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These words are being written from South by South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas... And these words are being written one week later! The above is all I'd time to write before yet another gig kicked-off. I'm knackered after it. Thousands flock there annually, not to sing-along to tunes they know necessarily, but to seek out new music and the latest trends. I saw some bizarre things, and heard even odder stuff. What about the lead singer from the unknown unofficial band who hits his head off the ceiling fan when climbing up on the amps and reafs the top of his head? Or the band Oxbow, the lead singer from which stripped off, down to just his jocks, refused to put his clothes back on, and then was forcibly removed from the stage? What about the eight tunes from Donovan, all weighing in at just under three minutes apiece, and played in the Central Presbyterian Church; or to see Daniel Johnson cover "Band On The Run" and receive a standing ovation from an adoring crowd. It's the place to be - I already miss it - a photo of sixth street graces my desktop as I type this - I urge anyone who hasn't been there, to try it just once - bring comfortable shoes, a pocket-full of one-dollar-bills to tip the bar staff, take a course of energy pills for the month in advance of the event, and you'll have the time of your life! (Oh... my favourite band of the event? The dreadfully named, but hugely impressive: Solid Gold.)
Special recommendation of the month is Menomena (Danny Seim, their drummer, guested on Issue001 back in January). Menomena is being cooed about by the music press in the US at the moment, and I had the good fortune to see them last week in Buffalo Billards venue, in the midst of yes, Billiard tables - the crowd moshed, and the band rocker (I didn't expect either of these two things). Fabulous tunes - expect them to make major progress. Check >>the first Menomena album<<, "I Am The Funblame Monster".
In the realm of kitschy names few compare with "Holy Fuck", similarly, in terms of rhythmic sophistication and percussive emphasis Holy Fuck rises above the standard. Now, this is not to condemn this marvelous mutating 5-piece from Canada to the ranks of the experimental and inaccessible, the songs are instantly memorable on their new self-titled EP and beckon for multiple listens. On the opening track "Lovely Allen", a blurred pastiche of the forthcoming melody quickly locks in and the simple tune is soon embellished and augmented into a calming epic that stretches and yawns before going through some nuclear show that transforms it into some ecstatic ode to life. Yet, this blissful track deceives the listener, the following tracks are raucous and intense, such as the aptly named "Pulse", which races across rabid plains of sound. In-all, this 6-track EP is a gem in a constantly more stagnant world of electronica that refuses to take risks.
On the other side of music, "Ola Podrida ('Rotten Wave')" (Dustin Wingo) will be releasing his first album April 24th, and if the songs on their MySpace are any indication of the quality of this record, it would prove very difficult to guffaw at. The singer-songwriter breed has recently undergone many beatings and abuses, but Wingo's effort and his concurrently raw and wispy vocals will probably serve as a nice shelter for this berated genre, at least for awhile.
Finally, another April 24th release of "Thee More Shallows" third album "Book of Bad Breaks", has been  reason for loss of sleep. Such tracks which I have had the privy of listening to such as "Night at the Knight School" or "Dutch Fist" hint that this shall be the finest Thee More Shallows album and one that any lover of indie rock will be required to own.
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Spring is on the way and an appropriate band with which to spend your Sunday mornings would be "Midlake" from Denton, Texas. A mug of coffee, the paper and their CD, "The Trials of Van Occupanther" would be great companions. Obviously that scenario implies a certain laid back quality to the music and  that would be true – but there's a place, even a need, for such music. And these guys do it well, without the schmaltzy seventies overtones that are pervasive throughout much of the genre. Tim Smith's swirling vocals are reminiscent of Flaming Lips and Grandaddy and the music is acoustic guitar-centered. We "Gathered In Spring" has lovely eighties-flavored keyboards and "Young Bride" opens with a mournful violin so, with Midlake, we’re talking about more than the usual singer-songwriter guitar strumming associated with folk rock. The opening track, "Roscoe", is a bit more energetic with added electric guitar, as is "Head Home". Both songs are more 'radio-friendly' than the others but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Put on "The Trials of Van Occupanther"; grab your significant other; head out to the patio with The Times and a cup of joe; and start your day with a chilled state of mind.
Mark your calendars, folks – April 24 is the day The Nightwatchman’s album, "One Man Revolution", is released in the States. Just who is The Nightwatchman you may ask? Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, has been singing and playing his acoustic guitar for four years now under the moniker The Nightwatchman. I  recently saw him perform at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas and was more than impressed – I was blown away. This is a singer/ songwriter in the vein of Woody Guthrie, singing songs in support of the downtrodden and oppressed. This is some powerful stuff!
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From the real capital of Ireland, the damp but adorable city of Cork, comes Bill Coleman, who released his debut album last month. The local press are onto him, with some of them claiming it's the best Irish debut album since Damien Rice's "O" - but he has yet to make such waves outside the island.
Coleman plays a headliner at the elegant Sugar Club, Dublin May 30th.
We've got an exclusive tune for Issue001 readers, a real dainty track, entitled "Crawling To Be". Grab that below.
Bill showed his online savvy this week by being one of the first acts to join the start-up "Live In Your Living Room" this week, and his profile (with more tunes), can be seen here.
Exclusive to Issue001 Bill Coleman tune: "Crawling To Be" (3.9MB).
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