Brody Dalle’s newest incarnation Spinnerette have quietly released a new EP containing a remix of a track called “Sex Bomb”, the real version of which will undoubtedly show up on their upcoming debut full-length. Chock full of the patented Brody-snarl and swimming in early-90s electro beats, the Adam Freeland remix swirls around growled lyrics that reek of raw sexuality. As usual with the ex-Distillers frontwoman, a dancey electro song quickly becomes an entirely different creature with her at the helm – can’t wait to hear the real version! Also, buy the damn thing people, Spinnerette’s hella-independent and it’d be nice if you could throw a few bucks their way!
Sad news here at Cannibal Cheerleader, as we’ve recently heard that one of our favorite local acts Southern Drama will be going on an indefinite hiatus. However, from the ashes of a great group comes a new act which violinist Naomi Cherie has recently joined called Agent Ribbons, a stunning duo (now trio!) out of Sacramento. The group combines the Victorian punk leanings of Southern Drama with an additional flair for theatrics and a churning guitar and drum musical combo that reminds of a lilting female version of Death From Above 1979, but replacing slamdancing antics with bizarre vaudevillian ballroom manners. Check out these videos below and see for yourself. Can’t wait to catch this act at SXSW 09!
******************************************************************** THAO AND THERMALS RELEASE SPLIT 7”
According to this story, one of our favorite artists Thao Nguyen of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down will be releasing a split 7” for Record Store Day (hit up your local record shop folks, vinyl’s where it’s at!) with none than another of our favorites the Thermals. Tracklist below, sign us up for a Cannibal Cheerleader copy stat people.
A1 The Thermals: “When I Died” (demo) A2 The Thermals: “You Dissolve” (demo) B1 Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: “Cool Yourself You Are Flush Red” (previously unreleased) B2 Thao with the Get Down Stay Down: “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” (Lovin’ Spoonful cover)
It’s finally here Cannibal Cheerleaders, the new SpinneretteGhetto 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
EXCLUSIVE BE YOUR OWN PET PICS We still haven’t stopped crying about the untimely demise of one of our favorite bands Be Your Own Pet, the Nashville punk foursome that decided to call it quits only after two barn-burning, madness-inducing albums. Luckily we got to see them the final time they swung through Austin (unbeknownst to us) but sadly we’re not able to fly to the UK to see their last string of performances. However, friend and reader Myke was kind enough to take some pictures of the band at the Leeds Festival and while he apologizes for the poor quality, we’ve always been one to enjoy pictures with a lot of heart and heat over professional photography (we’re all film students here, go figure). Myke’s review of the show was not particularly glowing, and he says “I mean, you know its never going to be 100% when a lead singer’s first words on stage are “I threw up three times on the way here, I feel like shit, It was Gross”. They sounded good, her voice was fine and they were pretty tight, but they just gave off the impression they didn’t want to be there at all.” Seems as if our BYOP heroes are down for the count and more than ready to throw in the towel. The end of the world comes with a whimper right? Godspeed BYOPsters, hope to see you all soon! Be Your Own Pet – “Girls On TV” ******************************************************************** JENNY LEWIS STREAMS NEW SONG Oh NPR, how we love you. Not only do your plaintively-voiced emcees deliver indie-rock news in the most monotone of fatherly voices, but you always seem to get the best tracks by the best artists first, and today’s stream of “Acid Tongue”, the first song off the album of the same name by the one and only Jenny Lewis is no exception. Seems like Miss Lewis is up to her same ol’ tricks, spinning yarns of soulful endeavors and existential malaise under the guise of a traditional country-ballad. We wouldn’t have it any other way. You can listen to the song here (scroll down). Can’t wait for Acid Tongue, and by the way, here’s the artwork below. Artwork made to look like a sheet of LSD? Jenny Lewis is clearly taking a page from the Under the Blacklight line of thinking (not that we mind of course!).
Jenny Lewis – “The Big Guns” ******************************************************************** TV ON THE RADIO’S “DANCING CHOOSE” A good day for streaming songs as New York art-rockers TV on the Radio have also posted a new track from their forthcoming album, entitled Dear Science. Seems this one is called “Dancing Choose” and can be found over here. This ditty is quite a bit more frantic than “Golden Age” but delivers on the promise that Dear Science would focus more on Tunde Adebimpe’s soulful croon and increased classical instrumentation, i.e., more horns baby. Can’t wait for this album!
TV on the Radio – “Blues From Down Here” ******************************************************************** SOUTHERN DRAMA PLAY THIS SATURDAY Our favorite local burlesque-cum-Transylvania rockers Southern Drama are playing this Saturday at an art opening on the Eastside at 8:30pm sharp! It promises to be a good time because the ladies have assured us it will be Dia De Los Muertos themed show like the picture up above – spooky (and awesome) stuff! Check the band’s Myspace for more details and check out this little YouTube video they posted below. Southern Drama – “Sour is the Day”
FOLLOW THAT BIRD! AT BEAUTY BAR Sorry for not updating Wednesday guys – a combination of more moving difficulties and a slow news day meant no time for an update. However, today is a double update, beginning with a show review of one of the best local bands we’ve stumbled upon all year, the punk trioFollow That Bird!.
Stunning an elated Beauty Bar crowd with their massive set, these women pack a sound laden with furious feedback and chugging basslines under the magnificent croon of Corin Tucker incarnate lead singer Lauren Green, whose wail refused to be overpowered even by the crunching notes of her own guitar shredding. The trio stormed through a set comprised half of punk vignettes highlighting Green’s vocals and half of more melodic pieces which challenged with their improvisational fuzz-work and splintered in a million different directions before returning to a poppy whole. All the while bassist Rachel Badger provided a solid base for the action to take place on, whipping through intricate basslines and diving below the lead guitar all with a moment’s notice, and drummer Tiffanie Lanmon railed on her drums and whipped her head about like the most metal of moshpit fanatics. Overall, the band surprised with its larger than life sound that nonetheless managed to hold fast to a punk ethos that kept us engaged and enthralled. We can definitely say without question that this was one of the best shows we’ve been to all year and we hope to see more of these girls soon! Here are some more pictures and another YouTube we found.
******************************************************************** SOUTHERN DRAMA INTERVIEW ONLINE The special interview we did a few weeks ago with our friends inSouthern Dramais now up at the Soundcheck Magazinewebsite. Go check it out hereand be sure and swing by the ladies’Myspacewhen you get a chance as well.
Southern Drama – “Blood Red”
******************************************************************** CRYSTAL CASTLES HEADS CMJ LINEUP The NYC equivalent of Austin’s own SXSW madness theCMJ Music Marathonhasannouncedits lineup and up near the top of the list is Cannibal Cheerleader favoriteCrystal Castles, along with other favorites like the Virgins, the Cool Kids, A Place To Bury Strangers, etc. We’ll definitely be looking forward to what these cats pull when their massive music fest isn’t in a town where the weather seems perpetually beautiful and cooperative (most of the time, haha). In other CC news, the duo is currently in Europe on tour and pretty soon they’ll be swinging back into the US for a romp with none other than Trent Reznor and co. We’ll be keeping you up to date on those shows when they happen!
Crystal Castles – “Trash Hologram”
******************************************************************** THE NATIONAL REVEAL NEW TUNE Recently at a show in Copenhagen our favorite brooding indie-rockers the Nationalrevealed a new track entitled “A Thousand Black Cities” which you can view below. A bit jazzier and light than the title might suggest, the song starts slow but then really comes into its own and stands aside some of the band’s strongest work, with a soaring chorus and the same hopeless, inner-city existentialism we’ve come to expect. Maybe not the band to soundtrack your latest frat party, but it’ll do if you can’t find your copy of Unknown Pleasures (lord knows that gets the sorority sisters bouncing!).
******************************************************************** ACL AFTERSHOWS ANNOUNCED According to theAustinistthe lineup of ACL Fest aftershows has been officially released and along with cool Texas acts like Bill Callahan (aka Smog) and the Butthole Surfers, there’s a special show at La Zona Rosa on Sunday night featuring none other than Conor Oberstand special guestJenny Lewis. You know that we’ll be waiting in line all day for that one, screw waiting for Foo Fighters. List of shows below:
Stubb’s BBQ:Thursday Sep 25: (outdoors) An evening with Manu Chao Ticket: $35 adv/ $35 dos Doors 7pm, show 8pm.
Friday Sep 26: (outdoors) Gnarls Barkley w/ CSS
Ticket: $27 adv/ $30 dos
Doors 8pm, Show 9pm
Saturday Sep 27: (very special gospel brunch) Gospel Brunch w/ Mike Farris featuring the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Ticket: $30, $40 (Call for reservations 512-480-8341)
Doors at 11am, Brunch at 11:30am
Saturday Sep 27: (outdoors) Return of the Butthole Surfers w/ The Kills
Ticket: $30 adv/ $33 dos
Doors 7pm, Show 8pm.
Saturday Sep 27: (indoors) Mugison
Ticket: $15 adv/ $15 dos
Doors 11:30pm, show midnight
Sunday Sep 28: (outdoors) The Black Keys w/ The Black Angels & Jessica Lea Mayfield
Ticket: $25 adv/ $25 dos
Doors at 7pm, Show at 7:30pm
LaZona Rosa:
Friday Sep 26 G Love & Special Sauce
Ticket: $25 adv/ $27 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 11pm
Sunday Sep 28 Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band w/ Special Guests Jenny Lewis and M. Ward
Ticket: $30 adv/ $30 dos
Doors at 9pm, Show at 10pm The Parish:
Friday Sep 26 Jamie Lidell w/ Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears
Ticket: $20 adv/ $20 dos
Doors at 10pm, show at 11pm
Paramount Theater:
Thursday Sep 25 David Byrne on Tour – songs from David Byrne and Brian Eno
Ticket: $50, $55
Doors at 7:30pm, Show 8:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 The Swell Season w/ Bill Callahan
Ticket: $35, $42.50 (depends on where seat location is)
Doors at 7:30pm, Show at 8:30pm
Emos:
Friday Sep 26 (outdoors) Drive-By Truckers w/ Shooter Jennings
Ticket: $20 adv/ $22 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
Friday Sep 26 (Emos Jr) Heartless Bastards w/ Dead Confederate & Wax Fang
Ticket: $15 adv/ $17 dos
Doors at 10pm, show at 10:30pm
Friday Sep 26 (Emos Lounge) Car Stereo Wars
Ticket: $8 adv/ $10 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 11pm.
Saturday Sep 27 Emos Outside Okkervil River w/ Man Man & Crooked Fingers
Ticket: $15 adv/ $17 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 10:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 (Emos jr) Jose Gonzalez w/ Neva Dinova & McCarthy Trenching
Ticket: $18 adv/ $20 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
Saturday Sep 27 (Emos Lounge) Car Stereo Wars
Ticket: $8 adv/ $10 dos
Doors at 10pm, show 11pm.
Antone’s:
Saturday Sep 27 Jakob Dylan and The Gold Mountain Rebels w/ Back Door Slam
Ticket: $23 adv, $25 dos
Doors at 10pm, Show at 10:30pm
******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: KYLESA Make no mistake about our indier-than-thou, twee lovin’ credibility over here at Cannibal Cheerleader – heck, we’re a stones-throw from tight-jeans wearing hipsters – but we love ourselves some face-melting fuckin’ metal every once in a while. And while we hate the radio-ready rock of bands like the much maligned Disturbed, we can’t help but be intrigued every time we hear about a band that takes the dynamic elements of metal (it’s penchant for feedback-heavy riffs, it’s air of slow-burning experimentation, etc) and fuses them into a truly unique package. That band is Savannah, Georgia’sKylesa, a beast of a band combining swirly guitar-noodling, teeth-grinding riffs, and a brilliant vocal dichotomy between two lead vocalists, Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants. With a psychedelic tinge and a habit of making loud-quiet-loud seem like doom-hushed oblivion-doom, Kylesa take Southern metal and brand their mark of experimentalism and purebred fury into its dusty hide. Lucky for us Austinites the band will be swinging through on Sept. 20th supporting Pinback, and you know, as always, Cannibal Cheerleader will be there!
TREASURE MAMMAL – INTERVIEW Hey everyone, Cannibal Cheerleader is back in action, all moved in and now located at its new office here in Austin, Texas. So, without further ado, let’s get back to the music. Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Treasure Mammal, aka Abelardo Gil has been busy these days, popping back into the studio and releasing a split EP with Whitman. Today though might be one of the most exciting in recent memory as tonight our friend T. Mammal is playing a show in Phoenix with none other than Austin’s own Octopus Project. If you’re in the Arizona area, it’s obviously completely crucial that you attend this once in a lifetime convergence of so much bizarre talent.
In other TM news, recently we here at Cannibal Cheerleader got a chance to conduct an email interview with the madcap experimental artist and here’s a sample for your reading pleasure:
“Describe the Treasure Mammal experience to the uninitiated. What is your music all about? How would you describe it?
The TM experience for the uninitiated is communal experience conveyed through performance/music about trying to live in the moment, dancing, enjoying the ones around you (even if they are strangers) and enjoying music. My music is all about embracing musical mistakes and trying to make a world to escape in for a short time. My music is like surfing on a dream catcher that eventually got lifted up by a pegacorn (unicorn/ pegasus) and you were taken in to space and shown all the possibilities/ beauty of life.“
This completely awe-inspiring answer is of course just a sampling, read more at the bottom of this post and of course read the full interview in the September edition of the Cannibal Cheerleader zine.
Speaking of which, copies of issue #1 are going fast so if you’d like a copy delivered to you, email me at cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com. Of course, you’re going to have to do something for me too, such as recommend a few cool bands or take some rad pictures of CC favorites!
Here’s a quick T. Mammal video to jump-start your work week:
******************************************************************** SPINNERETTE REVEAL “VALIUM KNIGHTS” We here at Cannibal Cheerleader have long since been betrothed to Brody Dalle. She doesn’t really know this yet, but we’ve been together for a long time. Growing up in Smalltown, East Texas left plenty of room for romance in our nerdy lives and the raucous rampage of the Distillers was just the kind of girl we were looking for. Seriously though, Brody remains one of the greatest vocalists in rock music ever, and her seering punk poetry still manages to make our ears bleed to this day.
Now, having placed the Distillers on hold after their magnum opus Coral Fang, Brody Dalle has formed a new band called Spinnerette, supposedly offering a more experimental and electronic edge to the Rancid-ready sound of old. This weekend on the band’s Myspace it was revealed that the first single off the album “Valium Knights” would be sent to members of their email list, and what a doozy of a track it is. Taking the Brody croon to new heights of musicianship and combining a grimy bassline with light, spidery guitarwork, all behind a cascading din of drums, the track is painfully short but packed with enough sweet grooves to suffice until the whole album is revealed. Definitely a far-cry from anything Distillers but incredibly satisfying nonetheless, here is Valium Knights: Spinnerette – “Valium Knights”
I strongly encourage everyone to join the band’s email list, and not just to honor the memory of the late-great Distillers, but to become involved in what’s promising to be an excellent and engaging band. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys! ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: FOLLOW THAT BIRD! Straight off a recommendation from the gals in Southern Drama comes Austin’s own Follow That Bird!, an all-girl punk trio with a penchant for snaky guitarwork, fierce and passionate drumming, and the unhinged and unmistakable vocals of one Lauren Green, whose voice comes across as a mix of the Corin Tucker operatic-yelp and post-punk songstress Siouxsie Sioux’s husky growl. The demos on the band’s Myspace speak to a collection of whip-smart punk begging to be committed to tape, so much so that the group’s earlier tracks seem pale in comparison. Follow That Bird! are clearly on the verge of dropping a bomb on the Austin punk and indie scene, just feel lucky that you’re getting to hear them they explode. The girls in FTB are playing this Wednesday at Beauty Bar and you know Cannibal Cheerleader will be there snapping pictures for your enjoyment!
I haven’t been able to find any mp3s online but here’s a quirky little YouTube video of one of our favorites, “Run With Knives”:
******************************************************************** TREASURE MAMMAL INTERVIEW (CONT’D) Here are a few more questions from our special Treasure Mammal interview – enjoy!
Talk about the T. Mammal live show. Do audiences need to see your performances live to get the full effect? What goes through your mind when you’re performing?
I do think that the TM experience isn’t fully expressed until the live show has been seen. When I am performing I usually think about the environment that I am in, what is my part in this environment, and how can I change this environment.
Your music is a really unique blend of genres. What are your influences? Do you listen to much modern music? Who are some of your favorite artists? Do you take influence from anything other art forms like film or literature?
During my first couple of records I wanted to make songs like Robert Rauschenberg made art. So I was really into the cutting/ pasting element of music. He made me want to make sound collages. John Cage has also been a huge influence on me … I do kind of group him with Rauschenberg from the sound collage aspect of things. The only modern stuff I like lately is on the hip hop station. Some of my favorite artists right now are Add N to X, Kanye West, R. Kelly, Babies, Whitman, Abe Vigoda, and Brian Crabtree. I try to take things from everything that I come in contact with in my environment. We are a product of our environment. My favorite people/artists are the ones that make their own environment no matter the situation.
How did you begin making music? What’s your background? Are you
classically trained or self-taught?
I began by doing alot of improvisations, experimenting with effects pedals, putting contact mics on vacuum cleaners. Also, that around a time when I was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. The only reason I bring up hallucinogenics is because they put me in a mind frame of putting genres together that wouldn’t neccessarily work together. In short, it made me care alot less about having these music rules make sense. After doing quite a bit of experimentation I started song writing, and over some time I tried to put those ideas together.
I do think of music sometimes as an equation that needs to be solved. For example, if you try to make a song from a country music loop and a hip hop loop where do you place them in relation to each other. Once you try to figure out the composition variables will start presenting themselves and I am self taught.
I remember seeing you perform in East Texas when I was in high school – you’ve been at this for quite a long time. Is Treasure Mammal a permanent career choice for you? What is your career trajectory and
what tips can you give for independent artist just starting out?
This November the entity of Treasure Mammal turns 5 years old. This is a permanent career choice for me. I have decided to dedicate my life to music and being the enitity of Treasure Mammal. I do like the idea of getting old and still doing a version of the project. We do live in an ever changing world and it will be great to just ride it out. I do plan on touring in Canada and in Europe sometime in the near future. For anyone starting out, I would say they should figure out the purpose of the music they are making first, constantly make goals for yourself, put out your own records and tour all the time.
What future releases do you have planned? How do you plan on expanding the Treasure Mammal universe? Has your fanbase grown over
the years?
I have a new split 7 inch coming out with the Numerators from Lubbock, Texas coming out in the late fall. I have a new record coming out early next year called “If You Love Me You Will Get a Vagina”. A mixtape will also be coming out with remixes, different version of songs and freestyles things of that sort. A dvd is also in the works. With my fan base I have planted the seeds, watered them and they grown more than I ever thought they would. I plan on expanding the TM universe by eventually doing some art installations and trying to do some more work on the visual aspect of things
Do you have a day job? How do you reconcile your day-to-day with
your artistic expression?
I sell stuff on ebay, and sometimes I substitute teach. Lately, I have liked ebay better than any job because it takes the least out of my creativity and I don’t get bummed out on my job. Because there are those days where I wish I could do TM all the time but I have not figured out how to make a solid income doing that. yet.
Does your music have a message? What are you trying to convey?
If there was a message to my music. It would be to realize that you are great, to not be afraid of who you are, that one small thing can change your whole world, if you want to make a change (change it), and to do what you are really meant to do in this life. I guess in summation the message would be to be more self reliant. I write these songs for other people, the people I love, and I also write them for myself.
Stay tuned for bonus questions in next month’s Cannibal Cheerleader zine! Any comments?
Here at Cannibal Cheerleader we recently had an interview with one of our favorite local acts Southern Drama. Here’s an exercpt:
“REMOVED BY REQUEST“
Read the rest of the interview when it gets published over at Soundcheck Magazine. Here are some more awesome pics by Meg Seidel from their show at Beauty Bar – enjoy!
The demand for a new Madvillain album has clearly reached a fever-pitch as Stones Throw Records is releasing a remix album of the original Madvillainy entitled Madvillainy 2: The Madlib Remix by none other than the original producer Madlib. While the sick rhymes from MF Doom might be the same, the new production from Madlib makes this album more than worth listening to, as his inspired new flavoring of all your favorite MV tracks (supposedly crafted while on a ten-hour plane ride to Tokyo) reignite the passion that came with the first spin of the original’s rapid-fire raps. Check out a few tracks below and order this album from Stones Throw (specifically the completely awesome sounding deluxe package complete with comic book) immediately.
Madvillain – “Pearls” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: FIGHT BITE
After hearing about these guys from both Gorilla vs. Bear and Stereogum, and noticing that they live just up the road in Denton, Texas, we here at Cannibal Cheerleader decided to check out Fight Bite, and we’re definitely glad we did. Like stumbling upon the latest shoegazey-wunderkind before they’ve reached their full potential, the duo of Leanne Macomber and Jeff Louis produce such star-filled, dreamy, escapist pop masterworks to suggest they’ve been around for decades rather than just for a few months. Check out “Swissex Lover” below, the anthem to every teenage late-night firework fight captured in slow motion on super-8 film ever. They don’t have any shows planned for south of the DFW area right now, but hopefully they’ll take the roadtrip down to Austin and delight us with their syrupy goodness before too long!
Also, be on the lookout for their debut LP Emerald Eyes (that’s the cover up above) which they’ll be releasing tonight at a specialshow in Denton.If anyone obtains a copy shoot it our way, we’d love to get a copy! ******************************************************************** NEW GASLIGHT ANTHEM VIDEO
New Jersey punksters the Gaslight Anthem have just released a video on their Myspace for their newest single “The ‘59 Sound” from their forthcoming LP of the same name. Take a gander below and if you can spot these guys on their never-ending tour around the country, and you have an attraction to Springsteen and townies, check these guys out immediately!
SOUTHERN DRAMA IN AUSTIN Performing at Austin’s own Beauty Bar last night, Southern Drama managed surpass all our expectations and capture a refreshing slice of retro-country rock with a subversive edge that proved both genuine and engaging. There exists a level of underlying difficulty when playing any version of country music – the danger of the tunes seeming kitsch or even worse, too poppy is ever-present. However, Southern Drama plowed through such criticisms with instrumental virtuosity, care of their brilliant violinist Naomi Cherie, and with the captivating howl of lead singer Clarissa Ysel. With a voice more reminiscent of a riot grrrl act than a gypsy-country band, Ysel brings a level of emotion to songs steeped in evocative imagery, pulling the listener into the band’s complicated world. Worth mentioning is of course the care the band seems to take with their presentation, dressing up in psycho-carnival wares, instantly inviting and absurd all at once, proving to us here at Cannibal Cheerleader that Southern Drama is not only deserving of our close attention for their music but for their whole visual and performance formula. We’ll definitely be keeping up with these ladies, check in for more details this week! Southern Drama – “French Song” ******************************************************************** KAREN O PLAYS NATIVE KOREAN ROCK IN NYC Here’s a little show review by our friends over at the Music Slut in NYC who were lucky enough to be able to attend the debut of Karen O’s side project Native Korean Rock Monday night.
“I was simply ecstatic when word spread last week that Karen O would be debuting her new side project, Native Korean Rock, at one of Brooklyn’s most beloved & miniscule venues. For just about a half hour, she showcased a collection of love songs on par with the latter tracks from Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Show Your Bones (most notably ‘Warrior’ & ‘Sweets’), backed by a quintet comprised of strings, drums & guitars. While we all know and love Karen for her gravelly howls and mighty stage persona, it’s sometimes easy to forget that her demure side is just as impressive & captivating. The stage was adorned quite eloquently with a Korean flag, ample blue cellophane & a partial ship bow (which read ‘Seoul’). Key elements of Karen’s outfit included roses, fringes & a spectacularly detailed navy blue cap. All in all, an immensely beautiful & touching evening.”
Here’s the setlist and encore:
Setlist Ooo. Body. Visits. Beast. Rapt. Sunset Sun. Comes The Night. Day Go By.
Encore Indian Summer. Day Go By [Reprise]
******************************************************************** TV ON THE RADIO REVEAL LP3 DETAILS That’s right, hot on the heels on one of our favorite records of yesteryear, Return to Cookie Mountain, art-punkers TV on the Radio will be releasing their third LP Dear Science, on Sept 23rd according to Pitchfork. Further details such as a tracklist and cover will obviously be forthcoming so stay tuned for further details!
TV on the Radio – “Blues From Down Here” ******************************************************************** BLOC PARTY VS. SEX PISTOLS?? Looks like the battle between post-punk and punk ‘77 is on as Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon became involved in a heated confrontation with Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke over the weekend at the Summercase Festival in Barcelona. You can read all of the details here but apparently things got nasty when Okereke asked the Rotten one if his other former band, Public Image Ltd., would ever get back together, prompting Lydon to apparently go on a racist tirade. Both parties were separated by their respective entourages but details are still blurry as to what was said or inferred by either party. Still, to say that Johnny Rotten isn’t crazy is pretty much a guarantee that you’ll be on the wrong side of the argument, at least, that’s our two cents. Any more news and you’ll be sure to hear about it from us!
Our old pal Annie Hardy of our favorite shoegazey solo-act Giant Drag has been staying busy, what with recording her new Swan Song EP and all (by the way check out the new version of “Swan Song” up on the band’s Myspace, it’s absolutely haunting and gorgeous). Recently Annie
hooked up with Joe from the Icarus Line to perform a DJ set under the moniker Mister and Misses Howl, which will hopefully speak to more collaborations between the two bands soon.
Additionally Giant Drag have added their new song “Stuff to Live For” to a short film by photographer Bella Howard which you can check out at this website. We’re waiting with bated
breath for Annie’s new EP, so remember to buy stuff from her Ebay Store so she has the money to put it out already!
Local chamber-poppers Southern Drama are playing the Beauty Bar here in the ATX Monday July 21st with fellow awesome Austinites Death Is Not A Joyride. Definitely go and check these ladies out, their music is killer! Check out this music video for a taste of their tracks.
Speaking of killer, last night’s Terror Thursday featured one of the most gruesome and satisfying flicks to date: Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn is an old fashioned monster movie gorefest, complete with slimy, non-CGI creatures, decapitations, face-ripping,
explosions, and chewed-up grandmothers. Near perfection in my book, definitely deserving of four and a half out of five bloody pon-poms. Check out this unbelievably cool trailer if you don’t believe the hype about this movie – go rent it NOW. ******************************************************************** VIVIAN GIRLS REVEAL NEW 7″
We can’t seem to get enough of the infectious Vivian Girls here at Cannibal Cheerleader, and with good reason as their jangly, whispery rock is as unique as it is listenable. The Girls have put up a new track entitled “I Can’t Stay” up on their Myspace, and it’s not on the streets until September on vinyl so this is the last bone we’re being thrown for a while. Also their sold out self-titled debut is getting a re-release in the fall, good news for those of us who didn’t hear about these ladies until too late! Here’s a jam to spin this weekend.
CRYSTAL CASTLES LIVE FROM GLASTONBURY We’ve got some awesome new footage straight from Andy of Lies Records of Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Crystal Castles performing at Glastonbury (finally, a festival that knows how to film shows right). They perform a killer version of non-album track “Baptism”, “Black Panther”, and a scorching rendition of “Yes/No” (Andy says to watch this last one at 3:43 to see the security guard try to shut off the band, awesome). It’s a shame CC doesn’t get the credit in the States that it does across the pond, because here’s one band that’s actually deserving of the hype. Come back to Texas you two for some Austin hospitality!
Crystal Castles – Alice Practice (Futurecop! Remix) ******************************************************************** ACTION DESIGN EXTENDS TOUR TO AUSTIN According to the Action Design Myspace the former Tsunami-Bombers are swinging through Austin Sept. 10 at Red 7 after their jaunt on the much maligned (by this blog anyway) Warped Tour. Since we unfortunately missed the band their last time through, you know we’ll be hitting up this one.
“WE NEED A DRUMMER… We are looking for a drummer living in the New York area with a flexible schedule. Simply submit a photo of yourself along with your astrological sign to heartsrevolution@gmail.com and leave a one word description of yourself as the subject.
Thank you”
There you have it – if you’re interested in participating in one of the most exciting electro-clash acts out there and have a penchant for banging on things, hit these guys up immediately! Who knows, you might be cruising in the Heartschallenger van.
Heartsrevolution – “Switchblade” ******************************************************************** NEW BAND CHEER: SOUTHERN DRAMA A combination of baroque-pop sound and rock aesthetics, with a peppering of jazzy experimentalism and Gothic undertones, along with a great number of other literate descriptors, Southern Drama, an all-girl trio from Austin, are clearly hard to pin down. Violin solos float by the listeners’ ears as easily as lead singer Clarissa Ysel Sugarcube-vocals. It’s either a nightmarish, 50s style vaudeville act or one of the best indie bands in Austin, Southern Drama is not so much a band but a complete art project package and definitely deserving of all the attention we here at Cannibal Cheerleader can muster for them. Check these ladies out immediately at their Myspace and see if you can’t write a better description of them than I can.
