Nov 28 2008
Hey! You! Houston, TX Music Fan! Get your fat, “I ate too much yesterday” ass over to The Skyline and cast your ballot for The 2008 Sammy Awards.
Remember kids, just like in regular politics - if you don’t vote, you can’t complain!
Nov 28 2008
Here is November’s edition of Free Music Friday. Yes, it’s a light month, but who are you to begrudge any sort of free music that I might provide to you?
Enjoy!
“You’re Not Afraid Of The Dark, Are You?” - Look Mexico
“Fantôme Dur (Tuff Ghost)” - Nous Non Plus
“Stop Acting Like You Know More” - Peachcake
Nov 26 2008
Lipona
Atlas
Self-Released; 2008
Being a music critic/snob (much less an overweight hipster), I’m often pegged as someone who doesn’t appreciate harder-edged music. (Just because I like Sufjan Stevens doesn’t prohibit me from listening to Norma Jean.) But what most people don’t realize is that I spent the better part of my early 20’s attending all manner of local punk and hardcore shows in the suburbs of Houston, TX, where band after band of full of high school and young college kids would get on stage to perform their version of the latest trendy “-core” act’s music. It was, admittedly, a rather brutal endeavor at times, but it was always worth it to discover that one group who was worth a damn: they had actually practiced, their lyrics had actual content, and they quickly developed a ridiculously rabid following.
Lipona, on their debut full-length, Atlas, reminds me of all those great local bands from my past in one fell swoop: they’re youthful, overflowing with energy, and write melodic punk songs that are as catchy as hell. The drumming is passionate and furious, the tempos are appropriately rollicking with a thick head of steam, the gang vocals require you to sing along, and the guitar work is full of both traditional chunky punk power chords and searing riffage. But what sets this band apart are the voice and lyrics of vocalist Yamil Velez: with a style reminiscent of Geoff Rickly of Thursday (without the high-pitched, screaming histrionics) and the ability to create brilliant images of his internal struggles (without coming across like a whiny, disaffected suburban kid), Velez carries a group that, for all of its abilities, could still find itself lumped in along with other above-average independent punk bands that crisscross this nation every day. The track “To Wishful Thinking!” holds my favorite chorus on the album – “This could be the way you think confirms your long standing bias. And just when you reach the very top, will it ever be enough for you?” – serving as an ode to everyone I’ve ever known who’s cast aside everyone important to them just to reach some mythical zenith of accomplishment. The ten songs of this record cover barely 32 minutes of time, but fans of intelligent punk music will find that Atlas is worth every single one of those ticks of a clock. I just hope that Lipona can continue their resolute and determined uphill climb.
Nov 25 2008
Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw
Prison Jazz; 2008
I’m going to cop to this confession: there are times when I use the descriptive phraseology surrounding the word “indie” a bit too indiscriminately than is necessary or appropriate. However, I will defend myself in that, with each use, I faithfully employ the same base definition(s) when discussing such music, because I’m often attempting to prove a larger point (construct a meta-narrative, if you will) with my reviews. Too many of the bands whose art I’ve been reviewing for the past two years are (sadly) rather far removed from mainstream radio play, wide-ranging touring regimens, and having their music for sale in decent record stores. By and large, these are groups making really good pop, rock, and punk albums that should have a decent following, and they would, if they had even the merest bit of exposure. Even with the advent of the Internet and the information ubiquity it provides, true indie bands are even farther under the radar than before.
Let’s look at the case of Tigers Jaw from Scranton, PA, and their self-titled sophomore release. Here is a hungry, young five-piece making tasty pop music that’s infused with fuzzy, jangling guitars and some punk-ish attitude, all wrapped up in a ten-song, thirty-minute package like a yummy chocolate-covered caramel. I could pass this album around to my rock-loving friends, and, within two listens, they would be singing along with each track and shaking their hips to the simple, yet tight rhythms. The band’s music, led by “I Saw Water,” “Between Your Band and the Other Band,” and “I Was Never Your Boyfriend” instantly calls to mind groups like The Anniversary, The Apples In Stereo, and Jawbreaker, as it combines equal parts indie sheen, pop smarts, and punk grit to make a cohesive whole.
Tigers Jaw stands up as an example of how broken the contemporary music industry is and the number of bands who are willing to toil in relative obscurity for their art, working inside the “indie” system as it is. Maybe they’re content and full of resolve regarding the work they must do to stay truly DIY, but I’d rather have this “indie” outfit garner a few more fist-pumps, back-slaps, and album sales than those they constantly receive from their immediate, die-hard fans back in Scranton.
Nov 24 2008
Houston, TX indie-rock upstarts The TonTons are set to open for Little Joy (led by Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes) at Warehouse Live on Friday, November 28th.
Yes, that is the day after Thanksgiving, so this show should be the perfect opportunity to get off your couch and work off the extra weight that you (i.e. myself especially) will have gained eating that third helping of mashed potatoes and four pieces of pie while watching football a day earlier. And besides - it will be fun!
Image courtesy of Deney Terrio
