Published by David September 11th, 2007
in Random, Concert and 2007.
Add The White Stripes to this list: Amy Winehouse, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Jon Dee Graham. According to Austin 360 and the ACL message boards The White Stripes have canceled their performances at ACL and Stubb’s due to an illness. Now I am really happy I have Dylan tickets for Saturday night; that is until they put someone in that slot that I wanted to see. Hopefully we’ll find out by tomorrow what the ACL promoters will do. No word if the Stripes will be playing their Thursday gig at Kiva Auditorium in Albuquerque yet. If they do that would be kinda weird since they’re citing medical issues for the cancellations.
EDIT:
They have officially taken The White Stripes off Saturday’s schedule (although they’re still on the front home page) and they moved Muse to the Stripes slot. Dr. Dog has been added but they’re up against “Sound Team”. Damien Rice is now up against Arctic Monkeys, which makes much more sense. St. Vincent has been put in Jon Dee’s open slot.
Published by David October 20th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Album, Review and 2006.
Austin’s The Lovely Sparrows, produce sweet soulful harmonies backed by breezy acoustical guitars, combined with a multitude of various instruments on their latest five track EP Pulling Up Floors, Pouring on (New) Paint. This is their second release, the first being a 7″ released earlier this year. They have a similar sound to fellow Austinites American Analog Set, as well as influential mixture of The Kinks and Big Star in a similar fashion to way The Shins set up their compositions but more carefree. Lead singer and songwriter, Shawn Jones provides illuminated narration to the bands open and airy landscape. The setting is soft around the edges, like a fluffy cloud mixed with mini bursts of tiny explosions of percussion.
All of the songs are blended together rather inconspicuously and release an overall soothing impression. Upbeat finger-snaps and hand-claps nestled together with a harmonious jangling guitar strum and the robust patter of the percussion construct the third track “The War Has Seen the Best of Me”. In turn it is followed by “Attention Disorder Kid” which openly critiques how our nation is drugging our children and turning them into drones: “Attention disorder kid, they want to replace with you robots. All things not cool, come round, come round. You’ll hear them say settled down, settle down”. The piece is slightly scattered and has it ups-and-downs (as well it should) and concludes by seamlessly blending into the first 45 seconds of the final track “Let’s Watch the Tourists”. We watch the tourists as they shuffle along with another mixture of clatter and clanging, loosely meshed together as it closes the 20 minute collection rather nicely. But guess what, my two favorites are the first two tracks “Chemicals Change” and “Your Flowers Will Bloom” as they are both a bit more polished and shine ever so brightly. This EP sets up a promising future for The Lovely Sparrows that I am looking forward to hear.
Freebies
A high quality version of the lead off track Chemicals Change. Pick up the EP at eMusic or iTunes or order the actual CD from Abandoned Love Records.
Published by Scott March 19th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Album, Review and 2006.
Let’s get right to it: Fort Recovery is outstanding. Sure, it’s a bit early to be talking album of the year but this one will stay at the top of my personal heap unless something even more amazing comes along to take it’s place. I’ve had it in ultra heavy rotation since picking it up a couple of weeks ago and its stature continues to grow. Like my obsessions last year with albums by Sufjan Stevens (admittedly months after everyone else), Bright Eyes, and Art Brut, Centro-Matic’s latest is my recommended daily dose of listening.
It’s hard to say what sets Fort Recovery apart from other the band’s other fine works. An unrepentant rockist, I’m probably more partial to this one because there are only a couple of the singer-songwriter type songs that usually have a greater presence on their albums. Not that I don’t enjoy such songs from Will Johnson. In fact it’s the lyrics from one of these that are the most provocative and affecting on the album. “The more I learn about the world / The less that I find I’m afraid to die,” he sings on “I See Through You.” It’s a powerful sentiment, all the more so delivered with Johnson’s careworn expressiveness and set to acoustic guitar, mellow keyboards, and melancholy strings.
Most of the time though, Fort Recovery finds Centro-matic at their most exuberant. Johnson leads the way with his fantastic voice, a throaty baritone on the velvety side of whiskey soaked. Backing him is incredibly warm sounding fuzzed out rock. Even with occasional squeals of feedback and some truly meaty rawk grooves, they manage to produce a sound that’s neither abrasive nor slick. It’s more of an organic resonance that transcends its electric, amplified origins.
It’s an album filled with highlights so I’ll only tell you about a couple of my favorites. They’re not much of a riff rock band but with huge pounding drums and downtuned guitars they work up a killer one for “Calling Thermatico.” It’ll have you reaching for the volume to crank it up a couple of notches. There’s a wicked keyboard hook on “The Fugitives Have Won” that’s as novel in context as it is memorable. Johnson’s gravelly voice on that song absolutely floors me as it matches the guitars’ dirty fuzz.
Just to reiterate, Fort Recovery is an album you should not miss. I wrote before about where you can find “Triggers and Trashheaps” to sample. Centro-matic also has a Myspace where you can stream that song along with the aforementioned “Calling Thermatico.” Or you can (and should) download the whole thing from eMusic.
