Austin Texas is the (self-proclaimed) “Live Music Capital of the World.” Debatable or not, it is a city that is bursting at the seams with music every night of the week. No matter what part of town you’re wandering through, you’re destined to find a great band you’re never heard of playing for free and bringing 100%. It gets overwhelming at times because you don’t know where to start and you never want to stop adventuring because the night is always young and the party is never on hold. I’m going to help you cut to the chase.
If you’re lucky enough, you can catch the Bright Light Social Hour when they’re resting in their hometown here in Austin. Their music features a fresh, danceable rock sound with catchy lyrics and a helluva attitude. Their entire debut release (Bright Light Social Hour) is a party in a CD. Not one song slows down or lets you escape the ride. The best part is that they’re even better when you see them live. The first time I got to go to one of their concerts I hadn’t even heard most of their songs yet and I was singing along and jumping around the entire time. If you’re brave enough to give their sound a chance you’ll wind up with the same addiction I have. Best of Luck.
Augustus Caesar’s name suits him well. As the progenitor Augustus was the first Roman Emperor, today’s version of Augustus Caesar uses an electric guitar to reshape collaborative sound. Caesar has molded a modern form of metal and hip/hop that is a refreshing reboot of rap/rock, which hit it mainstream in the 90s.
One of the main triggers for this eclectic combination was Run D.M.C.’s collaboration with Aerosmith. The two groups reworked Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” into a rock/rap hit. That was in 1986. This genre splice expanded to bands like the Beastie Boys (a hardcore punk band turned hip/hop experimental act) and Rage Against the Machine. As popular as the genre became in the mid-to-late 90s, when it hit the corruptible grasp of the mainstream it was compacted and commercialized and it quickly fizzled out (there are still Alt/Metal and NuMetal bands, it’s just not nearly as popular).
Now, more than a decade after the rap/rock bubble burst, Augustus Caesar has restored the collaboration into a more modern hip/hop version of rap/rock. Let’s take a listen to how it sounds.
The more modern elements are immediately heard with the effects. The song itself is drenched in heavy sound. It’s like a rainstorm of percussion-driven production where the thunder is a sick guitar riff. Yes, sick. The riff is an ode to tap-guitarists like Eddie Van Halen, and it’s sick. Augustus’ rap is also refreshing. I find that many rappers are vocally confusing, but Augustus enunciates well.
“Hope” is ostensibly lighter, but in some ways this piece hits harder. The hip/hop beat is set over a whining guitar riff that cries elegantly. The chorus follows the riff, an audible echo over the riff that is directed by the lyric. The piano riff calls out Brit/Pop, which makes the song more multi-layered. It is fun to peel back this onion and experience the song’s intricacies.
Music Court readers rejoice. Today we add another contributor to the blog. His name is Joshua Drew, and I will let him introduce himself below. His first post will be released Friday, and I can assure you it will be good. You can look for Joshua’s posts on Fridays.
Here is a little about Josh:
“My name is Josh Drew, I am an Economics graduate from the University of South Florida and a musician in the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin Texas. My relationship with music has been a wild one that began with my father’s Queen, Talking heads, Alabama and Pink Floyd records. My mother was always on the lighter side with Disney Compilations, Celine Dion, Savage Garden and Elton John records, so it is no strange coincidence that I developed an eclectic taste for sound.
I began playing music in my late teens as a drummer, and I have never let go. As someone who bought every edition of Rolling Stone for over 10 years, I have always wanted to make a louder voice for myself in the music community and start sharing my experiences, opinions and any advice I can offer to listeners and readers.
The Music Court is a place where I can be open to write how I feel about the current state of music – a constant twist of optimism and dread – without having to hold back. It is a welcome place to let my tastes become more vibrant and my stories take flight – a solid home to share my future with those who are here to grow.”
After now three superior indie/pop releases, it is about damn time that more people know about the Swedish/Berlin duo Marching Band (Jacob Lind and Erik Sunbring). It is such a shame when sweet-sounding, sonorous sounds are only shouted from the snow-crested peaks of the Scandinavian Mountains or the Alps. So, America, are you listening?
Okay, maybe I am over-exaggerating a bit. It’s not like Marching Band has surreptitiously crawled out of the underground like a dulcet mole rat. After releasing their first album in 2008, Marching Band was written about by Rolling Stone’s “Hype Monitor.” They quickly earned radio support, and this continued for their second release in 2010 (check out all their music here). Because of their easily accessible, toe-tapping, psych-saturated pop sound, the band’s music has been featured on several television shows (How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, Jersey Shore and Cougar Town).
But here is the deal. With the release of their new EP And I’ve Never Seen Anything Like That (and new album later in 2013),I want to see even more press for this Marching Band. The music is too good to pass up, and I think it deserves an even bigger listener population than it has already garnered. Let’s get to why I think this. The music, duh!
First thing’s first; this album was entirely self-produced. The EP (and future album) was recorded by the duo in their own studio. Thus, it features a commodious, hospitable sound, as if a mini version of the band is performing each song live on the listener’s desk. “And I’ve Never Seen,” the first track on the EP, begins with an infectious opening beat followed immediately by a satiating guitar riff. The well-harmonized vocals lay over the melody like a pillow. Marching Band features an almost Arcade Fire-like wall-of-sound-esque approach to the chorus of “And I’ve Never Seen” (and several of their chorus’). The culmination of sped-up instrumentals mix with pop paraphernalia. It makes for a great effect.
“Breaking is Fun” may be my favorite track from the EP. It is far more stripped down and folksy. The vocals are market fresh and pastoral. The song moves with a pop pace, though, and this amalgamation is excellent. The song also transforms seamlessly. A folk rhythm turns into a sort-of Irish jig to a rock breakdown into 90’s indie back to the Irish jig. Just awesome.
So, if after listening to the music you agree that Marching Band should be better known, go check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter
What does every good music aggregator possess? Music, right? That’s a fundamental feature. But what do most of these archives lack? Live music video. Premium, high-quality video of the band performing their popular songs adds a personal touch to the material. A viewer is able to obtain a clear image of the performers. In a sense, these videos – as they become technologically better and better – better preserve the band.
As someone who reveres the art of making music, I can attest to eagerly viewing the live sessions of musicians. This not only adds a familiar element to the performances, but also provides the viewer with a whole new musical dynamic.
OurVinyl.tvhas jumped on the opportunity to make high-definition live music videos more accessible. Spawned from the popular music blog OurVinyl, OurVinyl.tv provides users with a clean platform of music videos. After signing in, viewers are prompted with categories of videos they can stream (see below).
Not everyone is into Hip Hop, Indie, or Folk. By splitting up the categories, OurVinyl.tv assures that viewers do not have to sift through a hodgepodge of different genres. After clicking on a genre, the viewer is prompted with a video of a band performing. They have the option of skipping the video if they do not like it, or, if they are enjoying the song, they can click a plus sign on the lower left-hand side of the screen and add the song to their personal playlist (which can be accessed by clicking on My Library at the top of the page). Viewers can also share the video through social media.
The videos featured are from OurVinyl’s self-produced archive of music videos and 12 other video music blogs (Current Contributors:AudioTree (Chicago), Jam in the Van (LA), Porchlight Sessions (Nashville), Belmont Sessions, Noise Coalition, Bowlegs, Subway Sessions (NYC), The Crypt Sessions (London), The Wilcox Sessions, Southern Souls, Music Fog, Single Barrel Detroit.)
The website is free, but viewers can subscribe to a premium account (with a Monthly paid rate) that gives them unlimited amount of music in their library, no advertisements, and exclusive content.
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