Altercation Punk Rock Comedy Tour/Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

That was my Austin Film Fest 09 see yall next …………………….

Sugar & Gold–AYA EP: Androgynous and genreless, the freaky five-some that is out of San Francisco undulate somewhere between the sexy and mischievous minimalism of Glass Candy and the intricate pop production of Of Montreal. There is sludgy thick synth bass and slinky Italo arpeggiation and are oftentimes decked out in a three-piece suit or simply boxer shorts and socks. Sugar and Gold is a spectacle of magic and celebration. Electronic workouts with syncopation and psychedelic guitar frame the band. Their on-stage performance is mayhem live energy and is firmly rooted in the astute rhythms and smooth synth steadily. On tour for what seems like forever they are crossing the country and will be in town for Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. 4.5 McRiprock’s.

John Orr Franklin—Transformation: Franklin’s sophomore album was written, recorded and produced in his recording studio in Austin.  He prefers that his music stays categorized as progressive rock saying, “A lot of my heroes and musical influences are in the progressive rock genre, so it makes sense that my music would also fall into this realm.” In this album he makes nods to Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, John Lennon and Tom Petty. The album features Franklin on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Rob Palladino on drums, background vocals and percussion, Brandon Aly on drums and percussion, Josh Batschelet on upright and electric bass guitars and Kris Mathesen on electric bass guitar and percussion.  Transformation represents the completed ideal vision that inspired Franklin to establish a sense of ownership over the sound of his music bringing him into his own as a songwriter. He hopes his music provides a respite form the things in life that are negative. The song “Transformation,” as well as others on the album, deals with self empowerment and the ideal that we can make positive changes in our lives if we choose to walk that path.  4.0 McRiprock’s

Must get some of the famous cookies tomorrow……

Girls Guns and Glory—Inverted Valentine: Self-proclaimed as “alternatives to the alternative alternative, “ Girls Guns and Glory formed in MA in 2005 when former band-mates and high school friends teamed up to record original compositions. Entering the Noise in the Attic Studio, they began to work on their debut CD Fireworks and Alcohol. A successful release, it fueled the formation of a five-piece lineup that began to work the New England club scene. A sophomore release, Pretty Little Wrecking Ball in 2007 proved to be the breaking point in the break-out for the band as they collected two Boston Phoenix awards and garnered lots of media attention and radio play all of which culminated in a Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Americana Act of the Year’ while also being placed in the Boston Globe’s “Top 15 Albums of 2007.” At this point, the band solidified its lineup as a four-piece featuring John Graham on drums and Colt Thompson on guitar with Ward Hayden on lead vocals and acoustic guitar and Bruce Beagley on bass. Inverted Valentine is their third studio release that covers a wide range of musical styles incorporating the Mariachi trumpet, Flemenco guitar from “Temptation” to a stripped down acoustic version and a dark and lonesome tone of the mandocello on “Unrequited Love.” Delivering melodic hooks, but a clear concise message each song is well crafted with thought provoking lyrics. 5.0 McRiprock’s

Hector Ward And The Big Time—Freightline Freak: An eclectic nine-piece band encompassing the wide range of rock, blues, country, Latin, grooves, funk and ska. Celebrating their release at Threadgill’s South in mid-October this is Ward’s first solo project after his band Sigmund Fraud’s release in 2005. Playing music in Texas for well over 15 years, he calls Austin home. His current band creates a unique style with a mix of Texas blues/country combined with funk and Latin grooves. Musicians include: Hector Ward, Alison Beardsley, Phil Roach, Micke McGurk, Scott Beardsley, Dave Farris, Tiger Anaya, Matthew Price and Mitch Quintanilla. Ward’s musical influences range from the legendary (Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Sly and the Family Stone, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, Bob Marley) to the slightly more contemporary (Rage Against the Machine, 90’s Grunge, The Buena Vista Club and more). He has worked with Uncle Lucius, Bob Schneider, Meagan Tubb, Blues Mafia, Little Brother Project and Matt the Electrician. Nicknamed “Hector Hollywood” at just three years old the stage was set for some rock n’ roll in his future. 5.4 McRiprock’s

FROM  ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE — “Last year, we had 881 zombies join us on the plaza at the Long Center to help set a World Record for the most people dancing Michael Jackson’s Thriller choreography at the same time and place. This year, Mexico City took that record from us with over 13,000 dancers!  We don’t expect to beat Mexico City’s 13,000 (we’re going to try), but we can help “Thrill the World” (www.thrilltheworld.com) take back the record of having the most people all over the world doing the Thriller dance at the exact same time!

For our timezone, that means Austin must start the dance on Saturday, October 24, at 8:00PM exactly.

To make it even more exciting, this year, the proceedings will take place at Austin’s historic Seaholm Power Plant.

A dance lesson for anyone who has not yet learned the dance will begin that day at 5:00PM.  All dancers will join the world-wide THRILLERFEST dance at 8:00pm sharp, then stay for the a special outdoor presentation of the wildly popular Michael Jackson Sing-Along!  A full scale dance party with props, lighting, and everything you’ll need to not stop until you get enough.

Due to the added expense of the venue and afterparty, participatation in this event will cost $15 admission.  Tickets may be purchased in advance on the Alamo Drafthouse website (www.originalalamo.com)

Because we want to make sure that Austin is the BEST performance in the world, there are also several other lessons happening before the big day. Those lessons are all 100% free, and you can choose to learn at either the Highball (1142 South Lamar Blvd) or BodyBusiness (2700 W Anderson Lane).

The schedule of Thriller dance lessons at The Highball is as follows:
Monday, October 12 – 7pm
Tuesday, October 13 – 7pm
Saturday, October 17 – 2pm
Sunday, October 18 – 2pm
Tuesday, October 20 – 7pm
Wednesday, October 21 – 7pm
Saturday, October 24 – 11am

Feel free to come out to just one lesson or come back to each and every one and keep rehearsing with us. All of the lessons will be absolutely free, but you should expect to have it down after one or two full lessons. Each lesson will last between two to three hours.

You can start learning up north if you join up with the class at BodyBusiness, which is on Anderson Lane facing the Alamo Village across the parking lot. Their schedule is as follows:
October 16th & 23rd @ 5:30pm
October 9th & 23rd @ 10:30am
You don’t need to be a member of the gym to participate, and you can sign up at the front desk or by calling 459-9424.

Please help spread the word.  Let’s show the World how to Thrill.

Cheers,

Brad Parrett
brad@originalalamo.com”

There is much to be thankful for after day one of Austin City Limits 2009 edition. The Spring-like weather made outdoors at  ACL a pleasureable experience as opposed to previous years oppression. Some great performances were turned in by Medeski Martin and Wood, The Knux, Them Crooked Vultures, Kings of Leon and special guest, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

Medeski Martin and Wood actually played two sets on Friday. The first was part of the breakfast time, KGSR Live series held at Threadgills downtown during the festival. The short time format was not ideal for MMW as they tend improvise and play longer songs. The music was spectacular though, with John Medeski leading tight-knit threesome through two rollicking, jamming songs.If fans were not already awake with excitement at the first day of ACL, they were after MMW’s set.

To kick off Friday, examiner.com began the day at the XBOX360 Stage for a hip-hop act that had some buzz,
The Knux. The Knux are brothers, Kentrell and Alvin Lindsey. Originally from New Orleans, they were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and relocated to Los Angeles. The Knux were also an ideal act to select to start the day. They immeadiately got the crowd jumping, soon getting into their hit from Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantananmo Bay, Cappuccino. (great party song).  They was even a covered House of Pain’s Jump Around.

The next set was over at the Livestrong Stage for more Medeski Martin and Wood. They were so incredible at the Threadgills set, Austin Concerts Examiner had to see more.  MMW delivered. A joyous set in beautuful weather with the ever expanding Austin Skyline as the backdrop.  What interesting about MMW is their stage set-up. The fact that they improvise musically means the band prefers to perform arranged in a U-shape so they can see each other easily and pick up visual cues during the performance. Instrumentally, no other ACL band can compare to the musicianship and jazz improvisation of this New York trio.

Friday’s big buzz was concerning Them Crooked Vultures, a super-group comprised of Dave Grohl (NIrvana), John-Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age).  Their sold-out show at Stubb’s on Thursday created much interest. Their set was loud and enthusiastic. Grohl looked like he was having a blast. Jones played a delicate song on the keyboards. TCV appropriately rocked the loudest of any band on Friday. Only the sublime set by Clutch (more later) on Sunday rivaled TCV for sheer hard rockness.  Time to hit the Itunes store for some Vultures.

Beastie Boys replacement, Yeah Yeah Yeahs played opposite Kings of Leon. To be fair, examiner.com  watched the beginning of Karen O and company’s set. . . .with disappointment. After hearing about the great live show YYYs put on at Lollapalooza, high expectations were set and then dashed with Karen O’s screaming read: annoying) vocals. Two songs in, we scooted over to KOL at the Livestrong stage.  It appeared as though quite a few fans had the same idea.

Although KOL had more to offer than YYYs did, the set was a bit mellow for a large festival. Nathan Followill seemed to be testing the audience, remarking that even though KOL had their detractors, “We’re not going
anywhere, so you’re gonna have to learn to love us.”  Rather than hyping up the crowd with a rocking song, he played a slow ballad. A fan was seen yawning while others talked while KOL played. It seemed like the band was saving themselves for an exceptional encore which ended up being Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam guesting on vocals and banging two tambourines together.  The energy really picked up with Vedder onstage, but it was a little too late.  The show was nearly over. Take us back to SXSW 2007 where KOL blew Spoon off the stage.

Be sure to check out Marko Zaror’s jump of awesomeness!

“All Photos by Rich Merritt“

I will have coverage up on mondaze

Diving back in………

c u at THE HIGHBALL……

Grooveline Horns from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Grooveline Horns from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

The documentary by Joe Berlinger, chronicles the 13-year lawsuit brought about against Chevron for their senseless dumping of oil and toxic waste into the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, creating what is believed to be a “1,700-square-mile ‘cancer death zone’.” There are numerous interviews on both sides, and equally impassioned arguments are made for who is responsible for how much of the destruction. You can say what you want about Chevron or the use of media by American environmental lawyer Steven Donziger, or whether or not it was really Chevron and not Petro-Ecuador, which took over the dumping when Chevron left. Berlinger provides enough information that we are forced to question not just Chevron’s actions but our own, the blind consumers for which the supply services. What cannot be argued is the magnitude of destruction and subsequent consequences to the people who live there.

For Berlinger, who was apprehensive about becoming involved in the project when first approached by Donziger in 2005, could not refuse the responsibility of the story. When I sat down with him to talk about getting involved in the project, he told me, “I’m an advocate of that little girl and her people, without question” referring to the film’s poster propped up behind him. “I don’t think I’m smart enough to sort through all the myriad of legal issues and hundreds of thousands of pages. So I’m extremely neutral in presenting both sides of the lawsuit and seeing what they have to say. I’m not neutral about the moral imperative of what I saw as a humanitarian crime.” The same was true of Trudie Styler, also recruited by Donziger, who recognized her celebrity weight and activism with her own Rainforest foundation as an added bonus for bringing awareness to the affected people. She tells me that at first she went strictly on a “Fact finding mission” without knowing what to expect. What she found was “Horrific.” She describes the conditions as dire saying, “The people are deprived every day of their lives of the basic necessity which sustains human life, and that’s clean and safe water.” The same was true of UNICEF who at the request of Trudy (she went “Hammering on their doors”), came to see with their own eyes what had happened and immediately declared it an emergency despite the fact that “This has been going on for three decades.”

It’s an undeniably important film. A call to action film, whether Berlinger intended it that way or not. It’s a necessary film for our own human understanding that for this reason alone, everyone should see.

Fantastic Fest is held each year, primarily at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar in Austin, Texas. The Alamo Drafthouse was named the best cinema in America by Entertainment Weekly and features food and drink served to your seat without any disruption of the movie experience.

This film kept my interest, even when the plot lost some splendor, there was still the festival organization and crowds that kept me involved. Ang Lee did a great job at setting up the mass hysteria that surrounded the creation and undertaking of said event. This film does not touch the music, in fact we only get a glimpse of the stage lighting from way off. This is a story of how the event came to be and a coming to terms story of a young gay man and his efforts to save his family’s hotel.  It was well acted but there were things that were just overdone. I got the message but it was like force fed over and over.  But, I didn”t care about the plot.  I was totally wrapped in the parking lot traffic scene out in front of the hotel. So many people on there way to the grounds.  I was entertained and intrigued by the madness  and even the soundtrack. This is not a great film but it is well done and original, which is lacking in Hollywood these days. If you like the documentary and are interested in parts of the festival that have not been dramatized,I recommend this one.

The concept was the brainchild of Charlyne who personally felt she was not capable of falling in love. She teamed up with director and co-writer Nick Jasenovec who was intrigued by the project and found Charlene to be a “unique person with a unique take on things.” Her “unique take” sets the sweet and almost sugary tone of the film. Charlene’s approach to living borders on the extreme with respect to cuteness and naivete. The extreme component is what makes her so fascinating to watch. It seems to be a conscious choice, a reaction to seeing an ugly world, deciding she didn’t care for it all that much, and building her own, more suitable, lens. Nick talks briefly about her childhood explaining, “she grew up in Fontana, California, a town filled with crystal meth. She had a lot of friends get pregnant young–it was a pretty harsh reality.”

The project developed and Nick says that things “naturally went in the direction of her meeting someone and falling love.” He knew that the odds of capturing that would be impossible so they decided instead to create a story. Enter Michael Cera, playing Charlene’s awkward love interest.

While Michael and Charlene tread through their relationship waters, she travels the country conducting interviews, with mostly couples, who have “interesting stories about love.” With the exception on one they don’t deviate from the sweet zone. Again this seems to be a conscious choice. Nick admits that not all of the couples were what they seemed off camera explaining, “There was an example that comes to mind but I don’t know if I should talk about it because it’s kind of personal for them.” In another interview Nick remembers the husband talked about being married before, information Charlene didn’t pursue and left Nick wondering why. The answer is fairly obvious in tone, message and style: this is Charlene’s journey.

Mike Judge talks about “Extract” from AMFM STUDIOS LLC on Vimeo.

Christophe Waltz owned the screen. His villain had me trembling.  This film is not a remake. The over the top nazi killing happens but it is not a bulk part of the film.  There is drama going on that does not directly involve the basterds. Well, not at first.
Forget what you expect this film to be about. It won”t be that. Let the story with it’s chapters guide you.
At 2 1/2 hours I wanted more. More that I know was there. I wanted the histories and even the scars of characters to  be dramatized. I plan on seeing this a few more times.

The blood, sweat, and tears in Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi hunting WWII film seem to come mostly from the director himself, whose die-hard love of cinema pours lovingly out of every scene even if it means sacrificing dramatic structure, character development or sometimes, overall good sense. The juxtaposition of a brilliant, tension filled opening scene with a head scratching are-we-there-yet end, and mostly a grab bag in between, requires steadfast devotion to all those involved. Tarantino approaching with a boyish plea, “I really want this to work” to which his actors, who mostly have little to work with (particularly Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine and his fellow Basterds) respond, “So do we” and set about trying their best to make it happen for him. If you’re willing or feeling generous, the devotion on all sides is almost enough to carry this uneven and choppy film. If you’re not, the brilliant Christoph Waltz, as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa, will certainly sustain you whenever he graces the screen. It is a peformance that reasonably warrants a film title change. Otherwise, the plot unravels, things go splat, characters appear too late in the game to make sense (as a frenzied Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark seems painfully aware of). And then there are Nazi killings. Lots of them. And who doesn’t enjoy a good Nazi slaughtering now and then? Don’t over think it and you will be entertained.

Inglourious Basterds opends Friday 8.21.09

AUSTIN, TX – August, 14, 2009 – The Sound and the Jury (S&J), a virtual battle of the bands, is back for its 3rd year and will again offer one lucky band the ultimate grand prize: a slot on the Dell Stage at Austin City Limits (Oct. 2-4, 2009). Bands of all genres have a shot at landing the dream gig on the ACL Festival line-up alongside musical heavyweights Sonic Youth, Kings of Leon, Thievery Corporation, Andrew Bird and more. Last year’s winner, The Steps, have since gone on to release an album and go on tour. Who will play the 2009 ACL Festival? It’s up to you.

How it Works
Round One is live now and bands can upload their music at http://delllounge.com/soundandthejury/ to enter the competition. To stay in the game, bands must generate enough votes to land them in the Top 100 by Aug. 28. From there, industry judges will narrow it down to the Top 20, and public voting opens again to determine the Top 5. A live Battle of the Bands on Sept. 30 at Austin’s iconic music venue, Antone’s, is where industry judges and fan votes will determine the band that rocks the hardest. At the end of the multi-round, two-month contest, one worthy band will earn a prize spot on the Dell Stage at the ACL Festival.

What’s at Stake
Each of the five finalists will receive $1,500. The winning band will be listed as part of the official lineup and receive an opening slot on the Dell Stage at the ACL Festival. As an official ACL artist, the winner will get artist passes for the entire weekend with access to catering, the artist lounge, and everywhere else bands get to go. The winning band will also receive promotion on delllounge.com, a 15″ Dell(tm) Studio(tm) laptop, weekend hotel accommodations in Austin, and tickets for some friends the day of the show.
LAST YEAR’S—————-

I found myself thinking of the quirky and slightly disquieting Southwest Airlines commercials after the first 5 minutes of this film.

David Twohy’s less than “Perfect” offering opens with Cydney (Milla Jovovich) and Cliff (Steve Zahn), a painfully blissful pair of newlyweds at the beginning of their painfully typical and touristy honeymoon in Hawai’i. Cliff is apparently an up and coming screenwriter, and Cydney is his nauseatingly adoring new bride. As fate (or your typical Rouge film) would have it, another honeymooning couple on a neighboring island has fallen victim to a particularly brutal demise by what is believed to be….you guessed it, ANOTHER young couple posing as honeymooners.

On their trek through the Hawaiian jungle paradise, they happen upon two other couples, first the twitchy, dodgy and generally ominous pair, Kale and Chloe. Chloe is about six dreadlocks shy of an 85 IQ and Kale is a burly, brooding surf nazi type who has a serious chip on his shoulder for a guy named after a leafy green. Cydney and Cliff’s initial encounter with these two does not bode well, and although we have our first two murder suspects handed to us on a platter…..we go on hoping that the story has something else in mind.

Further on up the treacherous coastal trail they run into Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez), an oddly matched pair but slightly less foreboding; Nick being the product of a special ops team from the Gulf War with a penchant for goat-on the-barbie…..Gina is the white-bread, homegrown gal from the South that was swept of her feet by Nick’s ability to conveniently conceal an entire makeshift armory through airline security, under the guise of a state of the art “ty-TAY-ne-yum” plate holding his skull together.

Second course of possible suspects served up for your viewing pleasure!

After a bit of skinny dipping and a few feeble attempts at giving Cliff and Cyd that fleeting opportunity to turn back and keep the rest of the movie from ever happening, the intensity of the film begins to rise to relatively tolerable levels and the countdown begins to the big “which crazy couple is the couple who killed the other couple and is now ready to kill one or both of the current couples in a fantastical show of coupled brutality” reveal.

The twist is slightly jarring but not in the “Crying Game” sort of way, and if you arent too sensitive at having your intelligence slightly insulted, this flick is for you! Olyphant’s performance as Nick is by far the redeemer of the film. His rougish charm and dark comedic relief is a solid reminder that you didnt just buy that six dollar hot dog that won’t expire until 2012 for nothing. Its a wide departure from his quiet intensity as Sheriff Bullock in “Deadwood”, but he pulls it off with spectacular flair. I’d say save your pennies for that lovely trip to paradise you’re planning, but if youre as pissed off about Deadwood ending as I was….you can get a heapin’ helpin’ of Olyphant’s acting prowess right here.

Recommendations for DVD viewing:

Veteran’s PTSD therapy sessions, brides struggling with wedding plans and Man vs. Wild fan club meetings.

Photos shot by Kyle Woods.