Spoon at Waterloo Records, 1/25/10

I have almost seen Spoon in concert on three separate occasions.  As a freshman in college in 2005, they headlined a show, but since I was there with my brother and he was ready to head out after our band of choice, stellastarr*, finished their set, I unwittingly went with him.  They then performed at South by Southwest 2007, but I always seemed caught up with some other band when they were set to play.  Finally, they played at the Austin City Limits festival in 2007, but I was at the Peter Bjorn and John/Paolo Nutini night show, so I missed them then, too.  So when it was announced that the Austin indie-men would perform a free show at Waterloo Records on January 25^th, I knew I had to be there.  I’m glad I was.

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Spoon – Transference

As I listened to Spoon’s Transference for the umpteenth time, a thought occurred to me:  experiencing a new album is like dating someone.  As you get to know the record, you notice how particular tracks make you feel.  Some make you feel sexy, others powerful; some sad, others bored.  You appreciate an album’s uniqueness, and grin and bear the stuff that you find annoying or embarrassing.  Transference, I fell for.  Hard.  And it hasn’t left my side since its first spin.

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Review – Charlotte Gainsbourg’s “IRM”

Hey friends, I just did a review for my pal Chris over at Neon Musical Insight of the new Charlotte Gainsbourg album, “IRM.” Check it out!

Review – 40 Rocks Local Showcase

Fabulous supporter of local music and friend to a legion of cool Austinites, Jen Leduc celebrated her birthday with a showcase of great music for the second straight year at the Beauty Bar.  The lineup for “40 Rocks” included Bear Bones, Ideal Soul Mart (so you know I was gon’ be there), Stereo Is A Lie and Buttercup.

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Vampire Weekend – Contra

Vampire Weekend was a group my brain fought against for quite a while.  I had been waiting in line to see DeVotchKa during South by Southwest ’08, and Vampire Weekend was on first.  A line to get in to see them stretched at least a mile out of the door (literally), and I managed to get through to catch their last song-and-a-half.  Based on the buzz and the line length, my expectations were high, and I was mightily disappointed.  In retrospect, two songs witnessed from the door of a club really don’t give a group a fair chance at assessment, but I was still so grumpy at the hype that I refused to really listen to them for a year.  When I finally spun their self-titled debut, it grew on me quickly.  I still felt that the band was over-hyped, but that’s not their fault, and the talent was there – catchy hooks, string arrangements, a sweet-voiced lead singer.  So when WOXY and Waterloo Records held a Vampire Weekend listening party on the release date this past Tuesday, I was excited.  In the crowded, semi-loud listening party setting, I was skeptical of what I heard.  Everything seemed fast-paced and one-dimensional, which surprised me based on the band’s experimentation with different musical genres on the first record.  Having listened through the album myriad (10+) times now almost a week later, I’m sold.  This might be a grower for more folks than just me, but it’s worth giving it the time and space to grow.  Though I don’t love every song on this album, it’s completely solid, completely catchy, and makes me excited for what the future holds for the group.  Up ahead, a song-by-song run through the album.

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In Review – Danny Malone/Zookeeper/David Dondero/Crawling With Kings

Club de Ville fooled me Sunday night – I thought their showcase of musicians was another part of free week, but as it turned out, there was a cover.  Nevertheless, the show had some fantastic treats, as well as expected excellence, in the lineup of Danny Malone, Zookeeper, David Dondero and Crawling With Kings.

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Free Week Review – Danny Malone + Death Is Not A Joyride

For the brave who suffered the cold temperatures, Saturday’s free week performances by Danny Malone and Death Is Not A Joyride made the pink noses worth the trouble.

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