Covert Curiosity, an Austin Music Blog

Video: Heartless Bastards

2009-07-10T18:06:00.002-05:00

more here

Other locals on Luxury Wafers:

Wooden Birds, Boxing Lesson, Oh No Oh My

Video: Sunset

2009-07-09T16:23:00.002-05:00

myspace.com/lobosunset

Covert Concert Picks

2009-07-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

Here are our picks for live music in Austin this week, with a few tunes to get you in the mood. Use the links to get more information about everything. We're giving away Spoon tickets on Twitter, so follow us if you want in.

Thursday:

Spoon, Quasi, Black Joe Lewis at Stubb's

Friday:

Major Lazer, A-Trak, DJ AM at Speakeasy - FADER RSVP

Saturday:

Spoon, Atlas Sound, The Strange Boys at Stubb's

The Coathangers, Woven Bones at the Mohawk

Sunday:

The Ugly Beats at Beerland

Grizzly Bear vs Lil Wayne

2009-07-07T15:33:00.004-05:00

VeckaFlyest is a short but sweet project by NYC production duo The Soundmen, pairing Grizzy Bear samples and Lil Wanye's vocals. Their production has been featured and written about in URB, the FADER, and The New York Times among other publications. You can download the Veckaflyest production as a zip file right here, and find the dudes on myspace here and here.

Lil Wayne and Grizzly Bear - "2 Weeks 'til Prom"

Universal Studios Florida

2009-07-06T16:49:00.002-05:00

Universal Studios Florida sounds like Air France as imagined by The Field, with with occasional glimpses of Animal Collective/Panda Bear and Caribou. USF create ambient beach pop with some tribal/drone influences, and their album Ocean Sunbirds is full of tropical atmospherics that arrives just in time for summer.

Not to be listened to in pieces, this music is designed to work together seamlessly from start to finish. Their MySpace describes their sound as “Dense tropical percussion with golden, shining synth lines in an ambient valley where big beat drops are just around every corner.” Recommended for fans of the aforementioned bands as well as High Places and Ducktails.

Video: Major Lazer

2009-07-04T19:04:00.003-05:00

myspace.com/majorlazer

Neon Indian

2009-07-03T16:14:00.004-05:00

Neon Indian is a new project from VEGA's Alan Palomo. The Austin/Brooklyn-based duo's debut album Psychic Chasms is scheduled to be released in October via Lefse Records, and is full of warped, electro-psych-pop goodness. I heard a couple of their songs yesterday and they've been playing in my head ever since. Here are some words from the press release:

The only show on Neon Indian's calendar so far is at the Monolith Festival in Colorado this September. The lineup also includes Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl Talk, The Thermals, HEALTH and Deer Tick. Sounds like a damn good festival. You can catch VEGA at Club de Ville on Friday, July 17th.

Ratatat at Lee's Palace

2009-07-02T15:06:00.002-05:00

This is the best live recording of Ratatat you will find. It's from a show they did back in 2004 at Lee's Palace in Toronto. I've got your easy download link for the whole set right here. Enjoy.

myspace.com/ratatatmusic

Video: Elvis Perkins

2009-07-01T14:05:00.003-05:00

myspace.com/elvisperkins

Covert Concert Picks

2009-06-30T16:13:00.011-05:00

Here are our picks for live music in Austin this week, with a few tunes to get you in the mood. Use the links to get more information about everything.

Tonight:

Sunset, The Sour Notes, Wild Moccasins at Emo's

Wednesday:

Left Lane Cruiser, Restavrant at Emo's

Hip Hop Night with DJ Orion at Red 7
DJ Orion - Big vs Outkast

Thursday:

Harlem, Woven Bones, DJ Orion at Club Deville

This Will Destroy You at the Mohawk

Friday:

Indian Jewelry, Shapes Have Fangs Mohawk (free 21+)

Li'l Cap'n Travis at the Continental Club

Saturday:

Explosions in the Sky and The Octopus Project at Stubb's

Henry Rollins at Emo's

Sunday:

Ty Segall at Beerland

Video: Dirty Projectors

2009-06-30T13:42:00.002-05:00

See what people are saying about Dirty Projectors.

Beck vs Velvet Underground

2009-06-30T12:34:00.003-05:00

Beck recently launched a new project called “Record Club” where he plans to cover entire classic albums with the help of some of his musically-minded friends. A few of the cohorts I've seen listed include Devendra Banhart, Jamie Lidell, and MGMT. According to a press release, none of the albums covered will be rehearsed, and the artists involved only have one day to lay down the entire LP. A statement at therecordclub.com reads:

The first album they chose to cover is the essential The Velvet Underground & Nico. Participants for Beck's re-imagination of this one include Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, Brian Lebarton, and... Giovanni Ribisi? It looks like the first tunes to pop up from this recording session are "Sunday Morning" and "Waiting for the Man."

Beck - "Sunday Morning" (The Velvet Underground)

Beck’s web site will be going through some changes to accommodate not only the covers project, but also a weekly DJ set called Planned Obsolescence. Go over to beck.com for more.

Spoon's Got Nuffin

2009-06-29T19:40:00.008-05:00

Word has it that Spoon are releasing a brand new EP entitled Got Nuffin. The three-song single will be available on CD and digital download beginning tomorrow, with the 12″ vinyl version following in July. Hit up the Merge Records store to get yours. This marks the band’s first newly recorded material since 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and includes the B-sides "Tweakers" and "Stroke Their Brains." Check Austin360 for a fitting review.

Spoon - "Got Nuffin"

Now people will have a new song to shout for during Spoon's three-night stint at Stubb's, otherwise known as SPOONX3. The band will use these shows to debut new songs off their forthcoming album, and to feature a great lineup of supporting acts that includes Black Joe Lewis, Atlas Sound and the Strange Boys. Tickets for all three nights are available here.

Spoon will also be playing Merge’s 20th anniversary celebration next month, otherwise known as XX Merge. Head to spoontheband.com for more.

Little Girls

2009-06-29T18:00:00.006-05:00

You should think about getting down with Mexican Summer. Here's why:

They mostly deal in neo psych/garage, and have released records by the likes of Wooden Shjips, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Golden Triangle, Kurt Vile and more. The most recent Mexican Summer offering that has caught my attention comes from Toronto post-punk group Little Girls. Here's the skinny, a couple of tracks from the EP, and a link for your mouse. Use of headphones is highly recommended.

Ty Segall

2009-06-29T14:06:00.002-05:00

Burying '60s sing-alongs and dance crazes beneath waves of reverb, Ty Segall has carved out his own spot in the San Francisco psych-garage scene alongside compatriots (and Covert faves) Thee Oh Sees. After impressing the Bay Area underground as a frantic one-man-band, Segall has now given up the solo act for a three piece with a live setup that is a better reflection of his work in the studio.

Ty Segall's self-titled debut was released in 2008 on Castle Face Records. These two songs come from the Cents 7'' teaser single for his upcoming Goner Records full-length, Lemons. You can catch Ty Segall performing live in Austin at Beerland on Sunday, July 5th. Do512 is giving away a pair of tickets to the show right here.

Deer Tick

2009-06-29T12:43:00.000-05:00

John McCauley recorded Deer Tick's debut War Elephant at age 19, performing every instrument on the album. But his vision from the start was for Deer Tick to be a real band, so by the time the second full-length album (which is great) was released (last week) the band had developed into a quartet featuring two guitars, bass and drums - with three members singing and writing.

The result is an album full of rambling country-rock with "desperate lyrics delivered straight from the bottom of the bottle." McCauley's raspy voice layers everything in a warm blanket of authenticity, even when it's just being used to cover the old standard "Goodnight Irene" (hidden track) complete with beer can sound effects. If you're in the market for a little tailgate-down twang with Hank Williams-warped sensibilities, lend your ears to Born On Flag Day.

Deer Tick was just on Daytrotter a few days ago with an unreleased song and a cover of The Boss. Also, they will be playing in Austin at Emo's with Dawes on Thursday, July 9th.

White Denim - Fits

2009-06-29T10:00:00.003-05:00

The new White Denim album was released last week. I listened to it all the way through for the first time while taking a little trip out of town yesterday, and couldn't wait to get back in front of my computer so I could share some of this stuff on the blog. The album doesn't sound much like their debut Workout Holiday, and many of these songs bear little resemblance to what you would have heard at the band's earlier live shows.

From the overall polish and professionalism of the recording, to things like the instrumental percussion/organ groove of "Sex Prayer," the hand clap opening of "Paint Yourself" and animated sing-along finale of "Syncn," this is a noticeably new direction for White Denim. And it's a good thing. I think this is their best effort so far.

You can get Fits on CD/LP/MP3 right now at Full Time Hobby. Check The Quietus for a decent review. White Denim are currently supporting the release with a European tour.

It's hot

2009-06-25T14:42:00.003-05:00

The temperature in Austin is 103°F. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Mos Def - The Ecstatic

2009-06-24T18:09:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why, but for some reason there hasn't been much of a fuss around this new Mos Def album. It's a great album and has garnered some pretty good reviews, Pitchfork gave it an 8.0 and labeled it "Best New Music." It's even being released in t-shirt format. Maybe it's because he's more of a movie star than a rapper now? I'm really not sure.

This album isn't the best Mos Def album by any stretch but with good hip-hop becoming harder and harder to find these days, it's about as good as we're going to get. I won't tell you every song on here is great, but there sure are a lot of good ones. And for what it's worth, he'll be playing Austin City Limits so maybe that'll entice some more peeps in Austin to check out The Ecstatic.

Covert Concert Picks

2009-06-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

Here are our picks for live music in Austin this week, with a few tunes to get you in the mood. Use the links to get more information about everything.

Tonight:

FADER presents SOUNDCHECK w/ DJ Prince Klassen

Wednesday:

Talib Kweli and Zeale at Emo's

Thursday:

2 Live Crew at the Mohawk

Friday:

Monahans at the Mohawk

Saturday:

Ben Kweller at Emo's

Nosaj Thing - Drift

2009-06-22T15:26:00.003-05:00

Drift is the debut full-length album from electronic producer Nosaj Thing, who we told you about late last year. He has received artist-to-watch accolades from XLR8R, remixed Daedelus and Flying Lotus, won Plastic Little/Turntable Lab's remix contest featuring MF Doom, and won LA s prestigious Project Blowed beat battle.

Nosaj (Jason Chung) has shared the stage with the likes of DJ Krush, Z-Trip, Free the Robots, Flying Lotus, and he's a regular crowd pleaser at the clubs in LA. Here is a video from his last show in Austin at the Parish.

Jenny Lewis at Stubb's

2009-06-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

Things Jenny Lewis has done:

A Jello commercial
The Twilight Zone
Baywatch
Golden Girls
Growing Pains
Just the Ten of Us
Roseanne
Mr. Belvedere
Pleasantville

She also plays a little music. Lewis formed the band indie rock band Rilo Kiley in 1998 and eventually found widespread success and major-label distribution for the, 2004 album More Adventurous. As a solo artist she has released two albums, debuting with the Watson Twins in 2006 on an album that featured contributors M. Ward, Ben Gibbard, and Conor Oberst.

Her sophomore solo effort features collaborations with Elvis Costello and the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, which was called "a confident amalgam of tracks that sparkle, stew, and storm" by the A.V. Club. Lewis performed at Bonnaroo last weekend, and will play Stubb's on Monday night along with the Heartless Bastards, who we have talked about quite a few times this year.

If you want to check this out live and in color, follow us on Twitter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show.

YACHT - Mystery Lights

2009-06-19T15:05:00.006-05:00

Here's a jazzy little tune from Portland dance-party duo YACHT. This is from their outstanding forthcoming album See Mystery Lights, due out on DFA Records next month.

The DFA Records Web Store will have it on CD, vinyl & digital, and the physical CD will come wrapped in a special holographic foil.

Check out an animated version of the cover at www.seemysterylights.com

Covert Concert Picks

2009-06-17T13:14:00.009-05:00

Here are our picks for live music in Austin this week, with a few tunes to get you in the mood. Use the links to get more information about everything.

Tonight:

The Strange Attractors, Followed by Static at Mohawk

Followed by Static - "AADC"

Thursday:

B Real (of Cypress Hill), Bizzy Bone at Mohawk

Friday:

St. Vincent, Pattern is Movement at Mohawk

Ear Pwr, The Always Already at the Beauty Bar

Saturday:

Sunset Rubdown at the Mohawk

Sunset Rubdown - "Apollo and the Buffalo"

Sunday:

Psychedelic Sundays with Christian & Alex of the Black Angels

Deastro - Moondagger

2009-06-17T13:05:00.000-05:00

Moodagger is the full-band debut by Deastro, real name Randolph Chabot. Hailing from Sterling Heights, MI, Chabot began writing music at age 13 and recorded three previous albums in his parent’s basement. Now 22 years old, Chabot has become notable for his live performances. The recently released album is a euphoric, synth-driven neon fantasia of swooning dream-pop fitting an epic videogame soundtrack category, particularly one which would incorporate or house a Final Fantasy or Space Harrier theme.

The first track, entitled “Biophelia,” commences with an 8-bit beat, similar to an old school Final Fantasy IV Super NES start menu loop. The ambient intro transforms into an electro-pop synth cantata permeated with incessant drumming and rocket blasting sirens. “Toxic Crusaders,” details the self-acceptance of a mutant do-gooder born with one eye who pleas for his love to be reciprocated. The track incorporates a toy piano whose simple melody conveys a juvenile innocence.

“Pyramid Builders,” is a starry-eyed instrumental piece fusing an array of rhapsodic futuristic loops and beats. The eighth track “Daniel Johnston Was Stabbed In the Heart With The Moondagger By the King of Darkness and His Ghost is Writing This Song as a Warning to All of Us,” remains to have the longest title ever, coming in at 29 words!

The 14 track album includes two bonus tracks, “The Shaded Forests (Gift Giver’s Version),” and “Tree Frog.” While “Tree Frog” sounds similar to the other tracks on the album, “The Shaded Forests,” stands out in that it sounds more fully constructed; created and performed by a band rather than just a keyboard and computer.