I saw several hundred bands in 2011. I had no idea how to narrow it down to the top 5 best live performances (in no particular order until the final one) I saw this year, but here is my attempt. I am going with my gut and my memory, those shows that stick out in
You wouldn’t know it by the way he plays the guitar, but Gary Clark Jr. is as soft-spoken as they come. Though have labeled Clark Jr. as the leader of the Austin rock movement, you could would never tell by his kind and humble demeanor. Signed to Warner Bros. Records, Clark’s The Bright Lights EP
Who: Trip Like Animals with The Brambles and guestsWhere: The Sunset – Seattle, WAWhen: Wed., October 5, 2011Cost: $6.00Age Restriction: 21+ Who: Radical FaceWhere: Brick and Mortar Music Hall – San Francisco, CAWhen: Thursday October 6, Doors – 8:00pm Show – 9:00pmCost: $10 Advance, $12 DoorAge Restriction: 18+ Who: PS I Love You w/ SUUNSWhere: Mercury Lounge –
So why is a picture of Stevie Wonder on a site called BestNewBands.com? Because he’s Steve F-ing Wonder that’s why and because he, along with some notable BestNewBands.com alumna, is playing the Austin City Limits festival this weekend. If you’re any where near the festival, stop what you’re doing and get the best possible vantage
Austin-based bluesman Gary Clark Jr. has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. The guitarist has been anointed with the label of the leader of the local scene, offering a style that has at times been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Those two dudes aren’t exactly slouches. Next week, Clark Jr. is
These days, there’s a whole lot of music out there. Maybe there was a second baby boom sometime in the ’80s with the good economy and what not so there are just more young people around (seriously, though…). Maybe because of the internet it’s just become more readily available. Whatever it is, there are a
The Background: Ah, White Denim. I remember the very day when my love affair with their distinctly deft sounds began. ‘Twas a chilly October night last year. I was at the El Rey, seeing Portugal. The Man for the first time (read about my second time seeing them in Anaheim here!). Unsuspectingly, I stood in
Something was cookin’ in the kitchen Saturday night in Austin, Texas, and it wasn’t breakfast tacos. Austin’s percussionist Gypsy Twins (Ren Lewis and yours truly) and Austin music patroness Anna Ramsey were delighted to host the first of many monthly musical showcases to come at the Heatherglen House. After much discussion it was decided that
Sometimes a name can be an accurate way to describe a band. But with White Denim, it is not. Something as simple as, well, white denim, doesn’t do the band’s eclectic combination of garage rock, dub soul, alt-rock, country and blues justice. Since its beginnings in 2006, the Austin-based outfit has been dazzling crowds with
It’s hard to believe that Austin City Limits is nearly over! Last night I had the pleasure of seeing GAYNGS at an ACL after show at Emo’s in Austin’s Red River district The show opened up with Brooklyn-based Indie outfit Bear in Heaven. I didn’t make it in until about half-way through the set, but