Rock.Austin.

Moooved!

2009-12-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hello fabulous readers,

Obviously this site has slowed down considerably in posts. I'm moving everything back over to my main website, caitlinwittlif.net, so check there for my ramblings about fabulous music and musicians.
Peace,
Caitlin

Mobley + Loxsly - In Review

2009-11-21T12:45:00.000-08:00

A pair of local bands hit the inside stage last night at the Mohawk, and those who braved the rain to check them out (avec moi) were treated to layered rock and pop-rock music.
Mobley hit the stage first, and I can say with confidence that lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Anthony Watkins II is going to be a star someday. He’s got the swagger and stage presence to lift his vocal capabilities and create infectious energy. The group’s sound was too big for the small Mohawk room, deafening those of us crowded inside. They also had an impressive light show, utilizing their own equipment that would be more at home in an arena. I was skeptical during the first song, when I couldn’t even hear Watkins sing and the lights flashed to a dizzying degree, but the three-piece proved to be substance and not just show, after all. They have the big sound of a Coldplay, U2 or MUSE, and bassist Tim Shelburne, Jr. clearly displayed his technical skill, ramping up and down the bass fret to keep pace with Watkins. Apparently, this was their drummer’s second show, and it showed – he seemed to be following Watkins’ lead as opposed to leading the pack. Hopefully, with more practice and more shows, his confidence will grow and he’ll own the rhythm a bit more. “Everything That Rises Must Converge” was a highlight, with a Hush Sound-esque synth accompaniment, and the final tune was incredibly danceable. The group has enough musical diversity to keep it interesting, and I’m excited to see them continue to grow.

Loxsly is a favorite of this site (aka of this lady), and it was nice to see them perform after losing them to the east coast for a while. Their set list featured a lot their harmony-laced songs, which sounded beautiful. The solemn, gentle nature of their music makes it perfect for our fall weather. “Battalions” came off heavy and full, with its fantastic rhythmic breakdown and Justin Douglas’ manic, Hendrix-approved guitar solo. “As The Constellation’s Arms Uncurled” is my personal favorite, with it’s cosmic pop chorus and bright (sparkly?) keyboard intro. “Lamprey Eels” was the crowd favorite; as soon as Eric Lugo’s memorable bass line kicked in, “woo!”’s echoed around the room. According to guitarist Garrett Johnston, the group had an hour to practice together before the show (Johnston was working in New York away from the band up until last week), but it hardly showed. Cody Ground, the lead singer and keyboard player for the group, quipped, “I just bit the microphone – it’s amateur hour.” Still, the only real rocky spot Loxsly had came during their final jam, “The Manual That You Wrote,” with their first transition from 3/4 to 4/4. Drummer Chris Rivera eyeballed the rest of the group to get everyone firmly in line, and audience members unfamiliar with Loxsly likely didn’t even notice the brief exchange. The group completely overcame any insecurity for the awesome buildup that finishes the song, as it explodes into colorful chords and collective head-banging. The group performed a new song at the show, currently untitled, that was almost dance-meets-shoegaze; it was breezy and sweet, with a fun Roy Orbison-like guitar breakdown. They’ve got another gig in December at Emo’s, and if you’re a fan of carefully-crafted indie pop rock, go ahead and earmark the 11th now.

Peter Bjorn and John - In Review

2009-11-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

There was a weekend-long Swedish dance party in Texas, if you knew the right places to be. Peter Bjorn and John hit up the House of Blues in Dallas on Saturday, playing a killer show to a less-than-enthused crowd, followed by a dirty, sweaty, awesomely fun set at La Zona Rosa in Austin. The crowd seemed much less self-conscious and much more ready to boogie down and have fun Sunday night, and the band’s energy level somehow managed to increase, feeding off of the group vibe.

The group is currently on their “birthday tour,” celebrating ten years together. In all of those years, the trio have put out five records, and they pulled from most of them for the Austin set. PB&J opened with the sleepy stoner-hit “Amsterdam,” featuring the deep-voiced Bjorn on the verses. Though Peter is typically the featured vocalist of the band, the group shows no qualms about trading up singing responsibilities: the second song of the night was the prog-rock epic, “Start To Melt,” with drummer John’s sweet voice weaving in and out of the layers of heavy, distorted guitar and bass sounds. The light show matched the song perfectly, with laser-like neon green lines of light spotlighting and flashing at the crowd.

“It Don’t Move Me” is a fantastic treat live, with synth whip sounds punctuating an electronic dance beat. The lyrics have a bite; it’s that attitude you aspire to when you’re breaking free from an old relationship, that “screw you, I’m so over it” sensation you wait for. “Blue Period Picasso” was also special, because it was the first time the band ever performed the song live. It went over swimmingly, again utilizing plunky electronic beats and the blending of the guys’ voices. The imagery in this song is sweet and clever; it takes a typical love song and channels it through a unique metaphor, just going to show that music has by no means been pushed to its creative limits.

“Lay It Down” become a hearty shout-along, with its profane chorus and clap-along danceability. As the first single off of the band’s latest album, “Living Thing,” it’s quite a brave move by the gentlemen. To go from radio-friendly (though nevertheless beautiful, catchy and well-written) “Young Folks” off of “Writer’s Block” to a song whose chorus drops the F-bomb multiple times, it’s a funny middle-finger to the industry and its limitations.

The band did jam on “Young Folks,” which was a natural crowd-pleaser. Sarah from El Perro Del Mar (also Swedish and the tour opener) took the female part, and a roadie jammed on the bongos while the audience leapt and smiled and attempted to whistle along. “Nothing To Worry About” with its kid-choir chorus was heavier live; the bass really thunks along, and the guitar feels sexed up and gritty.

“People They Know” was the oldest song performed at the Austin set, and although it was slow to pull in the somewhat unfamiliar audience, by the end most folks seemed to be nodding along and swiveling their hips. However, the highlight for many was the explosive, emotive and anthemic “Objects of My Affection.” The rhythm of the song makes the heart beat faster, like when you’re running a race in the cold winter air; it’s painful and refreshing and rejuvenating and exhilarating, all at once. It blasts you directly in the face, gives you flushed cheeks, and tugs at the heartstrings enough to squeeze out some tears. This is a song any fan of the band should hope for live, it is that good.

The guys took a break and returned for an encore, with the dreamy “Just The Past” allowing Peter to conduct the crowd in a chorus of “la la”’s. This song captures that feeling of being in a comfortable romantic relationship. You’ve known each other for a few years, have shared inside jokes, had silly fights, and can have just as fun in pajamas as you can out on the town. It’s a song built on memories, with themes of self-consciousness easily identifiable to any listener. The guys finished off the night with a song off of their hard-to-find instrumental album from 2008, “Seaside Rock.” The song is called “Needles and Pills,” and features more whistling, but in an almost-sinister, fit-for-Kill Bill kind of way. The tune builds and builds, brick upon heavy brick of sound layer, until it explodes at the end into ear-bleeding improvisation; ear-bleeding not because it is unlistenable, but because it is just that powerful. It’s as different a song as any of their other songs is, which is what makes Peter Bjorn and John so much fun to watch. They are a constant surprise, leaping from genre to genre, whether it be kid-driven hip hop or instrumental experimental rock. Whatever it is these Swedes do next, be sure to wear your dancing shoes.

Monsters of Folk - In Review

2009-11-14T16:29:00.000-08:00

A sold-out Stubb’s audience gathered Friday to hear the gospel of the Monsters of Folk in the band’s last scheduled US stop on this tour. In concert with the religious themes running throughout their debut album, the men themselves seem to take the form of evangelists on stage, preaching their modern-day folklore and bewilderment of the universe. Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Austin’s own Will Johnson dominated the stage for almost 3 hours, playing almost every song from their album plus a healthy mix of songs from the guys’ separate bands.

The group opened with the album’s first single, “Say Please,” a stomping sing-along that allows Ward, James, and Oberst to trade verses, and allows Mogis to wail on a brief guitar solo. The guys appeared as rock missionaries: they were all in smart suits, which gave them each an aura of radio storytellers. The prominence of their songs’ lyrics naturally lends itself to this image, as well.

Throughout their set, members of the band would come and go from the stage as duets, trios and full-band performances allowed everyone to regain their energy. Bright Eyes songs probably got the most play, with songs pulled from albums as far back as Fevers and Mirrors. “Kathy With a K’s Song” was a welcome surprise, re-worked from the raw rock tune it originally was to a summery, almost tropical song. At the climactic “I can hear it now,” Oberst and Ward kept the song calm and sweet, which gave it an interesting restrained feeling for fans familiar with the original. During “A Song To Pass The Time,” the audience exploded in applause when Oberst growled, “And they will be laughing/Ha ha ha/My mediocrity.” “At The Bottom Of Everything” and “Hit the Switch” garnered the most crowd excitement from the Bright Eyes repertoire. People pumped their fists and sang along – sometimes a little too vehemently, perhaps, but nonetheless earnestly.

Jim James, the band’s self-proclaimed “dad”, was possibly the biggest star of the night. Whenever James hit his myriad inhuman high notes, men in the crowd applauded and pumped their fists the way they would for the pitcher of their home team. “Bermuda Highway” was an ethereal treat, in which James coached, “Don’t let your silly dreams/Fall in between/The crack of the bed and the wall.” “At Dawn” also encouraged enthusiasm from the crowd, and was a great example of the deep, heart-squeezing sounds that came from Johnson’s kick drum and whichever singer was on bass during any given song. “Smokin’ From Shootin’” was the standout of the My Morning Jacket tunes, exploding in a mass of head-banging and soul-twisting awesome physical energy.

Ward’s tunes were often the most gentle of the evening, but he commanded the stage with the most authority. “Vincent O’ Brien” was like an old-timey bar song, while “One Hundred Million Years” was a sweet love song showcasing Ward’s silky voice. “Chinese Translation” was the crowd favorite from the Ward catalogue, inducing a clap-along.

Of course, the best songs of this performance were the ones the band composed together. “Slow Down Joe” was stretched into a sexy, sultry sleeper, whereas “Losin Yo Head” caused the crowd to shuffle their feet and shake their hips. “Man Named Truth” took us all to hell to face off with the devil, as the stage lights flashed red and James’ whispered “ooh”’s forced goosebumps. For “Baby Boomers,” one audience member bent his knees and boogied down, inspiring joy and a ripple-effect of dancing. “Dear God” brought back Marvin Gaye, as the backbeat pushed forward and the synth-harp punctuated the verses that Ward, James and Oberst traded off.

The group dynamic was incredibly enjoyable to watch, as the guys (James and “sons”) would shoot knowing, sly glances at one another, sharing inside jokes and battling with guitar riffs the way children have foam sword wars. Initially, it felt as though we in the audience were merely being allowed a voyeuristic peek at this family-through-friendship band, but by the end of the show, we were all a part of the reunion. When the men re-emerged for an encore, Oberst responded to a jab he made at Texas in 2005. Back then, he declared, “I don't know if you know this, but I hate your fuckin’ state. I'd put a fuckin’ gun to my head before I'd live in your state.” Saturday night, Oberst said, “I’ve said a lot of stupid shit in my life but I wanna say it – I love you, Texas!” Naturally, the crowd was pleased. The night ended on a glorious note, with the super allegorical “His Master’s Voice.” The guys’ harmonies shone throughout the night, but when they erupted at the verse “calling like a lady siren’s call,” a shiver ran up our collective spines and the guy standing next to me turned and said, “I just jizzed my pants.” It was also magical to discover that the godly “calling” echoing at the end of the track is nothing but James bellowing the word into a looped mic. The sound was the kind that fills your entire body, and the stage lights spilled into the audience and flashed to mimic an idealist’s dream of what experiencing death might be like. The loop continued on as the group left the stage, but they entered one final time, holding hands in a line, and took a bow to an audience enthralled with them. It’s safe to say that those in attendance are now true believers in the Monsters of Folk.

Setlist:
1. Say Please
2. The Right Place
3. Soul Singer In A Session Band
4. Slow Down Jo
5. Man Named Truth
6. Lullaby & Exile
7. We Are Nowhere And It’s Now
8. A Song To Pass The Time
9. I Will Be There When You Die
10. Golden
11. Vincent O’Brien
12. Ahead Of The Curve
13. Wonderful (The Way I Feel)
14. One Hundred Million Years
15. Chinese Translation
16. Smoke Without Fire
17. At Dawn
18. Baby Boomer
19. Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
20. Temazcal
21. To Save Me
22. Kathy With A K’s Song
23. Goodway
24. Just To Know What You’ve Been Dreaming
25. Bermuda Highway
26. Look At You
27. One Life Away
28. Map Of The World
29. The Sandman The Brakeman And Me
30. Smokin’ From Shootin’
31. Hit The Switch
32. Losin Yo Head
33. At The Bottom Of Everything
34. Whole Lotta Losin’
35. Another Taveling Song
36. His Masters Voice

Hear This Weekend

2009-11-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend, fabulous music is happening. Tonight, Thao & The Get Down Stay Downs are playing at the Mohawk. If you like Rachael Yamagata's voice and wish she was backed by an indie rock band, you should be at this show right now!

Tomorrow, I'll be hitting up the incredible Monsters of Folk show at Stubb's. This is the last show they're scheduled to play for this tour in the US, so it should be a ton of fun. Based on reviews of shows in other cities, it'll be 2 and a half hours of straight M.o.F., Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, She & Him and Ward solo stuff - also known as, incredible, lyrically driven music with beautiful, emotive layers. This stuff is gonna get you in the guttural sense, so be prepared!

Sunday, I'll be front and center for Peter Bjorn and John at La Zona Rosa. Since this is their special 10th Birthday tour (10 years of the band being together), they have had lots of special guests show up for their shows. Expect dancing, tons of energy and earnestness from the band, catchy hooks and great use of a drum machine, and did I mention dancing? Swollen ankle be damned, I'll be shakin' a leg! Follow the band on Twitter for a chance to win tickets to the show - they do giveaways before all of their shows.
See you at the shows, Austin.

101x Homegrown Live - In Review

2009-11-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, 101x hosted a show for their Homegrown Live series at Emo's. I caught 2 bands.

Not quite half past 10, goldcure took the stage. A local trio, these guys played solid 70s rock with What Made Milwaukee Famous vocal stylings. Their bassist was definitely into it, groovin' all over the place as he plugged along. They weren't bad at all, though I wouldn't call their music innovative by any stretch. With nods to Zeppelin and Springsteen, this is a group for the classic rock fan.

The second band I saw better be recognizeable to any followers of this blog: Idea Soul Mart played a really strong set, pulling mostly from their self-titled album. They opened up with "Don't Fight It," which starts out with Arctic Monkeys-like guitars, and slows down to a waltz during the verse. "There's So Much Atmosphere" was another standout, with a dramatic flair and a catchy piano hook. The band played two news songs, as well: "Relative Measure," with a rhythm remeniscent of George Michael's "Faith," and "Gotta Learn Someday," which is super dance-able, combining the feel of early Beatles pop with the grit of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll."

Ideal Soul Mart are playing again tonight at The Scoot Inn, along with a stellar pre-Fun Fun Fun Fest lineup including The Hood Internet, Colourmusic and the metal Abba cover band, Stabba. Check out the full lineup here.

I'm also hitting up the Mohawk at 5:30pm tonight to check out "After The Jump," a panel discussion bringing together huge names in the music blogging industry. Paige Maguire from Austinist.com will be moderating. Check it out!

Ideal Soul Mart Podcasts UP!

2009-10-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

The last 2 Listen Local podcasts for a while are up, and they are both from the interview I conducted this past Sunday with Adam and Clay from Ideal Soul Mart. The first episode is a general interview where the guys talk about how they met as students at the University of Texas at Austin, and how their musical influences affect their songs. The bonus episode features a story about their old (cursed?) practice space downtown, that is currently a vacant lot. As always, I encourage you to subscribe to the podcast so you can listen to all of the fantastic episodes! Thanks so much to the bands for talking with me; I hope to revive this podcast once my semester slows down a bit.

Gypsy Punk Party

2009-10-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Gogol Bordello, the fantastic gypsy outfit headed by Eugene Hutz, is hitting up Stubb's on Sunday. If you're a fan of Flogging Molly, punk music, or music from the Ukraine, you will most likely enjoy this band. Their live show is particularly rowdy; everyone has tons of energy, and as you can see in the picture above, crowd surfing on a drum by the band members is common. Check out video below of the band at Coachella if you're curious, and hit up the show if you like what you see - doors are at 6pm and Apostle of Hustle opens.

Ideal Soul Mart - Podcast Preview

2009-10-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

My fourth podcast episode features Clay and Adam from Ideal Soul Mart. I had hoped the episode would be ready to post by tomorrow, but it appears as though it won't go up until Thursday (can't rush these things, y'know!) Still, I didn't want to miss my opportunity to give you all a head's up - they'll be playing a show with tons of other local bands this Wednesday at 8pm at Hole In The Wall, right across the street from the University of Texas' College of Communications. If you're free and looking for something to do, hit up the show and say hi - I'll be the one in the walking boot!

Lackadaisical Listeners?

2009-10-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Way back when I interviewed Ethan Kennedy for the podcast, a part of our conversation that didn't make it onto the podcast revolved around the lackluster listeners that tend to attend shows in Austin. Ethan said that, although he is completely confident in what he is doing, when audiences stand like statues at his performances, arms folded and eyes somewhat dead, it can be very difficult to put out the appropriate energy at shows.

As I have attended myriad shows in the city (we're talking easily over 200), I can definitely sympathize. I don't want to go on a tirade about the way people ought to consume music (and neither did Ethan; he was emphatic about people experiencing music in their own unique way), but allow me to editorialize briefly about the folks that put on their stony faces before each show, for show. I don't want to generalize, but I do often see this as a distinct characteristic of the "hipster" culture.

In trying to puzzle out a reason for this detachment, I propose that it has a lot to do with the modern middle-to-upper-class working environment. Aligning music and so-called "white collar" jobs? I know, it's crazy, but hear me out. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate in September was 9.8%, and Texas' was 8.2%. Texas' rate has been rising sharply since 2008, and I believe this has jaded many young people.

In addition, it seems that the phenomenon of multiple jobs within a lifetime could also be a cause of the disenchantment of the young. This, I cannot base on vast facts; instead, I'm basing my theory on numerous occurrences recounted to me by my friends who have recently entered the workforce after graduation. For example, one of my good friends works at a firm that recently laid off a 65-year-old family man who was two years away from retirement, seemingly as a tactic to frustrate another worker into leaving the company. Even if there were solid reasons behind the firing (reasons cited were that he was unable to "keep up" with technological developments, though my friend said she had actually received tech help from the man on numerous occasions), this is still an incredibly frustrating and disheartening situation.

I have to wonder whether this has pushed young people into a habit of not putting stock into anything, including bands. In other words, perhaps this shaky environment has made us fear getting too close to any one thing, because we are bred with the knowledge that it could be snatched away from us. So music lovers go to shows, but keep their distance because of a general sense of disloyalty.

Perhaps this is a stretch, but I think it could definitely be one explanation for the preponderance of Pierres filling music venues around town. What are YOUR theories? Let's hear 'em!

Huge Contribution for New Austin City Limits Studio

2009-10-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard, the Austin City Limits Studio, where the live music show has been recorded for 35 seasons, is re-locating. Though the old studio will remain for various events and tours on the University of Texas campus, the main recording studio for the show is scooting downtown in order to increase audience size, an in order to host other performances outside of the taping of the show. I'm excited for the larger capacity, but as a UT student (despite the fact that I'm about to graduate) I will be sad to see many of the recordings move off of campus.

In their rebuilding efforts, the ACL folk are attempting to raise $6.5 million for the new location, and to preserve the old. A whopping $2.5 million has just been pledged by The Moody Foundation, a foundation that focuses primarily on projects in Galveston, and secondarily on Austin and Dallas. Moody has also funded hospitals, religious centers, and gardens, and the new downtown ACL stage will be named the Moody Theatre to honor this donation.

You can check out Austin City Limits' story about the donation here.

Listen Local No. 3 - Loxsly

2009-10-15T14:54:00.001-07:00

The third episode of my podcast, Listen Local, is up and running. This time, I spoke with 4/5ths of Loxsly. Cody Ground, Justin Douglas, Eric Lugo and Chris Rivera talked to me in their recording studio in downtown Austin. Listen to the podcast to hear about how they met, how they feel about people dubbing their current album, Tomorrow's Fossils, a concept album, and what they have planned for the future. You'll also hear from Nolan, the talking dog.

Thursday Music Lineup

2009-10-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday, and that means for many Austinites, tonight is night one of "weekend party nights." Here's a preview of what's happening at my favorite (cheap!) venues tonight.

The Mohawk: This is one of my favorite "Dunno what's up tonight, lemme try here" locations. The Mohawk consistently features great indie bands for cheap. Tonight, they've got a free Rock Band tournament happening on the outside stage, and inside, you can hear San Francisco's Railcars (think a more experimental and electronic Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), Hello Lovers who kind of sound like they're doing a poor Bill Cosby impersonation over beautiful string arrangements, and Arrington De Dionyso, a (very) experimental freestyle artist. It's like what would happen if David Byrne of the Talking Heads went COMPLETELY nuts. So, if you're looking for something a little weird, looks like the Mohawk is your place.

The Elephant Room: This is the location for all of you jazz lovers. The Elephant Room is located underneath fancy sushi joint Kyoto, and it's got a great laid-back environment and consistently incredible jazz icons showing up on the stage. Weekdays are usually free of charge. Tonight, the Austin Jazz Workshop will perform in support of their latest CD. According to their website, the workshop

is a unique project that brings professional jazz musicians directly into the public school classroom to work with young people. Since incorporation as a nonprofit in 1994, the group has received rave reviews from educators, administrators, and kids across central Texas.

Antone's: Tonight Austin's famous blues venue is hosting the Bridging the Divide UT Award, honoring Clifford Antone, Cyril Neville and Harold McMillian with "special music guests." Doors are at 6:30pm. Later, at 10:00pm and for $10, you can hear the March Fourth Marching Band.

Beauty Bar: This hipster hangout features a smorgasbord of indie bands and danceable DJs. Tonight, the ambient and epic-sounding Transfer headline, with electro-moody ISHI and Always Already, who remind me of We Are Scientists.

Cedar Street Courtyard: This unique venue hosts myriad cover bands and is a really great place if you just want a fun show. Tonight, Austin's own Li'l Cap'n Travis play during Happy Hour, and then 70's cover band Skyrocket! take the stage. The crowd tends to skew a little older at this spot.

I know this is a blog about Austin's music scene, but I'd be remiss if I did not note my insane excitement about the release of Where the Wild Things Are at midnight tonight. I'll be weeping like a willow and reliving my childhood at the 9pm showing tomorrow night at the IMAX. See you wild things there.

Monsters of Folk devour Austin!

2009-10-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

The fabulous indie folk supergroup Monsters of Folk, composed of Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and M. Ward, is going to perform at Stubb's on Friday, November 13th - lucky for us, eh? Eh??

In all seriousness, this show promises to be excellent. An Evening With Monsters of Folk is described on the group's website as

Conor Oberst, Jim James, M Ward and Mike Mogis will be a 2 1/2 hour musical event showcasing brand new songs from the forthcoming album as well as songs fans have come to enjoy from their respective Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket and M Ward catalogues.

Too cool for words, kids. Personally, Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes win my heart every time, but I'm also a longtime fan of My Morning Jacket and am slowly becoming addicted to M. Ward's latest release, Hold Time as well as some of his back catalog. These four men are some of the best wordsmiths of our generation. They sing political songs, they sing songs about finding your way in the world, they sing songs about what it means to be human, what it means to be alive. If you've ever found yourself soul-searching, if you've found yourself confused as to what the modern world expects from you, you'll find something on the group's self-titled album that will speak to you, I guarantee. I cannot WAIT for this show! Buy tickets here.

Expect a review of that, plus two back-to-back Peter Bjorn and John shows I'm going to the weekend of November 13th through 15th. It's going to be epic.

Pecan Street Funstival

2009-10-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I attended the Pecan Street Festival on the 26th and 27th of September for about 2 hours, and remained fairly near the main stage, because I was still in a cast and on crutches at the time. I made a super shaky video of what I saw and heard - it's difficult to strap on a tripod when you yourself are somewhat of a monopod - but I think it will give you the gist of the vibe there. Plus, you'll get to hear live performances by two talented Austin groups, The Alice Rose and Sahara Smith. Watch and listen away:

Interview - Ethan Kennedy

2009-10-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

There is a bright and shiny brand new episode of Listen Local for your aural pleasure posted to the web! I interviewed Ethan Kennedy for this episode, and he recalls how he got into music, and explains his creative process. I have actually interviewed Ethan before for The Daily Texan, and he is always a fantastic subject. He's got amazing ideas about music, life and the world. You can hear an extended version of the podcast here! You can also subscribe to the entire podcast feed, if you'd like.

Ethan's new album, Raucous, will be available for consumption in November. I'll post a review of said album soon!

Austin City Limits Survival Tips

2009-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

As a 4-year veteran of the fabulous ACL fest, I have experienced the dustiest, most fireball-filled fests in the history of this Austin tradition, and these hardships have given me great insight into how to handle the festival. I am now sharing this personally-gleaned survival secrets with you, oh internet. You're welcome.

1. Stay hydrated - This may seem like a no-brainer, but every single year, I see countless people passing out in and around the festival grounds. You're standing most of the day in the Texas heat, possibly dancing and jumping up and down. You've gotta keep yourself hydrated! And that doesn't just mean with beer, festival folk. Water is your good, good friend at the fest, and you're allowed to bring in two 1-liter factory sealed water bottles. There are water stations around the festival grounds where you can re-fill these bottles, and of course they sell cold water where you can purchase other refreshments. In the past, bottles have cost me $3 per bottle, so I definitely recommend balancing that with the re-filling of your own bottles. I'd also recommend drinking a bottle on the way to the festival. Trust me, I have heard terrible stories about people waiting all day for their favorite acts, being in the very front. . .and passing out as the first chords of the first song were played. Not fun.

2. Beware of the port-a-potties - If you follow my first recommendation and drink an entire bottle of water on the way to the festival, I suggest using the port-a-potty first thing when you arrive. The earlier on you use the potties, the cleaner they are (for obvious reasons). DEFINITELY pack hand sanitizer, and you might even take your own tiny roll of TP, just in case!

3. If you attend with friends, plan ahead - It is next to impossible to call people once you're at the festival, because everyone else in attendance will try to do the same thing and botch up your signal. Every year, people bring crazy flags, baloons, and other items stuck to tall sticks in order to direct their party back to them in the crowds. Keep in mind, though, that if you go with this method, you will a) have to carry said object the whole weekend, and b) possibly anger other fest-goers, depending on the type of thing that is up on your pole. If it's a giant flag blocking a lot of people's views, you might get some dirty looks. Usually, my friends and I get by on texting and planning meeting places and times.

4. Sunscreen - Reapply. Reapply. Reapply. I can not stress this enough. I follow this advice every single year, and end up sunburned anyway. Just make sure you take sunscreen with you, put it on every hour or so (you'll sweat a LOT, trust me) and wear shirts that cover most of you, plus a hat. You will thank me when you don't have a sunburn-cold next week.

5. Plan ahead - Figure out where the bands are that you wanna see, and make up a schedule for yourself. It seems nerdy, but I get maximum enjoyment out of every festival because I do this. It is a festival, so it is expected that you'll have to run from stage to stage, but BE RESPECTFUL. If a group of kids has been waiting all day in the heat to be near ONE particular band, don't squeeze past them with one hour to go before said band comes on. Be kind to your fellow fest-ers!!

6. Waterloo Meet 'n' Greet - Basically, my tip here is just to know what this is. Some of your favorite musicians will head to the Waterloo tent near the Barton Springs festival entrance to shake your hand, take a picture, or sign a poster/hat/purse/ticket/whatever you have on you. I didn't know about this at all until a friend tipped me off my freshman year, which led to me meeting Blues Traveler, and John Popper kissed my hand and spoke to me in french. Exactly. Over the years I've met the kids in Nickel Creek, Rachael Yamagata, Tristan Prettyman, and the always-gorgeous Paolo Nutini (pictured with me to the right.)

7. Have fun - Most importantly, you have to make this festival your own. I'm the sort who loves to stage hop quickly so I can wait for my favorite acts and experience them close up. You might be the sort who likes to find a shady spot at the beginning of the day and lounge around, taking in everything you see and hear at once. Just be firm with friends and loved ones if they try to persuade you to do a particular thing - try new things, but make sure to have fun exactly how you want to. The freedom of the ACL festival is a huge part of what makes it so wonderful!

Take care of yourself this weekend if you're attending the festival. I'm still deciding whether or not I'll go - I'm on crutches for another 9 days, so if I can't procure a wheelchair for the weekend, I might have to sell my pass and skip this year. The lineup is astounding, so this will probably be one of the more difficult decisions I have to make in the next few days. If I do decide to tough it out, expect a very different festival blog perspective come Monday!

Podcast - Collapsing Horse

2009-09-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Consider my podcast, Listen Local, well, live! My first episode is posted, and you can subscribe right here.

Just what is Listen Local, you ask? This podcast features local musicians and bands. I'll interview member(s) to discover how they got into music, why they're in Austin, what their future plans are, and other interesting band stats. Wanna know about a particular local band or musician? Drop me a note in the comments, and I'll see what I can do!

The first episode features an interview with Lawrence Lander, the lead singer of Austin band Collapsing Horse. You'll notice that there are 2 versions of this podcast. For the quick-n-dirty about the band, there is a shorter version of the podcast; for those of you who wanna go deeper, check out the extended version. If you've got the time, I highly recommend the extended version.

Listen up, Austin!

2009-09-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all - yes, I just dropped a "y'all" in my opening statement - I'm Caitlin, and this is the inaugural post for this brand new blog, Rock.Austin. I'm a fifth-year senior, graduating in December from the University of Texas at Austin, and I'm completely obsessed with music. I'm in a great place to indulge my obsession - Austin is renowned for its live music scene. We've got incredible venues, fantastic local bands, and super festivals, including (but not limited to!) the Austin City Limits music festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and South by Southwest.

This blog is going to reflect the fantastic music we have access to here in Austin. What can you expect? There will be a podcast series called Listen Local, where I profile musicians from right here in Austin; there will be venue and concert reviews, and possibly a review of the aforementioned ACL fest (assuming my broken ankle is in a position to handle that event in three weeks); and there will be tons of other local music news about labels, lessons, and anything else you can think of. Do you have suggestions for stuff you want me to look into? Drop me a comment and let me know!