Friday, September 26, 2008

A Free Alternative to ACL: Freewater Festival at Clementine's Saturday September 27th


Plutonium Farmers bring the freshest surf rock to Clementine Coffee Bar.

The Freewater Festival - Free Music, Free Water - is a good alternative to Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL Fest) , especially if you subscribe to the Poor Girl's Guide to Austin, like me. Eight bands, artists, and surprise fun on two stages, plus good coffee and food by Clementine is happening this Saturday at the darling coffee bar central/east Austin. You can probably avoid traffic from the game and festival if you skip the downtown streets and stay off IH-35.

Freewater is inspired by the once free-spirit music festival that was an offspring of the popular KLRU (PBS) series. According to a few critics, ACL Fest is quickly becoming a festival of corporate proportion, exclusively webcast by AT&T, censors of Pearl Jam, a band who dared critized Bush during a live performance last summer. There have been increased restrictions at the festival, and getting a good deal, like free water in the sometimes overbearing heat at the 3-day music fest is becoming as elusive as winning a golden ticket in a Wonka bar.  

ACL Fest is still considered a great time for many music lovers, so don't mistake my complaints for a lack of enthusiasm about many of the performances on the stages and at after-shows. I'm not attending the fest this year at Zilker Park, but I'm watching a some bands thanks to the live AT&T webcast, which I've read won't be censored like the Pearl Jam debacle. It's just nice to know at least one venue  in Austin still embraces the do-it-yourself ethic of musical talent, without a corporation to back its progress. That's part of what cultural diversity is all about - having options in the arts and entertainment, including music. 


Add the Freewater Festival to your busy Do512 calendar this weekend.

And what diverse sets! Bands and solo artists include: Plutonium Farmers, L.A. Dies, Canopy, Ella Minnow (Denton), Elisa Ferrari, Household Names,  Clint Niosi (Fort Worth) and FM Campers. Everything from newborn electro thrash to the rebirth of surf rock - and it's free.

I'm sure there are other unofficial ACL Fest after-shows going on, so support local and visiting musicians by checking out listings in your favorite weekend entertainment guide, or make Freewater your place to be this Saturday. 

Freewater Festival
5pm-12am
Clementine Coffee Bar
2200 Manor
Austin, TX 78722
(Click here for map and directions.)

Have a fun and safe weekend, no matter what you do. 

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Music Outside The Box: A Weekend w/ The Box Set at Emo's - And More

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The Box Set blows into Austin, TX - Saturday 13 September @ Emo's Lounge.


Despite Hurricane Ike barreling toward Texas, there's a lot of music happening here in the live music capital. It can all be overwhelming sometimes, finding just a few d-i-y and truly indie label bands to blog about, but with a little inspiration - like nature brewing up a storm - the choices become a little bit easier. Thanks to one storm, The Box Set (Beaumont, TX) may have an unexpected entourage from Southeast Texas Saturday night at Emo's. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. I'd like to make a few weekend recommendations, starting with Friday night. 

What's going on Friday, September 12th at Beerland:

Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re join forces with Powerpuff Girls, both celebrating 10 years with a CD!

If you missed the hard rock candy of Lick Lick (Australian Cattle God Records) at Make Austin Weirder Fest last Saturday, don't sweat it - you can hear them headline a night of tsunami force rock with Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, and The Captains (both on tour from Tokyo, Japan), plus the delightfully noisy pop of Peel (Peek-A-Boo Records) opening the show.  

 
711 1/2 Red River St.
Austin, TX 78701
21+/$? (Call 512-479-7625 ) 
Doors: 9 pm

On Saturday, September 13th you can catch a double feature - two venues for the price of one:

The Lovely Sparrows (Abandoned Love Records) perform live at End of an Ear records at 6 pm. I first heard the rolling acoustic cast of musicians at Emo's two years ago, and was as impressed by their enchanting simplicity as much as their numbers. Shows at the best little record shop in Austin are always free, but browse and buy - and feel free to ask the courteous, knowledgeable staff if they can order something for you. Based on personal experience, they can and will.

According to a MySpace update, The Lovely Sparrows show at End of an Ear has been cancelled and rescheduled:

"The in-store for tomorrow at End of an Ear has been rescheduled due to the hurricane, and band members not being able to get into Austin due to the storm! It will now take place next Saturday, September 20th at 6pm."

The band's official CD release is still happening at Emo's next Tuesday, September 16th at 9 pm.

Tickets are still available through ticketweb.com.

September 13th Beaumont based The Box Set makes a live performance debut out-of-town. I'm not sure how they sound (no demos on the MySpace page yet), but the duo's resume makes them the perfect powerpop 'n' rock match you won't want to miss this weekend. Jamey Matte played drums for smart indie rock La Snacks, and once all-female punk band Small Town Massacre, and Poppy Robbie was formerly part of The Koopas and Southeast Texas wunderkinds Joe Jitsu. If you want hyperbole where a hyped impression of their sound might be here it is: The Box Set may be the musical Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, or Mike Nichols and Elaine May.  They are special guests of pop/rock duo Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby (Stiff Records), two powerful solo artists from the U.K. and U.S., respectively. They're pairing for a tour in both countries to support their self-titled album, released last week.

Sunday, September 14th: Not Your Average Church-going Sunday

 

Sunday evening at 7:30, Austin music mainstay Church of the Friendly Ghost sponsors an evening of entertainment with Nick Hennies (The Weird Weeds) performing a solo percussion set at the Salvage Vanguard Theater. His show marks the first of five performances in the "Open Spaces" series sponsored by the group. The cover for this rare performance is $5. Since there will be additional musicians playing, I'll be sure to post an update.  If you're interested in volunteering for Church of the Friendly Ghost, go to www.churchofthefriendlyghost.org. The organization helps keep Austin music alive and original, so they're taking part in a benefit, Party on the Vanguard, to help keep a rare arts & entertainment space open. The party happens Saturday, September 20th,  so diy revolution will have an update next week. 

Have a great weekend, whatever you do. 

~ diy danna

Friday, September 5, 2008

Believe The Hype: Audible Hype Offers Valuable DIY Hip Hop Resources in Hard Times

?uestlove of The Roots: Professor of DIY Hip Hop Marketing & Promotion @ Audible Hype U.

I won't bore you by bragging about Audible Hype. It's one of the very few do-it-yourself music blogs I take the time to read, and it's simply a good resource for d-i-y musicians trying to make a living doing something they love - without falling back on the day job. You have to admire a blog that states it's all about "DIY Marketing and Promotion for broke rappers, DJs, and musicians".

In August, Audible Hype blogger Justin Boland (a.k.a. Humpasaur Jones), introduced a series of interviews with illustrious and independent Hip Hop heads that offer their research and experiences as a tool for musicians who don't have a clue about marketing themselves, or don't think they have the time to read and research it for themselves. (Not that this is necessary.) Boland is part of anarchic hip hop label/collective World-Around Records, and uses their experience as a model for the blog. And they are connected in the music community, offering insightful interviews with musicians turned diy marketing experts. 

Read Audible Hype's latest: Getting Ready for a Long Cold Winter, which discusses the cold, hard realities of being an underground, diy rapper in failing economy. And check out the DIY Hip Hop Business Master Class, if you want to graduate with more than diploma paper. This post features instruction by one of the members of my favorite bands in the wide world of hip hop, The Roots. 

May I also suggest reading our pick for diy music and weekend fun this Saturday in downtown Austin? (See below.)

Have a fun - and safe - weekend, no matter what you do. 

Your Immodest DIY Muse,

~ diy danna

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Wave Your Freak Flag This Saturday at Make Austin Weirder Fest!


Ain't no party like a weirdo party 'cause a weirdo party always rocks...

Hanging out in the lobby of the Alamo Ritz after Music Monday was a serendipitous moment. I spoke with and hugged one of the outrageous HUG dancers who thanked me for the three-disc retro review of HUG in Whoopsy! What a great memory he has, because that was a few years ago, when the Make Austin Weirder Fest was just a tiny, freaky toddler. Oh, and how it is growing into a big freak music fest, one worthy of a mention in national press. (See SPIN Magazine, July '06.) And this summer, according to the Austin Chronicle: "Hug leads the [freak] parade, with Lick Lick, Attic Ted, the Jazzus Lizard, and more in tow."


HUG photo by Caroline Homer

You can get weirder all day long this Saturday, 6 September at Lovejoy's starting at 3 pm. HUG hits the stage around 11 pm, but you probably want to get there early to get your freak on with lounge quartet The Jazzus Lizard, ambient experimental rocker Steve Marsh, also known as Radar Cave, diy revolution artists of the month (July) Attic Ted, a punk/country band that could be Napoleon Dynamite's worst enemy - Zero Skills, Inc., freaky death metal outfit Death Hell Battle Tank, the psychedelic riffing of Crapulence, and Lick Lick, the rock 'n' roll band that has been kicking ass since a tour of Japan, performing at 10 o'clock. Oh - I almost forgot to mention: It's FREE!

MAKE AUSTIN WEIRDER FEST
3pm-Midnight
Saturday, 6 September 2008
LOVEJOY'S
604 Neches St.
Austin, TX 78701

Come on over to Lovejoy's this Saturday and get your freak on!

~ double d