photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

I've been hounded for the last few weeks to do a 'best of' post for the shows I've been to and the pictures I've taken in 2012. After several false starts, I decided to just walk through chronologically and try and do justice to all of the wonderful shows without missing too much. Frankly I should be concentrating on posting all of the stuff I shot that never made it live instead of this (woops), but that is next on my list.

The pictures aren't meant to be exhaustive or all-inclusive of what was the best (I'm certain I've missed many things; I'm not even touching festival stuff, and I went to BELGIUM!), but here we go. Personally 2012 was quite the roller-coaster, and every show was a wonderful escape. Some of the shots may or may not be my best work - but if it's in here, then the show, band or bands there, venue and everyone else involved were some of my favorites for 2012 (at least up until November). Loved Gary Clark Jr. and Esperanza Spalding too, but since they are recent you'd find them easily enough.

Have at it. Pictures below. Apologies to anyone I've left out.

Continue reading "Tim's picks of his pics for 2012"

by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Shirley Manson of Garbage @ La Zona Rosa - 10/10/2012

Way back in April Garbage was forced to postpone their Houston and Austin shows. They did get to Waterloo Records for a Record Store Day in-store visit, but there was no music performance to be had in April.

It took almost six months, but they finally made it back to play a sold-out La Zona Rosa w/ tour mates Screaming Females. It was a great show, but not without a little bittersweet thrown in. As we reported earlier, the screamingest female herself, Marissa Paternoster, has been fighting mono for quite a while. It has taken its toll, and the show last night at LZR will be the last one for Screaming Females this year as all other 2012 dates have been cancelled.

During SF's set, Garbage came out on stage to hug and thank them for a great tour and speak their praises. Shirley is a very big fan of Marissa's, and made that clear throughout the night - including having Marissa come out for a duet on the first song of Garbage's encore, the Smith/Springsteen classic "Because the Night" (video below).

Check out more pictures from the show, Garbage's setlist, and a video from the encore below...

Continue reading "Garbage trashed a sold-out La Zona Rosa w/ Screaming Females (pics, setlist, video)"

Screaming Females in LA earlier this month (more by Wei Shi)

As reported on BV, Screaming Females have canceled most of the remaining dates on their current tour so that singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster can fully recover from getting mono earlier this year. Texas lucks out, though, as their shows this week will be the last shows they play, including Wednesday (10/10) at La Zona Rosa opening for Garbage.

We're glad you're still playing, but do rest up afterward, Marissa!

Garbage at Osheaga 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

The reunited Garbage, who celebrated Record Store Day at Austin's Waterloo Records, were forced to cancel their Houston and Austin shows, which would have happened around the same time, but those shows have since been rescheduled and were tacked on to the end of a West Coast and Midwest tour the band will be on this fall. Garbage will return to TX for shows at Houston's House of Blues on October 9 and Austin's La Zona Rosa on October 10. The Austin show is sold out but tickets for the Houston show are still available.

Support on that leg of the tour (both TX shows included) comes from Screaming Females, who will be in NYC tonight (8/16) to play the opening night part for BrooklynVegan photo exhibit, '480 Pixels' (which also includes drawings from Screaming Females' Marissa Paternoster), along with sets by Hunters and Heliotropes.

Since the Waterloo Records show, Garbage has continued to tour internationally in support of their new/reunion album, Not Your Kind of People. All upcoming tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Screaming Females opening for Garbage on tour (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

LA rockers Joyce Manor are about to kick off a short southwest tour which comes to TX for four shows surrounding Chaos in Tejas. Those shows include Rubber Gloves in Denton (5/30) and the previously discussed Chaos in Tejas show at Beauty Ballroom on June 1 with No Age, Ceremony, The Young and Gun Outfit (tickets). Screaming Females were supposed to play that show too but unfortunately had to cancel. They'll follow that with another Chaos in Tejas show at Scoot Inn on June 2 with Touche Amore, Japanther, Creem, Post Teens, and Hounds of Hate. Tickets for that show are on sale now. That show is the first on a three-date run with Touche Amore, which also includes a Lubbock, TX show at Jake's on June 5.

The band released their second LP and first for Asian Man Records, Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired, last month. When I first wrote about that album, I mentioned it's combined approach to both emo and indie rock. I'd also like to mention that it begs for repeated listens and despite consisting of 9 songs in only 13 minutes, each track has got a hell of a lot of individuality. In addition to their trademark pop punk blasts, we're given two raw acoustic tracks, the slow-ish jam, "See How Tame I Can Be," the punky jangle pop of "Bride of Usher," and a fun, but slightly out of place cover of "Video Killed the Radio Star." If you still haven't heard the album, stream the whole thing over at Punknews.

All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Joyce Manor touring southwest, playing 4 TX shows (dates)"

photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Tragedy @ Red 7 - 5/4/2012

Portland d-beat greats Tragedy go in a slightly different, sludgier direction with Darker Days Ahead, the band's new and semi-suprise Billy Anderson-produced LP out now at your nearest merch table. The band is currently road-testing that material at dates across the US and Austin was the guinea pig on May 4th at Red 7, when Tragedy joined Screaming Females, Impalers, and Criaturas. Pictures from the show adorn this post.

Much like Tragedy, Screaming Females are on a tour of their own that crossed paths with the ex-members of His Hero is Gone. SF guitarist Marissa Paternoster who was recently ranked #77 in SPIN's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Good for her, go to the shows, like Beauty Ballroom on June 1st, and watch her rip it.

More pictures of the bands from Red 7 below... With the exception of Criaturas - missed while covering over at Mohawk (sorry!).

Continue reading "Tragedy brought it to Red 7 w/ Screaming Females & Impalers (pics)"

DOWNLOAD: The Young - "Don't Hustle For Love" and "Why Feel Spooky?" (ZIPPED MP3 file)
DOWNLOAD: The Young - Livin Free (MP3)

The Young @ Bar 96 - BV-SXSW 2012 (more by Tim Griffin)

Austin's own reverb-drenched, garage punk four-piece The Young will be touring their home state throughout the next few months in support of their latest album, Dub Egg, out on May 5 via Matador Records. You can download tracks "Don't Hustle For Love" and "Why Feel Spooky?" and "Livin Free" above, and check out the cover art below. Pre-order the album here.

Their current schedule includes a trio of Austin dates. As previously mentioned, the band's set to play Red 7 opening for Frankie Rose and DIVE tonight (4/14). They also play Beauty Ballroom with No Age, Screaming Females, Ceremony, Gun Outfit, and Joyce Manor on June 1 (part of Chaos in Tejas), and have a release show at 29th Street Ballroom with Sungod and Spray Paint on June 16. Check below for a complete list of dates...

Continue reading "The Young have 6 TX shows scheduled, releasing 'Dub Egg' via Matador in May (MP3s & dates)"

Screaming Females @ Bar 96 on 3/14 (more by Tim Griffin)

"... by the end of Screaming Females, the stage area was at capacity. The NJ 3-piece band led by pint-sized powerhouse Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals had the place rocking out and going nuts. The talent those three posess is truly mind-blowing, especially with a few Lone Stars in your system. I am positive that every single person at Bar 96 Wednesday night, if they weren't already, left a Screaming Females fan." [BrooklynVegan]

You would think that maybe that show was part of Chaos in Tejas, which Screaming Females are also playing in June, but it's not. Their Chaos show happens June 1st at Beauty Ballroom with the killer lineup of No Age and Ceremony also on the bill. Tickets are still on sale for that too.

In the meantime, Screaming Female's new LP, Ugly is out TODAY (4/3) via Don Giovanni Records. Check out their new single "Expire", with an updated set of tour dates, below.

Continue reading "Screaming Females touring, playing Red 7 WITH TRAGEDY, and Beauty Ballroom w/ No Age & Ceremony (updated dates)"

photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Andrew W.K. & fans @ Bar 96 on 3/14

Tim's photos from the BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase at Bar 96 back on Wednesday, 3/14 have arrived and are in this post (the previous set we posted by Amanda is HERE). More pictures, sans opener Caged Animals who Tim missed, below....

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase @ Bar 96 in (more) pics (Andrew W.K., Titus Andronicus, 2:54, The Young & more)"

photos by Greg Cristman and BBG

Fear @ Beerland

With a zillion things going on the evening of March 15th during SXSW (including our late night bridge show), I crossed paths with Greg Cristman at Beerland after seeing the amazing Early Graves, crushing newcomers Code Orange Kids (who played our day show at Scoot Inn), Sky Burial, Tiger Flowers, and The Atlas Moth (who played our Lovejoys show). His night until then consisted of Texas crossover MVPs Power Trip, the always fun Screaming Females (who played our official showcase) and Ringworm (who played our other official SXSW showcase) at the venue up until that moment. He then promptly left to catch Hull (who also played Lovejoys) and Fear at nearby Red 7. I stayed to see Pallbearer. Confused?

Pictures of our collective night at Red 7, Club 1808, and Beerland continue below...

Continue reading "Fear, Hull, Code Orange Kids, Early Graves, Power Trip & more SXSW pics (from Beerland, Club 1808 & Red 7 Thursday)"

Andrew W.K. in Norway recently (more by BBG)

Announced previously with a "TBA" in the midnight slot, I'm happy to announce the full lineup of the 2012 BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase! And it looks like this...

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at Bar 96
8pm: Caged Animals
9pm: 2:54
10pm: The Young
11pm: Screaming Females
12am: Andrew W.K. (full band)
1am: Titus Andronicus

BrooklynVegan also has a Tuesday night official at the Belmont (with Daniel Johnston and Built to Spill - more details TBA), and a heavier one on Friday at Scoot Inn which is where Andrew W.K. is also playing on SXSW Thursday.

All Andrew W.K, tour dates are listed below....

Continue reading "Andrew W.K. completes BrooklynVegan SXSW showcase lineup (with Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females, more)"

Titus Andronicus in Brooklyn recently (more by Andrew St. Clair)

As just mentioned on BrooklynVegan and published on SXSW's website, the main BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase this year will take place Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at Bar 96 (across the street from Lustre Pearl and where Dinosaur Jr plays two nights later).

The reason I haven't really formally announced it before now, is because we had a major cancellation and so the midnight slot is still TBA! BUT, meanwhile, it looks like this:

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at Bar 96
8pm: Caged Animals
9pm: 2:54
10pm: The Young
11pm: Screaming Females
12am: TBA
1am: Titus Andronicus

BrooklynVegan also has a Tuesday night official showcase TBA, and one on Friday at Scoot Inn.

Stereogum writes:

Around midnight on the evening of March 15th, until well after every other bar in town has stopped serving legally intoxicating beverages, the Stereogum crew is throwing an Austin-based party with a bunch of bands we believe in while charging absolutely no money for admission, or legally intoxicating beverages. It’s called RANGE LIFE, and it is for you. If you are 21+, and in Austin the evening of March 15th, and near the very conveniently located intersection of E. 2nd & Trinity.

The night opens with a DJ set from REWARDS (aka Aaron Pfenning, formerly of Chairlift) while you get to know the space, and then Das Racist crew affiliate/spirit animal LAKUTIS will rap, eventually turning over the stage to Brooklyn-based Albini acolytes Mr. Dream. After they bruise up the backline things will get more local, stately, and shirtless, with Jonathan Meiburg and Thor Harris’s Shearwater, whose set will wash into a Balearic-pop and R&B-minded DJ set from Swedish Acéphale duo Korallreven. Up next is Bear In Heaven, who just released a zoom-heavy Wonder Showzen-affiliated video for 2012 superjam “The Reflection Of You” and are about to put out an album called I Love You, It’s Cool, which is a great name for an album. Following that is a set from the young NJ firebrands Screaming Females, who are holding down the latter half of our bill’s Albini quotient with their Steve-produced Ugly LP. We will wrap up the night with the occasionally gothic electronic art-pop BTW Zambri. By this point the sun will be rising, and we’ll all be best friends.

This whole thing kicks off at 11:59PM on March 15th at The PureVolume House (340 E. 2nd St. & Trinity), in Austin, Texas and goes for over four hours. If you are 21+ you are cordially welcome, and invited to drink for free all night. All you have to do is RSVP HERE. Do it!

This is the sequential lineup, with links to many more posts on the artists:

REWARDS (DJ Set)
LAKUTIS
Mr. Dream
Shearwater
Korallreven (DJ Set)
Bear In Heaven
Screaming Females
Zambri

The Shins (more by Natasha Ryan)

Their new album comes out in March, so of course it makes perfect sense that The Shins, who will also be at both Coachellas, are playing SXSW this year (thx Do512).

CoS also points out these new additions (and previously announced bands):

Who's New: The Shins, Best Coast, Kasabian, Miike Snow, Neon Indian, OFF!, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Big Star's Third, Sharon Van Etten, Deerhoof, Japandroids, Matthew Dear, Nneka, Rachel Yamagata, Shearwater, Murs, Tennis, Diamond Rugs, Cancer Bats, Caveman, Fake Problems, Fanfarlo, Gary Clark Jr., Doldrums, Machinedrum, Princeton, Cities Aviv, Eternal Summers, and James Husband

Who Else Is Playing: Built to Spill, The Magnetic Fields, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, of Montreal, The Ting Tings, Alabama Shakes, Little Boots, Danny Brown, The War on Drugs, Heartless Bastards, The Drums, Talib Kweli, Hot Water Music, Youth Lagoon, Oneothrix Point Never, Grimes, Crystal Antlers, Delta Spirit, Mr. Muthafuckin' Exquire, Dragonette, The Men, Screaming Females, The Big Pink, Bleached, Daughter, Free Energy, Friends, Gross Magic, Purity Ring, and many many more.