Monotonix at the Mohawk.

The stage was bare, yet everyone still pushed forward.  As the audience roared the opening riffs rang out over the speakers and the lead singer leaped into the crowd. Bodies were pushing against each other all trying to get a glimpse of the musicians playing amongst the fans. With so many people all trying to be involved in the show, it was evident that personal space was going to be nonexistent.

When a band travels from a far away country, they set out to put on a great live show for the crowd, however, Monotonix traveling from Tel Aviv, Israel played a phenomenal show for Austinites at the Mohawk Saturday night, January 29^th. The buzz around the crowd before the performance made it clear that this was the show to see, but it was far more amazing than words could have described. Within the first seconds of the opening song, beer and water were flying in the air drenching the spectators while the lead singer, Ami Shalev, was floating over the hands of the audience.  As the drummer and guitar player were immersed in the crowd, the energy was immeasurable. With so many fans trying to get a glimpse of the band, it was hard to find Mr. Shalev as he was constantly moving and dragging the chord of the microphone with him around the venue. Looking at the vocalist one could never imagine that he had the agility of a twenty-year-old, but he was constantly climbing on every imaginable structure available around the Mohawk.  Scaling everything ranging from a tent near the entrance of the bar, to the brick structures of the Mohawk, the crowd was always on alert constantly waiting with their hands in the air to catch the spontaneous lead singer. One of the most memorable moments of the night was when he was hoisted up in the crowd with a floor tom borrowed from the drummer, and played along with the beat of the song.

With the energy of the crowd at an all time high, the lively front man asked for the attention of the audience for the only serious topic of the night. As he took the stage for the first time, he said, “I have to talk about a serious issue. Austin is the best place we have ever played, and after six years of constant touring, we have decided to stop. This will be our last show in Austin.” It was a momentous occasion to see a band that gives so much energy at every performance to finally call it quits.  After the announcement, it seemed the morale was down, but it was evident that the true fans will never forget a great band such as Monotonix. It was clear by the end of the night that the band will never be forgotten and they will always be welcomed in the great state of Texas.  It was a great send off to a truly amazing band.    

East Cameron Folkcore at the Hole in the Wall.

East Cameron Folkcore’s seven members dominated the tiny, low lit, run down stage at the Hole in the Wall Thursday night, January 27^th, and the large number of bodies on stage could have easily made up a baseball team rather than a folk group. In true folk tradition, the banjo and mandolin were present, along with the guitars and bass. However, their music added a little twist to the traditional “folk” sound, with the presence of a trombone. East Cameron Folkcore not only effortlessly intertwined the trombone into the songs; they used the instrument as to say “this is our music:” folkcore.

The music played by East Cameron Folkcore was indeed their own. They embodied the sound with their carefree attitudes, energy and the fun, catchy lyrics. Although the members crowded the stage, they looked at ease and the audience could sense that the small space had no impact on the performance. The first song had the classic line “father was a drunkard forever on the run,” and the rough vocals of the lead singer added every ounce of emotion into the performance. The second song played by the band was “Start Over,” which contained great opening lyrics and harmonies from the various members of the band.  With the opening guitar starting slow and progressively building, the end of the song had all members on stage sharing a microphone to add their respective vocals. The crowd had grown following the first two tunes and it was obvious the band had quite the following in Austin. The first two songs were more of a traditional folk sound with the mandolin, banjo, harmonica and guitars barreling through the speakers, however, the third song was built around an edgy guitar and trombone. The wonderful part about East Cameron Folkcore is that they will keep you guessing. The songs ranged from folk to punk in a matter of seconds and were appealing to every member of the audience. The band kept the crowd guessing as to the direction of the music, and the wide array of instruments allowed them to intermingle different genres throughout the set. Though the band acknowledged they were playing a quick set, they found time for a request followed by the song “Sheeps staring at a gun,” which had the entire crowd singing and raising their fists at the chorus, “And we’re all sheep staring at a gun, ” along with the raspy vocals of the lead singer.

East Cameron Folkcore is truly a unique band that put on a show not be missed by any music fan. With their unique folk style, it is obvious that they are a band to be reckoned with in the folk community.  You can check out the band at their Myspace page : http://www.myspace.com/jmooremusic in order to listen to their music and find out when they will be playing around town.  

Friday, and plenty of music.

If you are interested in some great live music around town, there are going to be some great live shows.

First off, GrandChild will be having their CD release party at the Ghost Room. The show starts at 8:00 PM.
Devil in the Drink will also be playing tonight at Cheer Up Charlie's. It will also be a free show and it will start at 8:00 PM.
The Mohawk will host the Dallas based group Seryn tonight. It is an indoor all ages show and it kicks off at 10:00 PM.
Great live music tonight from some great bands.

East Cameron Folkcore Tonight at the Hole in the Wall.

East Cameron Folkcore will be playing tonight at the Hole in the Wall located on the drag. The band is great and put on a fantastic show. Come on out and support some awesome local Austin music. The show is free and kicks off around 10:00 PM. You can check out the band here

Against Me, East Cameron Flokcore, Seryn, and Monotonix

More choices for music are always a good thing. Austin is known as the Live Music Capitol of the World and it sure is obvious when looking at all of the shows this week. Yesterday was Best Coast and Wavves at Emo's and they played a sold out show and tonight, Against Me will be playing on the outside stage. It will be a performance that every punk fan should check out.

Tomorrow night, East Cameron Folkcore will be playing at the Hole in the Wall on the drag. It is supposed to be a homecoming show for the boys, so come out and support the band! You can check out some of their music Here.

Friday night Seryn, a great band from Dallas will be playing on the inside stage of The Mohawk. While doing some research I found out about the show and they are fantastic. Here is a link of a video shot at the Church of Saint David of Wales. 

Saturday night, the craziness of the band Monotonix will be at The Mohawk. The band from Tel Aviv will no doubt be putting on a crazy show that will be remembered for a while. 

Best Coast and Wavves tonight at Emo's

Tonight Best Coast and Wavves, the surf rock influenced bands hailing from California will be playing at Emo's. The doors open at 9:00 and I am sure the show will be a great one. I have been addicted to these two bands for the past few years and their sound is just awesome. Come out to Emo's tonight, listen to some great music and hang out with Austinitelife!

Recover releases new album

Today, Recover released a new album titled "Challenger." The band has not released an album since 2004's "This May be the Year I Disappear," and I want to give the boys a big pat on the back for finally giving fans some music. The choice of titles for the new album seems very interesting in that it might just be a challenge for the band to rise to the top again. Of course everyone in Austin who followed the band will surely give the new album a listen, however, will everyone embrace this album? From the few clips I have heard it seems to follow up their 2004 album very well, and although the group has surely grown, their style is still very much the same.  I would encourage all Recover fans to check out the new album on Itunes and look for it at a record store soon.

Yes, it will be a good Friday in Austin.

If you have not heard, or have nothing to do tonight, Animals as Leaders, Thursday and Underoath are going to be at Emo's tonight. Rumor is that Thursday will be playing the album "Full Collapse" in it's entirety.  Could be a fun show. Underoath also has a new drummer and a new album "Disambiguation."
You can check out a video from Thursday Here and a video from Underoath Here

 The popular site under pressure from Facebook due to copyright infringement is also having a fundraiser tonight in order to raise money for their pricey lawyer. I feel Lamebook is a great site and I can't imagine not having it around. So, with this being said, please head over to www.lamebook.com if you have yet to check out the site or check out the details at Do512's site Here.

Of course there is plenty of things to do tonight and this weekend. This blog might have a little facelift soon, so keep your eyes peeled for something new to come!

Mister Heavenly...

Mister Heavenly recently graced the stage of the Scoot Inn in Austin, and it was a hot ticket. Very hot ticket.  I feel that most of the attention came from the fact that Michael Cera was playing bass with the band, however, they are actually pretty damn good. They released a few songs about 5 days ago and they are great to say the least. You can check out the songs here. Hope you enjoy!

Jon Blondell Quintet set high standards in Jazz.

It is not hard to find music in Austin. At any given night a local Austinite, or even a visitor can wonder the streets and find their way into a bar or club for local entertainment. Last night at the elephant room was no exception. The small, but locally renowned jazz club boasts Jazz music seven days a week with little or no charge and it is always a sure bet that you will find great music coming from the rectangular shaped basement club.

The Jon Blondell Quintet played quite a show at the Elephant Room on a date to remember, 1/11/11. Having been one to wander into the club in order to find some mediocre jazz, the Jon Blondell Quintet left us in awe at the talent of the musicians on stage as well as the maestro of trombone, Jon Blondell.  The leader of the group was noticeably directing the band while his energy and skill radiated to the other members on stage. His tall stature seemed to loom over the crowd slowly filling the club, however, he was often seen walking off stage and talking to members in the audience while the various members of the band were exhibiting their individual jazz talent. The quintet were obviously well trained in their craft and allowed the music to flow ever so smoothly from one song to the next. Before they decided to take a short break, they played the song “Cissy Strut,” a song known to most as an upbeat brass band song hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana. The qroup gracefully gave the up-tempo tune justice as they put their own jazz spin on the song. Although a trombone might not have been the first instrument to come to mind when hearing about a jazz quintet, Jon Blondell proved no instrument is safe from Jazz. He performed every song flawlessly and with an immense skill.

The Jon Blondell Quintet was an amazing group and a must see for any jazz enthusiast. The talent on stage gives the listener a sense of appreciation for the music despite a musical preference. You can find more information on the group at his website: http://jonblondell.com. 

SXSW schedules....

As if music is all we want to hear about, South by Southwest just announced the schedules for 2011. It is going to be a great year this year and it seems there will be even more attendees due to the new addition of StyleX( or Style by). However, the schedule will give you plenty of time to map out your time at the infamous SXSW and allow you to find your way around Austin and the various venues with ease.  Below is the link to the schedule:

SXSW Schedule

Free Week: A recap of various bands around town.

For the past few years, avid music fans have been granted nine days of music at venues around the Red River district. The marathon week of music is known to most as “Free Week.” During these glorious nine nights, music pours from the speakers and engulfs the audience like a blanket of love as if to say “thank you” from the live music capitol of the world. A number of locals compare it to South by Southwest in the sense that it allows Austin music junkies to roam the various venues around town and discover new music. Others feel it is a great way for musicians to give something back to the local community. Fighting the crowds made it tough to participate in the event every night, however there were some bands that happened to catch the live music examiner’s eye.

Monday night was an impromptu excursion out to Emo’s in hopes to see some great live music. However, the first band at the venue was not our cup of tea, so the quest to find a “new” band led us to Red 7. There, we caught the set of Love at 20, which was a great group to stumble upon. Their brand of alternative pop music was a fantastic find and it was nice to add a few more people to the floor littered with foosball and pool tables. Not only was the music upbeat and extremely fun, the band finished the set with the Weezer cover, “Tired of Sex,” which immediately had the crowd singing along under their breath. Thanks to a few recommendations, we headed back to Emo’s in order to try and catch Tia Carrera, only to find them playing the last song of the set. As we walked inside however, Tenement had just walked on stage. The music was performed as punk rock should be- fast, grungy, and by members that looked no older than 18 years old. The Wisconsin natives seemed at home playing on the Emo’s inside stage and put on a fantastic show.

Wednesday brought us back to Emo’s, and it was a great night for music. My Education played outside and the mysterious ambient rock had the audience in awe as they watched the band play their set. The viola played a crucial part in the music and did not feel out of place during the songs. They were a great find of the week and a band that will surely be reviewed again. The next act that attracted our attention was the Flesh Lights, yet another punk rock band that had quite the crowd inside of Emo’s. What can be said about the punk rock band with the seemingly strange name? Well, they were simply awesome. The songs were upbeat, the solos were in the right place, and the female drummer sang the last song. They definitely scored points with that finale. We then caught a few songs of the long haired- beard clad gentleman in the band Smoke and Feathers which was just the right amount of good old fashioned southern rock, and waited in anticipation for Quiet Company. The set times were of course pushed back, so the band did not hit the stage until close to 12:30, however, it was obvious by the first chords that the crowd had been waiting to see the band. The hype of Quiet Company is now clear. They were a great band to see live. The energy on stage, and the sound of the band were both great as well as the feedback from the audience.  It seemed as though everyone in the crowd knew every word to the songs and it was obvious that the band were very pleased to play in front of the grateful audience.    

Thursday night brought us to Mohawk in order to see the Guns of Navarone, East Cameron Folk Core and T-bird and the Breaks. Guns of Navarone opened the show and had a relatively good crowd in attendance. Once again, they put on a great show, full of energy and great guitar riffs through out the set. They are a band that truly deserves great recognition in the Austin music community. The crowd unfortunately pushed us away from the Mohawk and the last band of the night for the live music examiner was East Cameron Folk Core. If you yet to see the group perform live, it is a must see show.  The stage was crowded with the members and each had their own instrument, as weird as it might have been. The music had potential, but seemed cluttered do to the amount of members on stage, however, they are a band that deserves another shot at a smaller venue around town.

 

Free week was a great time with a handful of great bands. It is the best way to get the community in the various venues around town and experience some great live music from artists that might otherwise be overlooked.  

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone, a four piece alternative-country group from Austin, Texas is now on my radar of new bands around town to pay close attention to. The raspy  lead vocals of Corey Reinisch, talented lead guitar skills of Seth Grueneberg, Richard Knox on drums and Dustin Meyer on bass, is a combination that will surely have you tapping your feet to the rhythm, and singing along in the crowd.

The group played in front of a miniscule crowd at Momo’s on December 30^th and It was perfect timing as they will surely be a band to watch grow in 2011. The four members took the stage around nine o’clock Thursday night with their instruments in tow and started the night with the perfect opening tune. Throughout the first few songs,  Mr. Reinisch used the harmonica draped around his neck in order to add to the folk inspired sound of the evening. One of the most important aspects of the band is that the songs are not cluttered with different instruments. They have a stripped down sound that allows the audience to see the essence of the songs. For this reason, The Guns of Navarone have the ability to entertain the crowd and constantly keep the audience wanting more.

One of the last songs of the night was also the most memorable. Keeping with the tone of the night, the final tune was upbeat and allowed the members to showcase the talent on stage. As the last number of the night was coming to an end, I was once again struck with a catchy song imbedding with the chorus “you know I’m dangerous to you,” complete with great harmonizing from Mr. Reinisch and Mr. Grueneberg. The Guns of Navarone are playing numerous shows this month with the first one on January 6^th at The Mohawk, January 14^th at The Ghost Room and another January 22^nd at the Cactus Café. They are a great band in Austin to follow and their live performance will not disappoint you.