LISSY TRULLIE LIVE IN AUSTIN Pretty amazing show this week care of NYC garage-rocker extraordinaire Lissy Trullie whose unique brand of smoldering, soulful tunes took on a new life in a live setting, punching up the volume and adding depth and passion to already heartfelt songs. Playing through every single track off of her Self-Taught Learner EP including the rare b-side “You Bleed You”, the band sounded confident and adventurous, cranking up the tempo on some songs and implanting feedback-laden riffs into others. Dressed in tattered jeans, a wife-beater, and six-inch heels Lissy Trullie came across as every inch the rock star, showcasing her artistic talent as well as her larger than life persona as the band rocketed through incredible renditions of “Ready For the Floor” and the best version of “Boy Boy” we’ve heard yet. With the band slated to record more tunes in July, we’re waiting with bated breath to see if the group can top the pop-rock majesty and cavalier style that is their first EP – but here’s hoping it’s Lissy Trullie’s equivalent to the Modern Age EP. More updates certainly forthcoming, check the pics below! Lissy Trullie – “Boy Boy”
PS. If you haven’t picked up the Boy Boy 7″ yet we highly recommend it – heavy vinyl, good quality, and cool packaging worth the cost! ******************************************************************** CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES COVERS KINGS OF LEON Been getting some flack for covering one of our favorite singer-songwriters (looking at you Gallows fans…) but we firmly stand behind New York-based Charlotte Sometimes, especially after hearing her cover of Kings of Leon’s “Sex On Fire”. Like many people we think KOL are the bees knees but the new album might have been a little big for their britches, as their U2 aping bordered on Coldplay territory – however the heartfelt and sex-infused lyricism is definitely still buried under all that giant wall of sound as is evident by Charlotte’s stripped down and hypnotic cover of this Only By The Night standout. Check it out below and be sure and keep up with Miss Sometimes at her blog Forever Sometimes.
Charlotte Sometimes – “Sex On Fire (KOL cover)” ******************************************************************** NEW SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS VIDEO Huge fan of School of Seven Bells here and just as they’re about to swing through Austin this coming Tuesday June 2nd at Mohawk we have a new video from the group with the inimitable single “My Cabal”. Definitely another trippy psychedelic wonderland for this posse and a wondeful edition to their catalogue. If you haven’t bought this band’s release Alpinisms yet you simply have to go to the record store immediately and pick it up – you’ll be astounded. Also, check out the Jesu remix of “Face to Face on High Places” below, definitely adds a droney element to an already firey song.
Comments? Summer is here folks and Cannibal Cheerleader will be hard at work on many different video and writing projects here in Austin. Still, we’re determined to update as much as possible – at least once a week every week all summer, so stay tuned for awesome updates on your favorite anti-blogosphere stars. Hail to the horror.
NEW MARS VOLTA ALBUM NEWS AND COVER ART Check that bad boy out! Word on the street is (very early, blogosphere speculative word that is) that this wonderful monstrosity is indeed the face of Octahedron, the newest release from Texas’ own The Mars Volta, one of our favorite bands of all time. Lots of speculation and rumor surrounding this release so let’s lay down a few things we do know, starting with the tracklist:
“Since We’ve Been Wrong”
“Teflon”
“Halo of Nembutals”
“With Twilight as My Guide”
“Cotopaxi”
“Desperate Graves”
“Copernicus”
“Luciforms”
Also notable is the suggestion that this album will be a more subdued and listenable approach to TMV’s sound, an experience Omar Rodriguez-Lopez has dubbed “acoustic”, though it’s anyone’s guess as to what acoustic can mean for this band. Still, a step towards listenability may just be an approach to greater rockness, though there’s hardly any chance this album could conquer the behemoth (no pun intended) that was the Bedlam in Goliath. Still, here’s hope “Since We’ve Been Wrong” is a Kelly Clarkson cover (it IS the first single after all).
Another interesting tidbit – check out this photo below, which is the background of Hello Merch’s Mars Volta page. Below that you’ll see the mountain the picture was based on, called “Cotopaxi”. Coincidence? We think not! Maybe another piece of the art puzzle, look out for more clues folks! Lastly here’s a live bootleg version of “Since We’ve Been Wrong” from their New Year’s Eve show this past December. Get excited.
The Mars Volta – “Cavalettas” ******************************************************************** NEW BALMORHEA VIDEO Here’s Austin’s own Balmorhea’s newest video for “Remembrance” off their excellent third LP All Is Wild, All Is Silent. Enjoy!
Balmorhea – “Settler” ******************************************************************** THE ARM TO REUNITE IN AUSTIN Back in the day, back when things were real different here in Austin, there used to be this rather electric dance-punk group whose combination of Interpol-esque pathos merged seamlessly with their industrial, Bloc Party beats to create a local powerhouse of Gang of Four-style indie rock – that group was called the Arm and they broke up YEARS ago it seems. Well imagine our surprise when we found out the group would be reforming for one night only at a headling show at Emo’s on May 9th. You know we’ll be there! Check out the group’s Myspace for more details!
Our favorite band of dance-rock stalwarts the Action Design blazed through a searing set last night in Austin at Emo’s downtown. While the band’s last Austin performance left us winded, M and the gang had us gasping for air this night, with a rampaging set that reminded old schoolers of the group’s hardcore roots and excited new fans with whip-crack post-punk instrumentation. Serving up entrancing performances of deep-cuts like “Lounge in Formation” and “City Committee”, complete with the group’s signature tight sound and M’s passionate croon, the band brought a level of bombast and pure-energy on rockers like “Landmines” and “Scissor Game”. The group even noodled wistfully through the Justin Timberlake (!?) interlude “Think That She Knows”, proving their ability to bring a punk edge to even the danciest of tracks. Surely the Action Design are the bastard child of Bloc Party and Blondie, a sight to behold live and a passionate group that’s in love with their music and in touch with their fans. A five-star performance from a great group, more pics below and a rare track entitled “Move On” from the group’s first, self-titled EP, limited to 1000 copies. Check it out!
Speaking of bastards, Dayton, Ohio’s favorite sons, garage-rockers the Heartless Bastards are back with the Mountain, a hearty dosage of blues and carnage that relies more heavily on the soaring vocals of lead Erika Wennerstrom than ever before. Not satisfied to rest on the laurels of their breakthrough sophomore LP All This Time, Wennerstrom and company rip and tear through 11 tracks of blues-rock blood and guts, sounding equal parts classic with a degree of modernity that makes the tunes immediately relatable and captivating. This group makes it look easy, and Wennerstrom is at her best here, steering the Heartless ship towards a woozy, dusty-road sound that evokes hard-living and harder landscapes. This is the Bastards Attack & Release, a startling achievement that calls into question the validity of their earlier work. We didn’t know you had it in you kids! Definitely makes the team but will probably get kicked off for cussing and spitting – our kind of girl!
Our favorite arena-packing synth-rockers the Killers have put together a mind-blowing new video for Day & Age standout “Spaceman”, complete with psychedelic staircases and red tights. Check it out below – do you think Brandon Flowers will play some backyard football with us in that costume?
THE ACTION DESIGN LIVE IN AUSTIN In what will probably go down as one of our favorite punk shows of the year, the Action Design, starring M formerly of one of our favorite bands of all time Tsunami Bomb, brought their powerful brand of pop-punk to an excited Red 7 audience who thrilled at seeing the gang in fine form. Whipping through a set that included four tracks from their Into a Sound EP and another seven from Never Say, the band rocketed between soul-wrenching classics like “Lounge in Formation” to balls-out rockers like “Landmines”. Dressed complete with her now famous elephant necklace and belting out tunes with all the fire we’ve come to expect, M and co. definitely recalled a time where punk meant more than askew haircuts, tight jeans, and a video on MTV. The Action Design is genuinely the real deal, punk at its finest in 2008, pop sensibility meshing wonderfully with fiery rock and roll. Definitely grab a ticket to the tour if they’re heading through your town, check out their Myspace for dates! More pictures below. The Action Design – “Empty Face” ******************************************************************** JENNY LEWIS FULL ALBUM STREAMING Over on our friend Jenny Lewis’ Myspace you can find the enirety of her new album Acid Tongue streaming right freaking now! Go now young son, and listen to the country-rock majesty of the Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s sophomore effort!
Jenny Lewis – “Acid Tongue” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: THE ACTION DESIGN’S NEVER SAY Having just picked up the new CD from the Action Design that is coincidentally only available right now from their tour merch table, we decided we’d right up a little review of what’s promising to be one of our favorite releases of the year. Right from the get-go, M and her TAD cohorts jump in with the soaring choruses that utilizes the lead vocals and churning guitar parts to masterful effect. Seriously, it’s as if a band has finally caught up with Emily Whitehurst’s incredible vocal delivery after all these years, creating a band that works as a cohesive whole. Standout tracks include “Landmines”, “Empty Face”, and “Tokyo Train”, though the album flows so well, working carefully through more dynamics than Tsunami Bomb’s whole discography in a single song, that to call out single songs is quite pointless. Definitely pick this one up if you can (I believe it’s available from Interpunk right now if TAD’s not swinging through your town) and buy some old Tsunami Bomb stuff while you’re at it. Definitely makes the team, though it probably spends more time skateboarding than practicing any cheers.
The Action Design – “Landmines” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: THE BOXING LESSON If you’ve lived in Austin for any time at all you’ve probably at least heard of the Boxing Lesson, even if you haven’t heard their music directly. I moved here five years ago and in that time I’ve seen them all over the place, on every flyer on every bulletin board in town. Of course, this is not without just cause, as they’re one of the most exciting and innovative Austin acts that the capital city has to offer. With a sound that’s equal parts electronica-tinged atmospherics and chugging, psychedelic indie rock, the band has honed a unique sound over the years that coalesces perfectly on their new CD Wild Streaks & Windy Days. They’re playing tomorrow with Tokyo Police Club and the Whigs at Emo’s so be sure and check them out. We’ll be keeping track of these guys from now on!
INTERVIEW WITH VIVIAN GIRLS Recently here at Cannibal Cheerleader we had the opportunity to conduct an interview with one of our favorite new bands of the year Vivian Girls. Having not only created a firestorm of press with their sold-out debut and girl-group meets shoegaze sound, the Girls’ star seems to be shining brighter and shooting farther with each passing day as they plan on opening for Sonic Youth this weekend in New York. We caught up with the trio via email and here’s what they had to say:
CC: Describe to us the Vivian Girls story. How did you come together as a group and what spurred you on to create this type of music?
Cassie: Vivian Girls began when me and Frankie (our old drummer) were eating brunch at a Mexican restaurant and decided to start a band. We had a few practices and still needed a bass player, so I asked Katy (one of my best friends from high school) if she wanted to join. Our original goal was to be a fast yet melodic punk band. At one of our early shows someone said we sounded like Black Tambourine – so we checked ‘em out and thought they were sweet. That’s when we added the reverb.
More of the interview printed at the end of this post. Give a listen to a song off the Vivian Girls’ self-titled debut below.
Vivian Girls – “Where Do You Run To” ******************************************************************** VIVIAN GIRLS VIDEOS We’ve only recently come up the Vivian Girls’ blog but it’s the number one source for VG news and videos. Speaking of which, here are two fantastic videos from the blog, reposted here for your viewing pleasure. Check it!
Rad stuff girls! ******************************************************************** RINGO DEATHSTARR REVEAL NEW TUNES One of our favorite local acts Ringo Deathstarr have recently stuck two new tunes (”In Love” and “Summer Time”) up on their Myspace and if they’re any indication of the upcoming material that the shoegazing quartet has in store for us, than this might just be the Austin band of the millennium. Seriously, the riffs on “In Love” are phenomenal and the dream-like quality of “Summer Time” reminds of a fuzz-filled musical heyday. Definitely go over and check them out. They play this Saturday at Emo’s, so don’t miss it!
Ringo Deathstarr – “Down On You” ******************************************************************** VIVIAN GIRLS INTERVIEW CONT’D Here’s the rest of our interview with NYC’s Vivian Girls. Enjoy!
CC: How would you describe your sound? Lots of terms are thrown around, from ‘ramshackle punk’ to ’shoegaze’, from ‘lo-fi’ to ‘girl-group’ and everything in-between. Do people have a hard time pinning you down? How would you categorize your music?
Cassie: I think of our music as a big mashup of everything we’re into – which includes every genre you mentioned above. It seems like people can apply our music to whatever kinda stuff they’re into, cause we’ve been called everything from “street rock” to “singalong twee” (barf) to “short songs that tread into psych and drone.” We’ve also been compared to every band with a female singer ever. On our Myspace we list ourselves as Punk / Shoegaze / Surf and that’s how I’d like to describe our sound.
CC: What’s your artistic process? How do the songs come about and how do you collaborate with each other?
Cassie: Our songs are usually written in one of two ways. Either I’ll write a song by myself and then the rest of a band will fill it out, or someone else writes a bassline and then we all work together on making it a song.
CC: Your sound seems equal parts carefully-crafted and wild and free. How much thought goes into this dynamic? Does this come through live or is it a product of studio-recording? Describe to us a little bit about your live show.
Cassie: It’s definitely a little bit of both. We try to pay a lot of attention to the levels of our reverb and amps and stuff, but none of us are pro musicians. Our live show is sometimes really chaotic because reverb and PA’s don’t get along, but whatever, we always have fun! Katy: We are still working on our live sound. Due to the reverb, sometimes the vocals are too soft.
CC: Your rise to indie-rock fame (whatever that might be) has been pretty meteoric. Your self-titled LP is notorious for selling out its first printing and being sold for hundreds on ebay. At the end of the month you’re opening for Sonic Youth. How do you respond to all the press you’re receiving? What do you attribute the increased attention to?
Katy: I think our success was pretty random. I can’t attribute it to any one thing that we did. We are just really into what we’re doing, and I think other people can pick up on that. Cassie: I think it’s mostly just being at the right place at the right time kinda thing. We never really wanted all this attention but we’re stoked. I don’t think my life has ever been any better. Whenever we read a positive review of ourselves we high five and then go sit in the park and watch dogs. It rules.
CC: What are some of your favorite bands of the moment? What are your influences? What are some of your favorite songs (both songs you listen to and songs you’ve made)?
Cassie: Our favorite current bands are Yellow Fever, Cause Co-Motion, Titus Andronicus, Woods, and Abe Vigoda, to name a few. Our biggest influences are definitely Burt Bacharach and the Wipers and Nirvana and like every good pop song from the 60’s and 70’s. ELO’s “Turn to Stone” and Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” are two songs I’ve been listening to a lot lately. “Tell The World” and “Never See Me Again” are probably my favorite Vivian Girls songs. Katy: I also love all of those bands. My current favorite songs are “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers and “Make it easy on yourself” by Burt Bacharach. My favorite VG songs are “Surfin’ Away” and “Going Insane”. We only wrote “Surfin’ Away” a month ago.
CC: Is it harder for an all-girl band to make it in today’s indie-rock community? Have you had any difficulties or come into any problems because your group is all female? How do you identify with other all girl groups, like riot grrrls?
Cassie: Riot grrrl, I think was a really important movement at the time and something that needed to happen. At the time the scene was a lot more aggro and male dominated. But from my personal experience of being in an all-female band today, we’ve actually found it surprisingly easy. Even though most of the bands we play with are mostly guys, we’ve encountered little to no sexism at our shows and dealing with people. The only instances in which people like to hate on the fact that we’re women is on certain blogs and message boards, but whatever, we don’t care. That’s why we have an appreciation for the original riot grrrl movement but new riot grrrl bands starting today just seem kinda dated.
CC: Have you as a band ‘made it’? What is it to ‘make it’ as a band? How can one aspire to achieve the sort of fame your band has?
Cassie: I have no idea if we’ve made it or not. I guess by now I’ve achieved a lot of my dreams, which were pretty small to begin with: just stuff like going on tour and putting out a record and having people be into a band I’m in. Things like having our record go on eBay for $100 and openning for Sonic Youth are just cool bonuses. So yeah, I guess I feel like we’ve “made it” but there are a lot of people who view “making it” as having a million dollars and a tour bus and the best gear. I also think that the “fame” we have is a really crazy combination of hard work and luck. Like me and Katy both almost failed our last semester of college cause we were so busy doing Vivian Girls stuff all the time. And we’re really lucky to have so many awesome friends who wanted to put out our records and book sweet shows for us. Katy: “Making it” is definitely a relative term. In my eyes, “making it” as a band is having the ability to do things you want to do. For example, we are starting up a project of recording and releasing our own 7″. This is something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I feel like because there are a number of people out there who are interested in our music, we can finally go ahead and do it without losing tons of money.
CC: The Vivian Girls tour seems near endless – what’s your favorite part about playing on the road? Your least favorite part?
Cassie: Best part about touring, is obviously getting to go everywhere – but not only do you get to travel, you also have automatic friends in every city who know where all the cool stuff is, and you’re at a fun show every night. We are like touring machines. We love it. My least favorite part is sometimes you end up staying at houses with less than desirable sleeping situations, like houses with fleas or houses with only one couch and everyone else has to sleep on a hardwood floor. Katy: I really like that point on tour when you don’t know what day of the week it is anymore, because every night is saturday night.
CC: What’s your fanbase like? How have the crowds at your shows changed as you’ve garnered more press and notoreity? Do you have any plans about what you’re going to play/do when you open for Sonic Youth?
Cassie: Our fanbase is made up primarily of record collectors and hot dudes. Seriously, it rules. It’s hard to say about the crowds at shows because we play so many different kinds of shows. Generally, the shows are the same as always, our friends are always there and it’s awesome. When we open for Sonic Youth we’re just gonna try to slay on our axes as hard as possible. Ya know? Katy: We just played a show this past week, and I noticed that the crowd there was more diverse than usual. It wasn’t just the one group of friends that we are used to, it was a lot of people who didn’t seem to know each other very well. I like bringing people together who might have never met otherwise. Also, I refuse to sleep until I know of at least one couple who met at one of our shows.
RINGO DEATHSTARR UPDATE It’s a weekend update of epic, lovelorn, shoe-gazing proportions, starting off with this post from Austin’s favorite swirly guitar masters Ringo Deathstarr. Here’s there most recent Myspace post:
“this just in…we have been working on new material lately….we are going to start playing it at shows starting now. we also just finished tracking a couple of new tunes that are now in the process of being mixed. thanks to the band JET, mixing has been delayed as computer boy has been kidnapped by them and is being held at the bubble(the recording studio) but i hear they are treating him well. we are trying to get these 2 songs that we have done to be released on 7” vinyl for your pleasure…but in the mean time, we will release them on cassette and CD-R and make them available at shows only until something is worked out. SVC records of course will make these tracks available digitally when the time is right. we have been getting lots of e-mails from our faithful fans that want us to play in their city,, and trust me we want to as well,but due to gas prices and not being on a record label that has lots of money to pay for a tour, we are doing our best to get the hell out of texas. thanks to a deal that southwest airlines had going, we are flying to the east coast for a few days and taking the china town bus to our shows. we are awaiting confirmation on a couple of shows but hopefully we will see yo there! we also finally just filmed a video for sweet girl which will be released sometime next week. we are soon going to film a video for one of the new songs “summertime” (featuring alex on lead vocals).we will egin recording a full length or something very soon as well.“
The band’s next show is August 30th at Emo’s, so you know we’ll be there with bells on. Check out this rad video for the band’s upcoming EP, sounds stellar! Summer Mini Tour
Ringo Deathstarr – “Down On You” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: FIGHT BITE’S EMERALD EYES Considering that there are only two members present in the Denton, Texas based fuzz-filled experimental band Fight Bite, it’s astounding just how much depth and layers the songs seem to incorporate. From the waves of passion and synthesizers in instant classic “Swissex Lover” to the melodic keyboard, starry-eyed drum twinkles, and soaring vocals of “Strings”, Emerald Eyes begins and ends as a masterpiece of headphone-heavy, lilting pop music, bringing a delicate touch to a genre recently mired in loud-quiet-loud dynamics. The subtleties of Fight Bite are wistful and unique, as the band refuses to play to either shoegaze tenants or chamber-pop standards, instead electing to combine elements of both into an intimate mix of lonely teenager background tunes and the epic sweep of a hot wind over a cloud-covered field. Reminiscent of the the latest work of M83 in parts, Fight Bite dives deep into the realm of the dreamiest of pop standards and comes across on the other side of the universe with one of the best releases of the year. Definitely makes the team, though it’ll probably just sit in a corner and write in its diary during practice.
Fight Bite – “Spring Rain” Fight Bite – “Strings” ******************************************************************** TRYOUTS: HIGH PLACES’ HIGH PLACES Of all the bands one reads about online, there remains only a select few that eschew standard melodies and pop rhythms so completely as Brooklyn’s High Places, who with their self-titled debut have crafted an intimate realm of whirls, clicks, sounds, and noises that magically combine into, what else, but awe-inspiring music. Beginning with the bang of “The Storm” it becomes clear that High Places is lifting us far away from Kansas and having left our comfort zone the band refuses to let us settle in comfortably. Truly, the ingenuity of the instrumentality of this record is nothing short of astounding, with waterdrops taking the place of drumbeats, rainmakers dipping in and out of the dynamic mix, and light keyboard tapping remaining the only familiar instrument in the bunch. The vocals drift in and out of each verse with the carefree abandon of a flitting hummingbird, though it compliments the drumwork so completely that it seems the perfect marriage of voice and form. The strength of the band’s earlier work 03/07-09/07 lied partly in its penchant for constructing tiny vignettes with song ideas and never overstaying its welcome, and High Places manages to capture the same essence, each track dancing in and swimming out like a bee shooting between sunflowers. Overall, the record stands as a testament to the ingenuity of modern indie-rock, which could stand a facelift every once in a while, and what better way to shake things up than throw out everything we’ve ever known. Definitely makes the team and probably will come up with some wild new cheers that are probably illegal in competition.
Swinging in for a free in-store performance at End of an Ear Records a little over an hour later than expected, Thao Nguyen and her backing backing band the Get Down Stay Down nonetheless managed to tear through a set of bluesy indie rock that kept the audience rapt with attention throughout short set. With intricate guitar-picking skills that nonetheless seems to flow from her fingertips like raindrops, and a voice that recalls a mix between a Southern
songstress croon and a riot grrrl yelp, Thao beat-boxed, strummed, wailed, and shredded her way through an abbreviated set in preview for her Emo’s performance tonight. However, the
intimacy of the record store maximized the poetic and heartfelt nature of her songs and while the downtown concert venue will no doubt attract a bigger crowd and ellicit a longer set, the experience of seeing Thao and the Get Down Stay Down in this tiny room stands out as one of the best live performances this year in Austin. We’ll definitely be keeping up with Thao as she
Balmorhea, the neo-classical sextet that wowed us with their unbelievable sophomore LP Rivers Arms are goin’ out west with Bexar Bexar in tow and meeting up with Tiny Vipers along the way. Touring violinist Aisha Burns has set up a blog called Stages, Stories, and Highway Signs to chronicle the bands’ adventures. You know we’ll be checking it out daily to see where this great band goes.
At the same time, Prey For Sleep, our favorite Austin crust-punk-meets-metal act, is heading up north to Ohio to record a six-song EP. Driving all the way, lead singer Hunter Townsend will be blogging about his adventures when the quintet gets a free second over at the band’s Myspace.
Here’s to both these groups, we’ll be checking in on your progress over the next month with great interest. Good luck you guys and you move across the country!
******************************************************************** WEEZER ANNOUNCE TOUR W/ AVA, TOKYO POLICE CLUB
Now that Weezer has returned to form musically, it’s about time they return to touring like a normal band as well. The Rivers Cuomo-fronted foursome will trek across America with Cannibal Cheerleader faves Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club in tow, landing at the Frank Erwin Center here in Austin on Oct. 20th. Get your tickets now because this show will sell out quick!
TILLY/BELAIRE/RINGO D’STARR ROCK EMO’SLast night at Emo’s here in Austin, Texas, attendees of the earth-shattering performances of Tilly and the Wall, Belaire, and Ringo Deathstarr were witness to a brilliant becoming, as three already immensely respectable acts combined forces for an evening of sonic epiphanies, with each band blowing away expectations to an infectiously joyous crowd. The room teemed with life as if every track by every band meant the world to each person in the club, and the acts rode these vibes to the top of their respective games. With so much good to be said about all three groups, I thought it best to do a show review about each one separately, in chronological order.
Ringo Deathstarr Leading off the night were relative newcomers Ringo Deathstarr who nonetheless have managed to claim the throne as Austin’s best new band around seemingly overnight with this, one of their strongest performances yet. Starting with a slow churn that saw the band testing the waters with gorgeous guitarwork and echo-laden vocals, the foursome quickly whipped into crunchy numbers such as “Down on You”, to the crowd’s delight. All the while lead singer Elliot Frazier kept up his mysteriously aloof nature and threw guitars to the ground with such carefree effortlessness and reckless abandon as to suggest the shoegazers have finally become rockstars. We here at Cannibal Cheerleader believe that Ringo Deathstarr don’t have to prove it to us anymore; these guys are some of the finest rock musicians not just in Austin, but the whole country. Aligned like a firing squad, all four members in a line at the front of the stage, with the audience as their willing victims, Ringo Deathstarr brought their A-game as an opener and managed to set the bar sky-high for the following acts. Ringo Deathstarr – “Down on You”
Belaire No performance would’ve been harder to follow than Ringo Deathstarr’s guitar-throwing, confetti filled, wall-of-sound extravaganza, but Belaire managed to take the challenge in stride and delivered a performance both musically solid and creatively inventive, turning kitsch keyboard midi-tracks into genuine hip-shakers and delighting rockers and ravers alike. Having only just recently reformed with the addition of three new members, Belaire nonetheless proved they can still bring the goods by combining synth-experimentalism with rock aesthetics and dance grooves into a hypnotic combination that, while requiring some getting used to, ranks among some of the best damn music in Austin today. Not recommended for those into bland pop, Belaire tore through their bizarre cache of oldies and debuted tracks from their upcoming fall release, the details of which have yet to be released. Poised effortlessly behind a wall of keyboards set up at the front of the stage, this quintet proved guitars aren’t the only instruments that get the people moving in Austin. Belaire – “You Really Got Me Goin’”
Tilly and the Wall One can only imagine the anxiety of having two bands absolutely kill before your band has a chance to play, the crowd already in a frenzy before your arrival, and you knowing you have to give it your all or go home now. That was the attitude that Tilly and the Wall seemingly attacked the stage with last night, bursting forth with such fervor and energy as to claim this was the only show that ever did and ever will matter to the band. With a dazzling light show blazing behind them, a cornucopia of streamers and balloons cascading through the audience, and a Jamie Presnall tap dancing on a raised in the middle of it all, Tilly tore through a set of oldies such as “Nights of the Living Dead” and some new tracks off of their latest LP O such as “Pot Kettle Black”, all of which the audience connected with instantaneously. The band’s music combines infectious pop melodies with subversive indie-rock lyrics on love, loss, desperation, and the outsider experience, sounding like a twee band on steroids, with all the sarcastic and scathing humor of such acts with a degree of punk fury and inventiveness to boot. This of course was the case for last night’s show, as Tilly and the Wall left it all on the table, furiously playing through a brilliant set of blazing sing-a-long duets and guitar shrieks before calling an end to the night’s festivities. Exhausted and exhilarated all at once, all us crazy kids bid adieu to Emo’s in hopes that maybe next time we’d get a warning before another show with three acts as good as these guys caught us off guard. Tilly and the Wall – “Pot Kettle Black” ******************************************************************** ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND REVEAL THIRD LP With a name that reads exactly how the group’s music sounds, All Girl Summer Fun Band have surprised us with the announcement of their third LP, entitled Looking Into It. Supposedly the tracks on this record, while still maintaining the bubblegum simplicity and wild energy of the earlier albums, will rock harder and louder than previous efforts. We’ll take it any way you give it to us ladies! Check out the Pitchfork article for more details. Here’s the tracklist:
01 Not the One for Me 02 Something New 03 Oh No 04 Trajectory 05 Lost 06 Everything I Need 07 The Only Ones 08 Rewind 09 Looking Into It 10 Plastic Toy Dream 11 This Will Never End
All Girl Summer Fun Band – “Samantha Secret Agent” ******************************************************************** RA RA RIOT POST SONG FROM UPCOMING DEBUT LP Ra Ra Riot have posted on their Myspace a new version of “Dying is Fine”, a song originally on their self-titled EP, that will now be featured on The Rhumb Line, their debut LP on Barsuk. The band’s intricate instrumentation suits this higher-end production and this recording seems to capture much of the band’s raw live energy. Ra Ra Riot will be swinging back through Austin Oct. 3rd at Stubb’s, so don’t miss them!
Yeesh! Long post! Hope this will tide you over for the weekend people, I need to catch up in my work on the paper version of Cannibal Cheerleader. Until then, leave a comment or two and tell me what you think!
The Faceless Werewolves performed at Emo’s last Thursday and who was there but your trusty Cannibal Cheerleader, camera in tow. Here are a few videos from the night that confirm what astute listeners already know: when it comes to garage-rock in Austin, the Faceless Werewolves are the head of the pack.
The Faceless Werewolves – “Couldn’t Believe It Blues”
The Faceless Werewolves – “My Weakness”
******************************************************************** MY MORNING JACKET – BLACK CAB SESSION
What’s even more awesome than being in My Morning Jacket? Being in a cab with My Morning Jacket of course, or at least that’s the theme behind this web series the Black Cab Sessions. They’ve done such CC faves as Death Cab and Scout Niblett and now they’ve got Jim James and Carl Broemel performing “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. II” on their site. Check it out here.
Awesome stuff. Here’s an MMJ b-side to complete your daily recommended dosage of Jim James and co.
******************************************************************** NEW FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE VIDEO
Last time we heard from Florence and the Machine, the feisty UK songstress hailing from across the sea, she was just releasing her excellent single “Kiss With A Fist”. Now we have the video, a fun quaint piece that belies the bloody, furious lyrics of the song. Definitely worth checking out below.
******************************************************************** CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES IN ROLLING STONE
It seems like just yesterday we were standing amongst a scant few onlookers watching Charlotte Sometimes play as the first act onstage at the Alternative Press Magazine SXSW 08 party. Now she’s being featured in Rolling Stone and has received some heavy rotation on MTV and VH1. Frankly, more power to her! We at Cannibal Cheerleader want more people to hear the rock-cum-pop sound of Jersey’s finest female singer-songwriter export! Here’s a CS tune to celebrate!
Pretty amazing show this week care of NYC garage-rocker extraordinaire Lissy Trullie whose unique brand of smoldering, soulful tunes took on a new life in a live setting, punching up the volume and adding depth and passion to already heartfelt songs. Playing through every single track off of her Self-Taught Learner EP including the rare b-side “You Bleed You”, the band sounded confident and adventurous, cranking up the tempo on some songs and implanting feedback-laden riffs into others. Dressed in tattered jeans, a wife-beater, and six-inch heels Lissy Trullie came across as every inch the rock star, showcasing her artistic talent as well as her larger than life persona as the band rocketed through incredible renditions of “Ready For the Floor” and the best version of “Boy Boy” we’ve heard yet. With the band slated to record more tunes in July, we’re waiting with bated breath to see if the group can top the pop-rock majesty and cavalier style that is their first EP – but here’s hoping it’s Lissy Trullie’s equivalent to the Modern Age EP. More updates certainly forthcoming, check the pics below!
Lissy Trullie – “Boy Boy”
Been getting some flack for covering one of our favorite singer-songwriters (looking at you Gallows fans…) but we firmly stand behind New York-based Charlotte Sometimes, especially after hearing her cover of Kings of Leon’s “Sex On Fire”. Like many people we think KOL are the bees knees but the new album might have been a little big for their britches, as their U2 aping bordered on Coldplay territory – however the heartfelt and sex-infused lyricism is definitely still buried under all that giant wall of sound as is evident by Charlotte’s stripped down and hypnotic cover of this Only By The Night standout. Check it out below and be sure and keep up with Miss Sometimes at her blog Forever Sometimes.
Huge fan of School of Seven Bells here and just as they’re about to swing through Austin this coming Tuesday June 2nd at Mohawk we have a new video from the group with the inimitable single “My Cabal”. Definitely another trippy psychedelic wonderland for this posse and a wondeful edition to their catalogue. If you haven’t bought this band’s release Alpinisms yet you simply have to go to the record store immediately and pick it up – you’ll be astounded. Also, check out the Jesu remix of “Face to Face on High Places” below, definitely adds a droney element to an already firey song.
