by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Alex Maas of The Black Angels @ Psych Fest 2012 (4/27/2012)

Austin Psych Fest continues today, Saturday, 4/28, at Emo's East and Beauty Ballroom where it started yesterday. Check the full schedule HERE.

I arrived on Friday in time to catch Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter's project Lotus Plaza, missed Psychic Ills, but then caught everyone else until the end which meant I saw Lotus Plaza tour-mates (featuring Steve Shelly from Sonic Youth on Drums) Disappears, locals Sleep Over and Ringo Deathstarr and fest co-founders The Black Angels, as well as Dead Meadow, Sun Araw and Peaking Lights. Pictures from all of that, below...

Continue reading "Austin Psych Fest Day 1 pics - Black Angels, Lotus Plaza, Peaking Lights, Dead Meadow, Disappears, Sun Araw & more"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Boy Friend - Egyptian Wrinkle (MP3)

Local duo Boy Friend's debut album, Egyptian Wrinkle, is out March 5 on the Hell Yes! label, but the band are throwing an early record release party this Sunday (2/12) 29th St. Ballroom at the Spider House, a show that also features labelmates Love Inks (who played Beauty Bar last week), plus darkwavers Missions. Boy Friend, who Tim caught at Beauty Bar in December, will then hit the road with San Francisco shoegazers Young Prisms, a tour that will wrap up in time for both bands to be back in Austin for you-know-what.

Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown formed Boy Friend after leaving their previous group, Sleep ∞ Over (which Stefanie Franciotti continued on her own). Like that group, Boy Friend are warm and hazy with Palazzolo and Brown's ethereal vocals floating above, but with more melodic hooks to latch onto. It's like a nice bath, but no pruny hands.

You can download Egyptian Wrinkle's title track at the top of this post, or stream it below. Click through for the record release show flyer and Boy Friend/Young Prisms tour dates as well.

Continue reading "Boy Friend releasing an album, playing a release show this weekend, touring with Young Prisms (dates & MP3)"

We knew the dates (April 27th - 29th), but now The Reverberation Appreciation Society and The Black Angels have released the initial lineup poster for the 5th annual Austin Psych Fest and it looks aswesome as usual. As mentioned on BrooklynVegan, this year's fest will take place at Austin's two newest big venues, Emo's East and Beauty Ballroom right next door.

Emo's East is now the only Emo's since their Red River location closed on 12/30, and the Beauty Ballroom is (hopefully) having their rescheduled Grand Opening on January 27th (with Theophilus London and Treasure Fingers) and continuing on January 28th.

APF will feature around 60 bands over the three day, two venue event. About 40 are included in the poster above (and listed below), with another 20 or so to be announced in March. Announced bands include the Black Angels (who played Emo's East on New Year's Eve), the Black Lips, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Dead Meadow, Olivia Tremor Control, Wooden Shijps, and many more. Weekend passes go on sale this Saturday (January 21st) at 12pm CST at austinpsychfest.com.

Full Psych Fest 2012 lineup, bandcamp mixtape and more, below...

Continue reading "Austin Psych Fest announces initial 2012 lineup, move to Emo's East & Beauty Ballroom"

35 Denton happens right before SXSW Music in Denton. In their own words:

35 Denton is a walkable 4-day music festival programmed in the heart of downtown Denton, Texas, March 8-11 2012. Run by a core staff of volunteers, 35 is committed to sustaining an intimate experience that serves art with energized urban space. Above all, 35 values artists and exchange, promoting a community that transcends the event.

The participating venues are Andy's, Banter, Dan's Silverleaf, Denton Square Donuts, Hailey's, J&J's Mellow Mushroom, Rubber Gloves, Sweetwater, The Abbey Underground, and The Labb. Wristbands are on sale.

So far 35 Denton is already killing it with their initial lineup which is listed below (and animated gif format HERE)..

Continue reading "35 Denton (March 8-11, 2012) -- initial lineup "

photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

Ernest Greene of Washed Out @ Mohawk 10/17

Unofficially, Ernest Greene probably started that whole weird, kinda-real-kinda-a-joke genre we call chillwave. Ah, who cares? Dude makes great music, period, starting with his debut, the High Times cassette, moving onward to a remarkable Woodsist EP, the Life of Leisure EP in 2009. 2011 finally saw the Sub Pop release of Greene's debut full-length, Within and Without, which climbed all the way to #26 on the Billboard 200 and practically served as the unofficial soundtrack to summer. Requsite listening also due to the Clams Casino remix on "Amor Fati." Poolside, shoreside, dockside, or simply lounging anywhere with a bit of sunshine and good times, we'll bask in the glow with Washed Out all year round. [Filter]

Washed Out and Sleep Over played The Mohawk on 10/17 (with Feathers - who more recently played Beauty Bar and whose next show is part of Free Week). Here are some pictures from that show.

More pictures, with a list of Washed Out frontman Ernest Greene's favorite albums of 2011, below....

Continue reading "Washed Out played Mohawk w/ Sleep Over (belated pics), listed his (Ernest's) favorite albums of 2011"

photos by @griffinshot - Tim Griffin

"This is our first show, so thank you for the warm welcome."
~ Anastasia Dimou of Feathers (also of Cruel Black Dove)

Feathers, who much more recently played a show at Beauty Bar, played their first-ever show at the Mohawk on 10/17 (they opened for Washed Out). Here are some pictures from their set. They continue below...

Continue reading "Feathers played their first show @ Mohawk in Oct (pics)"