Cannibal Cheerleader

PREY FOR SLEEP – BLOOD BATH

Prey For Sleep – “Forever Dies Today”

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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.

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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!

Erykah Badu – “The Healer”

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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:

Isis – “Hall of the Dead”

Isis – “Ghost Key”

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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!

Treasure Mammal – “Can You Dig It?”

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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?

MY MORNING JACKET LEAVES US BREATHLESS
Last night My Morning Jacket continued their massive Evil Urges tour and brought it all back home to Austin, “Where civilization first began,” according to Jim James. The performance recalled the last time the legendary James Brown swung through Austin before he died and played this same stage at Stubb’s BBQ, though he certainly would have been surprised to know that his heir apparent was a head-banging, wild-hair growing Southern rocker like the boys in MMJ. However, to see Jim James strut across the stage during “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1″ with a cape draped over his shoulders, crooning and shrieking with all the showmanship of the hardest working man in show-business, one can see how he might be mistaken for the soul music legend.
The Jacket’s set leaned heavily on the fantastic new Evil Urges LP but included crowd favorites all the way back to the Tennessee Fire. It was truly a night for the old-schoolers and new fans alike, as barn-burners like “War Begun” and “Evelyn Is Not Real” gave way to new standouts like “I’m Amazed” and “Sec Walkin”. The band’s penchant for bringing down the house is storied in the world of live music, but to silence a notoriously restless Austin crowd at the sold-out Stubb’s venue is truly a feat. Even during the drone-worthy exit music of “Dondante” the people surrounding me were rapt with attention, letting the music flow over them in waves while the light show danced spectacularly on Stubb’s giant overhang (pictured below).
Some of the best tracks played included the “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2″ which segued into its “Good Intentions” scream then right into a furious guitar-breakdown, an absolutely transcendent version of “Lay Low” that found James’ guitar in hypnotic form, a killer rendition of “Wordless Chorus” where James slid across the stage on his knees in the middle of an elated cry, and the finale of “One Big Holiday”.
Ultimately the Jacket’s set was a testament to the power of live rock and roll and an experience not soon forgotten by the likes of Austin’s Southern rock fans. If you have a chance to see the band on their Evil Urges tour, by all means buy tickets well in advance and find yourself directly in front of this amazing act while you still can. Definitely deserving of the moniker ‘the best live band in the world’.
My Morning Jacket – “Lay Low” (Live)
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MMJ IN DALLAS VIDEO
While the My Morning Jacket performance in Austin certainly wasn’t lacking in brilliance, it did miss out on something the Dallas folks had – Erykah Badu! That’s right, the soul-songstress joined the band on stage for her song “Tyrone” which the band famously covered at their much lauded 2008 Bonnaroo performance. Here’s the video below! Still doesn’t beat out Austin’s version of “Lay Low” though, haha.

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MOUNTAIN GOATS REVEAL NEW EP
Straight off the success of their latest LP Heretic Pride, John Darnielle and the rest of his satanic band the Mountain Goats are releasing a tour exclusive EP limited to 666 copies. The double 7″ can be picked up at their shows (the band swings through Austin Nov. 1st) and features four brand new songs. Digital release will be announced later but for now, be prepared for Lovecraft in Austin this fall!

The Mountain Goats – “Lovecraft in Brooklyn”

Comments? Anyone else at the Jacket show?