Dive Austin Dive: A Benefit for Austin Pets Alive!

Hopefully by now you have seen our Austin Pets Alive! event posted up on our Twitter and Facebook, but if you for some reason do not do the social media thing, we’re here to tell you that we’re hosting a benefit on Saturday, May 12 at Swan Dive. Our killer lineup includes the soothing psych-rock of Kinky Machine, our pop-rock buddies in Little Radar, the howling, growling goodness of the White White Lights, and our newfound stripped-rock loves, the Couch.

Plus, while you’re rocking out for a good cause, if you’re one of the first 100 people in the door you’ll be drinking a complimentary beverage courtesy of Tito’s Vodka! My boyfriend Zack and I adopted our beloved Scooby (below) from APA! so we hope you’ll come out and play with us. After all, it’s Austin Writes Music presenting Austin bands for Austin Pets Alive! on Austin Day (5/12) — let’s keep it weird.

Deer Tick + Turbo Fruits make Antone’s get dirty, 4/29 + ticket giveaway!

I first fell in love with Deer Tick after hearing their kinder, folkier tunes, like “Ashamed,” “Diamond Rings 2007,” and even harder ones like “These Old Shoes” and “Christ Jesus.” They’ve, for the most part, abandoned these ballads in favor of something grittier, spit-ier and altogether rougher around the edges on their latest release, Divine Providence. So it makes sense they’d be touring with a rough-and-tumble gang like Turbo Fruits, who sound like they stepped directly out of someone’s garage and onto the stage (a good thing).

Each time I’ve seen John McCauley III and co. live, there have been antics. I’ve seen him play with Middle Brother and stage dive near his grandmother, I’ve seen him shoot a snot rocket into the unfortunate front row, and I’ve seen (photos of) him donning a dress and rocking a mustache. He’s also proposed to a Darlin’ (Nikki, of Those Darlin’s) which has, through thick, thin, grime and gunk, endeared me to him and Deer Tick for life.

If you want to see what might go down in Antone’s this sacred Sunday, leave a comment on this thread with your name and e-mail address. One lucky reader will win a pair of tickets to the show. I’ll announce the winner on Friday – best of luck!

SXSW 2012 – Bands to See

It always creeps up on me. One minute, my friends and I are lamenting the fact that South by Southwest is over, and we have to wait a whole year before we do it all again. The very next, it’s time for a constant barrage of music, libations, and general merriment. And so, here we are again, poised on the edge of greatness (or a great catastrophe, depending on how organized you are). What’s that, you say? You don’t even know who is playing this year? Worry not, o yon procrastinator! That’s what I’m here for. I’ve scoured the SXSW lineup this year and have come up with the below suggestions of bands you really can’t miss. Per our usual format, you’ll find below the name of an incredible band, a brief description of what they’re like, a video of a song that encapsulates what they’re about, and the venues & showtimes where you can actually find them. Some are new to me, some are old favorites. Either way — buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Tonight: Katie Herzig brings her sweet sounds to Stubb’s

Katie Herzig – Free My Mind from Katie Herzig on Vimeo.

Katie Herzig seems to answer the question, “What would happen if we combined the quirkiness of Regina Spektor, the pop sensibilities of Robyn and Kylie Minogue and the gentleness of Gotye?” Before I got through the entirety of “Free My Mind,” I was already singing the chorus to myself. Herzig’s voice is sweetly earnest, but without being so airy or bubbly as to evaporate — it sticks with you and hits all the right chords. Her music itself is a really cool collaboration of both indie and popular styles, giving it an undeniably universal appeal.

On top of her endearing, catchy and fun music, Herzig’s music videos are memorable pieces of art in their own right. They’re flights of fancy that often employ stop motion, bright colors and striking imagery. It will be interesting to see what Herzig’s stage persona is like, since she fills video space so fully.

Although Herzig has written songs for television and movies, The Waking Sleep was a return to writing music for herself. Knowing that, you’d have to guess that Katie is a creative, upbeat, wonderful person to know.

Katie Herzig performs tonight at Stubb’s Jr. with Rebecca Butler & the Richards. Tickets are $10, doors are at 8PM, and concert starts at 8:30PM.

Shot Through the Heart – Showcase at Frank

Well, we’ve done it again. We’ve teamed up with our friends CoolinAustin to bring you a showcase of our favorite local talent, in a flurry of awesomeness. This Friday at Frank, doors will open at 9:30PM and we’ll party all night to Austin’s finest. First up will be the pop-rock sounds of Little Radar, our friends from Free Week who blew us away. Dead Black Hearts live up to the showcase in name, but their songs are sweet enough to only upset you gently. Then the artists formerly known as the Soapbox Spellbinders shake their worldly bodies for a new name, Your Friendly Ghost — it’ll be their debut performance under their new identity, so get ready for fresh licks and ghoulish howls. Finally, Royal Forest wraps it up with their awesome new experimental tape loop performance. If you want to be a part of their recordings, you gotta rock out till the end.

It’s only $6 to enter, and the bands get all yer dough, so come support your favorites and make sure you say hi!

Broken Resolutions – a Free Week presentation

After your New Year’s Eve hangover has passed, Monday will be staring you in the face as you scrape yourself up off of your bed sheets and try to remember what resolution it was you made at midnight (was it to finally find a unicorn? something about starting a(nother) band? flying to the moon?) Mondays can be a drag, but I propose that Monday, January 2 will actually be so mind-blowing, so magnificent, so rad, that it will challenge the awesomeness of your New Year’s party itself. This is because, in conjunction with our friends at CoolinAustin, we are putting on an incredible Free Week showcase at Swan Dive on Monday, and — as is advertised in the name — it’s totally free!

We’re featuring amazing resolution-melting performances by the Soapbox Spellbinders, the White White Lights, Little Radar and Royal Forest. It’ll be the bands’ first performances in the new year, so they’ll be primed for awesome rocking. Plus all of our awesome friends will be there, and you just can’t say no to that. Doors are at 9PM — we’ll see you there.

The Wheeler Brothers Headline Antone’s – Ticket Giveaway!

The Wheeler Brothers were one of the most anticipated acts of Utopiafest weekend, and I was sad that we had to head out just barely into their set. Lucky for me, the guys are playing Antone’s this Friday. It’s their first headlining gig, and promises to be a good one.

The five-piece, combined of three actual Wheeler brothers and two close friends, put out their debut album Portraits over the summer, and followed that up with their first national tour. Now, they’re about to embark on another three month-long trek, kicking it all off in their hometown of Austin.

The Wheeler Brothers’ sound is reminiscent of the Band of Horses, with beautiful vocals layered over rocked-out folk. It’s an infectious sound that fills any venue with ease, and performed by guys who clearly love what they’re doing. Beyond their musical talent, the Wheeler Brothers are a generous band, allowing other Utopiafest musicians to crash at their ranch, and currently hosting a contest through their Facebook page to send one lucky fan “Home for the Holidays.”

If you want to see what all of the fuss is about, make sure you check out the Wheeler Brothers this Friday at 9pm. Want to see ‘em for free? Post a comment on this story, sharing a personal holiday memory. I’ll pick a winner Thursday for a ticket plus-one.

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 – Day 2

Saturday, November 5

The Joy Formidable

We took it easier Saturday, in part because I woke up feeling as crusty as an old, burnt piece of toast, and in part because nothing in the early morning really called to us. But we were determined to get to the fest in time for the Joy Formidable, and we made it in plenty of time. The Welsh trio was a ray of sunlight, and immediately blew anything and everything we’d seen the day before (except for Spoon) out of the water. First of all, the band is fronted by a guitar-wielding woman with an adorable blonde shag of hair. Their drummer grins widely at the audience during most songs, egging us on to clap and sing, and the bassist is energetic and equally joyous. Live, they really did remind me of the Silversun Pickups, but dancier. The crowd adored them, and when they went in for the kill, finishing their set with their breakout hit “Whirring,” two fearsome-but-cute inflatable cat heads blew up on either side of the stage, with their mouths opening and closing like some creepy carnival game, and lead woman Ritzy Bryan went to town on a gong that had heretofore sat unplayed at the back of the stage. I was sold — my blood was pumping, I’d forgotten I was sick and 4 other lady friends and I decided we were starting a band called Pizza Party (you may not steal this idea from us we will find and injure you. Injure you bad. Real bad.)

Fun Fun Fun 2011

Fun Fun Fun Fest crept up on me so quickly this year that I haven’t had time to scour the lineup the way I normally do. Thus, I have decided to highlight my favorites below that I already know and love – and apparently, they’re all mostly playing the Orange Stage. But my absolute favorite aspect of Fun Fun Fun Fest is the fact that I discover so much new music to love. It’s like being a college DJ all over again. I intend to hit up my top picks, but I also plan on wandering wherever my ears take me. So ultimately, that is my suggestion. Be brave, go to a stage you didn’t think you’d visit, keep an open mind, get dirty and have a blast.

For another excellent preview, check out Zack’s at Festival Crashers.

The Postelles hit the Parish 10/30

Sometimes, there’s nothing to do but dance. Whether it’s in my bedroom while I make the bed, or on the street with a guy dressed as a pirate and another one dressed as a banana*, I find that this is practically my life’s mantra. Dancing makes me feel good, puts a smile on my face, and gives me energy to go out and accomplish what I want. Luckily for me, there are bands like the Postelles, who craft solid, sweet and peppy pop tunes just begging you to shake your hips to.

I’m only just getting familiar with the Postelles, but these four snappy dressers from New York City make music with a quick beat and soaring guitars. If you’re a fan of Two Door Cinema Club, this band would fit in perfectly on a split 7″ with them. They’re from Manhattan, so they chalk up their sound to influences like the Ramones and Television. They lean a lot more pop than punk, though, like if Hanson and We Are Scientists had a kid brother who idolized them both.

The Postelles put out their debut album this year, and have been touring around the world ever since in support of it. Now they’re bringing their sound to Austin, playing a gig with the Wombats guaranteed to make you sweat. Sunday is the day before Halloween, so dress up as your alter-ego and lose your inhibitions with the Postelles.

*When I met Zack over a year ago at the end of the Austin City Limits Festival, I offered him a ride to his apartment. As we were walking to my car, there was a spontaneous dance party going on at the corner of a sidewalk, with a guy dressed in a banana suit that I’d see around the festival grounds all weekend, and his buddy in a pirate costume. I was in the middle of saying something to Zack, but I stopped without finishing my sentence and made a “dance face” I inherited from my mom, and grooved a bit before continuing on. What can I say? I’m a dancing fiend.