DOWNLOAD: That Ghost - The Red Bow (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Odawas - Harmless Lover's Discourse (MP3)

Thee Oh... Thanks

"...And keeping the mock-Velvets tradition intact, here are The Baths equipped with a Moe Tucker gal on the essential floor tom, stand up snare, single cymbal and tambourine. This possibly accounted for an amazing rhythm set-up that had me tapping a toe or two in place. The distortion didn't deliver initially, but with some obligatory "bah bah bahs," the guitar ruckus evolved into something Thurston wouldn't mind having perform at one of his "All Tomorrows Parties" um, you know, parties.

Third up is Odawas. And wait, what's this? A pedal steel, Dylan harmonica-headset and double stacked keyboards? This ought to be a hoot! Somehow the keyboards take on that eerie whirling effect that made Grandaddy's "The Software Slump" so otherworldly and compelling. It was refreshing to hear the steel being taken to task by letting the twang serve as a trippy sound composite amid the keyboards." [Impose]

That review comes from the free BrooklynVegan Noise Pop Happy Hour show at Bender's in San Francisco on Saturday, February 27th (That Ghost was also on the bill). It was a rare case of a show I helped put together, but couldn't actually be at. Luckily someone posted a few videos which you can also watch below.

Also luckily all three of them are heading to Austin for SXSW (where I actually will be), and one of them (Odawas) is even playing another BV party: the free BrooklynVegan/AnSo day show at Spider House on Thursday, March 18th. There's 19 bands total on that bill including Thee Oh Sees who kick off a tour with fellow Bay Area band The Baths on March 10th. All dates for all bands, and those videos below...

Continue reading "The Baths played Noise Pop w/ That Ghost & Odawas (video), touring w/ Thee Oh Sees, playing SXSW (dates) "

DOWNLOAD: That Ghost - The Red Bow (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Odawas - Harmless Lover's Discourse (MP3)

The Baths...

We've been very busy around putting together live shows in our spare non-blogging moments. It's especially obvious today as we continue to announce show after show - SXSW day parties, official showcases & a pre-SXSW show in NYC included. Next up, and even sooner....

BrooklynVegan will be hosting a happy hour event at this year's Noise Pop 2010 (in San Francisco from February 23rd to March 1st) on Saturday, February 27th at Benders Bar (806 South Van Ness Ave). For this show we decided to go with three local San Francisco Bay Area bands who we've been curious to check out and who were not already playing any other shows at the festival. The result: Odawas, The Baths and That Ghost. The three bands will play the free afternoon show on 2/27 from 4-7pm (21+) (thanks to Panache for their help with the booking!).

Odawas...

Odawas are a hazy folk-garage band on Jagjaguwar - their "Harmless Lover's Discourse" off last year's The Blue Depths is above.

The Baths do Kinks-style rock that gets both dirty and acoustic; they're appropriately touring with Thee Oh Sees this March (both bands will be at SXSW and MtyMx).

That Ghost, one Ryan Schmale who hails from Sonoma County, CA (north of SF), hides his vocals behind a wall of fog. His tune "The Red Bow" is above; other material from him is available from Twosyllable Records.

All three bands, like Noise Pop, are local to the San Francisco Bay Area. Yes, even Odawas...

MOKB: How is California treating you? Have you noticed any difference in the way that people respond to your music there, in comparison to your time spent in Chicago and/or Bloomington?

Michael Tapscott of Odawas: It's been fantastic here. There seems to be a lot of local support for what we are doing, and an abundance of supportive, creative people around. We left good friends in Chicago at our jobs and in musical friends, but we never quite caught on there. It was a transitional year when we were there anyway. Bloomington is a paradise. I miss it everyday. But when we left, it was time to go.

The full Noise Pop schedule is here.

Will you be there? We also have a bunch of free tickets to giveaway to other Noise Pop shows. Details on those contests, videos and all Baths tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Baths, Odawas & That Ghost playing BV Happy Hour @ Noise Pop - full schedule, MP3s, contests, tour dates & more"

photos by Leia Jospe

"CD sales are down. Digital hasn't caught up. Record companies are consolidating. New bands are trying to find their own way.

Despite all the challenging news, thousands of industry professionals and eager music fans turned out for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, over the weekend. The festival, tailored to recording industry talent seekers and the talent they seek, officially ended Sunday.

While optimism ran high at the five-day whirlwind of panel discussions, trade shows, live concerts and private parties, much of the conversation throughout the event focused on the sobering reality of the music industry's uncertain future.

"Obviously we're going through a transition. All of the major record labels have gone through some sort of cost-cutting and consolidation over the last few years," said Rand Hoffman, head of business and legal affairs at Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

"Right now CD sales are falling more rapidly than digital is going up," he told a group of SXSW festival-goers at a panel discussion on the future of the industry." [CNN]

Leia spent Thursday at the BV day party at Radio Room. On Friday, she ran around to three different Austin venues, seeing favorites like No Age, Titus Andronicus, HEALTH, and The Mae Shi. More of her pictures below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2009 - Day 3 in photos by Leia"