric “Subpoenaed in Texas, Sequestered in Memphis” from their newest single should be reason enough to post this one. Enjoy!
If you don’t already know that Be Your Own Pet is swiftly becoming one of our favorite bands, you haven’t been paying attention to our endless lauding of what was last Thursday’s fantastic show at Stubb’s. Surfing the Nylon Magazine tour site we came across the BYOP Blog for the days leading up to the show. Events include an impromptu haircut for Jemina Pearl (gotta love her Friday the 13th tattoo), chilling with the Virgins, and almost getting caught in the Austin hailstorm. Texas goodness! Also, check out this cool Spin Magazine article about the rehearsal room of Be Your Own Pet, which happens to be in guitarist Jonas Stein’s parents’ house. Ah to be young again. I especially like the part about the Buzzcocks poster and getting skateboard equipment stolen at South By Southwest. Frankly, if you don’t lose SOMETHING at SX, you haven’t been to Austin.
In other news, there’s NO news about the release of an EP this summer that BYOP promised would feature the three missing tracks from their excellent sophomore LP Get Awkward. I fully encourage everyone to buy this when it hits the shelves (or better yet just import the UK version with the tracks already one there) but if you haven’t heard these tunes yet, give them a listen here. “Black Hole” and “Becky” both make the top ten list of best BYOP tunes of all time.
******************************************************************** NEW BECK SONG – CHEMTRAILS
You can check out a new Beck song from his upcoming (supposedly titled) Modern Guilt LP. It’s called “Chemtrails” and if this is any indication about what producer Danger Mouse has done with the alt-folkster, we can expect a softer, more stylistic Beck, combining the sonic palette of Sea Change with the lyrical content of his past few LPs, like The Information. Definitely check it out over at Beck’s Myspace or his website (just click on the jukebox in the upper right). ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE
Speaking of South by Southwest here’s a UK band that’s seemed to hedge its reputation on its completely awesome SXSW performance. They’re called Florence and the Machine and they recall Amy Winehouse with a garage-rock bent. Check out a video from their SX set below and then listen to their awesome first single “Kiss With A Fist”. Enjoy people and comment!
Florence and the Machine – “Kiss With A Fist” (link removed at IAMSOUND’s request) Whoops! Instead here’s the Imeem stream of “Kiss With A Fist”! Enjoy!
Pink Nasty’s show Saturday night at the Mohawk was sadly, sparsely attended. However, that didn’t stop PN and her excellent backing band from delivering the hits, from Mold the Gold favorites like “Away Message” to new tracks like the garage-rock goodness of “Curses”. Sounding more like an alt-country songstress than her lo-fi recordings give her credit for, Pink Nasty was in rare form and definitely deserves all the attention she gets in Austin. Look her up now folks before she blows up into full-blown rockstar mode. More pictures below. ******************************************************************** BECK, LIKE THE BEER
Since Beck will be playing this year’s Cat Power, we figured we post a few of his little-known rarities to build the excitement up.
The mini-album Beck, Like the Beer is a rare demo tape circulated around the Internet after the artist gave the songs to a friend. Recorded in 1992 the album features psyched-out acoustic tracks that recall Mellow Gold and One Foot in the Grave, with a bent towards Beck’s more comic elements. Check these tracks out!
m
