Cannibal Cheerleader » prey for sleep http://cannibalcheerleader.com Punk + Prose + Austin + Blood + Guts Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:04:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Blood Bath Recap Pt. 5 http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/blood-bath-recap-pt-5.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/blood-bath-recap-pt-5.html#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:17:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=224 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”
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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!
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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:
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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!
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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?
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/blood-bath-recap-pt-5.html/feed 0 The Beast Approaches http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/the-beast-approaches.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/the-beast-approaches.html#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:19:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=217 CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER BLOOD BATH SET TIMES
That’s right folks, the Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath, SXSW Day Party is approaching quickly and if you’re not going to be at the Peacock, 515 Pedernales in Austin, Texas this Wednesday March 18th, 12-6pm, you can rest assured you will be torn apart mercilessly. Above you’ll see our sign for the day show and below you’ll find the set times and the top ten reasons to attend the Blood Bath.

PS. It has come to our attention that the Peacock is now allowing everyone 18+ to attend the event, so if you’re over 18 but under 21 you can attend but not drink. Spread the word!

12:45pm – Vermillion Lies
1:30pm – Treasure Mammal
2:15pm – Agent Ribbons
3:00pm – Prey For Sleep
3:45pm – The Action Design
4:30pm – The Whispertown 2000
5:15pm – Rolo Tomassi

Top ten reasons to go to the Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath:

10. Vermillion Lies leaves to go support Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls after SXSW – Don’t you want to tell your friends you got in before they were big??

9. Treasure Mammal is a hip-hop/experimental artist and motivational speaker and in a live setting that’s every bit as cool as it sounds.

8. Agent Ribbons play Victorian punk – they didn’t even have punk back then but it would’ve been as badass as this, no doubt.

7. Prey For Sleep are following an indie punk band, so we hope a few clueless hipsters will get their faces literally ripped off for cool effect.

6. Action Design = former members of Tsunami Bomb, need we say more?

5. Whispertown 2000, the only folk-rock band with enough cajones to play the same stage as metal acts – seriously bloody indie rock.

4. First ever Rolo Tomassi performance in the United States! FIRST EVER!!

3. Issue #3 of the Cannibal Cheerleader zine available at our merch table, along with CC stickers and possible a Marnie-Stern-style kissing booth!

2. Meet your friendly Cannibal Cheerleader staff, who are way cooler than your average Austinites and can show you a better time in the ATX than 90% of these outside blogs/parties.

1. BLOOD, GUTS, AND GORE. LOTS OF IT. SERIOUSLY, FOUNTAINS.

Be there people, or be torn apart mercilessly.
Rolo Tomassi – “Fofteen”
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NEW MF DOOM ALBUM
All past transgressions are hereby forgiven, all the rumors, the poorly received live performances, it’s all in the past now that Atlanta emcee MF Doom (now apparently called DOOM, all caps son) has released BORN LIKE THIS. Seriously folks, this may just be the most consistently enjoyable Doom record since Madvillainy, and it features many of the same attributes, that is, short songs with atypical song structures and incredibly clever (not to mention extremely ill) wordplay and rhyming skills. MF Doom is back in fine form, rapping about the state of the hip-hop community, politics, and comic book characters, all in his trademark mush-mouthed, stream-of-conciousness flow. This, plus the sickest J-Dilla and MetalFingers beats this side of the Mississippi, combining bizarre instrumentation with fierce bass beats. Seriously, best hip-hop release of the year so far, no doubt at all. Definitely worth picking up and enough to put all the ’sucka emcees’ in their place, as Doom would say. Sometimes, the king of the world is also the biggest villain, check out some tracks below:

(deleted by request)
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BLOC PARTY ANNOUNCE REMIX ALBUM
According to this Stereogum post, Bloc Party will be releasing an Intimacy remix album (Intimacy Remixed) in May, mirroring their lauded Silent Alarm Remixed from back in the day. They’ve got some seriously heavy-weight remix artists contributing such as Mogwai and Phones so we’ll be looking forward to this one with great anticipation. Here is the (terrifyingly awesome and fittingly Cannibal Cheerleader) video for first single, the remix of standout track “Signs”. Definitely worth checking out, though to correct the Stereogum album that said there were no ancillary releases to A Weekend in the City – did you never get the b-side compilation album Another Weekend in the City? You’re missing out if you’ve never heard “Once and Future King”! Check it y’all:

Bloc Party – “Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)”
Bloc Party – “The Once and Future King”

Comments? Whose coming out for the SXSW Blood Bath?

]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/03/the-beast-approaches.html/feed 0 Blood Bath http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/blood-bath.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/blood-bath.html#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:17:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=208 CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER BLOOD BATH – SXSW PARTY
That’s right Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, this year we’ll be having our first ever South By Southwest 2009 Blood Bath/Day Party! Featuring some of our favorite bands from around the world including Rolo Tomassi, the Action Design, Prey for Sleep, Treasure Mammal, Agent Ribbons, and Vermillion Lies! 
The party takes place Wed. March 18th at the Peacock (515 Pedernales) from 12 to 5pm. We’re still working on beer sponsors and drinks, but free beverages will probably be available for some of the first attendees (and hey, $2 Lone Stars all day anyway so can’t go wrong there). More details as they come but get ready folks!
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PIECE BY PIECE: IT’S BLITZ!
We’re introducing a new feature here at Cannibal Cheerleader called Piece By Piece where we review an upcoming album track by track. This’ll be reserved for the records we’re absolutely floored by and what better album to start off with than the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs LP It’s Blitz!
1. “Zero”
Album opener “Zero” sets the tone for It’s Blitz! early on, featuring the same sexy, bloody, ferocious Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ lyrics we’re familiar with but with the added effects of layered electronics care of Nick Zinner’s vintage synth-work. Karen O’s voice is featured prominently in the mix, simaltaneously sweaty and sultry when she belts out the high notes in the bridge while still hushed and passionate when she dives into the meat of the song. The whole tune builds to a fiery finish, equal parts dancey and rock and roll, a definitively YYY experience but wholly different from anything else the band has done before.
2. “Heads Will Roll”
Beginning with soft, dreamy electronic warbles, “Heads Will Roll” quickly gains steam when Karen O’s vocals begin (”Off with you’re head!”) and Brian Chase’s drumline crackles behind the textured synths. Sounding like a combination of an Italians Do It Better alumni and a new-rave disco act, YYY have managed to take their fiery carnage to an entirely different level, combining churning dance rhythms, 80s electronics, and their signature rip-roaring guitars to massive art-rock effect. When KO shrieks “Dance ’til you’re dead!” under a mountain of swirling synths one can’t help but feel the band is back in rare form with this song. Plus c’mon “glitter on the wet streets” – pure awesomeness.
3. “Soft Shock”
The first of many left-turns on this album, the song begins with the soft-tinging of a toy xylophone and KOs soft, wordless croon. As more drums and a snakey-guitar line are added, the song stays in a low register, a fiery intensity burning underneath the surface, a sound the title of the song encapsulates perfectly. Karen O sounds wounded and pained when she begs “leave me out” and her voice never rises above a murmer, spiking only as she begs the song to soar “louder, lips speak louder”. The track builds to a passionate close of chunky guitar lines cascading over warm synths and Chase’s steady beat. A fantastic and unique track that pulls its listener further into the album’s haunting little world. 
4. “Skeletons”
Perhaps one of the most adventurous and inventive tracks the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever produced, “Skeletons” features hushed vintage synthesizers dashing back and forth over a sparse piano line and KO’s wounded voice poetically begging “love don’t cry/skeleton me”. The track slowly adds drum-clicks and a distant keyboard line, but never rises to rage and riot, instead containing its feriocity in the lyrics and KO’s pained lyrics. The track truly is a triumph for YYY, breaking them completely out of their comfort zone of up-against-the-wall punk to a dreamy art-rock slow burner, sounding at times almost shoegazey with thin layers wafting and drifting over each other with each passing second. The song stretches past the five-minute mark, but when it ends you’re not ready for it to be over. 
5. “Dull Life”
One of our most anticipated tracks from the album (due in no small part to the YouTube video below) “Dull Life” does more than simply meet expectations: it soars, astounding with its bombastic rhythms and wailing vocals. Starting with a patented Zinner guitar-pluck, KO softly murmers the intro for bursting into her own, followed closely by her cohorts who churn up the music accordingly. Shrieking and raging about personal ennui and situationist philosophy (layers upon layers of “oh my sooooooul!”) the YYYs burn down the house with this one, ripping and roaring through line after line of this brilliant tune. Even when the song dips its volume down into the low registers near its final breakdown, the intensity still grabs the listener by the throat, throttling with ferocious undercurrents. A standout track and one of the best YYY tunes ever.

6. “Shame and Fortune”
A return to a dancier format with this track as Karen O’s voice echoes over maracas and a distorted guitar line that powers the song alone with reckless abandon. Featuring a killer guitar riff care of Zinner, save for electronic layerings this song most resembles a classic YYY rocker, with KO wailing about “all fortune on the floor” and interspersing her cavalier growls and cries throughout the last minute of the song, which slowly lilts down to nothingness as the album wraps up. 
7. “Runaway”
Another hard-left turn as “Runaway” begins with a strikingly stark and simplistic piano line which expands only slightly as Karen O begins panting lovelorn lyrics of loss and escape over the tender notes. A smooth electronic whoosh slowly rises from the background in the second verse, and chimes dance in the background as faraway synths swirl and explode behind KO. The track builds slowly in intensity, feeling like a night-drive on a dusty road carrying one into the distance and the sun is slowly beginning to rise as the song comes to a close. As the longest song on the album “Runaway” nonetheless doesn’t overstay its welcome, remaining haunting and passionate until the end. 
8. “Dragon Queen”
Without a doubt the danciest song on the album, featuring a synth-line seemingly snatched straight from late-70s NY loft, “Dragon Queen” boasts a Glass Candy feel but with the same YYY sexuality we’ve come to expect from the band. With lyrics like “my mouth/is touching/your mouth/is running”, the song bleeds heat and drips with passion, a miniature disco hidden discreetly near the end of the album. Karen O sings in tandem with Tunde Adebimpe from TV on the Radio on this track, their vocal interplay reflecting the Yeah Yeah Yeahs flirtations with experimentation on this record. This album is working wonders.
9. “Hysteric”
Speaking of flirtations, Zinner briefly tries on his dub-shoes on “Hysteric”, as his light but echo-laden guitar effects bathe Karen O in a downpour of fuzzy riffs and shoegaze pedals. Featuring a killer drum line care of Chase and whispered vocals with a hopeful push and pull about love and madness. KO simply soars on this song which features her singing range prominently, darting between her carefree shouts and her murmured croons. A wonderful song that seems to summarize a lot of the themes of the whole album.
10. “Little Shadow”
With Imaad Wasif manning the acoustic guitar duties on this incredible closing track, Karen O whispers over his tender plucking a sad but somehow hopeful track about uncertainty and bravery, following her shadow into the night (”will you follow me”). With a drum blast the electronics sweep under KO and slowly envelope her, washing over her like a wave of the blood, sweat, and tears this album is made out of. A perfect closer.
Reflecting on the whole album, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have truly been building up to this one album since their beginnings. A brutally honest and fiercely independent vision, It’s Blitz! is an art-rock triumph, showcasing a band’s willingness to step outside of their own comfort zone and go from a riotous punk act to a dream-pop band in the span of a single album. And truly, It’s Blitz is a dreamscape worth experiencing and well worth the wait. Five out of five.  
Lastly, check out this YouTube the band posted to their Myspace called “The Scientist”. I think the thing that Nick Zinner has in his briefcase is a badass synth myself. Check it:
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NEW MF DOOM TRACKS SURFACE

MF Doom (now apparently called just DOOM in all caps) has leaked a Promo sampler featuring several new tracks from his upcoming LP BORN LIKE THIS (also in all caps apparently). Barring confusing capitalization preferences, Doom is bringing his illest rhymes back in force, with the same mush-mouthed delivery and fiercely creative lyrics we’ve come to expect from the masked menace. These tracks also feature some killer J Dilla tracks from his Donuts LP, so check them out below!
Comments? Anyone a fan of the new ‘Piece by Piece’ feature? This may be my only update of the week until Friday, as I am in New York interviewing for grad school (wish me luck!). Have a great week everyone!
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/blood-bath.html/feed 0 Friction and Forever http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/friction-and-forever.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/friction-and-forever.html#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:51:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=199 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.
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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.
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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!). 
Comments?
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2009/02/friction-and-forever.html/feed 0 Spin Me/Best Of Pt. 1 http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/12/spin-mebest-of-pt-1.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/12/spin-mebest-of-pt-1.html#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:02:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=168 SPINNERETTE DEBUT NEW VIDEO, RELEASE EP

It’s finally here Cannibal Cheerleaders, the new Spinnerette  Ghetto Love EP has arrived and none too soon for our ears. It seems that ex-Distiller Brody Dalle has been reincarnated as a nightmarish punk burlesque dancer, wrapped in layers of electronic decadence while still maintaining the poignant and fierce lyricism on which she’s built a name. Dead romance, blood mixing with tears, makeup running down one’s face, all wrapped in pleather in a smoky, shady bar corner, that is Spinnerette (our kind of band!). Check the video for “Ghetto Love” below and head here to purchase the new EP (only five bucks people, quite the deal we’d say).
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CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER’S BLOODY BEST

Today we begin our ‘end-of-year’ wrap-ups, mercifully soon so we can get back to the real business of music journalism! Seems like every blog does their “best of’s” around this time so we figured we’d hop onboard, with a few Cannibal Cheerleader touches of course. Our first category…

TOP FIVE LOCAL AUSTIN BANDS
SOUTHERN DRAMA
Whether you interpret this local all-female trio as a wildly imaginative Vaudevillian act or a indie-pop folk band wrapped in old-time mystique one thing’s for certain, Southern Drama is easily the most original and creative act currently playing in Austin and one of our favorites of the year.
THE FACELESS WEREWOLVES
With the release of their stellar sophormore LP Pardon Me, Are Those Your Claws in My Back, the Faceless Werewolves have cornered the Austin market on furious blues-rock and garage-punk, cementing themselves as one of the Capital City’s most treasured acts.
BALMORHEA
Soaring in on a wave of delicated strings and hushed arrangement, Balmorhea has made good use of one short year, finding themselves poised to be the next big thing in neo-classicist cum indie-rock and making it easily onto our 2008 best local band list.
PREY FOR SLEEP
With a fiery carnage matched only by the band’s steadfast determination, Prey For Sleep have brought the brutality back to the Austin metal scene, whipping the small but vengeful community into a fury behind their debut LP and carving a spot into our end of the year list.
RINGO DEATHSTARR
Swirling down on a wave of guitar squalls, Ringo Deathstarr single-handedly have revitalized the flagging shoegaze scene in Austin with an MBV-referencing sound and a distinction for being lost in a vortex of white noise, though they managed to find their way onto our top local band list with ease.
TOP FIVE NATIONAL BREAKOUT ACTS
VIVIAN GIRLS
With girl-group vocals and shoe-gaze guitars all combined into a surf-rock playing style, the Vivian Girls have proven themselves as a formidable new act through relentless touring, capturing a sound long thought dead and revitalizing a genre with the ease of a reverb pedal.
HIGH PLACES
With a level of delicate instrumentation and unique percussion almost unheard in indie rock, High Places have taken lilting pop ballads into the realm of wild experimentalism and are on the crest of a wave of musicians combining creativity with indelible songwriting abilities.
GASLIGHT ANTHEM
With a torrent of positive press flying their way after the release of their sophomore LP, the Gaslight Anthem have gone from celebrated underground Jersey punks to acclaimed rock and roll stars all in the course of one short year, due to their combination of lovelorn Springsteen-referencing lyrics and Social Distortion riffs. 
HEARTSREVOLUTION
Blazing onto the scene on the backs of several fiery singles and EPs, Heartsrevolution took punk-electro to new heights, combining dance-rhythms and electronic whirlings with shrieking vocals and violent imagery, making them one of the most original and exciting acts of the year.
GRAND OLE PARTY
Equal blues rock and female fronted indie-pop, Grand Ole Party deliver fiery vocals and spidery guitar lines in a fierce package of minimalistic garage punk that heralds this trio as an act to watch for years to come.
Comments?
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/12/spin-mebest-of-pt-1.html/feed 0 Bold, Brutal, and Biting http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/bold-brutal-and-biting.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/bold-brutal-and-biting.html#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:37:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=133 INTERVIEW WITH FIGHT BITE
Having just tried out Fight Bite’s excellent debut LP Emerald Eyes, we here at Cannibal Cheerleader wondered what the duo of Jeff and Leanne, the wunderkinds behind the band, thought of their creation. So we recently conducted an interview with the group, part of which is printed below:

CC: What is Fight Bite all about? Why this type of music? How did Fight Bite come to be and what other bands have you each been in?

Fight Bite came to be when I (Leanne) had some songs together that were a bit soft and that didn’t fit in my more raw projects (Snowflakes, C!TR, Rival Gang). I saw Jeff’s band Teenage Symphony and asked him to collaborate. Jeff: Once we started talking about influences, it made perfect sense to work together and I was already a fan of her music in Christian! Teenage Runaway.
CC: Describe your artistic process. How do you go about layering all the sounds on your songs? Where do the lyrics come from? What feelings are you trying to convey?

Generally either Jeff has chords and a song structure and i add lyrics and melodic pieces or i have a “finished” song that he embellishes and arranges. Unfortunately Jeff sticks me with all of the lyric writing duties. The content is usually based in reality but dramatized for fun.

This is of course, just a sample of the entire interview, more of which can be read at the bottom of this post and the entirety of which can be viewed in our September edition of the Cannibal Cheerleader punk zine. Stay tuned!

Fight Bite – “Strings”
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CRUISERWEIGHT ALBUM OUT OCT. 7th
Our favorite Austin pop-punkers Cruiserweight have announced the release-date for their much anticipated followup to the seminal Sweet Weaponry. Big Bold Letters comes out Oct. 7th and the special CD release party will be performed at Emo’s on Oct. 31st, so prepare for a ghoulish celebration that will no doubt feature at least one member of CW8 dressing up as Rocky Balboa. Check out this Cannibal Cheerleader-produced video below and see what I mean!

Cruiserweight – “Vermont”
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PREY FOR SLEEP RETURN TO AUSTIN
According to the newest post in the Prey For Sleep Myspace blog, frontman Hunter Townsend and crew have returned from Ohio with brutality accomplished. Check it:

“I’m taking a break from tracking vocals right now to let my voice rest a little before we get back in and double everything and add some tones… this is our last day in the studio, and our last day in Cleveland… I’ll be sad to leave here, that’s for god damn sure. We’ve had an awesome experience hanging out at the HM office and we’ve gotten some solid advice and been pushed a little harder than anyone’s pushed us in the past. I can already see us growing as a band because of this. They probably didn’t know what to make of us for the most part… there’s a vending machine here that they sell Natty Lights from for a dollar a can, and we fucking bought the thing out on the second night of recording. At least we didn’t have to tip! They don’t know how us Texas boys get down. I can’t even begin to describe how happy we are with the recording… everything sounds so fucking solid, so fucking brutal, it’s beyond words. We start driving back at 5 AM tomorrow… Monday night we’re back in Austin! Everybody make sure and check us out on September 4th at Red 7 with The Destro and Bleed The Sky… it’s going to be a fucking great night and we can’t wait to see everybody again and jam in our hometown. We’re playing early, no excuses. Just come out and have some fun with us! Everybody be safe, stay metal, and take care of each other. We’ll see you soon!“

The band’s playing Sept. 7th at Red 7 here in Austin so do not by any means forget to attend this show, or you’ll look like the background for the Cannibal Cheerleader website. You’ve been warned.

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INTERVIEW WITH FIGHT BITE (CONT’D)
Here’s more of that Fight Bite interview for you interested blog-readers. Enjoy!

CC: You seem to be getting a lot of press lately from influential blogs like Gorilla vs. Bear and Stereogum. How do you feel about all the new attention? Has it affected the size of your fanbase? When can a band say “they’ve made it”?

It has been unexpected and strange. we never thought the recordings would go farther than our friend’s stereos. we certainly haven’t “made it.” We’re still spending time and money that will never pay off but that’s what musician’s do. Jeff: The attention is definitely nice and has given us more confidence about what we do. It’s been cool to see new faces at our shows and meet new fans.

CC: To expand on the idea of ‘making it’, what’s it like for an independent band in America today? What are you days jobs? How do you reconcile your day-to-day with the need for artistic expression? Is it worth it even when the money’s not rolling in?
I (Leanne) work as a freelance photographer. We’re pretty boring people. Music is pretty much what we do outside of work. I wouldn’t be a photographer or a musician if i was looking for a good payday. Jeff: Right now the only job I have is grading SAT essays every now and then. Having a creative oulet like Fight Bite will always be more important to me than finding a a good day job or steady income. When I’ve had full-time jobs, I found that my creative projects suffer because of lack of time or motivation.
CC: What bands do you enjoy? What bands influence your music? Do you have any other interests like film or literature?

We have some mutual influences like ABBA, the Carpenters, Wire, and New Order. I (Leanne) am into pretty much everything good from Ruth Etting to Madonna. I (Leanne) am interested in photography, film and stop motion animation. I’m making a music video for Swissex Lover. Jeff: Besides the bands Leanne mentioned, i think we are both influenced by film and music in films.

CC: Describe what making your debut LP was like. Does it include the majority of your song catalogue or do you have other tracks floating around? Describe the time, energy, and expenses that went into it.

We have some stray ones lurking about. The process was pretty slow and painstaking. Some songs have more than 30 layers. we recorded in Jeff’s room onto his 8 track tape recorder. He did all of the mixing. The only expenses were the mastering and printing and the 75 cents it cost Jeff to buy the cassettes we recorded on. Jeff: We spent almost six months recording everything for the album, including several songs we thought didn’t fit Emerald Eyes. Even though it was a lot of intense work, it still ended being up the most fun I’ve had recording.

CC: What message are you trying to convey? Is there a mythos or theme to your music? Your music has been describe as the ‘theme to an unmade Sofia Coppola film’ – how accurate do you feel this description is?

I (Leanne) am into the implicit. Sure, these are all songs describing specific events in my life or feelings that I’ve had, but I’d rather employ some cliches to create a classic universal than speak in tongues and bore everyone with my internal mythology. As for Coppola I take it as a compliment. I’ve never had to buy any of her sound tracks because I already had 90%of the music Jeff: Yes, I think that’s a nice compliment too. I’m drawn to directors like her, david lynch, noah baumbach, and terrence malick because the sound of their films is often just as important as what’s on screen.

CC: What musical genres do you most identify with? Pop’s enthusiasm? Punk’s fierce independence? Shoegaze’s dreamlike quality? Or does your music really have no genre?

I think we identify with pop from the 60’s and 80’s as a model and general influence. Our approach is more or less informed by anything from punk to dance music but those aren’t obvious in this project. Shoegaze is the sort of genre that i can’t quite pin down. I guess that might describe the sissy, emotional, dreamlike qualities in our music. We enjoy a postgenre identity. Anything goes.

Remember, bonus questions will be in the September issue of the CC zine! Order yours by emailing me today! Comments?

]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/bold-brutal-and-biting.html/feed 0 Moving Along http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/moving-along.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/moving-along.html#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:28:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=126 THAO NGUYEN GETS DOWN IN AUSTIN
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
 moves along on her tour across the country!


That With the Get Down Stay Down – “Beat (Health, Life, and Fired)
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AUSTIN BANDS POST TOUR BLOGS
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!

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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!
Comments?
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/08/moving-along.html/feed 0 Oh What Lovely Heat http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/07/oh-what-lovely-heat.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/07/oh-what-lovely-heat.html#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:21:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=109 WHIRLWIND HEAT DEBUT NEW ALBUM
If you’ve never heard of these Beck-referencing, groove-tastic, spazalicious, leave-it-all-on-the-dancefloor rockers, you owe it to yourself to check out Whirlwind Heat. The first time I saw these guys was summer of 2006 on their tour with another Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Be Your Own Pet. Clearly these two acts had developed a competition to who could pull off the more insanity-induced set, and the winner was definitely the audience that night. The Heat have just released their newest LP, called Self-Titled or Scoop Du Jour on Rhapsody and 
Amazon, so go download it immediately. This album exists in the same vein as their previous
 LP Types of Wood but the dutiful listener can detect a greater presence of an underlying funkiness on this record. Check out this cover of “Another One Bites the Dust” and you’ll see what I mean.
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TRYOUTS – BABYSHAMBLES’ OH WHAT A LOVELY TOUR
One has to decide for oneself whether British tabloid mainstay and Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty is inspiring or sad. The ex-Libertine has made as much a name for himself since
 his previous band’s collapse by dating supermodels and shooting smack as he has by penning woozy rambunctious rock tracks. I for one still think of the Libertines and hence Pete and co. as the greatest rock and roll story no one ever wrote, and sadly this guy has to live it. What we do get out of it though this time around is Oh What A Lovely Tour, 19 solid live tracks from Babyshambles’ most recent tour, most of which are delivered with the stoic, Cockney drawl that Doherty puts up when he hides his emotions. However, there exists a level of sincerity and vulnerability in all of songs, especially tracks like “The Lost Art Of Murder” and “Albion”, and the audience, singing along with nearly every song, clearly connects with their fallen hero. This record definitely makes the team and no, it’s not a pity pick; this kid fought for it and deserves it. 
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PREY FOR SLEEP TO RECORD NEW EP
According to our favorite thrash-metallers Prey for Sleep’s Myspace we’ll be soon hearing new tracks from the group as they travel up to Cincinnati in early August to record tracks for a new EP with high-profile producer Don Debiase. According to lead-singer Hunter Townsend, the band will also soon be featured in a video game, have a new track up on their Myspace (”Sins of Unrest”), and have added a good deal of Texas dates. Lastly, the band’s videos for “Empires of Blood and Lust” and “Reborn” will be premiering on ME-TV within the coming weeks, so look out for those! Here’s the video for “Reborn” on YouTube in case you missed it last time around.
Any comments?
]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/07/oh-what-lovely-heat.html/feed 0 Halfway There http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/06/halfway-there.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/06/halfway-there.html#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:07:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=88 Hey Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, we’re halfway through the year so I figured it was about time to announce the albums, acts, songs, and shows that I feel are the best of the year SO FAR. Below are some tentative lists with the entries in no particular order and I’m not going to comment on these choices because frankly, they could change tomorrow! But I think what follows will be a good template of where we stand here in the middle of June and I believe a good deal of these may join us again in December. So, without further ado, the Halfway There Cannibal Cheerleader lists:

TOP TEN LOCAL ACTS

Balmorhea
The Faceless Werewolves
Prey For SleepThe Riverboat Gamblers
Cruiserweight
Ringo Deathstarr
Dynamite Boy
Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band
Pink NastyBexar Bexar
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TOP TEN FAVORITE NEW BANDS

The Action Design
High Places
Hercules And Love Affair
Heartsrevolution
Grand Ole Party
Treasure Mammal
Food For Animals
Charlotte Sometimes
Bell
Florence and the Machine
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TOP TEN SONGS OF THE YEAR

“Constructive Summer” – The Hold Steady
“The Twist” – Frightened Rabbit
“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” – Weezer
“Run (I’m A Natural Disaster)” – Gnarls Barkley
“Metal Heart” – Cat Power
“Blue Jeans & White T-shirts” – The Gaslight Anthem
“Ghosts” – Ladytron
“Under the Pines” – Bodies of Water
“Sara the American Winter” – Sunfold
“Becky” – Be Your Own Pet
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TOP TEN CONCERTS

Converge @ Red 7
My Morning Jacket @ the Parish
Angels and Airwaves @ Stubb’s
Be Your Own Pet @ Stubb’s
Crystal Castles @ Emo’s
Yo La Tengo @ the Parish
The Riverboat Gamblers @ Red 7Ringo Deathstarr @ Emo’s
Prey for Sleep @ Stubb’s
Balmorhea @ Austin Ballet
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TOP TEN ALBUMS

My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
Be Your Own Pet – Get Awkward
Nas & DJ Lantern – The Nigger Tape
Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
The Mountain Goats – Heretic Pride
Beach House – DevotionCat Power – Jukebox
M83 – Saturdays = Youth
Times New Viking – Rip It Off

There you have it people! Any comments here? Any top ten lists of your own?

]]> http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/06/halfway-there.html/feed 0 The Best Things In Life http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/06/the-best-things-in-life.html http://cannibalcheerleader.com/2008/06/the-best-things-in-life.html#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:46:00 +0000 admin http://cannibalcheerleader.com/?p=83 TRYOUTS – NAS & DJ LANTERN’S THE NIGGER TAPE

Ladies and gentlemen: The Nigger Tape. Just when it seemed like Nas was going to be backing down from the title of his forthcoming now self-titled album (which was at one point infamously going to be called Nigger), the rapper releases a mixtape with DJ Green Lantern that eschews any doubt that the artist bends easily to the will of Wal-Mart shoppers worldwide.

The controversy behind the word is almost insulting to me. If an artist uses a word in his artistic medium, does that necessarily means he condones the use of the word? If Nas is attempting to make a political statement about the state of black America as it is today, who are we to say anything about it? What happened to free speech? And more importantly, if an album’s title offends you, why should you buy it?

Politics aside (did we mention Nas is an Obama fan?) The Nigger Tape delivers in spades (if you feel me there). Chock full of the kind of experimentation and fiery political diatribes that would make a major label swoon like a southern belle, the mixtape hearkens back to a time when hip-hop was punk rock for black people – chock full of politically incorrect far-left sermons on the state of the working class. Tracks like “Hero” and “N.I.G.G.E.R.” make Green Lantern live up to the moniker “The Evil Genius”, as the listener can imagine him cutting together beats in some dark underground laboratory, and songs like “Cops Keep Firing” and “Esco Let’s Go” feature prominently Nas’ smooth, intellectual flow that places the artist back on top of his rap game.

Overall, not only does the Nigger Tape make the team, it’s one of the best album’s of the year so far and it will be a feat if Nas can match the excellence that is this LP. Definitely worth a download wherever you can find it *wink wink*.

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FREE BODIES OF WATER SHIRTSHere’s a new Myspace post from our favorite pseudo-religious art collective/band Bodies of Water:

“SO i was dying t-shirts today and i guess i didn’t let all the dye powder dissolve properly before i put the shirts in so they all have a couple random little red blotches on them in some places. i personally like the way these blotches look but i understand that they are not for everyone…. SO im offering these shirts to you guys for FREE.

if you can cover the shipping, i’ll send them to you!
just paypal $3 shipping /per shirt to accounts@bodiesofwater.net -make sure your mailing address is current w/ paypal and tell me the sizes you want (just L & XL are left) in the “Message to recipient” box.

get a bunch! i cant just throw these things away!!
xx,
meredith

ps. if you are outside the US and want me to send you one of these, the shipping is $8.”
So there you have it! Grab a free BoW shirt ASAP and get yourself a copy of their new album A Certain Feeling when it drops!

Bodies of Water – link removed by artist’s request – check out their Myspace!
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NEW BAND CHEER: MAVERIC
Seems like it’s hip-hop day here at Cannibal Cheerleader because we’ve got a cool new artist to feature called Maveric. Blending elements of soul and funk with some impressive instrumentation, this Brooklyn rapper is just now releasing his The Medicine mixtape. Jamming out on this guy for now, we’ll be sure and keep tabs on where he goes in the coming months. Most definitely worth checking out, but don’t take my word for it, check this track below!

Maveric – Feels So Good
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PREY FOR SLEEP THIS SATURDAY
Snap, another Prey For Sleep this Saturday at the Red Eyed Fly (PFS goes on at 11:30). Our favorite Austin metal band is back to rip it all to shreds once again. Here’s a little music video for the band’s single “Reborn” which will soon be featured on local Austin music channel ME-TV. Movin’ on up guys!

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