Seems our friends Balmorhea have been busy over the last few months, recording, mastering, and ultimately finishing their upcoming third LP All Is Wild, All Is Silent (cover up above). From the recent show we covered (video coming soon!) the gang’s new tunes are going to blow the lid off of everything they’ve done before now. Check the tracklist below, CD due out March 9th!
TRACK LISTING: SETTLER MARCH 4, 1831 HARM AND BOON ELEGY REMEMBRANCE COAHUILA NIGHT IN THE DRAW TRUTH NOVEMBER 1, 1832
With a setlist to die for and sounding tighter than Jenny Lewis’ thigh-highs, Rilo Kiley blazed through classics old and new at their triumphant turn at Austin’s Stubb’s BBQ.
4. MY MORNING JACKET AT THE PARISH
We managed to catch My Morning Jacket three times this year but none better than in the intimate setting of the Parish, where their magnificently raucous live antics threatened to collapse the second-story floor and show off their technical skill rather than their arean-rock readiness.
3. BE YOUR OWN PET AT STUBB’S
Ripping and shredding up the stage like a pack of wolves, Be Your Own Pet managed to sound both fresh with their brand new Get Awkward tracks and wizened with their undeniably punk ethos during their brief set at Austin’s Stubb’s BBQ.
2. CONVERGE AT RED 7
With a fiery set reminiscent of end-of-days prophecies, Converge annihilated all expectations with a set that was both brutal and enthralling, recalling the days when punk meant something more than just fast guitars.
1. CAT POWER AT STUBB’S
Easily topping the list of this year’s most enthralling live sets, Cat Power at Stubb’s recalled classic soul songstresses of yesteryear, soaring through classics from You Are Free, the Greatest, and this year’s Jukebox, all the while maintaining the composure and confidence of a road-weary but hardened troubadour. Chan Marshall has walked through the fire and come out the other side a little older, a little dustier, but all the better for her trials.
TOP FIVE HORROR MOVIES OF THE YEAR
5. THE RUINS
Simple setting, not-so-simple enemy, the Ruins managed to combine pleasingly-gory special effects with an overbearing sense of dread as the protagonists find themselves trapped on an ancient pyramid being eaten by, what else, rabid plants. Bloody pom-poms awarded all around.
4. THE STRANGERS
Perhaps the most outright terrifying flick on our list, the Strangers captures the nihilism of modern horror with stark and brutal imagery and enough impending dread to make you queasy throughout. Plus, check out the awesome old-timey poster, great stuff.
3. TEETH
A coming of age tale for the morally reprehensible amongst us (myself definitely included) Teeth tells the story of a young girl blossoming into full-fledged womanhood and all the blood, guts, and terror that it inevitably involves. Recommended for every frat-boy considering date-rape (warning: castration abounds).
2. FUNNY GAMES
A horrifically stark and undeniably enjoyable trek into the darkest reaches of the horror-film psyche, Funny Games forces the viewer themselves into sadism for continuing to watch the terrible torture of an affluent family by a deranged duo of golf-club wielding maniacs. Are we the real monsters for enjoying the film? It’s hard not to be when Naomi Watts starts gunning people down. A must see.
1. THE SIGNAL
Of all the horror movies this year to question the brutal and sadistic nature of the genre, none dared to go so far as to question the medium of delivery itself, to identify the maddening pervasiveness of media in our society and our cult-like devotion to it. In the Signal, the three directors attempt just that, fusing elements of horror, drama, zombie-flick, dark comedy, gore, and psyche-freak-out all into a visionary masterpiece that undeniably captures what is at times both the best and the sickest elements of horror cinema – the unending search for meaning in a cruel world attacking from all sides. So highly recommended I’m wondering why you’re still reading this and not buying it. You must have the crazy.
Any other readers have horror movie faves? Comments?
BACK IN ACTION Rising from the grave, it’s Cannibal Cheerleader, here to award the faithful and punish the nonbelievers! But seriously folks I’m back and ready to report. Grad school apps still stretch to the horizon but I miss my little corner of the internet to stay away any longer.
A few changes: 1. No more quick bites! If I only have one thing to post in a day (or just not enough time to flesh out a post) that’s just all you get people! Having too much of a workload drove me away in the first place, so try and keep me around this time – it’s supposed to be fun! 2. More original content! More videos, more new band cheers, more interviews, and less linking to Stereogum and Pitchfork. 3. Stop emailing me record labels! I appreciate your concern, but I usually just report on things I like, not the next big indie thing you’re trying to sell me. Take me off your list if I’m on there, I don’t want to read it! And no, the (insert indie band here) do not sound like the new Beatles.
ON WITH THE HORROWSHOW!!! ******************************************************************** CAT POWER IN AUSTIN Over the break the much-awaited do-over show by Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Cat Power finally landed in Austin and to those who missed it, you definitely skipped out on what may go down as the best live music performance in the capital city all year! No exaggerations here, Chan Marshall and her Dirty Delta Blues Band tore up the stage with soulful ballads of wounded hearts and dusty roads, a perfect mixture of rhythm and blues, country, and good old fashioned indie rock and roll. The setlist concentrated chiefly on tracks from this year’s criminally underrated Jukebox and the seminal The Greatest, though the brilliant opener, which really set the tone for the whole night, was a woeful and charismatic take on “I Don’t Blame You” from You Are Free. Marshall flitted across the stage with a sexy confidence that kept the crowd screaming even during slow, quiet renditions of tracks like “The Moon” and “Silver Stallion”. Her performance, once notoriously unsure and nervous now exudes a quiet confidence not unlike the downtrodden characters of her cover songs; they’ve both managed to see it all, reach the bottom, and come back out on the other side, tired and hurt and all the better for it. The backing band was excellent as well, with guitarist Teenie Hodges, who performed the intricate guitarwork on the Greatest, joining the group mid-set. Their playing was not-unlike a smokey-bar jam band, twisting in out and out of each song, mixing and changing things up as they went along. By the end of the night Marshall and crew had captured the hearts of every man and woman in attendance at Stubb’s that night. During “Angelitos Negros” she threw a bouqet of flowers in the crowd, as if spreading her new found happiness over everyone. Truly an unforgettable show and deserving of all its praise. Dust off those old Cat Power LPs if you’ve got them, it’s time to rediscover one of the best artists of our time. More pictures below: Cat Power – “Metal Heart” ******************************************************************** ACL REVIEW Due to extenuating circumstances I was only able to attend one day of this year’s ACL Festival, but it was a doozy! As usual, ACL was overcrowded, too dusty, miserable at times, and fantastic at others. I’m always iffy at the end of each fest if I’ll be back next year, and then inevitably, I’m there again.
This year’s highlights begin with Vampire Weekend, who have of course been getting a lot of blog backlash since they hit the big time with their self-titled debut. However, the Oxford crew seriously tore up the stage during their early afternoon set on Friday, debuting a few new songs and keeping the crowd dancing with the classics. Overall, I think even I underestimated the enjoyability of these tracks live, as I found myself twisting to “A-Punk” alongside hundreds of others. Definitely a treat. Next was Jenny Lewis (whose new album Acid Tongue is brilliant by the way) whom we were able to capture only from far away. While the pictures aren’t so good and the stage not really suitable for her new, big band sound, it’s probably impossible for this fiery frontwoman to flop, as she belted out classics like “Rise Up With Fists” and ripped through new barn-burners like “The Next Messiah” and “Jack Killed Mom”. Whether she was striking the keys behind her piano or strumming riffs on the guitar, Lewis was in fine form in front of a loving crowd. Definitely worth the price of admission. Lastly, there was the Mars Volta, who my friend insisted was the greatest band of all time. Perhaps loudest or most confusing might have been a better title, as the band blasted through most of the tracks from their newest LP the Bedlam in Goliath, with such abandon that it might have seemed like they didn’t care about the crowd at all. I’m not totally convince they did ever give a shit at any point but when the Volta are on they’re great, and when they fall into weird, prog, static territory they’re basically unlistenable. Overall, the show fell comfortably in the middle, leaving the crowd not satisfied or unsatisfied and instead mostly confused. Oh well.
See you next year ACL, if I’m still dumb enough to buy a ticket next year!
Jenny Lewis – “Acid Tongue” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: BEYOND GODS & EMPIRES The Austin metal scene, like most hard rock scenes in the South, is criminally underrated, and the fact that locals Beyond Gods & Empires aren’t opening for Pig Destroyer yet is a testament to that fact. This crushing four-piece combines a dual-vocal attack a-la the Red Chord with a doom-metal instrumental approach that’s equal parts High on Fire and Converge. Songs stretch to the dark horizon but the brutal assault continues throughout. Definitely a band to keep on your radar. Don’t believe me? Check out this Cannibal Cheerleader video below and see for yourself! Check the band out at their Myspace.
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: LUCKY SOUL Sifting through the CMJ overload that occurred in the past few weeks, I came upon this real gem of a band whose first string of US shows garnered them a lot of much deserved praise. Lucky Soul hail from Londontown but their sound is all New York-girl-group, with bouncy melodies crackling behind moody tales of heartbreak as sung by the smoky-voiced Ali Howard. Equal parts delicately poppy and brashly rock and roll, the music plays without a wink of irony, no great nod to the past, and sounds all the more genuine because of it. The group’s debut The Great Unwanted was well-received in their home country and the group is now working on teh followup. You can bet we’ll be first on the list to hear any new tracks!
NEW MARNIE STERN SONG Hello Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, today we bring you a new track called “Shea Stadium” from Marnie Stern’s upcoming album the lengthily-titled This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.Sheesh that’s a mouthful, as is Stern’s requisite shredding, again showcased on “Shea”, though the song brings a pop intuitiveness and madcap inventiveness that reminds of a more calculated Ponytail. “Shea Stadium” is streaming over at Stereogum and at Stern’s Myspace. This is shaping up to be one of our favorite releases of the year so stay tuned for more from this mad woman!
Marnie Stern – “Transformer” ******************************************************************** CAT POWER IN CAR AD? Our favorite sultry-Southern crooner Cat Power has a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” featured in an upcoming ad for a 2009 Lincoln car. Could our lovely Miss Power have sold out her beautiful art? Or should we as fans not begrudge her a living, given the downturn in music sales this year? Regardless of your opinion, even this tiny sample of the song is pretty amazing and we’d like to dig up a full-length version somewhere. Anyone know where we can grab it? Video below:
Cat Power – “Sea Of Love” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: GIRLS Having heard about this band for a while on some of those otherblogs, we decided we’d give San Francisco’s Girls a shot by buying their 7″ Lust For Life/Morning Light debut today, and we were not at all disappointed. “Lust For Life” comes first and what begins as a bedroom pop piano jangle segues into a clattery, lo-fi ballad with unique vocals that draw in the listener. “Morning Light” however seals the deal as a raucous, shrill guitar howl washes over lonely background vocals to the rhythm of a tinny drumset. Altogether, the sound is impressively genuine and heartfelt for such a lo-fi production and deserving of its acclaim. It’ll just be interesting to see which way their upcoming self-titled debut leans – the more languishing pop sensibilities of “Lust” or the shoegazey and reverb heavy sonic wonderwork of “Morning Light”. Time will tell!
CAT POWER AT LOLLAPALOOZA Sorry to everyone for the late and increasingly smaller updates (I’m in the process of moving and getting the zine together) and apologies to everyone for not being able to cover Lollapalooza for the Austin crowd. Frankly, the thing about the biggest concert festival in the US this year is that it’s way too expensive for the likes of me. So instead of showing my own concert reviews, I’d figure I’d highlight a few reviews of one of our favorite artists here at Cannibal Cheerleader, the one and only Chan Marshall of Cat Power who apparently killed at her set at Lolla.
BLOC PARTY REVEAL “MERCURY” Yesterday we posed the question ‘what do our favorite Gang of Four indebted dance-rockers Bloc Party have up their sleeve?’. Today we have our answer as Bloc Party’s radio announcement was for a new single entitled “Mercury” (the video for which you can view below). Reports are vague as to if this is a one-off single or the first cut from their as of yet untitled third LP but either way we’re digging the new, techno-infused ‘Flux-ish’ sound, even if its lacking some of Russel’s driving guitar-parts. Can’t wait for the next countdown from these guys.
******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: NAS’ UNTITLED It must be hard to capture a moment in time on record, when all the feelings, the culture, the zeitgeist of the moment coalesces on one singular album. Nas‘ Untitled however, a fantastic followup to 2006’s Hip Hop Is Dead and perhaps his best post-Illmatic album, genuinely captures the fear, the hypocrisy, and the madness that is today’s America, and in doing so has crafted perhaps the best record of the year. Whereas his collaboration with DJ Green Lantern produced tracks of great bombast and excitement, Untitled is a calculated affair, placing intellectual verses over smooth, thoughtful beats with an air of critical thought and perhaps a hint of impending sadness. While The Nigger Tape was fantastic, Untitled transcends such accolades, not necessarily because it’s a better album outright but more so because its political statement is so bold as to suggest the message outweighs the medium. Nas has outshone even his own career-path on this defining album. Makes the team and is first in line for captain.
Nas – “You Can’t Stop Us Now” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: BECK’S MODERN GUILT The good news about Beck’s new album Modern Guilt is that cuts like “Chemtrails”, so haunting and ethereal as to remind listeners of the artist’s magnum opus Sea Change, are peppered throughout the record. Tracks like “Orphans” (featuring Cat Power!) and “Youthless” transcend the middling territory of the past few Beck efforts and really standout as fantastic testaments to the power of the Odelayer’s freaky-folk ballads. However, the album, for all its effort to sound spare and stepped-down sounds at times a bit sleepy. Still, an award goes to Danger Mouse for recapturing the slacker nature of Beck’s lo-fi recordings. Makes the team though expect this one to get kicked from the team when the principal catches him under the bleachers making those special ‘Chemtrails’…
Beck – “Chemtrails” ******************************************************************** STARS’ BEDROOM UP FOR POLARIS AWARD According to this Stereogum articleStars‘ album In Our Bedroom After the War is up for the preeminent Canadian music prize the Polaris Award, given to the best Canada-produced album regardless of sales. Definitely a great break for one of our favorite albums of last year which nonetheless continues to pop up this year. Great work Stars, we’ll see you at ACL!
Stars – “Window Bird” ******************************************************************** KANYE NEEDS ANGER MANAGEMENT? Can’t a brother catch a break? Even Kanye’s management thinks he needs anger management according to this Rock Daily report. Sounds to me like a publicity stunt to help change the erroneous public opinion that a black man shouldn’t speak unless spoken too. Personally I like West’s outspoken nature but we’ll see how everyone feels when he’s Uncle Tomming it on your TV screen all night. Keep up the fight Kanye I say!
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!
With a playlist cut mainly from their excellent sophomore LP Get Awkward, Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet ripped Austin a new one last night at Stubb’s. Their wiry punk instrumentation took great liberties with the venue’s sound system, morphing their jangly high-school vignettes into wall-of-sound monsters of terror and woe. The last time I saw these guys was in 2006 at Emo’s here in Austin and while the crowds have certainly gotten bigger the band’s sound has kept up in one way – getting louder. Check out more pictures below. Also check out openers the Switches and the Virgins (both great bands). In an act of protest and in the name of preserving good music everywhere, I left the venue before headliners the terrible She Wants Revenge took the stage. The Virgins
******************************************************************** DID YOU SURVIVE THE AUSTIN STORM?
Check out the view from my apartment complex! If you were in Austin on Thursday night this is what you woke up to, if you didn’t wake up due to the torrential hail and wind.
This news tidbit is actually here to mark a change in the blog’s structure. For too long has this blog tried to be a national act when instead Cannibal Cheerleader should be concentrating on what it does best: reporting on the happenings of Austin, the live music capital of the world. From now on most if not all stories about bands will have some sort of Austin tie-in if they are to be reported here. I want this to be the official blog of Austin! ******************************************************************** LADYTRON – “GHOSTS” VIDEO
Here’s the video from Velocifero standout “Ghosts” from electro-poppers Ladytron, who will be making a jaunt through Austin Friday June 6th. You know we’ll be there with spurs on.
******************************************************************** TERROR THURSDAY – DERANGED
This week’s movie at Terror Thursday was a gorey doozey, combining sick humor with even sicker violence. Skinning girls, vomiting blood, bashing heads in, digging up the dead, Deranged pretty much ruled. Weird beyond imagination this was one of the few Terror Thursdays that was genuinely unsettling for me. Definitely deserving of four out of five bloody pon-poms.
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER – PINK NASTY In keep with our efforts to keep the blog local, here’s a gal we haven’t genuinely reported on yet who nonetheless rocks my socks off – Pink Nasty. A combination of singer-songwriter a-la Cat Power with a lo-fi, rocker grrrl twang, all wrapped up in an attitude and pop sensibility that’s both defiant and listenable. You know we’ll be hitting up her show this Saturday at Mohawk, but for a taste, check out this track from her excellent LP Mold the Gold.
Our favorite chain-smoking Babyshambles frontman is out of “Her Majesty’s pleasure” (the term used by his Myspace). According to this article Doherty served 29 days of a 14-week sentence that was handed down due to drug and driving offenses. Here’s to freedom Pete!
In other news Doherty has posted a new tune entitled “Maybelline” and here’s the YouTube video to prove it. Good to have the band back together.
******************************************************************** CAT POWER TO APPEAR ON NEW BECK ALBUM
According to this Pitchfork article, Cat Power will be on Beck’s newest LP which, like Radiohead, NIN, and the Raconteurs before it, might be showing up on on our doorstep much sooner than we had thought. No further details have been revealed but you can bet we’ll be all over this when the album drops within the next few weeks! ******************************************************************** CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES ALBUM HITS THE STREETS
Charlotte Sometimes‘ new album Waves and the Both of Us hit stores yesterday and, you heard it hear first, it’s rad. While I unabashedly have a weakness for female singers, Charlotte’s voice and arrangements are both fresh, unique, and cutely naive. Having first seen her live at the AP Magazine party at SXSW (scenester heaven!) I can see how she not only appeals to the Bamboozle crowd but stands to transcend into the mainstream. Different from other female songstresses featured on this site (Cat Power anyone?), CS is completely unique and her album stands as a testament to this. Definitely check out album standouts like “Losing Sleep” and “Toy Soldier”. Four out of five bloody pon-poms! Anyone else heard this album yet?
It’s true, today I am blogging to you faithful Cheerleader followers from under my covers. I’m feeling a little down in the dumps as well as under the weather (heck throw in ‘feelin low’ while you’re at it) so I figured I’d do a little update on my favorite “under-the-covers-feeling-blue-with-headphones-on” music. Of course Cat Power falls into that mix and here’s an update she posted to her Myspace today offering apologies for missing.
“THANK ALL OF YALL WHO DIDN’T HOLD A GRUDGE FOR ME HAVING TO CANCEL MY SHOWS CUZ OF THE CALLOUS.
I AM DOING A LOT BETTER AND CAN ACTUALLY TALK WITHOUT SOUNDING LIKE A TRUCKER. HEADING TO MEMPHIS IN A COUPLE DAYS FOR THE BEALE ST. FEST, THEN TO MEXICO CITY AND BOGOTA, REAL REAL HAPPY TO GET BACK TO WORK! I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW UPSETTING AND FRUSTRATING IT WAS TO NOT HAVE MY HEALTH/VOICE FOR YOU ALL.
I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW UPSETTING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, I ALWAYS FEEL BLESSED BY YALL’S LOVE FOR ME, I CARRY YALL ALONGSIDE.
XX C”
As a bonus here’s a little b-side I found floating around the Internet a few years back of a Cat Power original. It’s definitely apt to the normal Chan Marshall state of mind. Obviously this track is from Chan’s “short hair days”, thus the old-school Cat Power pic!
NEW BAND CHEER – WHISPERTOWN2000 Continuing on our ’sad country music’ update is Whispertown2000, a smokey, country-tinged, female fronted act from LA. Helmed by Morgan Nagler and well-connected with groups like Blake Sennet’s the Elected, Rilo Kiley, and Jenny Lewis’ solo work, Whispertown recalls them all at young, tender, and impressionable age.
Bands like Whispertown remind me of how I feel about country music and how I perceive it. Not as the barn-storming “All My Rowdy Friends” crowd, not as the redneck-proud “Larry the Cable Guy” crowd, but as the empty bottle of whiskey lonely boy and girl crowd. Whispertown2000’s great for those lonely nights buried under the covers (like tonight!). Definitely check them out. ******************************************************************** MY MORNING JACKET ON THE COVER OF SPIN
No seriously, the band that once penned the alt-country sleep The Tennessee Fire, the one and only My Morning Jacket, is on the cover of Spin Magazine. Here’s the article from the magazine, complete with a video of the cover shoot. Go check it out now and be sure and get pumped for Evil Urges, which I have been spinning like mad lately. ******************************************************************** DYNAMITE BOY VIDEO – PHOTOGRAPH To end today on an up note, here’s a preview of the videos to come this week from the Dynamite Boy/Cruiserweight show this last Saturday. Check it out!
Tonight’s Converge show at Red 7 here in Austin definitely renewed my faith in the hardcore scene. You can get bogged down in lame, crust-punk bands with no sense of integrity or unity to the punk ethos, but then you see great bands like these tonight (Converge, Red Chord, etc.) that really show the intellectual depth of bands such as these. When anger is this awe-inspiring people begin to take notice of what kids are so angry about. From opener “Plagues” to closer “Jane Doe” the Converge crew proved they’re the thinking man’s hardcore group once again. Here are some pictures from the gig. Converge The Red Chord Genghis Tron Coliseum The Network ******************************************************************** CONOR OBERST RELEASING SOLO ALBUM
As we previously reported Conor Oberst and his Mystic Valley Band may be releasing an upcoming album. Turns out they ARE releasing an album, a solo Conor Oberst one, so says this press release. Conor Oberst, as the album will be called, is set to be released 8/5 and here’s a tracklist. We’ll definitely be picking this one up before we see the Bright Eyes frontman at ACL this year.
01 “Cape Cañaveral” 02 “Sausalito” 03 “Get-Well-Cards” 04 “Lenders In The Temple” 05 “Danny Callahan” 06 “I Don’t Want To Die (In The Hospital)” 07 “Eagle On A Pole” 08 “Moab” 09 “NYC – Gone, Gone” 10 “Valle Místico (Ruben’s Song)” 11 “Souled Out!!!” 12 “Milk Thistle”
Also here’s one more, super upbeat solo track recorded live this past December for your enjoyment!
******************************************************************** CAT POWER SHOWS RESCHEDULED
Check out the Cat Power Myspace for more details, but the Austin Stubb’s show is rescheduled now officially for October 11th. The date’s already circled on my calendar!
However, I know everyone gets tired of Cat Power updates lacking content so here’s a bside that’s been floating around the Internet for a while!
******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES ON NME COVER?
Check it out! How cool is that? Apparently they’re now a ‘hype band’ that we should be watching out for! Read more about it here. Of course, astute readers of CC already know the deal with these guys. ******************************************************************** ARCADE FIRE ROCK (AGAIN!) FOR OBAMA
The Arcade Fire will be playing in support of presidential nominee (hopefully future president) Barack Obama in North Carolina on May 1st and 2nd in anticipation of the upcoming NC primary (story here). Basically, if you like rock and roll at all you’ll vote for this guy. C’mon people, I think it’s required now if you’re reading this blog. ******************************************************************** SCARLETT JOHANSSON SITE FOR WAITS’ ALBUM
Apparently there’s a site up now to cover the release of the new Scarlett album of Tom Waits’ covers. Luckily if you swing by you’ll be able to hear six tracks from the album and, as I’ve said before, it’s pretty darn good stuff. Definitely worth checking out.
Sorry this took so long to update readers! Internet troubles plague music blogs worldwide I’m sure, it’s just lame when I feel like it’s a really good post. If you like what you’re seeing comment peoples!
With a setlist to die for and sounding tighter than Jenny Lewis’ thigh-highs, Rilo Kiley blazed through classics old and new at their triumphant turn at Austin’s Stubb’s BBQ.
We managed to catch My Morning Jacket three times this year but none better than in the intimate setting of the Parish, where their magnificently raucous live antics threatened to collapse the second-story floor and show off their technical skill rather than their arean-rock readiness.
With a fiery set reminiscent of end-of-days prophecies, Converge annihilated all expectations with a set that was both brutal and enthralling, recalling the days when punk meant something more than just fast guitars.
Easily topping the list of this year’s most enthralling live sets, Cat Power at Stubb’s recalled classic soul songstresses of yesteryear, soaring through classics from You Are Free, the Greatest, and this year’s Jukebox, all the while maintaining the composure and confidence of a road-weary but hardened troubadour. Chan Marshall has walked through the fire and come out the other side a little older, a little dustier, but all the better for her trials. 
Simple setting, not-so-simple enemy, the Ruins managed to combine pleasingly-gory special effects with an overbearing sense of dread as the protagonists find themselves trapped on an ancient pyramid being eaten by, what else, rabid plants. Bloody pom-poms awarded all around. 
Perhaps the most outright terrifying flick on our list, the Strangers captures the nihilism of modern horror with stark and brutal imagery and enough impending dread to make you queasy throughout. Plus, check out the awesome old-timey poster, great stuff. 
A coming of age tale for the morally reprehensible amongst us (myself definitely included) Teeth tells the story of a young girl blossoming into full-fledged womanhood and all the blood, guts, and terror that it inevitably involves. Recommended for every frat-boy considering date-rape (warning: castration abounds).
A horrifically stark and undeniably enjoyable trek into the darkest reaches of the horror-film psyche, Funny Games forces the viewer themselves into sadism for continuing to watch the terrible torture of an affluent family by a deranged duo of golf-club wielding maniacs. Are we the real monsters for enjoying the film? It’s hard not to be when Naomi Watts starts gunning people down. A must see.
Of all the horror movies this year to question the brutal and sadistic nature of the genre, none dared to go so far as to question the medium of delivery itself, to identify the maddening pervasiveness of media in our society and our cult-like devotion to it. In the Signal, the three directors attempt just that, fusing elements of horror, drama, zombie-flick, dark comedy, gore, and psyche-freak-out all into a visionary masterpiece that undeniably captures what is at times both the best and the sickest elements of horror cinema – the unending search for meaning in a cruel world attacking from all sides. So highly recommended I’m wondering why you’re still reading this and not buying it. You must have the crazy.
