I had the pleasure of shooting the Victory Records showcase in Austin. C'mon...you remember Thursday? Unearth and Hatebreed? As a label, they have a checkered past, and at times a questionable reputation. However, they have maintained longevity, and from the looks of it, a huge fan base. At Red7 in Austin there were droves of kids who came to see a few bands from North Carolina who delivered emotional angst ridden ballads and mathy progressive metal. I'll tell you whats AWESOME and TERRIFYING, is seeing a room full of hormonal pierced and tattooed teenagers explode during BTBAM. You never see that kind of energy at a show in NYC, nor do you ever see audiences so invested in bands at such a young age. It's all quite epic. I LOVED this show.

Between the Buried and Me, The Audition and The Secret Lives of Freemasons.

Between the Buried and Me front man, Tommy Rogers.

 

Full house at Red 7 in Austin for Victory Records showcase. There was actually a line down the street and around the corner, it was apparently packed to capacity and the fire marshall was called.

Between the Buried and Me

The Secret Lives of Free Masons

The Secret Lives of Free Masons front man, Brien Worsham

The Audition

The Audition front man, Danny Steven.

How much do I love The Giraffes? A LOT! This was the case even with the previous lineup, and now that my lover/partner/fellow LimeWire contributor is the new bass player, this band has reached supergroup status. They are currently on a national tour promoting their new album, which slays. These men are rude, lewd, filthy devil worshiping rock terrorists who are not to be left alone with your girlfriend, or anywhere near an open bar. However, their shows are legendary for promoting alcohol consumption and good times, so you should definitely go see them play in a town near you. Here they are in Austin.

The Giraffes at SXSW

more after the jump... 

 

Damien Giraffe

Jens Giraffe

Andrew Giraffe

Damien takes it in the crowd

Aaron Giraffe

Jens keeps it heavy

Blood

Terrorizing the streets of Austin

The SPIN party at SXSW was an extreme example of how major media can sway trends. It seemed like an exercise in relevancy, that left everyone scratching their heads. The two headliners being, "prep-rock" fresh faced Vampire Weekend, followed by the seasoned and seminal punk outfit, X. On an average, most X fans would be quick to punch VW fans in face, am I wrong? Let's take the 1,800-capacity Stubb's backyard and find out! Vampire Weekend (SPIN cover boys) were able to fill out the venue, and keep everyone's attention. I found them a little green on stage, and sadly, I found none of their songs memorable. Hey, it's just one woman's opinion though, I bet they're huge in Hoboken. By contrast, X from Los Angeles was the single act that made my trip to Austin worth it. The original members are on their 31st anniversary tour, and were well received both at Stubb's and at Emo's on Saturday night. I loved talking to all the rock and roll veterans who had stories about Exene and John Doe from their punk heyday. Perry Ferrel introduced them and hit the nail on the head, "New York had The Ramones, and LA had X."

Exene, DJ and John Doe, X


Billy Zoom, X


Exene Cervenka, X

Jens Carstensen, in the crowd for X


This is funny, I almost busted it down some stairs, and realized I was backstage at the X show on Saturday night. ha! A few seconds before the encore at Emo's.


Vampire Weekend at Stubb's


Vampire Weekend


Vampire Weekend


Perry Ferrel!

 

A pilgrimage to Austin, TX is just what the doctor ordered when you're tired of the same old NYC scenes. Of course, 1,800 miles later, you end up gallivanting with your friends from home, because Texas is a big scary place. Especially when the streets are filled with roaming musicians from across the globe, each one trying to lure you into their showcases or slip their band name into your consciousness so they can hitch a ride on the great big buzz-mobile. So you form a rock n roll gang, and go to each others gigs, crash parties, get hammered, and get lost in Texas together. This show of camaraderie is very specific to SXSW, and NYC rolls deep. Here's an homage to just a very few of the Brooklyn bands who made it down this year. Ex-Humans, The Big Sleep, Golden Error and Katy Mae.

Ex-Humans, loving it already!


Ex-Humans, Todd


The Big Sleep at Mohawk


Golden Error in a back alley


Golden Error tearing it up


Katy Mae at the Maggadee Records showcase


Katy Mae spotted on the sidewalk, taking a break from the SXSW hustle.


Ms. Bea herself, with her son. They run a little spot called Ms. Bea's, where Todd P has hosted his shows the past few years. They love New Yorkers, and gave me a free Ms. Bea's t-shirt so I could come home and advertise for them. Sweet!


There is not enough Lone Star in all the world to quench the thirst of the New Yorkers who went to Austin this year.

The initial lineup for the '08 Bonnaroo festival has been announced, and it's full of surprises. The announcement put Led Zeppelin rumors to rest - - instead, the all-girl cover band Lez Zeppelin is playing, as is Robert Plant's side project with Alison Krauss. The 4 day festival starts on June 12th in Manchester, TN. There are quite a few artists I want to see, but I'm not sure if it's worth a trip down south. The full lineup is below. Anyone catching your eye?

Pearl Jam Metallica The Allman Brothers Band       Jack Johnson

Robert Plant Death Cab for Cutie My Morning Jacket Kanye West

The Raconteurs Willie Nelson Phil Lesh & Friends B.B. King Sigur Ros Ben Folds O.A.R. The Bluegrass Allstars M.I.A. Umphrey's McGee Iron & Wine Yonder Mountain String Band The Swell Season Talib Kweli Broken Social Scene Robert Randolph's Revival Rilo Kiley Mastodon Lupe Fiasco Against Me! Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Pat Green Ozomatli !!! The Avett Brothers Israel Vibration Abigail Washburn MGMT

Gogol Bordello Tegan & Sara Solomon Burke Drive-By Truckers Aimee Mann Ladytron The Fiery Furnaces Orchestra Baobab Ghostland Observatory Jose Gonzalez Dark Star Orchestra Minus the Bear Donavon Frankenreiter Lez Zeppelin State Radio Battles Jakob Dylan Two Gallants The Sword Vampire Weekend Little Feat Nicole Atkins The Felice Brothers Mason Jennings The Lee Boys Black Kids Serena Ryder Steel Train Grupo Fantasma Back Door Slam

What started in 2003 as more of a jam band festival than anything else has now become more of a crowd-pleaser ... if the crowd has decent music taste, that is. Created by Ethan Schwartz of South Florida Jams Productions, the Langerado Festival has been held at Markham Park in Sunrise, Florida for the past two years. This year has proved to be a little too big for those britches, and the festival has subsequently been moved to the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades from March 6-9. Four days of music, folks! And while your tie-dyed threads won't be required, they won't be scorned, either ... check out the lineup under the cut (those I find particularly exciting are bolded):

Beastie Boys, R.E.M., Phil Lesh & Friends, 311, Matisyahu, Thievery Corporation, The Roots, Gov't Mule, Ani DiFranco, Ben Folds, G. Love & Special Sauce, Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Built to Spill, The National, Les Claypool, Umphrey's McGee, The Disco Biscuits, Mickey Hart Band, of Montreal, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, The Wailers, funky Meters, Citizen Cope, Antibalas, !!!, Dark Star Orchestra, Ozomatli, Sam Bush, Minus the Bear, Ghostland Observatory, Arrested Development, Blind Melon, Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars, The New Deal, Benevento Russo Duo, Perpetual Groove, Railroad Earth, Martin Sexton, [WRITER TAKING A DEEP BREATH], The Avett Brothers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Walkmen, Dr. Dog, Indigenous, State Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Bad Plus, The Felice Brothers, Pelican, Yard Dogs Road Show, Brett Dennen, Earl Greyhound, The New Mastersounds, Dan Deacon, Josh Ritter, Pete Francis, Ryan Shaw, Blitzen Trapper, matt pond PA, The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker, Bassnectar, Balkan Beat Box, The Lee Boys, Shout Out Louds, Golem, The Wood Brothers, Busdriver, RAQ, Will Hoge, Spam Allstars, Phix, American Babies, The Heavy Pets, Backyard Tire Fire, The Postmarks, Steel Train, Hoots and Hellmouth, Jonah Smith, Pnuma Trio, Awesome New Republic, That 1 Guy, Trevor Hall, American Bang, School of Rock All-Stars, and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

I suggest you invest in a tent for this one.

Tickets went on sale here today.