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:
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.
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!
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:
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!
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!
If you’re familiar with the Cannibal Cheerleader cult at all you’ll know we count ourselves among the biggest devotees of Phoenix’s favorite son Treasure Mammal aka Abe Gil. With experimental tendencies wrapped in electronic warbles coated in inspirational by-way-off ridiculous lyrics packaged in a hip-hop candy coating, T. Mammal defies easy definition, as his performance at our Cannibal Cheerleader Blood Bath clearly demonstrated. Blasting through some unbelievably awesome new tracks, Abe left the audience at the Peacock literally speechless.
Despite having initial difficulty getting sets for SXSW, the Treasure Mammal eventually found him self playing a half-dozen parties across Austin. We’re not sure if he survived the events of the craziest weekend in Austin, but we’ll undoubtedly be seeing more of this awesome artist soon. Check it:
Another one of our favorite acts of the Blood Bath was undoubtedly Vermillion Lies, a wonderful duo out Oakland who opened the show to a small but devoted crowd and absolutely rocked the Peacock to its foundations. Playing a brand of Victorian-era inspired punk rock with a heavy dosage of bizarre instrumentation to boot (toy drums and accordions anyone?) these ladies knew how to start a party off right.
Playing to a tiny bar as if they were opening for a stadium tour, Vermillion Lies left Austin to prepare for their upcoming tour with Amanda Palmer. However, they couldn’t leave the Lone Star State without getting themselves involved in the massive pillow-fight that occurred on Sixth Street that afternoon. Definitely a crazy group, check it:
Had the opportunity to check out a ton of bands at Mess With Texas on SXSW’s final day of Saturday and it turned out to be one of the best days of the whole fest. Starting with Cursive who blazed through their seminal Ugly Organ album almost start to finish and crashing through a wonderful set by CC fave Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, we knew we were in for a wonderful afternoon. After a set by the Vivian Girls (maybe a little too blog-buzzworthy for our taste at the moment) we were privvy to a set by the absolutely incredible Thermals who blazed through tracks old and new to the joy of a crowd-surfing audience below. One of the best (and hottest!) days of South by Southwest ever!
With a blog called Cannibal Cheerleader you can imagine how enthused we are about any band that calls themselves the Horrors. Truth be told we were among the first in our small group of indie-centric friends who jumped on the group’s self-titled EP and proclaimed them as the heir-apparent of goth-rock as we know it. We still love that album and Strange House and we can say unequivocally that the video for “Sheena Is A Parasite” ranks among our top 5 of all time.
And now, we’re getting news that the Horrors are resurrected, plucked from the grave of UK obscurity with their new album Primary Colours and it’s first single “Sea Within A Sea”. Definitely a slow-burner, clocking in at over 7 minutes, it seems the London quintet has shifted gears from the hellfire immediacy of their debut to a creepy-crawly, Zombies-by-way-of-the-Cure spookfest that sounds like a titilating ghost story rather than a slasher horror. Check it out below and count us among the group who can’t wait to hear the whole album.
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!
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:
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!
NEW TREASURE MAMMAL 7” Fresh from our mailbox to your computer screen comes the newest release from Phoenix-based rapper/experimental artist/motivational speaker Treasure Mammal, and boy it’s a doozy. The EP is a split with Whitman but it’s our friend T. Mammal who steals the show, especially with his excellent rendition of “Ain’t No Shame in My Game”. Seriously, Abe’s flow is becoming a serious force to be reckoned with, his scattershot metaphors mixing seamlessly with his vocal delivery, which dances between righteously spastic and smoothly droll. It’s a one-two punch from the mammal-master, so hook yourself up and buy one now. While you’re at it, buy your friends one too so you all can have a proper dance party, Treasure Mammal style.
Treasure Mammal – “Let’s Get Naked” ******************************************************************** NEW TEGAN AND SARA VIDEO Tegan and Sara are still making videos it seems for last year’s excellent The Con, but we here at Cannibal Cheerleader don’t mind one bit! Check out the vid for “Call It Off” below.
Balmorhea – “San Solomon” ******************************************************************** NEW TV ON THE RADIO VIDEO CC faves TV on the Radio have released the video for “Golden Age”, the first single from their new and most excellent LP Dear Science. Check it below!
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?
FINALLY PUNK ANNOUNCE NEW RELEASES Here’s the latest Myspace bulletin from long-dormant Austin punk giants Finally Punk:
“We uploaded our new track: “Hypertension”, to promote our forthcoming 4-song EP on M’Lady’s Records this Fall.
Germs of Youth will be releasing a 7″ single: “Six Years Doing Time” b/w “Negative Creep” and maybe another?
PPM is releasing a DVD compilation, “New Video Works”, with videos by: ABE VIGODA, BARR, BLACK BLACK, DEERHUNTER, ERASE ERRATA, FINALLY PUNK, HAWNAY TROOF, HIGH PLACES, DAVID HORVITZ, JAPANTHER, KIT, LUCKY DRAGONS, MIKA MIKO, NO AGE, POCAHAUNTED, THE SADS, SILVER DAGGERS, SISSY SPACEK, SOFT BOILED EGGIES, SOFT CIRCLE, SOILED MATTRESS AND THE SPRINGS, DAVID SCOTT STONE AND XIU XIU
We plan to tour the UK/Europe before the year is over, but school/work/nomadic endeavors has kept us put for the time being.”
Holy snap, just when we though we’d never hear from these awesome ladies again they go and churn out 4-song EP and plan to appear on a DVD comp with some of our Cannibal Cheerleader favorites (Mika Miko, High Places, Xiu Xiu, etc). Here’s to you girls, we’ll definitely be picking up the EP!
Finally Punk – “Manatee” ******************************************************************** GRAND OLE PARTY TOUR WITH BLACK LIPS In what’s sure to be an epic tour for the ages, Southern flower-punks the Black Lips are heading out on tour with Cannibal Cheerleader fave Grand Ole Party for some California dates. Here’s hoping this duo swings through Texas and soon!
Grand Ole Party – “Look Out Young Son” ******************************************************************** TREASURE MAMMAL BACK IN THE STUDIO? Recent mumblings on the Treasure Mammal Myspace along with confirmations from Abe himself point towards the fact that our favorite spazz-rocker/motivational speaker is in the studio recording tracks for what might hopefully be the followup to the excellent You Wish I Was Channeling Your Spirit. Of course, anything our friend Abe touches turns to gold, including the recently uploaded Improvisational tracks with Corey of the Mae Shi which are a testament to the experimental creativity of the T. Mammal. Check ‘em out on the ‘Space y’alls.
******************************************************************** THE CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER ZINE IS OUT Where can I find this monstrosity? How can I get my hands on this limited edition first run of the Cannibal Cheerleader magazine? Well yours truly will be hard at work tomorrow planting the zine at strategic locations. These include:
Waterloo Records The Parlor MonkeyWrench Books Sound on Sound Records Book People Kerbey Lane (Guad location) SpiderHouse Cafe FlightPath Coffee Shop Epoch Zen’s (Guad location)
Because the zine is expensive to make I will only be dropping off a few at each location so grab it fast! However, if you’d like your own copy delivered to you, just email me at cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com and I’ll shoot one your way. And if you find a copy, be sure and hang onto it and let me know what you think.
BORIS BLOWS AUSTIN AWAY It goes without saying that when it comes to metal, Japanese trio Boris remains in a completely different league than the majority of other ‘heavy’ bands working today. With a combination of sludge, drone, and stoner metal built on top of a framework of mind-blowing virtuosity by guitarist Wata, guitarist/vocalist/bassist Takeshi, and drummer Atsuo, one could expect the band to put on a live show that borders on perfection. Saturday here in Austin at the Mohawk, Boris did not disappoint. While opener Clouds experimented with melodic metal and Torche brought the requisite crunch-factor that metal-heads crave, the Boris experience was near mystical, as they whipped through tracks from their latest LP Smile as well as cuts from Pink with the help of master guitarist and special unannounced guest Michio Kurihara (who assisted the band on their Rainbow LP). As the smoke machine billowed around the band who played loose and free during their entire set, the audience quickly became mesmerized, only snapping from their metal-induced haze at the end of each extended cut, which was ultimately followed by rapturous applause. Starting slowly with “Flower Sun Rain”, Boris built up speed through the entire set before eventually settling on such fantastic cuts from Smile such as “My Neighbor Satan” and ending on a sublime note, leaving the audience begging for more. Ultimately Boris proved that metal can be an avant-garde art form, melodic and breathtaking in its head-banging fury, all while treating Austin to the heaviest show it might see this year. Here are a ton of pictures I took at Mohawk and a cut from their latest LP. Enjoy! Boris Wata Takeshi Atsuo Michio Kurihara Clouds Torche Boris – “My Neighbor Satan” ******************************************************************** GRAND OLE PARTY ON MTV2 It appears that our old friends from San Diego Grand Ole Party are tearing it up on MTV2, as their video for “Look Out Young Son”, a choice cut from their Humanimals LP is now in rotation according to the trio. Definitely keep an eye out for it and check the rad video below.
Grand Ole Party – “Look Out Young Son” ******************************************************************** HEADLIGHTS NEW DAYTROTTER SESSION Illinois-natives Headlights have just put up a new Daytrotter Session and it includes a great rendition of their hit from Some Racing, Some Stopping “Cherry Tulips”. According to the band’s Myspace:
“All these songs were re-invented for the Daytrotter sessions. We used all the great vintage gear — old keyboards and an upright bass, loop pedals and what not. They have really cool toys.”
Thanks everyone for readings and thanks to Treasure Mammal for stopping by my work yesterday even though I missed his show! He’s a really great guy so be sure and check him out! Any comments?
TREASURE MAMMAL IN AUSTIN TONIGHTIt would seem that forces beyond my control are conspiring against me, as I find that I will be unable to attend tonight’s Treasure Mammal show at the Opera House here in Austin. However, if you live in Austin and you love music you’re basically required to attend this show, as the T. Mammal experience is one of the most mind-blowing live presentations you may ever encounter. Seriously, I can’t encourage people enough to attend this show, and unless you’re as lame as me (if only I could bring in the bucks writing a blog!) then you have no excuse. T. Mammal goes on at 10pm according to the people on the phone from the Opera House but show up early and bring Abe some beer or something! Tell them to put it on the Cannibal Cheerleader bill. If anyone attends this show and grabs some pictures please let me know and I’ll post them here. Otherwise, have a great show Treasure Mammal and we’ll look forward to hearing more from you this year!
BE YOUR OWN PET CANCEL WARPED TOUR DATESOn a recent posting on the Be Your Own Pet website, the band states:
“We regret to inform our fans that we will not be participating in this year’s Warped Tour. We have been going non-stop for the past 6 months and didn’t realize how much the intense schedule would take out of us. Something had to give and sadly it’s this tour.”
Seeing their last live show here in Austin definitely makes it easy for us to understand how the band might be a little tired after all this non-stop touring. Also, as we’ve mentioned before, Jemina Pearl was none too happy to be participating in the poseur-filled Warped Tour, so looks like this might be a win-win. Get some rest guys! ******************************************************************** WHISPERTOWN2000 CHANGE NAME, PLOT TOUR Whispertown2000 (remember, no space!), or now The Whispertown 2000 have begun mapping out their new tour via their Myspace and here’s what their most recent bulletin had to say:
“Hello, fine people.
So, it looks as if our preposed tour should happen in September. Please respond if you or someone you know books at a college or venue. We would love to support or open up for someone in your town!!!
P.S. New Record to be released early October!!
P.S. We’re changing our name to The Whispertown 2000 ..
P.S. Website and Merch Store soon to come
P.S. Pushing Oars… P.S. xo”
So you’ve got a new Whispertown 2000 LP, a new tour (please swing through Austin!), a new website, and a new name! And who wants to bet me ‘Pushing Oars’ might just be the name of this their sophomore release? Only time will tell, stay tuned for more from these guys… ******************************************************************** TREASURE MAMMAL TOUR BEGINSOur favorite motivational speaker/experimental hip-hop artist Treasure Mammal is about to embark on his US tour! He’s going to be swinging through Austin this coming Sunday, and you know that Cannibal Cheerleader will be there with bells on to capture the whole event. If you’re on his itinerary (check out the Myspace!) then be sure and see this guy: the experience is life-altering. ******************************************************************** KANYE WEST RESPONDS TO BONNAROO INCIDENT The blogosphere has erupted over the past week over an incident at Bonnaroo where Kanye West’s late night set, scheduled to begin at 2:45am was delayed until 4:45am for (before today) unknown reasons. What could have been a simple controversy about disgruntled fans quickly turned into racist tirades against proud black artists who don’t display the humility that privileged young hippies feel they should. It of course goes without saying that the backlash against any African-American artist who doesn’t meet the fickle Internet’s standards will be far stronger than a Caucasian performer and the comments section on the likes of Stereogum are proof enough of that. Commentators claim that a mere apology would have sufficed, though given the fact that they were already throwing things on Kanye’s stage, perhaps it was their turn to apologize to him. Obviously I have strong feelings on the issue, however not so much as our friend Mr. West who comments on his blog (copied here in its brutally honest entirety, thanks Pitchfork):
“I am sick of negative people who just sit around trying 2 plot my downfall… Why???? I understand if people don’t like me because I like me or if people think tight clothes look gay or people say I run my mouth to much, But this Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I’ve ever had in my life. This is the most offended I’ve ever been… this is the maddest I ever will be. I’m typing so fucking hard I might break my fucking Mac book Air!!!!!!!! Call me any name you want…. arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of…. BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL! NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL! THIS SHOWS NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY TO BE GOOD AT SOMETHING THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THERE TO LIE ABOUT YOU AND BRING YOU DOWN! LIKE WAYNE SAYS PLEASE DON’T SHOOT ME DOWN CAUSE I’M FLYING! I’M FUCKING HURT BY THIS ONE. ALL I CARE ABOUT ARE THE FANS. JUST SAY THIS OUT LOUD IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE, “KANYE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT GIVING A GOOD PERFORMANCE.” CAN ANYONE HONESTLY SAY THAT ????????? HAS ANYONE EVEN TAKEN THE TIME TO AT LEAST DO THE MATH??? BONNAROO SHOULD HAVE RELEASED A STATEMENT IN MY DEFENSE BUT SINCE THEY HAVEN’T LET’S BREAK DOWN THE WALLS ON THIS TRUMAN SHOW AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY OCCURRED!!! FOR OVER A MONTH WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WETHER OR NOT WE COULD EVEN FIT MY STAGE AT THE FESTIVAL. ONE DAY THEY WOULD SAY YES… WE’D SEND THEM OUR SPECS THEN THEY THEY’D SAY OK… THEN THEY WOULD SEND SPECS BACK THAT DIDN’T FIT THE STAGE. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH FUCKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN’T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY. THEY TRIED 2 GIVE ME A TIME SLOT WERE IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE … I HAVE A FUCKING LIGHT SHOW DUMB ASS, IT’S NOT CALLED GLOW IN THE DARK FOR NO REASON SQUID BRAINS! MY PEOPLE WORKED OUT A COMPROMISED STAGE PLOT AND A 3AM TIME SLOT AND I AGREED. FAST FOWARD TO THE DAY OF THE SHOW. MY PRODUCTION MANAGER TRIED TO LOAD IN FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE I WENT ON STAGE BUT THE FESTIVAL WOULDN’T ALLOW US TO DO ANYTHING UNTILL PEARL JAM LEFT THE STAGE. PEARL JAM ENDED ONE HOUR
LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT THAT POINT WE’RE RACING AGAINST THE SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT 4:20AM DON COMES BACK 2 THE BUS AND TELLS ME, ” IT WOULD TAKE 45 MORE MINUTES TO PUT ALL YOUR PYRO IN!” I SAY I HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . I HIT THE STAGE AND PEOPLE HAD BEEN THROWING SHIT ON THE STAGE AND HAD ACTUALLY HIT THE JANE SCREEN WITH, I GUESS BOTTLES OR SOMETHING AND HAD BROKEN MY FUCKING SCREEN. REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A SHORTY AND WATER WOULD HIT THE TV?????? WHEN I GOT 2 “THROUGH THE WIRE” I STEPPED ON THE FRONT PART OF MY STAGE AND THERE WAS SO MUCH LIQUID ON THE STAGE I COULDN’T MOVE WITHOUT SLIPPING. I HAD TO ADJUST MY WHOLE PERFORMANCE STYLE BECAUSE OF IT. A FEW MORE SONGS IN AND THE SONG WAS ON IT’S WAY UP.. I CUT A FEW SONGS FROM THE SET BECAUSE I WANTED PEOPLE 2 EXPERIENCE STRONGER WHILE THERE WAS STILL SOME DARKNESS TO PERFORM IT IN. I’VE STRUGGLED WITH STRONGER FROM IT’S CONCEPTION. REMEMBER LAST SUMMER WHEN I CANCELED SOME TV APPEARANCES. IT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO PERFORM STRONGER IN THE DAYTIME. ANYONE WHO CAME TO THE GLOW TOUR CAN UNDERSTAND WHY I WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE IT PROPERLY. IT BROKE MY HEART THAT I COULDN’T GIVE THESE FANS STRONGER IN IT’S GREATEST FORM… BY THE TIME I GOT TO STRONGER IT WAS DAYTIME AND IT BROKE MY HEART. I’M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO. I’M SORRY… SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE… I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT… HAVING AN EXPENSIVE STAGE CUTS MY PAYDAY IN HALF… CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!!!”
Spoken like a true artist Kanye. Here at Cannibal Cheerleader we realize when a performer on the level of Michael Jackson with a political slant reminiscent of Dylan reaches the top of the heap. Shame to see so many people trying to pull him down. This is actually a good segue into my next section… ******************************************************************** CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER – PRINT EDITION!As that last section may have made readers realize, I’m an opinionated person. However, Cannibal Cheerleader is more about the music than the politics but that’s going to change when we release the Cannibal Cheerleader Zine here in Austin, Texas. It will be available free in various locations around the city and will feature artist profiles, artwork, politics, music essays, and Austin-centric articles, all based around the theme of brave, creative music journalism with no commercial ties holding us down. Be prepared to be shocked (not that the idea of a Cannibal Cheerleader isn’t shocking enough, haha). Coming in mid-to-late July, look for it then.
PS. MP3’s will hopefully be back next week everyone!
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:
