She Sir | Boystown

Hailing from the great hot south of Texas, She Sir mix indie rock with insatiable pop sensibilities. Their music shares as much in sonic texture of early 90s Brit Pop, The La's, The Stone Roses and the like as it does with the neo-folk movement of the late 00s.

Russell Karloff's voice mixes well with his harmony partner, with a splash of reverb to top it all off.

MP3: She Sir - Boystown

The Steps

Do you like The Hives or Austin, TX?  Well, if you like either, or both, then you are in luck.  Let me introduce you to The Steps.  

The Austin bands style meanders a bit from full on Hives style garage rock to indie-pop on "Washed Up" they crib a little Tori Amos a la "Silent All These Years."  Even with the lack of style focus the band is at it's best when it dives into their indie-pop side on tracks like "Townes Lane" and "Pull The Cord."  

With the swagger of cock rockers the band doesn't sound like any other American band out right now.  They could actually be poised to make a big breakthrough.

MP3:  The Steps - Pull The Cord

The Story Of...

I don't know what it is about Austin, TX that breeds such outstanding music.  Maybe it's the hill country.  But, it's probably the weed and the laid back vibe, man.  But, the state capitol has done it once again, this time with The Story Of.

The group recorded their new album Until The Autumn in a cabin along the Colorado river and the sounds that came out reflect that vibe.  The sound of The Story Of heartfelt, honest, piano-driven indie pop music.  They are what Band of Horses would sound like if they had more keys and less country sound.

The new album is scheduled for self release on March 3.

MP3:  The Story Of - Hawk Gospel

A Hipsters Wet Dream

That's right, I said it. Jealous?

Anyhoo, Austin's third music festival has a pretty stellar line-up of indie bands. It's looks like they have all of their bases covered. Punk, rock, hip-hop and electronic. To bad Dan Deacon sucks balls. Have you ever heard that guy? Geez, suck.

But, again, I think it's weird that Austin has one, two, three music festivals and Dallas has nothing. You can't count Ozzfest because that may or may not come back. And other than that it's in "Far North Dallas," er Frisco. Thanks to Ultra 8201 for hipping us to this. (Ultra8201)

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 Line up:

Stage One:
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The National
Atmosphere
Minus The Bear
St Vincent
Trail of Dead
Deerhoof
Rival Schools
Islands
The Annuals
Bishop Allen
Centromatic
Sleepercar
Frightened Rabbit
Spinto Band
Parts and Labor
Colourmusic
Expiremental Dental School
27
Till We’re Blue or Destroy
Paul Green’s School of Rock

Stage Two:
Shearwater
Tim Fite
Magnetic Morning (Adam Franklin of Swervedriver/ Sam Fogarino of Interpol)
Kevin Seconds
the Cynics
Ugly Beats
Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Rival Schools)
Pepi Ginsberg
Frank Smith
Spot
The Revival Tour [w/ Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Tom Gabel (Against Me!), Ben Nichols (Lucero), and Tim Barry (of Avail)]
Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show
Coldtowne Comedy Hr
Altercation Punk Rock Comedy Hour
Matt Beardan
Chris Fairbanks


Stage Three:
Bad Brains
ALL
Dead Milkmen
Flipper
Adolescents
Integrity
Bouncing Souls
Swingin Utters
DOA
Killdozer
Cromags
Scared of Chaka
Young Widows
Leftover Crack
Trash Talk
World Burns to Death
Krumbums
Mammoth Grinder
Cute Lepers
Bitter End
High Tension Wires
Born to Lose

Stage 4:
Clipse
Z-trip
Dan Deacon
Grupo Fantasma
Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon
Dengue Fever
Brownout!
Franki Chan
Toxic Avenger
Hawnay Troof
Starlynx and Bigface
Richard Henry
Yacht

HMS Foolhardy

It's nice when you get an email in your inbox and it contains an mp3.  It's even better when the mp3 is actually really good.

This just so happened to be the case when I received an email containing "Taken Alive" by Austin's HMS Foolhardy.  It's a nice little track in the vein of Britpop.  Check it out.  Oh, and their bass player, Carissa Ries, could be added to my bass player crush list.  

MP3:  HMS Foolhardy - Taken Alive

The Black Angels

I saw The Black Angels from Austin, TX at the Granada Theater a few months ago. I wasn't sure what to expect because I had only listened to a song or two on their Myspace page. But, I didn't know I was in for such a treat.

Sure, they are a psychedelic band, if that band were led by Charles Manson. Their music is darker than what you would think from a "psychedelic" band. They put on a great fn live show, complete with multi-colored oil blobs being projected on screen; and archival footage from World War II, Vietnam and 1950s hygene reels. It was truly mindblowing how awesome their show was.

Off their upcoming album Directions To See a Ghost, out 4/14 on Light In The Attic Records.

The Black Angels - You On The Run (mp3)

Off their debut album Passover, out now, buy it here.

The Black Angels - The First Vietnam War (mp3)