The Pons at The Ghost Room, Sat Dec 11th with STEREO IS A LIE and Red Falcon

 Despite the number of shows I've seen in Austin over the past couple of years, somehow I had never crossed paths with The Pons. About a year ago, that changed when I heard their song "Giant" played on WOXY and saw them perform at Beauty Bar. As a fan of catchy and smart pop/rock, for me it was love at first sight and listen. While I was playing catch up with enjoying their debut album, In The Belly Of A Giant, the band has spent 2010 writing and recording their sophomore follow up, The Blackest Shine, with Erik Wofford (his credits include The Black Angels, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Explosions In The Sky, Voxtrot, Brothers And Sisters, The Octopus Project) at Cacophony Recorders. The Blackest Shine is expected to be released early next year - no set release date at this time.
I know that The Pons are looking forward to showing off their new songs as well as playing favorites from their first album. Their songs reflect a range of emotions : sweet and light,  dark and moody, and shades in between. I also have a soft spot for harmonies, melodies, and hooks that stay in your head. Chances are you'll hear these songs in your head when you least expect it and once "The Blackest Shine" is released, don't be surprised if you find yourself hitting the repeat button. Yes, that's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.

For this Saturday's show at The Ghost Room, The Pons will be joined by friends from STEREO IS A LIE and Red Falcon. An all around fantastic local triple bill. $6 (21 +, sorry kids).

The Pons - 11:30
STEREO IS A LIE - 10:30
Red Falcon - 9:30


$6 for 3 bands on a Sat night is a pretty good deal but if one lucky winner and a guest would like to go for *FREE* (courtesy of whitesiren), send me an email at jenleduc@hotmail.com with "The Ghost Room" in the subject line and I will choose a winner on Friday.




Below I've posted videos from their June 26, 2010 performance at The Ghost Room : 2 new songs, Death of the Peacock and Someone Else's Voice along with their amped up cover of Wreckless Eric's, Whole Wide World. Videos were filmed by ATXLive.








Vote for this event on Do512.

Listen to the title track and rough mixes from "The Blackest Shine"

New Favorite Band: Gentlemen Rogues

 

video : Gentlemen Rogues "Yes and No Forever" 

From the ashes of one of my favorite Austin bands, The Fall Collection, Gentlemen Rogues arrived on the Austin music scene in 2010. I didn't learn about them until I went to see one of my favorite UK bands, Field Music, at Emo's in late September. I ran into lead singer/guitarist, Danny Dunlap, at the venue and learned that his new band, Gentlemen Rogues, was opening for Field Music. Although I hadn't yet heard Gentlemen Rogues' songs yet, I had a feeling this would be a good fit recalling The Fall Collection's Anglophile influences (The Clash and The Jam are 2 examples). 

I wasn't sure what to expect since a couple of years had passed since The Fall Collection stopped playing. I had a bit of a flashback with the familiar sounds I love (a catchy mix of power pop, punk, and a bit of British indie rock) but Gentlemen Rogues added some extra power with a second guitarist. I think I dorked out just a little when I saw Danny was still playing a left-handed Rickenbacker guitar. I'm a sucker for that jangly yet crunchy sound - what can I say ;-) ? The infectious tunes and energetic stage presence are what I remember from the past but those are also the qualities that have won me over in the present time. Gentlemen Rogues have released a self titled 3 song EP that is currently available at their shows. You can also preview their tunes online on their MySpace page. Information and updates are also available on their Facebook page. Keep an eye out for Gentlemen Rogues in 2011 - definitely a band to watch.

I Love This Band ! : The Duke Spirit

You've been warned. My fixation on The Duke Spirit has been rekindled by the news of their upcoming "Kusama" EP release and early 2011 release of their LP, Bruiser. Enjoy.

"Northbound"
I can't get enough of this gorgeous new tune from their upcoming "Kusama" EP. Liela Moss' voice really shines on this track and credit also due to the dual guitar attack and solid rhythm section.


A few years ago, the band recorded a bunch of covers including the 60s Love classic, A House Is Not A Motel. Their version can be found on the "Covered In Love" EP.



Earlier this year, the band contributed a song to a compilation that was released in celebration of Doc Martens 50th anniversary. The original is by the 70s/80s UK punk band, Sham 69. The Duke Spirit provide a chilled out, organ fueled version instead of the original rowdy, "Oi !"styled punk anthem.

The Posies and Brendan Benson in Austin TX at La Zona Rosa, Nov 26th

When this tour was announced, I think I nearly squealed with glee. I've been a fan of The Posies since I was in college. I first saw them 2 decades ago (yes really it was that long ago) when they opened for The Replacements at the Texas Union Hall at UT. At that time, I adored their record, Dear 23, chock full of soaring harmonies and singalong power pop gems. I admit that I haven't consistently followed their career but still remain a fan. There have been glowing reports from the current tour and I'm looking forward to hearing tunes from their latest record, Blood/Candy . I think my power pop loving head nearly exploded when I learned The Posies were doing double duty by playing their own headlining set as well as acting as Brendan Benson's band. I've been a fan of Brendan Benson's solo career for almost a decade now. After 2 albums with The Raconteurs, he returned with his 4th solo release, "My Old Familiar Friend". This show should be an excellent remedy after a Thanksgiving food coma.
Below I've posted links for "The Glitter Prize" by The Posies and "Feel Like Taking You Home" by Brendan Benson. If you click "Like" for the event on do512.com, you have a chance to win a pair of tickets.

http://soundcloud.com/quimera/the-posies-the-glitter-prize-with-kay-hanley

http://soundcloud.com/brendanbenson/feel-like-taking-you-home

http://do512.com/event/2010/11/26/the-posies-and-brendan-benson-with-aqueduct

STEREO IS A LIE

Two years ago, STEREO IS A LIE made their debut as a band. As a fan, my patience is being rewarded this weekend as the band celebrates the official release of their new single, "It's Too Late" on Monolathe Recordings from their upcoming self titled album to be released in Feb 2011. The record was mixed by Chris Cline (Trail Of Dead) and mastered by John Golden (Sonic Youth, Film School, Japandroids, etc.). The lineup is completed by friends from 2 other local bands, New Roman Times and dead black hearts, who have joined SIAL on past shows together. This solid local triple bill will be playing this Sat, Nov 20th, at Beauty Bar. If you're a fan of a big guitar sound, powerful drums, and a live performance that will command your attention, I highly recommend checking out my favorite musical Men In Black.

Austin Bleet Up

In Nov 2009, I attended the Austin Bleet Up not as a blogger but as a fan of some of the bands who played the event (Built By Snow, Corto Maltese) and to meet up with friends. Was this event a source of inspiration for me ? Maybe...but it took a little longer before I officially created my blog. It debuted in April 2010 as "Beautiful Beat" but I changed it a few months later to "Superpop!".
It looks like next month's Bleet Up is bigger than ever. Bloggers and blog readers will be gathering on Dec 3rd at Whole Foods downtown rooftop terrace for music, food, shopping from local boutiques and craft shops, and ice skating (memories of my Minnesota childhood is excited about this). This year's event will also honor the winners of the first ever Austin Blogger Awards. The awards will be nominated by and voted upon by readers. You can find the nominees and vote on the following site : http://austinbloggerawards.com/.  Some of the categories include : Best New Blog, Best Overall Music Blog, Best Blog to Discover Local Music, and Best Photoblog/Flickr Feed.

Do512 is holding a ticket giveaway for clicking "I Like It,":  http://do512.com/event/2010/12/03/the-austin-bleet-up

Remember to bring $7 for door cover, and if you Tweet / blog about the Bleet-Up, don't forget to RSVP: http://www.eavesdropper-pr.com/rsvp/ 


Here's a short, "getting to know you" interview I did in June 2010 for the Austin Blog Jam.

The Villas - Jamie EP

Remember when indie pop actually made you smile giving you that fuzzy, giddy feeling ? Well, it still exists with the new Austin quartet, The Villas. The title track, Jamie, is a fun combination of Weezer meets Fountains Of Wayne, full of crunchy guitars and ba-ba-ba, oh yeah singalong harmonies. The next 3 tracks, "Babybomb", "Pin You Down", and "Ripy" proudly display the band's unabashed love for classic powerpop sounds and even a bit of Britpop (bands like Blur and Ash). The EP reaches a melancholy, somber end with Fading In My Mind and a clean version of the title track. This EP is available for download from Bandcamp for $4.99. A great deal for indie/powerpop fanatics to add to their music library and playlists. For Austin fans, you can catch The Villas this weekend, Fri Nov 5th, at Scoot Inn for the Austin Indie Pop Spectacular which also features White Hotel and The Stan Laurels. $5 cover plus a Britpop/Indie DJ set afterwards.

http://do512.com/event/2010/11/05/the-villas-the-white-hotel-and-the-stan-laurels
http://thevillas.bandcamp.com/album/jamie-ep
http://www.thevillasmusic.com