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Monday, February 15, 2010
“True Love Cast Out All Evil” - a sequel of the spirit
This is not a review of the upcoming Roky Erickson collaboration with Okkervil River on “True Love Cast Out All Evil,” which comes out April 20 on Anti Records. This is a series of impressions on first listen to Erickson’s first new album in 14 years.
If you’re a fan of Roky’s and know about his knock-out/ drag-out fight with demons both real and imagined, you will feel something strange and beautiful come over you on the first song “Devotional Number One,” which starts off as a scratchy field recording. “Jesus met Moses/ Drinking from a well/ Moses had thought he was Jesus/ Moses just got back from hell,” Erickson sings, then up comes a symphony of arms around him, some warmth in the confusion.
A tribute album this ain’t. Or maybe it’s the best kind.
Can’t tell you how many times a band has described a new album as taking a snapshot of where their heads were during the making, but it’s a lot of times. What producer Will Sheff set out to do was create a sonic painting. The shading is respectful of the stronger details in this portrait of resiliency and therefore becomes essential in support.
This is the sound-only movie of Roky emerging from a dark and lonely and terrifying place. It’s the sequel to Keven McAlester’s amazing Rokumentary “You’re Gonna Miss Me” with “Goodbye Sweet Dreams,” used so effectively as a coda in the film, becoming something else.
These twelve songs are not new, but they’re largely unreleased and obscure. They were written by Erickson in state hospitals and in his mother’s living room and in Roky’s mind when he had no idea where he was. There are no creatures with atom brains here, but songs of graceful simplicity. “Forever” will give you chills.
“True Love” has an overall spookiness, with creaky openings and mysterious hums, but it also sways with Erickson’s best Buddy Holly tendencies on songs like “Bring Back the Past.” No Roky record has ever had this much piano, this much sweeping reflection, but credit the Okkervil crew for checking all heavy-handedness at the door.
The album hinges on a couple of songs that sound like two different sides of the same coin: the vulnerable “Please, Judge,” with its mind at the mercy of the Man, and the simmering rage of “John Lawman,” whose entire lyrics consist of three lines repeating “I kill people all day long/ I sing my song/ Because I’m John Lawman.” This is not a review. I didn’t take notes when I listened. I sat in my car outside my home, not wanting to break the spell by going inside and playing it on a stereo that would make it sound different.
“One is one/ another is another/ Your father is your father/ Your mother is your mother,” Erickson sings on “Think Of As One,” a song that sounds like it was rejected by Tommy Hall of the Elevators as too poppy. On the page those words don’t mean much, but with the band’s mesmerizing tones becoming a brilliant translator, you can hear a troubled mind trying to make sense and find fulfillment.
Spoiler alert!
This record might make you feel ready for anything, even love.
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Tons more free SXSW shows
There’s no free booze or gratis grub at John Conquest’s annual 3rd Coast Music SXSW soirees, but check out all the free music:
WEDNESDAY March 17th
Amelia’s (2213 South 1st Street)
2.30 pm Bianca DeLeon
3.30 pm Tom Mason
4.30 pm Phil Lee
5.30 pm David Olney
THURSDAY March 18th
Opal Divine’s Penn Field
11am Leeann Atherton
noon Chip Taylor & Kendel Carson
1pm Betty Soo
2pm David Olney
3pm Border Blasters
4pm Sally Spring
5pm Linda McRae
6pm Gurf Morlix & Sam Baker
8pm Romi Mayes
9pm Carrie Rodriguez
Amelia’s
11.30 am Michael Fracasso
12.30 pm Miss Tess
1.30 pm Devon Sproule
2.30 pm Erin Harpe
3.30 pm Janine Wilson
FRIDAY March 19th
Opal Divine’s Penn Field
11am Janine Wilson
noon Mary Battiata
1am Jo Carol Pierce
2pm Jim Patton & Sherry Brokus
3pm Rod Picott
4pm Amanda Shires
5pm Larry Lange & His Lonely Knights
6pm Mitch Jacobs Band
7pm Phil Lee
8pm Rick Broussard’s Two Hoots & A Holler
9pm Freddie Steady 5
SATURDAY March 20th
Opal Divine’s Penn Field
11am DeSoto Rust
noon Ruthie & The Wranglers
1pm Jim Stringer & The AM Band
2pm Dave Insley & The Careless Smokers
3pm Teri Joyce & The Tagalongs
4pm Mike Stinson
5pm Ethyl & The Regulars
6pm Li’l Mo & The Monicats
7pm Arty Hill & The Pearl Dusters
8pm Stone River Boys
9pm Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles
SUNDAY March 21st
11am Miss Tess
noon The Rizdales
1pm Massy Ferguson
2pm Michael Fracasso
3pm Will T Massey
4pm Troy Campbell
5pm Erin Harpe
6pm Mitch Webb & The Swindles
7pm The Lavens
8pm James Hand
9pm Bill Kirchen
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Another free SXSW shindig and more Twitter gossip
The 14th annual Schubas’ (and now Lincoln Hall’s) SXSW Roundup goes down Thursday, March 18 at Yard Dog Gallery, 1510 S. Congress. The free party kicks off at noon and will feature music from the following bands:
- Born Ruffians
- Freelance Whales
- The Hood Internet
- Japandroids
- Maps & Atlases
- The Rural Alberta Advantage
- The Smith Westerns
- We Were Promised Jetpacks
- plus sets by Sharon Van Etten, Only Children, and Diane Izzo
Thanks to @donewaiting for the Twitter tip.
Also overheard in the Twitter-verse, @bvSXSW is reporting that Radio Room (formerly Bourbon Rocks) is now called Galaxy Room. Follow @austin360music for the latest SXSW updates.
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Look for a British invasion at SXSW
Look for bands from across the pond — and plenty of them — at this year’s South by Southwest British Music Embassy.
The British Music Partnership — a collection of government agencies and music organizations — will serve up six straight days of UK tunes at Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto.
You’ll be able to RSVP soon by clicking here.
The full lineup is after the jump:
Strummerville / Jail Guitar Doors Presents: Monday, March 15 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Billy Bragg
- Chris Shiflett
- Get Cape Wear Cape Fly
- Beans On Toast
- Smokey Angle Shades
- Nat Jenkins
- Supernovas
UKTI @ SXSWi: Tuesday, March 16 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Fenech Soler
- One Night Only
- Unicorn Kid
- Stricken City
- Viva City
Belfast Rocks: Wednesday, March 17 from noon to 3 p.m.
- Fighting With Wire
- And So I Watch You From Afar
- General Fiasco
- Strait Laces
SXSW launch party (invitation only): Wednesday, March 17 from 5 to 7 p.m.
- Band Of Skulls
- Everything Everything
- Smoke Fairies
Official SXSW showcase: Wednesday, March 17 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Chew Lips
- Johnny Flynn
- Pulled Apart By Horses
- The Invisible
- Banjo Or Freakout
Yorkshire SXSW Party: Thursday, March 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
- 65daysofstatic
- One Night Only
- Pulled Apart By Horses
- Slow Club
- Middleman
Music From Wales: Thursday, March 18 from 3 to 6 p.m.
- Polly Mackey
- Cate Le Bon
- Race Horses
- Straight Lines
Official SXSW Showcase: Thursday, March 18 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Ras Kwame
- VV Brown
- Master Shortie
- Envy
- Bubbz
Showcasing Scotland: Friday, March 19 from 2 to 5 p.m.
- Broken Records
- Twin Atlantic
- Young Fathers
- Fangs
- The Law
Official SXSW Showcase: Friday, March 19 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- The Drums
- Everything Everything
- Smith Westerns
- Chapman Family
- Grave Babies
- Active Child
PRS For Music Foundation / British Music Abroad Brunch: Saturday, March 20 from noon to 2 p.m.
- The Crookes
- Broadcast 2000
- Allo Darlin’
Liverpool Sound City, The Best Of The Northwest: Saturday, March 20 from 3 to 6 p.m.
- Wave Machines
- Everything Everything
- John Smith
- Suzukis
- The Lovely Eggs
- Ten Bears
Official SXSW Showcase: Saturday, March 20 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Django Django
- Still Flyin’
- Slow Club
- The Wave Pictures
- Best Fwends
- Cate Le Bon
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SXSW2010: Twenty bands, ten questions #2
Let’s meet melodic Philly bar band Drink Up Buttercup, whom the New York Times has described as having a live show that “mesmerizes and clobbers.” The band, whose debut album comes out March 23, is comprised of Jim Harvey (vocals, guitar), Ben Money (bass, organ), Mike Cammarata (drums) and Farzad Houshiarnejad (keyboards). Harvey responded to our ten questions.
1. Have you been to SXSW before and if not, what have you heard?
Yeah, we’ve played it last year for the first time. We had about 6 shows in 3 days, which made it more of an ultimate parking challenge than a festival of bands.
2. Is the Philly rock scene really happening or is that just hype?
In reality, the heart of the Philly rock scene is much more like these little pockets of friends in different neighborhoods who get together and drink PBR and support each other making weird and artsy music. If that came off as a slight, it wasn’t supposed to sound like one. It’s really a cool little thing going on. Philly isn’t big enough to have it’s own rock scene on a level outside of that though. There are only like five places to play pre-big leagues.
3. What’s the first show you saw at the famous Tower Theater in Upper Darby?
Sigur Ros. I ate pot brownies and cried.
4. Pat’s or Geno’s?
Pat’s and Geno’s are both terrible. Paesano’s is the best place to get a sandwich in Philly. It’s in Fishtown on Girard about a block off the L. Their signature sandwich is a beef brisket with a fried egg on it, among other things. Awesome.
5. What do you hope to achieve by coming to SXSW?
Get the word out about our debut album “Born and Thrown on a Hook.” We recorded it with Bill Moriarity who did the Dr. Dog records and Man Man’s “Rabbit Habbits.” Rusty Santos mixed it. He mixed Panda Bear’s “Person Pitch,” Animal Collective’s “Sung Tongs” and the new Owen Pallet record. Therefore it sounds really good. It comes out on March 23rd, just two days after the music festival comes to an end. We are super proud of this record.
6. What’s the best show DUB has ever played?
The other guys in the band always make fun of me cause after every show we play I say, “Man, I think that was the best we ever played.” It’s true most of the time though. I really think you should get better with every show you play if you are passionate though. Why shouldn’t you?
7. The worst?
I got really really drunk at one show in Brooklyn this past summer. Started drinking in the van on the way up at 11 AM. We didn’t play till midnight. The rest of the band said they felt like I pulled their pants down with that performance. Just this week, well over a half a year later, we got name dropped on Spinner because the band Blind Man’s Colour listed that show as the “the craziest thing they’ve seen or experienced while on tour.” See, it may not have seemed like it at the time, but I really know what I’m doing.
8. Lily Tomlin once sang a song to New York with the lyrics “Be proud of your self, ya could be Philadelphia.” Does that kind of stuff bother you, or do you hate the comparison “Beatlesque” more?
I’m more bothered by things like Robin Williams’ arm hair.
9. Your choice: pick a question and answer it.
Q: When does your debut album come out again? Is it really as awesome as the early reviews are saying it is?
A: Our debut album “Born and Thrown on a Hook” comes out on March 23rd, 2010. Yes, it really is that awesome. You can pre-order it now at drinkupbuttercup.com and yeproc.com.
10. What TV shows will you be recording back home while you’re in Austin?
The new season of “Breaking Bad” should be on by then. Been waiting a half a year for it since I finished Season 2 on iTunes. If you don’t know this show. Check it out. Great acting. Lots of creativity.
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Another free SXSW party- Raji World
That vegan booking agent Roggie Bear is throwing a big shindig at Jovita’s on Friday March 19, from noon to 7 p.m., and there’s no need for credentials of any sort. The lineup includes a secret headliner, but confirmed acts include Michael Des Barres (ex-Power Station), Kathy Valentine’s Bluebonnets, Steve Poltz, Victoria Williams and- from this century- the great Suzanna Choffel.
Jovita’s is at 1619 South First St.
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Death returns to Austin for SXSW
The Detroit punk pioneers will sit down for an interview and play a showcase at Mohawk on Saturday, March 20. Other acts in that showcase haven’t been announced yet. The band was last in town for Fun Fun Fun Fest.
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UT students form Cactus Cafe friends’ group
A group called Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe has been formed at the University of Texas. As its name implies, the group hopes to keep the music venue and bar at the current location in the student union.
UT officials announced last month that the cafe would close in August in a cost-cutting move.
“Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe will work to convince the Texas Union Board to keep the Cactus in operation as a live music venue under current professional management,” the group said in a statement.
“Furthermore, Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe opposes recent proposals by students on the Texas Union Board to ‘repurpose’ the venue, hand over its management to an ad-hoc student committee, and add it to the general UT room inventory for use by student organizations.”
Hayley Gillespie, a graduate student and co-founder of the group, added, “These proposals are no more supported by the student body than the original decision to close the Cactus Cafe.”
The group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Quadrangle Room, 3.304, in the Texas Union.
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Hump Day blues- heh heh
Although Mike Judge has never officially confirmed it, the word on the scene in the ’90s was that the characters of Beavis and Butt-head were partially based on Johnny and Jay Moeller, a couple of smart aleck DFW kids Judge met while playing bass on the North Texas blues circuit. (But, then, most of Judge’s former classmates think they’re the inspiration, too.)
That was almost 20 years ago. The Moellers- Johnny of the Fabulous Thunderbirds on guitar, Jay on drums- have matured into two of the finest blues players around and their new Wednesday residency at the delightfully seedy Rabbit’s Lounge at 1816 E. Sixth St. is fast becoming one of the coolest jam sessions. Last week’s show attracted guest appearances by Mike Buck, Mike Keller, Ruben Vela, Damien Llanes and Jacob Petersen.
The action goes from 9 p.m. to midnight.
