When Frodus Conglomerate International decided to reunite for the first time in 10-years, its initial appearances were rather exclusive. There was a single, quietly announced, performance Murky Coffee and then two quick shows at SXSW for, you know, for industry insiders. At any rate, the larger public, suffering greatly amidst the collapse of capitalism, was [...]
Lovitt Records Showcase: I had been looking forward to this showcase all week, since it was a chance to visit with some D.C. folks and familiars—Lovitt being a local record label, and all—in a city with better than average Mexican food. Also, I heard there was going to be free Vitamin Water, but it was [...]
Medications: When Medications performed at Fort Reno a few years back, I told drummer/bassist Chad Molter that I thought his band's new songs sounded sort of like mid-'70s Fleetwood Mac, in a good way. I'm not sure he really liked hearing that, though. At any rate, when they played Friday, at this funky art-space/theater, the [...]
I'm no Brandon Wu, clearly, but I snapped some photos of Mi Ami over at the Mexican Summer party yesterday. I was really floored when I saw these guys play in DC a few weeks ago, and also pretty much floored at this show too. If you want, read Cole Goins' BPB interview with them [...]
If Tim Rutili's doesn't have the most harmonious singing voice, but it's certainly one of the most distinctive, or just the flat-out weirderst. On his records with Califone and the long defunct Red Red Meat his words are always slurred, as if he's somehow singing them backwards and forwards at the same time. I had [...]
Naked on the Vague's Blood Pressure Sessions was one of my favorite records of last year, but I didn't really anticipate ever getting to see them play, mainly because they're from Sydney, Australia. It's pretty expensive to get up to the US, even if your band is just cheapo keyboards, a trashy guitar, and a [...]
On the way to Austin I listened to a George Carlin comedy album, not sure which one it was. "White people have no business playing the blues. They give people the blues, they have no business playing them," he said.
Carlin's words came back into my mind while watching Heartless Bastards perform at Stubbs Bar-B-Que. Surely [...]
My initial impression of SXSW is that it's kind of like Burning Man, only with tighter clothes. Since I've never been to Burning Man, I could be mistaken, but there's enough smelly people, people on stilts, people offering free hugs, dudes with septum piercings, that I think the comparison is a pretty safe bet.
And amid [...]
Maybe noon was a little bit too ambitious a time to get the DC Does Texas Showcase started, given that the majority of Austin's population seemed to be out late last night, swigging tall-boys of PBR. As a result, the streets were kind of bare, even at 1:20, when Deleted Scenes went on.
Not a [...]
1,526 miles from DC to Austin, split up into a leisurely 2.5 days of driving. Here's the basic breakdown of the trip:
Favorite Albums Listened to in Their Entirety:
– Grateful Dead, American Beauty
– Obits, I Blame You
– Kris Kristofferson, Kristofferson
– Augustus Pablo, King David’s Melody
– Boredoms, Vision Creation Newsun
– Mi Ami, Watersports
– Big Star, Radio [...]
