Friday, September 30, 2005

Stop Bugging Me About My Sister

Here's a new Wilco song [thanks Muzzle of Bees].

Wilco - Walken

Any thoughts about the O.C. last night? IMHO, the storyline was the worst of the season, and a bad way to go into an October hiatus [no cliffhangers!]. On the music tip, maybe one of the best episodes of recent memory:
Bob Mould, M.I.A., Royksopp, Youth Group. Yeah.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Death Cab B-Sides & Lost/O.C. Debate

Stereogum reported earlier today that Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good posted two B-side tracks from Death Cab's new album, 'Plans'. Check it out. There's also some Sufjan Stevens love on the link.



For all you fans of ultra-layered Brit sounds, Elbow has a new album coming out. Here's a video of the first single:
Elbow - Forget Myself [video] from bossBlog.

In other news, Lost is rapidly becoming more of a must-watch for me than The O.C.. I can't believe I just typed those words. Which show is more believable?

Mama Cass - Make your own kind of music [song from 'the hatch' in Lost S3 Episode 1

Phantom Planet - California 2005 Acoustic
[both songs from bossBlog

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Post ACL Soulsearching

After three days of unbearable heat and dust at the Austin City Limits music fest, I ended up with a sore throat and headache for the last three days, and I'm utterly wiped out even now. That may have something to do with the continued 105+ degree heat Austin is experiencing right now. But after a brief hiatus to gather my thoughts, I'm back, ready to guide you through it.



So the other ACL bloggers are recouping and getting back to their compys and getting the goods out too. Here's what I've found.

1.) Muzzle of Bees seems to have linked me exclusively for ACL Recaps. Muchas Gracias.

2.) CallMeMickey posted a generous helping of mp3s from the Black Keys' set. That was fast. Download Impy threes from the Black Keys' ACL set from Sunday [via callmeMICKEY]

3.) Austinist found a list of every artist who played ACL, done by Out the Other, complete with at least one mp3 of each performer. Wow.

4.) Austinist also posted a recap of ACL afterparties.

5.) Achtung Baby! posted some ACL coverage, including a Video from the Spoon show, and many other videos.

6.) Metroblogging Austin posted a bunch of links to lots of other recaps. Check them out.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

ACL Day 3 - We're Gonna Burn This City

Well Day 3 was the hottest day so far this year. 108F. Every band felt it necessary to mention two things yesterday: a) Some variation of "So, it's hot, huh?" b) Some variation of "Don't forget to hydrate", so bake we did, and hydrate we did. The theme of the day was Fire and Cold.

I got a late start, but got there in time for the Arcade Fire. Most of the members were in all-black. They must have been baking. They burned the house down, though. Unbelievable. Not quite as good as their more intimate show at Emo's earlier in the year, but they definitely overcame the lack of intimacy that generally characterizes a festival show.



Stream Arcade Fire songs here.

Stream Arcade Fire live @ KEXP

After the Arcade Fire, I caught a little of the Decemberists. They were good. Definitely better live than on album, if for no other reason than that Colin Meloy's nasal voice is further back in the mix, so it's a little less annoying. Great songs and a good voice for the songs, but less is more with Colin Meloy's voice, I say.



Engine Driver - The Decemberists

After that, we hightailed it over to the SBC stage to get a good spot for Franz Ferdinand. No complaints there, other than the heat. I must say that by this time in the weekend, the crowd was getting pretty lethargic, which affected the intensity of the shows, for sure. Franz Ferdinand worked hard and were all over the stage, and maintained their cheeky personas, despite the near-110 degree heat during their show. They played a good mix of their new stuff and their old stuff, and have definitely matured as musicians and songwriters since their last album.



Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen

Franz Ferdidnand - Eleanor Put Your Boots On

Franz Ferdidnand - Walk Away [They really rocked this one - one of the highlights of the show for me.]
[links via Dreams of Horses]

Of course, then there was Coldplay, who seriously must be looking to get the Arcade Fire to tour with them or something [too late, U2 got to them first; looks like coldplay's always trying to copy U2!], because Chris Martin would not shut up about how great they are and what an inspiration they are to him, etc. Nice to know that he has an appreciation for music. [btw, Brett and I decided that the difference between Coldplay and Oasis is that Coldplay seems to understand that there is a whole world of music out there, and it humbles them. Oasis just thinks they're God's gift to pop, and they're the only band that matters. Nevermind the fact that they're just an empty clone of the Beatles' worst stuff. I digress.]



Coldplay's show was spectacular. Great visuals, great energy, great performances of the songs. In the middle, they did a tribute to Johnny Cash, and then played 'Ring of Fire'. Their stage set is amazing, and they really fit the role of international superstars well.



During 'Yellow,' they released these huge yellow balloons into the crowd filled with yellow glitter. 'Yellow'... Yellow... Oh, I get it! Clever.



Torrent of Coldplay's 2005 Coachella show

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Saturday ACL - 'Are You Hoping for a Miracle?'

Remember what I said yesterday about Brits being able to work a crowd? This was proven to be even more true today at Day two of the Austin City Limits Festival. The forecast called for high winds and low heat in the wake of Hurricane Rita, but it was just the opposite. 100 degree heat ruled the afternoon, and rather than wind or rain, there was a cloud of dust rising from the ground and filling your mouth.

It was hottest at 4:30 for Death Cab for Cutie's set.



I was honestly under-whelmed for the second time in a row that I've seen Deathcab live. My friend Dan and I figure that it's just not upbeat enough to translate live. I like the albums just fine, and Gibbard, Walla and co. put their all into it, but it just didn't move me.

Soul Meets Body Video

After Deathcab, I headed over to the AMD stage for the Fiery Furnaces, and I was pleasantly surprised by the unique form of artrock coming from the brother/sister duo. Plus Eleanor is a Texas graduate, which only makes her cooler, if that's even possible. She had lots of stage presence.



The Fiery Furnaces - Single Again"
Fiery Furnaces Live @ X-Posure Live

Eleanor's stage presence was nothing compared to Kele's from Bloc Party, though. I have no idea how anyone can top the show Bloc Party put on tonight. Definitely Top 5 ACL performances of the last three years. They owned the crowd, and played with such intensity. Dan and I made it to the front row, and loved every second of it. Dan even got one of the drummer's sticks from some high school girl who didn't know it had fallen into her bag when the drummer threw it. Highlights: 'Like Eating Glass,' 'Helicopter,' and 'Pioneers' (which was semi-dedicated to Oasis, sarcastically).





Bloc Party live in Washington DC 6-16-05 [from npr.com]

Bloc Party on 'Morning Becomes Eclectic'
Bloc Party - Banquet
Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices [live in Austin @ SXSW 05]

After Bloc Party, Oasis played, we were nowhere even close, and Liam had enough ego for the whole festival. Then we left after just a few Oasis songs.

New Oasis Song, if you care.

What were your favorites? Any other stories of seeing these bands live?

Friday, September 23, 2005

Everything Hits at Once

So, I woke up this morning without an ACL ticket. My plan was to try and scheme a Sunday ticket from a scalper or something. The only big problem: I had to see Bloc Party on Saturday night. What to do? Craig's List, my friend.

By 10am, I had found a 3 day pass for sale for $75, and I bit. Just a few minutes later, I had a ticket in hand, thinking about what time to head to the ACL fest. What a wonderful world wide web!

So, here's my promise to you: Impy Threes and Pics from the Austin City Limits Festival.



Episode 1: Friday night - Spoon/Keane


Spoon on the AMD stage Friday (9/23/05) at the Austin City Limits Music Fest


Spoon's Britt Daniels

The Spoon show was great. Best of theirs I've seen. Britt Daniels was loving it, and the hometown crowd was singing along. They played a good mix between Gimme Fiction material, and a strong mix of Girls Can Tell ('Everything Hits at Once' 'Anything You Want' 'Me and the Bean') and Kill the Moonlight ('Paper Tiger' 'The Way We Get By' 'Small Stakes') stuff. The show came to a climax when the whole crowd sang along to 'The Way We Get By'. My only complaint is that I'd like to hear them do a few older songs off of 'Series of Sneaks' or 'Soft Effects'. Great show, though.

Spoon - Everything Hits at Once [disco mix]

I Turn My Camera On - Spoon, off Gimme Fiction [video]

In between the Spoon set and Keane, the sun was setting, and the clouds from the first wave of Hurricane Rita leftovers moved over Austin from the Southeast. It was majestic.



Keane's first few songs had the sunset-colored clouds in the background. Perfect.




Keane had an uphill battle in impressing me after Spoon. I like their stuff, but I didn't know how it would translate live. They totally won me over with their showmanship and how catchy each of their songs were. One thing I do know is that Brits know how to work a crowd.

Keane - She Opens Her Eyes [rare 7" B-Side Rapidshare mp3]

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know [iTunes video].

Watch the videos of Keane @ AOL Music

Thursday, September 22, 2005

ACL Must Sees

For all of you who will be [or in my case, won't be, but wish you would be] at the ACL Fest, I thought it would be fun to list your Top 3 must sees of each day.

Rules:
1.) Two "must sees" cannot meet at the same time
2.) A "must see" is defined as a person or group that you would forsake all other bands playing at that time to see. You would even be willing to brave tropical storm force winds to see this band.

Here are mine:
Friday:
dios(malos)
Mates of State
Spoon

Saturday:
What Made Milwaukee Famous
Bloc Party
Oasis

Sunday:
The Decembrists
Franz Ferdinand (only because I can't include Wilco too)
Coldplay

[If I had to exclued one of the Sunday ones to include Wilco, it would be The Decembrists]

What are your must sees?

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

ACL Scenario Workshop

Ok, unless you've been asleep for the past several days, you know that Hurricane Rita is coming and is likely to disrupt Saturday at the Austin City Limits festival. What is needed in this situation is preparation. I mean, you just don't want to be out in the elements when a Hurricane comes by. Seriously.

So, let's say you've plopped down your hard-earned cash on a 3-Day pass. What do you do about Saturday? Brave the traffic, the bad parking, the walk, and then face a full-on category five "finger of God" hurricane in order to catch Bloc Party [quite possibly worth it, if you've been listening to their Remix album]? Or do you sit Saturday out and wait for the stellar Sunday lineup?

Decisions...

A possibly even more perilous decision may be the one you have to make for Sunday, namely, Wilco or Franz Ferdinand. What imbecile planned both of those bands at the same time?



Which band would you go to see?

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Watchoo Talkin' 'Bout, Willis?

Not since I watched Arnold and Willis and their madcap hijinks on tv after elementary school has this combo been in my life: Strokes and Juicebox.

The new song by the Strokes just leaked [thanks again, as always stereogum for the heads up.



What do you think?

The Strokes - Juicebox [follow links]

Friday, September 16, 2005

DITC#1: Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill/The Karate Kid

Let me clear my throat!!!/Kick it over here, baby pop
And let all the fly skimmas/Feel the beat... mmmmDROOOOOOP!


I can say nothing about this album that hasn't already been said. Say the opening lines of 'Paul Revere' to most suburban kids born between '69 and '89 and they probably can finish off the verse, if not the song. "Noooow, here's a little story I gots to tell about three bad brothers you know so well..." 'Brass Monkey' and 'Fight for Your Right to Party' still get regular play at parties and on alternative radio. And speaking of alternative radio, this album refuses to be pigeonholed into one genre. Rap, yes. Metal, yes. Classic Rock, yes. Modern Rock, probably. Pop, well, yes. It is an immensely popular album (9 million copies sold to date), but it has this quality that makes it feel like you're in this special club for having it.

The true greatness of the album is not found within its singles, however. Each song is memorable in its own right ('Girls,' 'She's Crafty'), but the greatest brilliance lies in some of the myriad samples. The producer Rick Rubin jacked possibly the stoutest beat ever off of the most popular Led Zepplin album ever('When the Levee Breaks' off "IV"), and had the audacity to let the sample play naked on side 1, track 1 of the album. Never again will you hear Zep sampled so well (and so often).


The only movie that could even come close to having the ubiquitous appeal of 'License to Ill' in my mind is 'The Karate Kid.' I mean, that movie is so quotable, so memorable, and so classic for so many people. These two artifacts of the 80s are both seemingly simple, but so enduringly appealing. I mean, how many cheap knock-off movie redos of 'Rocky' were there in the 80s anyway? But you and everyone else you know can recognize the "Get him a bodybag! Yeaaaaah! Heheheh..." line from the finals of the tournament.

[image taken from Chicago's New Millennium Theatre Company's stage performance of "Miyagi! A Karate Kid Musical"]

Wax On Wax Off [mp3 from "It's Karate Kid! The Musical"]

What's your favorite line from the album/movie?

Thursday, September 15, 2005

DITC#2: Michael Jackson - Thriller/Sixteen Candles


You can't make an 80s list without these two gems. I mean, "Beat It", "Billie Jean", "Thriller", "Human Nature", and "The [Doggone] Girl is Mine (f./ Paul [Doggone] McCartney"? Fuggettaboutit. So many hits. As a child, the Thriller video invaded my dreams and turned them into nightmares, and now, thanks to Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, the Thriller dance invades nightmare movies and, for a short time, makes them memorable.



Probably one of the greatest musical moments I know of in the 80s is Eddie VanHalen's guest guitar solo on "Beat It." I'm serious. The part where he knocks on the guitar to let you know he's about do blow your door down may be the most ingenious way to start a solo EVER. Give it a listen [a capella version of the solo from www.ibreathemusic.com (sans opening knock)]. Fascinating backstory of the solo.

And 'Sixteen Candles' is quite possibly my favorite movie from the 80s. I'm including Star Wars films in that consideration (I think). Anthony Michael Hall as 'Farmer Ted' is eerily quotable. The squeaky voice, the inexplicable confidence, his "king of the dweebs" persona... simply sublime.

Sixteen Candles' similarities to Thriller are not easily mined, but here's a shot:
1.) Both tremendously and enduringly popular artifacts of the 80s.
2.) 80s "Best Of" lists are simply incomplete without either one.
3.) Where 'Thriller' does horror in a humorously campy way, 'Sixteen Candles' takes the horrors of High School and makes them painfully humorous.
4.) Both 'Sixteen Candles' and the 'Thriller' video end with a freeze frame where the protagonist ends up with the love interest in the end.

What's your favorite song from 'Thriller'/line from 'Sixteen Candles'.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

I Am Trying to Break Your iPod

Apparently gorilla vs. bear has reported that Wilco's releasing their new album on Nov. 1. I can't find that info anywhere on Wilco's website, but that don't mean it ain't true, right, bloggers?



Wilco - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart [live]

Theologians [live]

Thax Douglas Poem - "Wilco #7" [links via gorilla vs. bear, via Glide Magazine]

And, SERIOUSLY, download this song RIGHT NOW!!! (If you haven't already).

Monday, September 12, 2005

Impy Three Monday



I'm totally loving the new Franz Ferdinand, but I gots to pass on some of these songs I've found here and there on different world wide websites.

Miguel Mendez - Drinking Beer [via stereogum]

-Think Akron/Family, Elliot Smith, Damien Jurado, and that's Miguel Mendez. I used to work at a restaurant that sold stuffed baked potatoes with a guy named Miguel. We used to play Tony Hawk on his playstation whenever the store wasn't busy (which was a lot). He drank a lot of beer. Funny that this other Miguel writes a song about beer. What a funny world.

Sigur Rós - Glósóli
Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla
Sigur Rós - Sæglópur
[via Comfort Music]

-Last night, I helped play bass at my friend's church, Liquid, and they used Sigur Rós for the background music when people were walking in. It was really pretty cool. I get a sense of the divine when listening to Sigur Rós. It's probably because I don't understand what they're saying, and it's so beautiful that I can just make it mean whatever I want.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

The Young and the Restless

Texas 25 - OSU 22



Vince Young was a total champ in the game. Not because he played perfectly, but because he led perfectly. With heart. No matter what was going on on the field, Vince was cool calm and collected.

The exact opposite was true of the Horn fans near campus here in Austin. There was total mayhem at the crosswalk by the West Mall on Guadalupe. I love Texas.





Texas Fight.

New Franz Ferdinand Leak!

Thanks to Dreams of Horses for their links to some new Franz Ferdinand songs.

Are these as good as the first album?

The Fallen
Eleanor Put Your Boots On
Walk Away (acoustic)

Tell me your thoughts...

DITC #3: The Smiths - The Queen is Dead/Stand By Me



For #3 album/movie combo from the 80s, I chose to darken things up a bit. The Smiths' "The Queen is Dead" has a great mixture of sad lyrics and happy music. That was the brilliance of the Smiths: Johnny Marr's upbeat guitars and Morrissey's melancholy lyrics. This album probably captures the Smiths at their best.

Similarly, the genius of "Stand By Me" is the mix of action, humor and depth used by Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Jerry O'Connell as they go on a search for a dead body. This film is classic in so many different ways: young stars at the beginnings of their careers (Kiefer Sutherland also appears), the movie is so moving, and it's all from a Stephen King short story. Much like "The Queen is Dead", Stand By Me does darkness with aplomb and the result is a melancholy masterpiece.

A conversation at the College Game Day Offices

Producer 1: So guys, we need a theme song.

Producer 2: Something hip.

Producer 3: Something the kids will like.

Producer 1: Who do the kids like these days?

Producer 3: I was thinking Elton John, he's really big with the college demographic.

Producer 2: Huh?

Producer 1: Yeah, Elton John. Or maybe Billy Joel.

Producer 2: Are you seri-

Producer 1: Or maybe someone with more universal appeal, like Celine Dion.

Producer 2: Do you guys even know what you're talking abou-

Producer 3: No, more upbeat. Maybe some polka.

Producer 1: No, country music is big with college students. Can we get Tim McGraw?

Producer 2: What about Li'l Jon?

Producer 3: We don't need little, we need big.

Producer 1: Seriously guys, country's hot!

Producer 3: Tim McGraw's busy, who else can we get?

Producer 2: I'm outta here [walking out]

Producer 1: I know, someone big.

Producer 3: Someone rich.

Producer 1: I know, let's hire Big & Rich. They need some work.

Producer 3: Do we have to pay them?

Producer 1: I think they'll work for free.

Producer 3: even better.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Drama + Irony = Dram-irony

So the OC premiere, huh? Sweet.

Long story short: I like how everything tied together, and I didn't feel like I was being played with.

Normally a season premiere diffuses all of the tension of the cliffhanger, and then sets things back to normal, all within one episode. It's usually really anti-climactic. Josh Schwartz wasn't so ambitious, and it worked to his advantage. The storylines tied into one another well, it left me wanting more, there weren't too many unbelievable twists, and the music was good.

Not-so-welcome changes: 1.) Julie Cooper is back to being her usual one-dimensional, evil self; 2.) We had another maningless character introduced, a la Lindsey (Kirsten's rehab-mate, Charlotte (I give her 3 episodes before she's propositioning Kirsten or helping her relapse again)); 3.) Trey is still alive and in an actual coma (rather than the acting coma he tends to be in for every other episode).

Here's a song from the episode, an excellent remix of a great Bloc Party song:

Bloc Party - Blue Light (Engineer's Anti-Gravity Mix) (off the upcoming Silent Alarm Remix album)

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Best Week Ever?



So, in the next few days, things are going to become a lot clearer in life. Tonight at 8/7 central, we see if all of the drama of last season's The OC finale will bring us into another year of fun. I mean, it's senior year in the OC, y'all. This is where the memories are made. Set your TiVos for stun.

Then, just 48 excruciatingly long hours later, at 8/7 central on Saturday, we have the greatest regular season matchup of the 2005 College Football Season, and my Horns are playing. Don't blink.


Henry Melton, aka "Hemi." I like to call him "Hank the Tank".

Of course, all of the hype could be for naught. We all remember the OC debacle that I like to call "the Lindsey episodes," and no Longhorn fan is without a little nervousness as the minutes count down to a game against a big opponent away from Austin [anyone been to the State Fair lately?]

Next up, iPod iNvisible



Is there a point where these things just get too small and too easy to lose?

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

#4: Depeche Mode - Violator/Heathers

Now, if you're looking closely, you'll catch my bending of the rules: Violator was released three months into the 90s, so it's not quite an 80s album. When you think about it though, it was recorded in the 80s, Depeche Mode was most popular throughout the 80s, and this album is more of a culmination of Depeche Mode's potential as a power-pop-alt-dance-synth outfit with heart.

The songs on Violator are intense, dealing with addiction ("Clean," "Sweetest Perfection," love, selfishness, God and even those awkward silences between lovers ("Enjoy the Silence"). In the songs of Violator, you find the lead singer Dave Gahan at his most intimate and personal. The result is an accessible but emotionally aware album with a wide appeal. Plus I used to rock it on my boombox at the pool every day of summer after 6th-8th grades.



Violator has the darkness, the depth, as well as the upbeat tempo that makes it a good match with the movie 'Heathers'. You could almost put Violator on repeat as the soundtrack to Heathers. Just as they have another slushie and place the bottles of mineral water in the hands of the dead jocks, you can almost hear 'Personal Jesus' blaring in the background. Heathers' wit has been copied many times (most notably with "Mean Girls"), and has served as the prototypical teen-revenge satire, but it's brilliance has never been repeated.

Violator, in the same vein, inspired many a band to come (Air, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Scissor Sisters, etc.) but none of these have the same widespread appeal and depth as the original.

Enjoy...

DJ Earworm Mashup of Depeche Mode's 'Policy of Truth' with Eurithmics' 'Sweet Dreams' [mp3]

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Yesterdayborday was Labor Day!



Todayborday is Laborday quote from Homestarrunner.com

Diggin' Through the Crates

This summer, I was talking to Will about some possible blog postings we could do, and this came to our mind. I just started going through my iPod finding some of the enduring classic albums of the 80's that deserve discussion.

In the same way that The Sports Guy will compare things like NBA/NFL teams to movie characters/quotes, I thought I would do a Top 5 enduring albums of the 80's list, and couple each album with a movie from the 80's that matches the album.

My only critera: I have to actually own the album, and I have to actually have seen the movie.

So, Album/Movie #5: The Cure - Disintegration[1989]/The Breakfast Club[1985]



Kyle from South Park once uttered "Disintegration is the best album ever!" in the episode when a 50' tall Robert Smith [lead singer of The Cure] defeated a 50' Barbara Streisand. For many late-80s goth-rockers, Disintegration was THE album of the century. On the strength of the uber-popular single "Lovesong," Disintegration was a commercial success, and it appealed to a wider fanbase (via MTV, etc.) than any other Cure album before or since has. If you survey die-hard fans, Disintegration may not be their favorite, but ask anyone else, and it probably is.

So why is it like 'The Breakfast Club'? In the Breakfast Club, you have a rag-tag group of ne'er-do-wells serving time in detention, and through the course of the day, they realize that they all have something in common. Despite their differences, they all feel like outsiders. That's the thing with Disintegration: It's music that made everybody feel like they were different and could identify with the goth-rocker guys wearing eye-liner and lipstick. In the Breakfat Club, even the most popular jock felt like an outsider, and that's the allure of Disintegration.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

N.O.

With respect to all that has happened in the last week because of the hurricane, I just want to say that I'm praying for the people of New Orleans, and for all of the people I know in the affected areas.

This whole thing seems to be bringing the worst out of America in the same way that 9/11 brought the best out of us.

All answers to the questions we ask about tragedies of this magnitude fall so short. The blame shifting, the anger, and certainly the violence simply heap further sorrow onto this already sorrowful time.

Last night, at a party, my friend Chris came up with the idea that Juvenile and some of the other N.O. music personalities should go around to the areas being affected by street violence the most and tell eveyone to cool off. Maybe then everyone would listen...



neworleansbands.net reports Juvenile's house destroyed, Juvenile now helping to orgainze relief efforts.

Red Cross Donations

Capial Area Food Bank

CCC Hurricane Relief Fund