News for the ‘death is not a joyride’ Category

Blood Bath Recap Pt. 5

PREY FOR SLEEP – BLOOD BATH

Pounding out the riffs with a stampede of fury, Austin’s own Prey For Sleep definitely woke up fans midway through the Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath SXSW day party last week. Featuring songs from their debut LP as well as their extremely limited Forever Dies Today EP, PFS shook the walls and almost collapsed the chandeliers of the tiny Peacock bar. 
A long-time Cannibal Cheerleader favorite, Prey For Sleep has a new guitarist who seems to be injecting a new life into the band who are steadfast in their Southern metal conquest. With a lengthy May and June Texas tour planned, one can be assured that this quintet is about to blast off to new heights (or sink to new fiery depths, whatever your pleasure). Check it:
Prey For Sleep – “Forever Dies Today”
********************************************************************
AGENT RIBBONS – BLOOD BATH
In the wake of the much missed Southern Drama comes Naomi Cherie’s new band, joining forces with California act Agent Ribbons to continue her Vaudevillian-punk leanings with wildly imaginative song structure mixed bare-bones style blues instrumentation (one guitar, one drumkit, and now one violin!). Slicing and dicing their way through economical tracks of rock via way of performance art, the group astounded the Peacock audience at the Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath.
The band also played to promote their new Lucy the Poodle Magazine, an enthralling look at Austin’s booming music scene. And who could that be writing the cover story about Cannibal Cheerleader favorites Death is Not a Joyride? Why it’s none other than CC contributor JB! So check it out here and grab a copy after watching these sweet Agent Ribbons videos below.


********************************************************************
SXSW LIVE REVIEW – ERYKAH BADU/EITK
Rounding out the SXSW week with a day at Auditorium Shores has become a tradition of ours here at Cannibal Cheerleader, and what better way to end it than with a performance by one of Texas most treasured artists, Erykah Badu. Only, the show clearly didn’t go as planned.
Badu and her backing band/producing group the Cannabinoids were supposed to go on around 7pm and at around 7:10 the DJs hop on stage and start spinning intro music, introducing each other at length and trying (rather unsuccessfully) to warm up a crowd who were set to hear the Dallas songstress. And thus we waited and waited, and after about thirty minutes of tape loops the band casually wanders offstage, yelling “We’ll be back Austin!” as if that was the entirety of the performance, no Badu in sight. Suddenly an announcer booms over the PA, stating that ‘Erykah Badu has travel issues’, which makes the crowd erupt into a resounding ‘boo’. 
With her perfomance clearly shelved we prepared ourselves for Explosions in the Sky. However, much to our surprise 15 minutes later who wanders onstage but the immitable Miss Badu, signature hair braided long all the way down her back. She quickly introduces herself and hops into a killer rendition of “The Healer” which then bounces into a rocking take on “Danger”, after which the singer quickly skirts off the stage, her set cut short by time constrictions caused by her travel issues obviously. While the set was short it was nonetheless sweet and extremely passionate – here’s hoping Erykah Badu swings back through Austin ASAP.
Explosions in the Sky suffered a different set of problems, though nothing to do with lateness. It seems as if the local post-rock quartet was suffering from serious sound issues, a point made clear across the audience all night (and the blogosphere afterwards). Guitars would cut out randomly and the sound barely carried off the stage, leaving those at a distance to wonder why there wasn’t better sound provided for the Auditorium Shores stage. Still, the band, focusing heavily on newer tracks, managed to absolutely destroy their set, reeling and wheeling around chords and guitar lines in an awe-inspiring display. Definitely a site to behold, only next time in a different locale!
********************************************************************
NEW ISIS ALBUM
We here at Cannibal Cheerleader are well-known for our doom-metal obsession, thus it has been with extreme excitement that we’ve awaited the release of the new Isis album Wavering Radiant, and it does not dissapoint. Returing to the churning formula of Panopticon while keeping the indie-inflection of The Absence of Truth, Isis have crafted yet another masterful rendition of sonorous, stretching, and seething metal music, with plenty to like for all fans. Definitely worthy of a listen, check it below:
********************************************************************
NEW TREASURE MAMMAL 7”
Rounding out the week with a little bit more Treasure Mammal news, the Phoenix artist just released a new split 7″ with the Numerators featuring his absolute jammer “Spring Break” as well as “Amethyst”. Definitely worth the buy if only for the Cholos in the bathtub artwork up there. “Spring Break” is one of our favorite party-starters of all time, featuring all the charm and wit of T. Mammal crammed into one pop extravaganza (and to what other track do you get to scream the lyric “Johnny Cochran… you’re dead!”). So head on over to the Mammal’s Myspace and grab that sucker ASAP y’all!
********************************************************************
BLOOD BATH ROUNDUP
That about finishes our content for the Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath. It was an incredible party and everything we hoped it would be. Thanks so much to the bands, to everyone who helped out (the Peacock, Ramon Ramirez for the killer sound, Allison Bright for the wonderful pictures), and most of all thanks to anyone who came and had a good time. Kudos to you people, you make writing this site worth it, so keep reading and tell all your friends to join the cult of Cannibal Cheerleader!



Comments?

Friction and Forever

EXCLUSIVE NEW PREY FOR SLEEP TRACK

Oh Prey For Sleep, where have you been? Busy it would seem as the winter months have brought lineup changes to the Austin metal group but no less intensity as evidenced in this new track “Forever Dies Today”, an ultra-exclusive new track from a lost EP. Featuring an increase in brutality, searing drumwork, and the signature Hunter Townsend vocals, the new Prey For Sleep sounds just as good, if not better, than the old one. Check it.
Prey For Sleep – “Forever Dies Today”
********************************************************************
NEW BAND CHEER: DEATH IS NOT A JOYRIDE.
Another incredible recommendation from Naomi of Southern Drama, Austin’s own Death Is Not A Joyride combine the live antics of the Dresden Dolls, the big-band sound of an amped-up (and punked out) Arcade Fire, and Bjork-like vocals to create a frighteningly awesome display of avant pop meets theatrics. Performing in animal masks as if in a dark, Vaudevillian circus act, DINAJ balance between an incredible live performance group and a formidable indie rock troupe to create a wonderful combo of light and sound the likes of which one has never seen before. Definitely check these guys out during SXSW 09, as they’re an official showcasing band (the list keeps growing!). Check out some songs and their music video below.
Death Is Not A Joyride – “In the Mind of a Pacing Tiger”
Death Is Not A Joyride –  ”Chiffon Tutu, Dancing Bear”
********************************************************************
NEW BAND CHEER: THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART
So, how it works here at Cannibal Cheerleader is that we’ll plan out a week’s worth of updates in advance, so we actually were already planning on talking about this great New York act The Pains of Being Pure At Heart way before this actually. Still, even though we’re beaten to the punch, it just goes to show the searing vitality of this band’s music, which combines shoegazey strings a-la Asobi Seksu with soaring indie-pop a-la Stars to create a transcendant brand of pure pop-rock goodness. Sailing in on the backs of some successful EPs and splits, the band’s self-titled debut album pummels you with amazing melodies and fiery feedback for a listening experience like no other. Check them out (and if you already have, check them out again!). 
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Young Adult Friction”
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “This Love Is Fucking Right”
Comments?

Life’s a Bore

LIFE IS A GIANT DRAG (UPDATE)

Our old pal Annie Hardy of our favorite shoegazey solo-act Giant Drag has been staying busy, what with recording her new Swan Song EP and all (by the way check out the new version of “Swan Song” up on the band’s Myspace, it’s absolutely haunting and gorgeous). Recently Annie
 hooked up with Joe from the Icarus Line to perform a DJ set under the moniker Mister and Misses Howl, which will hopefully speak to more collaborations between the two bands soon.
 Additionally Giant Drag have added their new song “Stuff to Live For” to a short film by photographer Bella Howard which you can check out at this website. We’re waiting with bated
 breath for Annie’s new EP, so remember to buy stuff from her Ebay Store so she has the money to put it out already!
Giant Drag – “Swan Song (Live in Paris)”
********************************************************************
SOUTHERN DRAMA TO PLAY BEAUTY BAR
Local chamber-poppers Southern Drama are playing the Beauty Bar here in the ATX Monday July 21st with fellow awesome Austinites Death Is Not A Joyride. Definitely go and check these ladies out, their music is killer! Check out this music video for a taste of their tracks.
********************************************************************
TERROR THURSDAY – DEADLY SPAWN
Speaking of killer, last night’s Terror Thursday featured one of the most gruesome and satisfying flicks to date: Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn is an old fashioned monster movie gorefest, complete with slimy, non-CGI creatures, decapitations, face-ripping,
 explosions, and chewed-up grandmothers. Near perfection in my book, definitely deserving of four and a half out of five bloody pon-poms. Check out this unbelievably cool trailer if you don’t believe the hype about this movie – go rent it NOW.
********************************************************************
VIVIAN GIRLS REVEAL NEW 7″
We can’t seem to get enough of the infectious Vivian Girls here at Cannibal Cheerleader, and with good reason as their jangly, whispery rock is as unique as it is listenable. The Girls have put up a new track entitled “I Can’t Stay” up on their Myspace, and it’s not on the streets until September on vinyl so this is the last bone we’re being thrown for a while. Also their sold out self-titled debut is getting a re-release in the fall, good news for those of us who didn’t hear about these ladies until too late! Here’s a jam to spin this weekend.
See everyone next week! Any comments?