Theory 8's Super Bargain Blowout Sale
Ever since the economic stimulus package was announced this spring, companies have been offering all kinds of promotions to
For a limited time (probably as long as it takes them to sober up and come to their senses), Theory 8 Records is running a special; get any five of their albums for just fifteen bucks. In case you're bad at math, that's just three dollars apiece. You do have to pay for shipping, but that's only another two bucks. Over the past eight years, they've released albums by Nashville stalwarts like De Novo Dahl, Caitlin Rose, Forget Cassettes, Apollo Up, and The Carter Administration, along with a few out-of-towners like Copeland, so you ought to be able to find five albums you'd dig. And if you can only find three or four, take a chance and pick one or two at random... for only three bucks it's worth a gamble, and you might discover something awesome. You can check out their complete catalog (complete with MP3s) here, but you need to hit up this link to take advantage of this offer (just list the five albums you want in the special instructions field).
Need suggestions?
Apollo Up! - "Situation: Hot!" (mp3) from Chariots Of Fire
Caitlin Rose - "Dead Flowers" (mp3) from Dead Flowers EP
De Novo Dahl - "Be Your Man" (mp3) from Cats & Kittens
The Carter Administration - "The Wake Up Call" (mp3) from Here Comes The Copout
Forget Cassettes - "Quiero, Quieres" (mp3) from Salt
Labels: locals
Get Down Friday
The Story of My Friday, Part 2: The Second Part
If you had told me on Friday afternoon that the turnaround to what had been a fairly crappy day would be watching a couple of shirtless, pasty dudes jump around by the pool at Opryland Hotel, I'd have thought you were high. But it turns out that is exactly what happened.
The first sign that my Friday was about to get better was about 6:15, when I left work earlier than I thought I'd be able to. That meant I had just enough time to go home, change clothes, and head out to Poolapalooza, the free concert series/pool party that Opryland Hotel is hosting this summer. If you're from around these parts, you know that Opryland isn't usually a destination for seeing local rock acts, but they had a great lineup Friday evening, so I figured I'll try anything once. It turns out the Gaylord folks have put together a really fun event. Kudos to them.
I got there just after The Nobility had kicked things off. Despite the fact that they play a fairly jaunty brand of pop music, they seemed to have a hard time connecting with the crowd. Whether it was their self-depreciating wit or the fact that rock concerts just aren't meant to happen when it's still daylight, people definitely seemed more interested in the pool than the band for most of their set.
By the time De Novo Dahl took the stage just after 8, they had the benefit of twilight, so the atmosphere was much more conducive to a rock show. I'm not sure if anyone else in attendance was trying to fight off the blues that evening, but if they were, DND were just what the doctor ordered. Sometime during the 1-2 punch of "Shout" and their cover of Rod Stewart's "Young Turks," I'd completely forgotten that the better part of my day had pretty much sucked. By the end of their set, they'd managed to draw a diverse crowd of curious locals, chlorine soaked tourists and conventioneers. It made for a surprisingly great start to the weekend.
De Novo Dahl - "Shout" (mp3) from Move Every Muscle, Make Every Sound
The Nobility - "Halleluiah Chorus" (mp3) from The Mezzanine
Photo by Lance Conzett. The rest of his pics from Friday night can be seen here.
Heaven Tonight
Last week Cortney Tidwell held round one of her mini residency at The Basement, and if you didn't make it out, you missed a night of music that can only be described as magical. She and the band pulled out all the stops during an hour long set that mixed up new material from their forthcoming album Son and Moon, along with a few older songs that had been gussied up with a fresh coat of paint. The evening featured guest appearances aplenty (at one point there were ten people on stage), including duets with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner on "Society" from Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up, and a gorgeous take on Don William's classic "I Believe In You." Combined with standout sets from Altered Statesman and Lone Official, it made for just a stunning evening.
She will be doing round two of the residency tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18), this time joined by The Privates and Stone Jack Jones. Even if it's only half as good as last week was, it will still be an utterly amazing show.
UPDATE: Someone should have told me that mp3 link below was busted. It's fixed now.
Cortney Tidwell - "Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (Alternate Version)" (mp3) original version from Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
If you absolutely, postively can't make it (like say you live in Europe), make sure you hit up her myspace profile, where she is currently previewing "Palace" from the forthcoming album.
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening
How to get your weekend off to a great start in two easy steps...
1. Watch your hometown team kick the crap out of the Red Sox. Granted, after winning 8-0 Friday night, they went on to lose the next two games in the series. But at this point in the Mariners' craptastic season, I'm happy for any win I can get.
2. See a great show. After watching the rare M's victory Friday, I made my way to the 5 Spot, and accidentally timed my arrival perfectly to have exactly enough time to get a beer before Jennifer Nicely got the evening started. If you're seeing her for the first time, it's probably a bit disjarring. You close your eyes and you'd swear the ghost of Billie Holliday was on stage... then you open them and it's this skinny white girl. Altered Statesmen were up next with a fabulous set of their trademark chilled out psychedelic soul. Rounding out the night was Millionaire Magicians. Having previously only seen frontman Jerry Campbell's previous band Spider Virus, I was surprised to be treated to set of unabashed pop songs, complete with gang vocal sing alongs. It was one of those nights that reminded you that it's really pretty ridiculous how many talented people there are in Nashville, and how lucky you are to get to experience it constantly.
Altered Statesmen - "Lightning Rod" (mp3) from Altered Statesmen
Altered Statesmen will be playing the first evening of Courtney Tidwell's mini-residency at The Basement this Wednesday, June 11, along with Lone Official and a solo set from Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. This will probably be the best show in Nashville this month, and if you miss it, you'll be kicking yourself when everyone else is talking about it on Thursday.
Future Bolt
Hotpipes - Future Bolt
Some albums are just made for this time of the year, and Hotpipes new CD ranks up there among the best spring albums I've ever heard. It's the perfect soundtrack for rolling down the windows on a sunny day and driving around with the car stereo turned up just a little bit louder than is probably healthy. Clocking in at a succinct 29 minutes, its eight songs alternate seemlessly between guitar driven power pop and keyboard fueled rave ups. I've already mentioned how much I love the album's opener, and it's followed up with this gem, making for a potent 1-2 punch to kick off the proceedings.
Hotpipes - "Future Bolt" (mp3)
Hotpipes will be playing tomorrow night (Saturday, April 12) at The Basement in Nashville, along with And The Relatives and Atlanta's The Howlies. The cover is only five bucks, and a lineup this killer would be a bargain at twice the price.
Post Presidency
The Legal Limits - Hot Pursuit (EP)
Back at the end of January, The Legal Limits and Sad Apartment teamed up for a joint EP release show at the 5 Spot. I reviewed Sad Apartment's EP back in February, and since the two bands are getting together for another evening of "side projectitis" tomorrow night, April 4, at Family Wash, I figured it was a good time to talk about the other CD I took home that night.
For whatever reason, I never quite connected with The Legal Limits the night of their record release. But several weeks ago, my broken car CD player suddenly started working (it's since crapped out again). Hot Pursuit was one of the CDs I happened to have left in the car, so it made it's way into the rotation, and it stayed there for the better part of a month. The band is often referred to as Ryan Ervin's country side project, but apart from the presence of slide guitar, it's really just a more subdued take on the same kind of pop music he makes with The Carter Administration. It's full of the same sly wit and big hooks that have made the Carters one of Nashville's most beloved bands, just played a little slower and with less distortion. The four originals are padded out with two covers, including an ultra lo-fi take on Guided By Voices "Smothered In Hugs" that would make Uncle Bob proud.
The Legal Limits - "Pretend You're Invisible" (mp3)
Girl From The North Country
All We Seabees - Lady Alaska
I've mentioned before that one of the things I love about All We Seabees is how they manage to combine so many different styles into a cohesive whole. Their new CD, Lady Alaska is a perfect example of that. There's a hint of psychedelia, and a healthy dose of Irish soul. It has the narrative tradition of folk music and the spirit of indie rock. There's enough twang to keep it honest, but not enough to make it country. The album has a slightly more organic feel than their debut (Anne The Snake) did. That might be a side effect of its origins; it apparently began life intended as an acoustic-y side project, but grew into a band effort. The instrumentation is a bit more ecletic, with healthy doses of banjo, fiddle, accordian, and female harmonies. But as great as the arrangements are, the real strength of the band is the songwriting. "Black Girls" is simply one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard from the local rock scene, and "Painter" gets its impact from the juxtaposition of an utterly depressing story set to a jaunty tune. The fact that they've they've gotten this good on just their second album bodes well for their next CD, which they've already started recording.
All We Seabees - "Weepy Willow Hollow" (mp3)
All We Seabees - "Black Girls" (mp3)*
They'll be playing this Friday, April 4, at Wallstreet in Murfreesboro, along with Hammertorch and Cheyenne.
* This is a slightly different mix from the album version, but I didn't feel like burning another MP3. Yeah, I was feeling THAT lazy last night. Besides, alternate versions are fun, yo.
Outtakes From The Night Before
So after lamenting that it'd had been a while since I'd seen a show, I made up for it by going on something of a live music bender. I ended up catching five shows and fourteen bands over the past eight days. I won't write about all of them, mostly because several of them have released CDs that I'll be writing about over the next week or two, and I don't want to use up all my clever adjectives in one post. But I will mention a couple of things.
The highlight of the past week? Definitely Monday night at Springwater. It started with Paper Hats. William Tyler plays with about 80 different bands (Lambchop, Silver Jews, Cortney Tidwell, among others) and I'd seen him play with several of them, so I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was THAT good. He's one of those musicians that kind of disgust me, because they hog up all the talent in the universe and leave poor schmucks like me with table scraps. Next was Festival, a sibling act who's ethereal folk pop filled with gorgeous harmonies reminded me of early Miranda Sex Garden (before they became a rock band). Closing the evening was Cortney Tidwell and her boys, who played a set of entirely new material, including one song that was a dead ringer for Black Sabbath. Based on last nite, if she gets her new album finished and out before December, she might top my year end list for the second year in a row.
Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3) from Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
The low point would probably be the two evenings prior to Monday... not because of the bands I saw, some of which were excellent, but because of the events surrounding them. I've decided to dub it "The Weekend of Bands That Took Entirely Too Long to Set Up." I'm self aware enough to admit most of my faults, and patience is definitely not one of my many virtues (being nice is however, so the guilty parties shall remain nameless). I wasn't too pleased standing around Saturday night watching a band that had the standard four piece instrumentation take half a fucking hour to set up. Unless you are playing at Madison Square Garden, it shouldn't take you thirty minutes to plug in a couple of effects pedals. Whats worse is that they took almost as long to breakdown after their set. Grab your shit and get off the damn stage so that the next band (the one I came to see) can play.
Sunday night ended up being even worse. I'm not so naive that I believe in advertised start times, but when I go to a show with a listed start of 9 pm, I don't expect that rock o'clock actually means 11, especially on a Sunday. But if I thought that would be the sole test of my tolerance, I was sadly mistaken. Later in the evening I watched a solo act take twenty minutes to set up a keyboard and an acoustic guitar. No effects, no complicated MIDI connections, just a cheap ass Casio with built in speakers. And it took twenty minutes to put a mic in front of it. Grrrr.
The Church - "Two Places At Once (Single Version)" (mp3) from Sometime Anywhere
Coming Attractions
One of my goals for 2008 is to try to go a show every week. Honestly it's not a goal I expect to acheive, but I figure by shooting for four or five shows a month, I'll make it out to at least two or three. The last couple of weeks I've been to... uh... zero shows, due to weather and working late and being out of town. This week I'll be making up for it.
I've been looking forward to Monday night since I first checked out Hallelujah The Hills several weeks ago. I'm usually not a fan of band names and song titles being one in the same, but this song is a thousand different kinds of awesome... like The Rentals doing a pub sing along.
Hallelujah The Hills - "Hallelujah The Hills" (mp3) from Collective Psychosis Begone
The rest of their stuff is equally great. They're playing in Nashville twice tomorrow (St. Patrick's Day if you weren't paying attention). They'll be at Grimey's for a free instore performance at 6 pm, and then head to Springwater for a 9 pm show that also features Bad Friend and (self promotion alert) Paris Street.
I've been looking forward to Monday night since I first checked out Hallelujah The Hills several weeks ago. I'm usually not a fan of band names and song titles being one in the same, but this song is a thousand different kinds of awesome... like The Rentals doing a pub sing along.
Hallelujah The Hills - "Hallelujah The Hills" (mp3) from Collective Psychosis Begone
The rest of their stuff is equally great. They're playing in Nashville twice tomorrow (St. Patrick's Day if you weren't paying attention). They'll be at Grimey's for a free instore performance at 6 pm, and then head to Springwater for a 9 pm show that also features Bad Friend and (self promotion alert) Paris Street.
Tuesday night is about making up for lost opportunities. Hotpipes released their new CD a couple of weeks ago, and I had planned on going to their record release show. Unfortunately my planned catnap turned into a prolonged slumber and I slept through it. Last week they did an instore at Grimey's, but I ended up having to work late. So I'm bound and determined to catch their show at The Groove, the new(ish) record store in East Nashville. The fact that it's only a couple of blocks from my apartment makes it a pretty safe bet that I wont miss them this time. Turncoats and The Teenage Prayers will also be playing, the show starts at 7 pm, and it's free.
Finally on Saturday, March 22, my favorite local band All We Seabees return to the stage after their winter hibernation. I was out of town for their record release house party in Murfreesboro last month, but it turns out I didn't miss much since the local constables shut it down. They'll be playing at The Basement along with Anna Kramer and Pale Blue Dot.
Labels: locals
SXSW In Exactly Six Words
I wasn't going to post anything SXSW related because, you know... I'm not there. But a friend sent me this link, and it's too good not to share. A writer for The Morning News listened to all of the official MP3s submitted by showcasing bands (763 of them) and wrote a six word review for every single one of them. The results are often hilarious. Some of my favorites (the links are for the band's SXSW profile, which has the song being reviewed)...
Air Traffic - "Turn away, Coldplay’s raping Maroon 5."
Castanets - "That guy singing backup? Kill him."
White Mice - "The sound of a rectum exploding."
Abra Moore - "Soft pink vagina frosted jazz cupcakes."
Swampmeat - "Perfect music for humping an alligator."
AM - "Someone’s been eating Hall and Oatesmeal."
Three Armada - "I’M PLAYING GUITAR WITH MY COCK!"
Capital K - "Acceptable—if they dress as wizards."
The Jonbenet - "One admires such remarkably vigorous stupidity."
Kevin Shields (not the MBV guy) - "Like a dog fucking a blender."
And a few of our local Nashville acts weren't spared...
We Were The States - "So derivative my intestines just prolapsed."
Alex Khoury - "This guitarist has too many feelings."
Be Your Own Pet - "Punky ladies sing goofy bicycle ditty."
The Clutters - (review of "9999 Ways To Hate Us") "I just found one more way."
Magic Wands - "I don’t feel like clapping along."
Not all of the reviews are negative, some of the tracks he really liked (the four and five star ratings are highlighted in bold). But it's understandable that after listening to that many songs in a short amount of time, you'd probably get quite pithy too.
Magnapop - "Texas" (mp3) from Hot Boxing
Labels: locals
Cowboys Sweetheart
I was pretty sure I'd like Amanda Shires even before she started her set at the 5 Spot last week. For starters, I'd heard her on WRVU a couple of weeks ago, so I had a pretty good idea what I was in for. But the thing that clinched it for me, before she had even sung a note, was when she did an off the cuff take of "Stardust" during her soundcheck. As much as I love Sinatra and Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, I think my favorite version of that song is Willie Nelson's, and hearing Hoagy Carmichael's melody on the fiddle evoked memories of his take on it. It was a great (and unplanned) start to a fantastic set.
After making a name for herself as a vocalist and fiddler with the Thrift Store Cowboys, Amanda has spent the last few months playing around Nashville with A Band of Men. She plays country music... the good kind. It's not particulary hip or trendy or alternative or any other adjective people like to throw in front of the c-word around here to differentiate themselves often abysmal tripe that Music Row generates. It's just really good songs, sung by a voice with just the right amount of twang, and punctuated by fantastic fiddle playing. The kind of music that even people who claim to not like country wouldn't be able to help enjoying. It's contemporary and timeless and fantastic.
Amanda and her Band of Men will be playing at the Basement in Nashville tomorrow nite, Tuesday, February 19, at 9 pm. If you miss that, they'll also be at FooBar on Thursday, March 6.
Amanda Shires - "Keep It Close" (mp3) from Being Brave
Labels: locals
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Sad Apartment - Unisex (EP)
There seems to be a rule in Nashville that you can't be in just one band, you have to be in like five. The members of Sad Apartment certainly ahere to that rule, splitting their time playing with Ole Mossy Face, Duraluxe, and The Carter Administration. This project's sound is more twangy and laid back than any of their main bands, although it's more 70's style country rock than alt-country (their cover of the Eagle's "Take It Easy" is definitely more earnest than ironic). It'd be the perfect soundtrack for a lazy Sunday morning with a cup of coffee and a cigarette... if only I smoked.
Sad Apartment - "Stop Get Ready Go" (mp3)
Since they don't have any sort of online link to purchase the CD, check out The Opening Acts to snag another song from the EP.
Merry Christmas from Nashville
With Christmas a mere four days away, everyone seems to fall into one of two categories; the bah-humbug types who are fed up with the last minute hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, and those who are bound and determined to spread holiday cheer. Some of my favorite local bands apparently fall into the latter category, and have posted seasonal songs on their Myspace profiles. Here's a roundup the yuletide offerings from some of Nashville's finest...
Last year Lylas released A Christmas Kiss from Lylas, and they have both of the "proper" songs from the EP available for download, along with the b-side from their first single, "Let's All Go Caroling." Since they haven't posted either of the two brief instrumentals that bookend the EP (and no one else has either), here they are for your listening pleasure...
Lylas - "Theme for Saint Nicholas" (mp3)
Lylas - "Snowfall Since Midnight" (mp3)
Former Save Macaulay frontwoman Caitlin Rose has recorded recorded a straight up country version of the classic "Blue Christmas," only with trombone. Why haven't more people thought of including trombone on country songs? It sounds surprisingly awesome.
Two of the local bands that contributed songs to the Toys For Tots benefit album Peace On Earth have their tracks availalble for streaming, Sleeptalker's "This Is Christmas," and The Winston Jazz Routine's "Through The Snow."
Several years ago Matthew Ryan contributed a incredibly cool version of "Little Drummer Boy" to Nettwerk's Christmas Songs album. It's not posted on his main myspace profile, but you can listen to it here.
The Features have a track up called "Father Christmas" that is not a cover of the Kinks classic. I'd love to tell you more about it, but I couldn't find a lick of info about it online. Anyone???
Timbre is one of my favorite local artists, but I always struggle to describe her music (indie classical?). Regardless, she has two Christmas songs posted on her profile; the traditional "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," and a new song which tells a variation of the fable about the Robin fanning the embers of the fire to warm Baby Jesus, "Robin Red Breast."
And finally (self promotion alert), my own band Paris Street released a Christmas EP this year, simply called Winter. Three of the four songs (two originals, and a cover of "A Marshmallow World") are available for download on our myspace profile. The one that isn't is a cover of a song by Hefner.
Paris Street - "The Little Baby Hefner's Xmas Song For Holland" (mp3)
If you know of anyone I forgot, feel free to link to them in the comments. And from our city to yours, have a super fantastic very merry Christmas.
photo by Chris Wage
Song Of Mary
Last year a local artist, Erika Chambers, released one of my favorite songs of the Christmas season, "O Star O'er Bethlehem" (you can read about it here, and you can listen to it on her myspace profile). This year she's released another holiday tune, and it's equally excellent. With today being the start of Hanukkah, I figured it was especially appropriate to post it today. It's not about the festival of lights at all, but it is about a jewish mother, and it's partially sung in Hebrew. That's close enough, right?
Erika Chambers - "Song Of Mary" (mp3) from Holiday Noise 2
Erika will be performing at 3rd and Lindsley this Friday, December 7 at 7:00 pm, along with several other of the artists who appear on this year's Holiday Noise CD.
Seabees Can Do
The last time I mentioned All We Seabees on here, I said that they might my new favorite local band. I've seen them twice since then, and the verdict is in... they are definitely my fave Nashville outfit out there right now. They just seem to have everything I love about music all wrapped up in one tidy package. Their live sets are equal parts folky strum and distortion laden walls of sound. The songs are quirky enough to be interesting but catchy enough to stay stuck in your head for days. With splashes of banjo and female harmonies, their arrangements keep you wondering where they're going to go next without sounding schizophrenic. It's pop music with a hint of Celtic ache, and rock music with a healthy dose of drunken charm.
All We Seabees -"Bruin Hunt" (mp3) from Anne The Snake
All We Seabees - "Black Girls" (mp3) from Flounder And Hoot (not yet released)
They'll be going into a sort of winter hibernation starting next month, but you have a couple of chances to catch them before they wind down for the year. They play this Saturday, November 10 at Springwater, along with Save Macaulay and Angus Whyte & The Irish Rednecks. They'll also be taking the stage at Mercy Lounge for 8 of 8th on Monday, November 19, with a lineup that also includes Ghostfinger and Hands Down Eugene.
Labels: locals
Come Together
The Healthy Home & Bad Friend - Bad Friend Love's The Healthy Home
West meets Middle Tennessee on this split album/double EP of Guided By Voice's inspired lo-fi rock. Dyersburg's The Healthy Home kicks off the procedings sounding like a more palatable version of Stephen Merritt fronting the late model GBV lineup. Their half of the CD is bookended by two upbeat rockers, with a couple of mellow acoustic numbers sandwiched in between. If you're one of those that think Bob Pollard sold out after Alien Lanes, than the second half of the split will probably be more your speed, at least sonically. I'm pretty sure Nashville's Bad Friend started more as a drinking club than a band, and that kind of loose, relaxed vibe informs their music throughout. With three singer/songwriters, it can sound a bit schizophrenic at times, but that chaos breeds a perfect gem of a pop song in "Taco." Taking the concept of a shared CD to it's logical conclusion, the CD concludes with two songs recorded as a collaboration between the bands, and the resulting "Staying Up All Night" is one of the album's highlights.
The Healthy Home - "Starting Anew" (mp3)
Bad Friend - "Taco" (mp3)
Bad Friend will be celebrating the release of the EP on Wednesday, October 17, at the Basement in Nashville, along with Paris Street, who also have a brand new EP they'll be welcoming into the world (which I am unqualified to review, having played on it). Chicago's The Saps will be rounding out the bill. For more on the show, check out the article in this week's Nashville Scene.
3rd of October
Earlier today, Matthew Ryan posted the following bulletin on myspace...
"So this morning I tried to upload track 1 off of my second record, East Autumn Grin, onto myspace. The track is called 3rd Of October. I think my reasons for wanting to upload it is obvious. Just a little autumn simpatico.There's a bit more, but it's kind of boring legalese. Anyway, since Myspace sucks, consider this my public service for the day.
Anyway, my second record was on A&M/INTERSCOPE/UNIVERSAL Records. It's one of the largest record companies in the world. The short version of this story is I signed with A&M Records in the mid-nineties. A&M was as independent as the larger companies got back then. They were one of my favorite American labels. They had put out The Police since day one, Soundgarden, Kitchens Of Distinction, The Blue Nile and many other great records. When I signed to them, they were in their last days of being a true label with their own taste and infrastructure.
In 1999 A&M was bought out by Universal Records. Universal cut and merged several smaller into one giant indistinguishable muscle head. My second record came out in 2000. It's arguable that it never really came out. The new label did the minimum and so on. So I was dropped. And so began my truly independent career. I'm proud that I kept moving and growing my audience by doing what my art and instinct told me to do.
Fast forward to October 3rd, 2007. I'm sipping coffee and want to introduce those of you that are listening and new to my music to something I'm proud of from years ago. So I try to upload a song from my second record onto Myspace, and I get my uploading privileges suspended because of copyright infringement.
Yes, I can't share a song that I wrote and recorded with you because this company is so desperate to maintain control they won't let it be heard. Understand, I didn't post it for download, I was just posting it to be heard and hoping some of you would be curious and seek that record out.
Can you understand my frustration?
Here's the message from Myspace: "Audio or video content has been blocked or removed from your profile. Content may be blocked/removed because we received a notice from the copyright owner claiming you were infringing its rights, because the content was recognized by MySpace's copyright filter, or because your use of the content violated MySpace's Terms and Conditions."
Matthew Ryan - "3rd of October" (mp3) from East Autumn Grin
Labels: locals
Next Big Nashville Wrap Up
Three nights, eight shows, eighteen bands, countless beers and fourteen hours of sleep. That was my Next Big Nashville experience in a nutshell. After a Sunday afternoon that I had planned on spending finishing unpacking and listening to the Seahawks game, but ended up mostly napping, I've almost recovered from it. It was an exhausting 72 hours, but totally worth it. With over 130 bands playing at ten different venues over five nights, I missed more great bands than I was able to see. This festival did a great job of highlighting the vast wealth of talent that exists in Nashville's non-country music scene.
Here are some quick reviews of most of the acts I got to see over the past couple of days, in roughly the order I saw them...
Cortney Tidwell - I've raved about her a lot on here over the past year, so it should come as no surprise that her show Thursday at the Basement was amazing. I'm glad to see that the commenters at Nashville Cream who saw her felt the same way. She played several new songs, and they were every bit as incredible as the stuff on her debut album.
Justin Townes Earle - He may have Steve Earle in his blood, but Hank Williams in his heart. His set of "old time hillbilly music" wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Matthew Ryan Vs. The Silver State - I expected a good show, and he certainly delivered. I'd kill to have his voice, and his songwriting is so fucking good, it's criminal that the guy isn't a household name. Not only did he cover one of my favorite songs ever (more on that tomorrow), but I think this might be my new favorite song...
Matthew Ryan - "It Could've Been Worse" (mp3 - now with a working link)
Jennifer Nicely - The Basement's low ceilings and laid back vibe was the perfect setting for Nicely's brand of jazzy pop noir. It sounded like a young Billie Holliday fronting Chris Isaak's Silvertones. Her debut album, Luminous, is being released tomorrow.
The Pink Spiders - Considering how hard it's been to miss The Pink Spiders lately, especially in Nashville, it's surprising that this was the first time I've seen them. These guys have been everywhere over the past year... on the soundtrack to Madden 07, on TRL, and they seem to be at the Gold Rush every single time I step foot in the joint. I even saw their video for "Little Razorblade" while shopping at Steve & Barry's in Pennsylvania earlier this year. Their beer spewing stage antics really aren't my cup of tea, but if you can resist the charms of "Modern Swinger," you're made of stronger stuff than I am.
Aaron Robinson - Aaron Robinson has an amazing voice, his songs are great, and his band is fantastic. And yet the thing I remember most about his set at the Mercy Lounge was how much I hated his song about Karen Carpenter.
And The Relatives - I'd never heard of these guys before last week, but their set Saturday night at The End was outstanding. If The Pixies had spent their entire career in a garage, they'd sound something like this.
All We Seabees - I think I have a new favorite local band. Their set started with just hand claps and harmonies, and over the course of half an hour they built their folky pop songs into raging swirl of distorted guitars... and harmonies. It was one of those shows where you kick yourself afterwords for not finding out about them sooner.
Jensen Sportag - I hate to go negative, but this show was memorable in how monumentally boring it was. I've never seen any band that didn't get at least a courtesy clap between songs... the only thing you heard was people carrying on their conversations throughout the set. Apparently they are about to move to London, and hopefully their electro-pop will go over a little better across the pond.
Plastic Clap - Entirely awesome. It was like some unholy mix of The Beastie Boys and NSYNC. If you ever get the chance to see these guys, you HAVE to go. Their show is brilliantly offensive and absolutely insane.
For more post festival thoughts, visit Out The Other and, uh... thats it for now. If anyone has seen any other post-festival posts, please post a comment and let me know. I'm sure the Scene will have a wrap up on Wednesday.
UPDATE: More post NBN thoughts at Nashville Cream.
Here are some quick reviews of most of the acts I got to see over the past couple of days, in roughly the order I saw them...
Cortney Tidwell - I've raved about her a lot on here over the past year, so it should come as no surprise that her show Thursday at the Basement was amazing. I'm glad to see that the commenters at Nashville Cream who saw her felt the same way. She played several new songs, and they were every bit as incredible as the stuff on her debut album.
Justin Townes Earle - He may have Steve Earle in his blood, but Hank Williams in his heart. His set of "old time hillbilly music" wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Matthew Ryan Vs. The Silver State - I expected a good show, and he certainly delivered. I'd kill to have his voice, and his songwriting is so fucking good, it's criminal that the guy isn't a household name. Not only did he cover one of my favorite songs ever (more on that tomorrow), but I think this might be my new favorite song...
Matthew Ryan - "It Could've Been Worse" (mp3 - now with a working link)
Jennifer Nicely - The Basement's low ceilings and laid back vibe was the perfect setting for Nicely's brand of jazzy pop noir. It sounded like a young Billie Holliday fronting Chris Isaak's Silvertones. Her debut album, Luminous, is being released tomorrow.
The Pink Spiders - Considering how hard it's been to miss The Pink Spiders lately, especially in Nashville, it's surprising that this was the first time I've seen them. These guys have been everywhere over the past year... on the soundtrack to Madden 07, on TRL, and they seem to be at the Gold Rush every single time I step foot in the joint. I even saw their video for "Little Razorblade" while shopping at Steve & Barry's in Pennsylvania earlier this year. Their beer spewing stage antics really aren't my cup of tea, but if you can resist the charms of "Modern Swinger," you're made of stronger stuff than I am.
Aaron Robinson - Aaron Robinson has an amazing voice, his songs are great, and his band is fantastic. And yet the thing I remember most about his set at the Mercy Lounge was how much I hated his song about Karen Carpenter.
And The Relatives - I'd never heard of these guys before last week, but their set Saturday night at The End was outstanding. If The Pixies had spent their entire career in a garage, they'd sound something like this.
All We Seabees - I think I have a new favorite local band. Their set started with just hand claps and harmonies, and over the course of half an hour they built their folky pop songs into raging swirl of distorted guitars... and harmonies. It was one of those shows where you kick yourself afterwords for not finding out about them sooner.
Jensen Sportag - I hate to go negative, but this show was memorable in how monumentally boring it was. I've never seen any band that didn't get at least a courtesy clap between songs... the only thing you heard was people carrying on their conversations throughout the set. Apparently they are about to move to London, and hopefully their electro-pop will go over a little better across the pond.
Plastic Clap - Entirely awesome. It was like some unholy mix of The Beastie Boys and NSYNC. If you ever get the chance to see these guys, you HAVE to go. Their show is brilliantly offensive and absolutely insane.
For more post festival thoughts, visit Out The Other and, uh... thats it for now. If anyone has seen any other post-festival posts, please post a comment and let me know. I'm sure the Scene will have a wrap up on Wednesday.
UPDATE: More post NBN thoughts at Nashville Cream.
Previewing Next Big Nashville
Tonight kicks off the festivities for Next Big Nashville, so for the next five days there is no excuse for saying you have nothing to do. But if you're overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, here are a few personal picks of bands I'm familiar with. Of course, one of the joys of festivals like this is discovering bands you aren't familiar with, so let this list be a starting point for you, and then go out and disover some great new music.
Lylas - Wednesday, September 5, 9 pm at The Belcourt
They'll probably be onstage by the time I get this posted, but I'll mention them anyway because they're one of my favorite local bands (and not just because they've released two Christmas themed records, although that helps). They're the perfect blend of sour and sweet, mixing lyrics that are often borderline creepy into classic pop song formats augmented by ukelele, banjo and slide guitar.
Lylas - "Tiny Echoes" (mp3) from Lessons For Lovers
Oblio - Thursday, September 6, 8:45 pm at 3rd & Lindsley
Oblio was one of the last shows I saw at Radio Cafe before it closed down, and I guess that's kind of appropriate. Their sound reminds me of the kind of radio I cut my musical teeth on. It's pop music with a bit of a late 70s vibe. Which is about the lamest descpription I've ever given of a band, but its appropriate. They're just good.
Oblio - "She-Devil" (mp3) from Create The Night, Pt. 1
Cortney Tidwell - Thursday, September 6, 9:30 pm at The Basement
Cortney was absolutely captivating the first time I saw her, when it was just her trading off between playing guitar and drums and omnichord. As memorable as that show was, she's even more amazing with a full band to create lush soundscapes behind her breathtaking voice. Her album is still the frontrunner to top my best of 2007 list, and if you're one of my friends reading this and you don't have it yet, shame on you.
Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3) from Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
Matthew Ryan vs The Silver State, Thursday, September 6, 11:45 pm at The Basement
I kinda feel guilty that after plugging NBN as a great opportunity to check out new bands, I'm going to spend Thursday night seeing two artists I've already seen before, but I can't pass up an opportunity to see two of my favorite locals in one fell swoop. Matthew Ryan has the kind of raspy voice that is meant to sing big, thoughtful rock music. I've never heard one of his songs that I didn't like. And on his last album, he covered one of my all time favorite songs, Jack Frost's "Providence." This will be the first show by his newest project, Matthew Ryan Vs The Silver State.
Matthew Ryan "And Never Look Back" (mp3) from From A Late Night Highrise
Sleeptalker - Friday, September 7, 9:30 pm at The Rutledge
Rock bands with piano as the main instrument seem to be all the rage lately, and in Nashville no one does it better than Sleeptalker. I guess if you absolutely had to you could compare them to that band that starts with a C, except Sleeptalker's lyrics wont make you cringe.
Sleeptalker - "Many Bells Down" (mp3) from Simplify, Simplify
The Features - Saturday, September 8, 10:15 pm at The Cannery Ballroom
Here's an embarassing admission... The Features are probably the best rock band, and I've never seen them. That may or may not change this weekend. Saturday night at the Cannery features three of the most popular local acts right now... The Features, De Novo Dahl, and How I Became The Bomb. The Ballroom is almost sure to be packed to the gills, so if you want to see this show, I'd strongly suggest you get there early.
The Features - "D-Con (Radio One)" (mp3) from the Soaking In The Center Of The Universe Vol. 2 sampler
I'm barely scratching the surface with these recomendations. There are 130 different artists playing the festival this weekend, and if you really want help in deciding your schedule over the next few days, I again suggest that you visit Out The Other. Janet has posted mp3s from over 70 of the artist playing Next Big Nashville, so if you're looking to expand your local music horizons, that definitely needs to be your pre-departure interweb stop.
Labels: locals
See Nashville (rock) for Free
Next week kicks off the 2nd annual Next Big Nashville music festival. And you can see it for free.
Next Big Nashville is a five day event featuring over 130 (mostly) Nashville based artists. Basically, it's the cream of the crop of the local rock, indie, alt-country and singer-songwriter scenes.
The Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving away a package that includes a three night stay at the Radisson, wristbands for free admission to all NBN shows, and "Music City Star" cards good for free admission to stuff like the Country Music Hall of Fame. Register here, but hurry... the contest only runs through tomorrow, August 30. If you don't win, you can always snag a wristband for the festival here.
If you're curious about the band's playing NBN, I highly recommend you check out the festival previews at Out The Other. Janet is a bit of a music blogger legend for having previewed every single act who played the 2005 and 2006 Austin City Limits festivals, and she's applying a similar tenacity to the hometown festival. So hit her up for MP3s and interviews with many of the artist's who are playing next week.
And if you need a recommendation to start you off, I suggest you mark your calendar for Cortney Tidwell, who plays at The Basement next Thursday, September 6 at 9:30 pm.
Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3) from Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
Labels: locals
