New Release- Wilco- Sky Blue Sky

Wilco
Sky Blue Sky
Reprise Records
Released May 15 2007



Laiden with dreamy organ/piano, sharp guitars and hint of southern charm comes Wilco’s seventh studio album Sky Blue Sky. Sometimes change can come at a cost. It can be liberating or self-destructive. Wilco proves that it doesn’t have to be either. Keeping in-line with their tried and true sonic folk style they have once again created a record of substance and poise. This being the much anticipated follow-up to acclaimed A Ghost is Born, it sold 87,000 copies in it’s first week and put Wilco on the Billboard charts for the first time since 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. More than anything their latest effort is a comfort blanket for current fans without being inaccessible to new listeners.



On the album’s opener Tweedy’s voice solemnly proclaims “Maybe the sun will shine today” and you know your listening to a Wilco album. Their harmonious blend of guitar and piano continues throughout as has been seen in preceding work. If anything has changed, or should I say developed within Sky Blue Sky it is the inclusion of the sonic solo. If you are fortunate enough to have seen these guys live you know how easily they fall into a full out jam session mode sometimes doubling and tripling their song lengths. For those of you who are yet to catch them on stage a glorious example of this six-string synergy is found on “Impossible Germany”. A grittier example being “You are my Face” while “Leave Me” is its wonderfully softer side. On the whole the albums stands out as being quite excellent, but there are a few exceptions. “Shake it off” opens with awkward jazz influenced guitar that seems too abrasive against Tweedy’s vocals, with “Walken” also sharing similar flaws. Both felt very thrown together, and emotionless. Before the albums release drummer Glen Kotche proclaimed that a few songs were written and recorded on the spot as opposed to Tweedy fleshing out the song and bringing it to the rest of the band. It just begs the question as to weather these tracks were on that list of last minute fillers.



But it becomes hard to focus on these short comings though when just around the corner is “Hate it Here” with a wonderful Phish famous electric six-string solo. Although most of this album plays very similar to previous releases it still feels fresh somehow. It seems Wilco is the band that doesn’t really need to evolve. Fans look to it as a source of musical comfort food, and wouldn’t have it prepared any other way.

A-

By Sam Ladach-Bark

Threat Signal Review

Threat Signal

Occasionally one’s duty as a friend requires that he drive out of state to see his buddy’s band play live at a small club. While I went to see Scars of Your Demise (yes, even he knows the band’s name is a little cliché for a metal act), it was the headlining band, Threat Signal, that made the two hours of driving from Maryland to Virginia seem like a privilege.

After a couple of quick listens of their debut album Under Reprisal, I knew these Canadian-based headbangers were a solid, metal band with plenty of promise. However, what I didn’t expect was to hear such a perfect blend of ferocity, technicality, and power from a live performance. Sounding like a thrash band with a punk frontman, Threat Signal showed why they have such a growing fan base. Despite being fueled by a healthy dose of Budweiser, lead singer Jon Howard nailed every note and wailed like he was channeling the metal Gods. Lead guitarist Kyle McKnight was playing so fast I could’ve sworn that someone had lit his guitar strings on fire. The band went through their set like men possessed and had the crowd in the palm of their hands throughout the show with songs like Rational Eyes, One Last Breath, and Counterbalance.

At the end of their set I walked away with more than a temporary loss of hearing; I left Threat Signal’s performance feeling like I had just watched something special. With performances like this, it won’t be long before this band becomes a renowned metal powerhouse. My advice, catch them in a club now while you can. Oh…and bring some ear plugs!

Alex Vazquez

The Temptations and What Motown Means to Indie Music

First of all, Austin is a funky place; it has more live music venues percapita than any place I have ever visited in the world (and I have been a LOT of places). The live rock, indie and Jazz music scene is rather intense compared to any other town and it spills out across the borders to the suburbs as well. Having grown up on Long Island and just a 2 hour train ride to the city (which isn't long in California or NY commuting terms) I know what an active live music scene is like. NYC in the early '80s, San Francisco and LA in the mid and late '80's. Philadelphia in between, yes if the live music scene was blossoming back then, I was there *smile* But Austin is unique, it carries an enormous amount of variety in music. Yet their cultural diversity in other art based fields is rather tenuous and quite frankly oblique... though building. Yet dotted across the urban landscape, you can find remnants of old theatres, from when Austin was a different sort of place and the Paramount is one of them.

As can be seen on their site The Paramount Theatre has stood on Congress Avenue in the heart of downtown Austin for nearly 100 years. Austin's oldest surviving theatre built in 1915, the Paramount was a Vaudeville and variety house.
The Paramount holds special historical significance as a City of Austin Landmark and State Landmark. It is also listed on the National Registry of Historically Significant Places and is one of the few remaining 'hemp houses,' using ropes and sandbags, left in America. (you can find information on the Paramount Theater on their myspace page. They are "not for profit" so donations are appreciated. http://www.myspace.com/paramounttheatre .
So now, we know all about the Paramount... what about The Temptations? Well to begin with... there is only ONE original Temptation left. Yes I know... they are really the Temptation... but I have to say Otis is one spry guy for having toured for over 46 years. Current members include
Otis Williams
G.C. Cameron Joe Herndon Ron Tyson Terry Weeks

What do I say... pioneers from the Motown days, you can almost say they were in an era of "indie" music that later on became known to be Motown. I mean really, that's all indie is yes? Creating a sound of your own and sticking with it regardless of current trends? Maybe the trend becomes you, perhaps it does not, but in the end, it seems to me, it is simply staying true to your roots regardless of the financial outcome or your proposed opportunity for success.
46 years later and The Temptations rocked, they were cute, funny, melodic (though the sound was wretched for the first 2 songs). It was a wee bit scary seeing all of those chubby women in 1970's high waisted jeans and their grey headed counterparts dancing. The beige jackets with enormous 1970's shoulder pads, aka Morris Day and the Knights was a bit disturbing and even more unsettling was that the crowd was 95% white, which I do not know if that is an Austin thang, a Texas thang or just a Temptations thang, but THAT seemed just all wrong.

My friend and I enjoyed it, even though the person I took is only 23 and had the Temptations confused with the Supremes in the beginning. We both enjoyed it. We both had a smile on our faces as we left and I have a feeling The Temptations have a few more years left of touring in them... which my God... shouldn't there be a Grammy award just for that?

ME TV and the Texas Sapphires

Last night I attended an very interesting event... ME TV's live studio taping of 4 bands. Beaver Nelson, Texas Sapphires, Natalie Zoe with Phil Brown and Murder, My Sweet.

What is ME TV you ask? As it is stated on their website, ME, “Music and Entertainment” Television, is a 24- hour regional network dedicated to showcasing and providing television exposure for regional artists as well as the hundreds of touring groups that make up the vibrant live music scene in and around Austin, finding it's success under the watchful eye of Constance Wodlinger, President & CEO.


I was of course unable to get there until after 6, but it was just in time to see the last few songs of the Texas Sapphires. Lo and behold a refreshing sound. Seemingly veterans from the punk days (I am assuming that they are such) convert their edgy and definitely "indie" based sound to something that emulates a refined old world country... a la 'Patsy Clinesque'. Lead by lead vocalist Rebecca Lucille Cannon and guitarist Billy Brent Malkus, The Texas Sapphires had a solid and pleasing sound, reminiscent of the roots of country but fresh as the new millennium. Rebecca 's voice has an edgy quality while Billy's back up vocals are lush and warm, which is a perfect blend in the mix down.


It is difficult to find a "new" sound anymore. Almost anything experimental is electronic and unfortunately, even in its veritable uniqueness, innately "un-new" So this sort of country, sort of pop, sort of almost punkish sound that they embody, well I enjoyed them. It reminds me in ways of what 1980's punk would have grown up to be, if it hadn't been ravaged by the events that eventually blew it apart as a scene.


Yes punk lives on, much of it sounding almost exactly the same as it did 100 years ago, but it has also grown up for some of us, and reinvented itself in a more contemporary, more mature and definitely more melodic way that offers us diversity yet stays true to its roots without selling out or ravishing the ears. Call it what you will, but to me, it was cutting edge county music, with an alternative feel, that was pleasing to the ear and soothing to the soul and with that said, who cares what it is called.

Elizabeth Whitener

Twilight Broadcast

On Thursday, Twilight Broadcast breathed life into their first EP, “Vital Signs” scoring what's considered a larger venue for such a local act at Stubb's on Red River. The band, consisting of two Wisconsin-bread now Austinite converts and a skillful drummer they picked up here in town, describe themselves as an “emo industrial lounge core” group. Whether Drew Thomas, Nick Drozdowicz and Jason Crosby are on to something with refusing to remain in one genre, it's evident that they can craft intrinsic compilations wherever they end up.
The first track of this taste-of-what's-to-come, Poetry and Prozac, consists of upbeat, plugged in guitars accompanied by witty wordplay that's reminiscent of a less polished Jason Mraz [before commercialism got the better of him]. Start Fresh, the second track, offers a better look at Twilight's range with the addition of female vocals from Liz Dannemiller and her piano but by track three I was concerned that the band, like so many before them, were stuck in a singular sound. Think festival fun tunes ramped up with electric versions of what was possibly at one time a beautiful acoustic melody – while the sound is well developed in part, the song tends to fall flat by the end. It's as if they simply ran out of steam to sustain themselves beyond the typical College-Kids-With-Guitars garage band.

Have you given up on giving them a chance?

You shouldn't. Involved with local producers 2222 Productions and recording locally in A-Valve Studios, Twilight's willing to push the limit and experiment especially with the addition of Drew Thomas playing cello on the final and title track of the EP, Vital Signs. I was surprised to find a soft, introspective composition that allowed the band to truly show off their skills. There's an epic crescendo in the middle that literally made me drop everything else I was doing at the moment. Somehow, this emo band managed to include a chord progression akin to that found in the strange collaboration between hip-hop guru Sean Combs and Robert Plant – and made it work for the sound they were trying to create. It speaks clearly to the notion that this young band could produce some amazing songs given the time to develop this creativity.
It's sad that an EP is meant to showcase what a band is capable of when it's so limited in it's display – there simply isn't enough room in four tracks to really get an idea of the skills Twilight Broadcast has mastered since its inception during their college days. Their full-length album is something to look forward to and besides, the guys never disappoint during a live show. The energy, effort and commitment they afford their fans speaks for itself. Check them out.

Michelle Iglesias

A Rant By Elise

So, just in case it wasn't enough to find out this morning that some fucking asshole kid in Virginia decided that when it was his time to go out, he had to take out at least 32 other people with him... the CRJ, which is the Copyright Royalty Board's judge panel -- a three judge panel responsible for the March 2nd ruling that set webcast royalties at their new increased rate -- decided to deny all parties' motion for rehearing of the ruling on procedural grounds. That's right, all parties. Including NPR, the College Radio board, Pandora, the internet radio collection, WOXY, fucking everything.They have bitch-slapped us.I'm rather...speechless. I mean, what do you say when something like this happens? Um, hi? Don't you know that we're broadcasting indie music to help the artists? We don't get paychecks?

I've never made a single cent in my seven years of running an internet radio station, but somehow you now want me to pay you over three times what we get in donations, so you can turn around and sue more 13-year-olds, grandmas, and college kids for downloading music, and claim that I'm sending you these incredibly large sums of money that I don't have so you can pay the artists, when really you're just paying yourselves and your lawyers?Yeah. So, right.If you think this is obnoxious, maybe you could write your Congresspeoples. Not that I think they really listen all that much, but I have a feeling there's some schmuck intern in there counting "pro"s and "con"s.

Editors note~Elise, is the Music Director of Indie Pop Rocks! on SomaFM.

Indie Pop Rocks! features the latest unsigned bands to the hottest new independent artists from around the globe, with a liberal sprinkling of classic and favorite indie tunes mixed in. With an enormous but carefully culled playlist, Indie Pop Rocks! plays your current and classic favorite artists, and will introduce you to your future favorites. From The Pixies and Built to Spill to Silversun Pickups and Cold War Kids, these tracks are all winners. Indie Pop does indeed Rock.
Listen to Indie Pop Rocks! via:- iTunes radio: Alt/Modern Rock - http://www.shoutcast.com/- http://www.somafm.com/- 48k aacPlus- 128k mp3- 24k mp3- 3GPP phone- Windows Media Player

Indie Artist-Jeff Mallon

Jeff Mallon is a perfect example of what an self promoting, indie artist, is able to do on their own. His sweet and low key, yet raspy and heartfelt vocals stream over a simple but melodic guitar riff in a live acoustic version of his song," Over My Head". This is available for viewing on YouTube or at his myspace page, no less.

With no apparent backing, or promotion, Jeff has created a myspace, that maintains a significant amount of hits, where he shares his music (which is of course available for sale) and his videos, for all to see and share.

His video for "Straight Ahead" a more pop based song again intimates a soulful feel, with a very catchy chorus. It is easy to get lost in the sincere lyrics, while watching the facile video is almost soothing. The imagery of the road moving below you and the quite unremarkable buildings that you pass are something in which we can all relate.

You can visit Jeff Mallon at http://www.myspace.com/jeffsoriginalmusic or simply do a search for his YouTube video. If you hit the mysapce, dont forget to leave a comment and tell him what you think.