Back to School wit Chaz

What better way to start your school year off with than a rock show! This Saturday with a few of my favorites @ Carrollton Station so you college kids can walk or take the street car if you are so inclined.

MP3: Big Rock Candy Mountain - Rocketship
MP3: Caddywhompus - But Not Before the Show...

Static Thunder Dome: Of Montreal vs Phoenix

I know what you ask yourselves, "what does Wesley do when he isn't working on Static? I mean, those interviews and stuff can't take up that much of his time." Well I will tell you. I think of fictional situations where two bands would have to perform to a select audience of uptight, jaded music fans; and it would be like Thunder Dome. Only one band would be allowed to leave. The other band would have to sit in the corner and think about where they went wrong all these years and why they didn't decide to take over the family business.

The one I was thinking of today was Of Montreal vs Phoenix. This came from a conversation I had on a top secret uber-cool forum I read. This is how it went down in reference to the new Phoenix album:

Panda Revolt - "This is very very good. Reminds me of Of Montreal."
Hazium - "Great point, Of Montreal but tighter."

Bold statement, Hazium. You are talking about a band that has done an awful lot with their career. Lets break this down Shall we?

BACKGROUND:
Of Montreal, hailing from Athens, GA and the Elephant 6 collective have gone through much changes musically throughout the last 2 decades. They started by just merely imitating psychedelic 60s music to doing a modern day interpretation as they see it, which has led them to a very high level of success which all got started with that dreaded Outback commercial.
Phoenix, on the other hand, formed in 1999 as a back up band for Air to do a remix. You can hear the french electronic scene that gave birth to the likes of Daft Punk, Busy P and Justice in their music to this day.
LIVE PERFORMANCES:
This is way too easy. I do know people who swear by Phonex's live shows, but Of Montreal is about as good as it comes when it comes to entertaining you with their live shows. I haven't heard any stories yet of Thomas Mars getting naked on stage or dressing like a Centaur. Point goes to Of Montreal.
BODY OF WORK:
Phoenix is solid and have been as long as I can remember. Of Montreal on the other hand wasn't as pop friendly in the beginning, but I love their early work and reminds me so much of innocence and purity in a way only Kevin Barnes can express. I think both bands have an amazing since of self awareness, and are amazing musicians. I also feel like they both sometimes fall into a trap of repeating a formula that works and sells records. Though when I listen to Kevin Barnes sing I feel like I am looking into his soul which I find so powerful. Phoenix, on the other hand, I find it hard to believe that it is their soul lyrically since he is French, and I am still dying to hear them do an all French speaking album. Edge to Of Montreal for speaking in their native tongue, I think Serge Gainsbourg would even agree with me here even though this is a topic for another day.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
I think both of these bands will be listened to for a long time after they have decided to move on with their lives, though both of these bands seem on the outside to be well oiled machines and get along well enough to last quite a while. Of Montreal was a part of an entire musical movement out of Athens which included the likes of Apples and Stereos and Neutral Milk Hotel. Phoenix, on the other hand ,seems to be a band that definitely has been a head of it's time, creating rock versions of an electronic music scene they were deeply submersed in. This is the toughest one to answer since a lot of times these things aren't easily seen until after the fact, but I have to go with Of Montreal here.

So, Of Montreal has it. At least if I was judge. Phoenix will be playing at Tips on October 1st.

VIDEO: Of Montreal Interview

Jacks Announces Fall Line-Up

Ahhhh, Fall. We all know what that means in New Orleans: hurricanes, football, Halloween and the return of touring bands. The other week the Republic announced it's fall line up and we mentioned how One Eyed Jacks was going to drop a pretty nice one. Well here it is; and we are happy to be presenting two shows, the Horrors and A Place to Bury Strangers. More on that later.

8/20--The Warlocks with The Morning After Girls plus The Vandelles(doors at 7) /// Fast Times '80's Night at 10pm
8/21--The Donnas
8/22--An Evening with Galactic
8/24--An Evening with Bobby Long
8/28— Glasgow with Consortium of Genius and Felix
8/29—Flood Washington Fest featuring Anders Osborne, Stanton Moore, and Kid Chocolate Brown
8/30--DJ Soul Sister presents a Screening of The Wiz (doors at 7pm)
9/2—Winter Circle presents Gift of Gab and Mr. Lif
9/3--An Evening with Sleepy Sun(doors at 7) /// Fast Times '80's Night at 10pm
9/4--QuiVa Productions Presents Groundation
9/5--Ballzack with The Buttons plus Odoms
9/6—Winter Circle presents Good Enough for Good Times and Gravity A
9/10--Fast Times '80's Night
9/13--Fleur de Tease Burlesque
9/18--Soulsavers
9/19—AntiGravity Magazine presents Telefon Tel Aviv with Club of the Sons
9/20—Bingo!
9/22- Static TV Presents The Horrors plus Crocodiles
9.23— Lydia with Play Radio Play plus All the Day Holiday (doors at 8pm)
9.24—Peelander-Z with Birthday Suit (doors at 7pm) /// Fast Times '80's Night at 10pm
9.25— Rock City Morgue CD Release Party
9/26--The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with The Depreciation Guild plus Cymbals Eat Guitars
9/27—Monotonix
9/29--An Evening with The Minus 5, the Baseball Project, and the Steve Wynn IV performed by Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon
9/30—The Walkmen with Here We Go Magic and Brass Bed
10/2—Those Darlins
10/4--Blitzen Trapper / Wye Oak / Leo DeJesus (of The City Life)
10/5—The Sounds
10/6--Charlatans UK
10/9— Static TV presents A Place to Bury Strangers plus Darker My Love
10/10--Rain Machine
10/16—Japandroids
10/21--Junior Boys
10/23—Liquidrone
10/25—The Black Heart Procession with The Mumlers
10/27—Or, The Whale plus Silent Cinema
11/1--Winter Circle presents Pnuma PA and Sage Francis with Emancipator
11/13—The Devil Makes Three plus Stix the Clown and The Zydepunks
11/15—Fleur de Tease Burlesque
11/17--The Revival Tour featuring Chuck Ragan, Jim Ward, Frank Turner, Jon Snodgrass & Chad Price from Drag the River, The Zydepunks and Audra Mae
11/22--White Denim

New show now online

See what money can buy you? A much better looking show online. I hope you enjoy. Track list bellow.

Static 315 from Static on Vimeo.

All videos are in order of appearance:
The Buttons - Roller Rock
Tim Exile - Family Galaxy
Metric - Sick Muse
Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done
Yo La Tengo - Periodically Double or Triple
Micachu & the Shapes - Golden Phone
Wildbirds - There is No Light
Friendly Fires - Kiss of Life
Jack Penate - Be the One
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Chains, Chains, Chains
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Roll up Your Sleeves
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer
Girls - Hellhole Ratrace

New Static tonight?

Hey fans, I think we might have a new Static on Cox 10 tonight...maybe, maybe not. Who knows with those crazy kids. I am currently uploading the show to Vimeo. I upgraded this morning so the shows should look better from this point forward.

The new episode is our special we shot at Siren Fest here in Brooklyn. We got interviews with Bear Hands and Micachu and the Shapes along with a bunch of other neat things that you will have to watch the show to find out about. Here is the Micahu interview that will be featured along side a bunch of great new videos.

What I learned from this interview is to never drink 2 Pina Coladas before an interview and to not get me rambling about Drum and Bass.

MP3: Micachu and the Shapes - Lips

Sound and the Jury

Sound & The Jury (S&J), a virtual battle of the bands, is back for its 3rd year and will again offer one lucky band the ultimate grand prize: a slot on the Dell Stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival (Oct. 2-4, 2009). That means bands of all genres have another shot at landing a dream gig on the ACL Festival line-up alongside musical heavyweights Sonic Youth, Arctic Monkeys, Phoenix, Mos Def, Passion Pit, Daniel Johnston, Andrew Bird, and many more. Last year's winner, The Steps, have since gone on to release an album and go on tour. Who will play the 2009 ACL Festival? It's up to you.

How It Works
Round One is live now and bands can upload their music at www.delllounge.com/soundandthejury to enter the competition. To stay in the game, bands must generate as many votes as possible to land them in the Top 100 by August 28 and then move on to the next round. From there, a combination of industry judges and fan-voting will narrow down the competition to just five finalists who will perform for a live audience in Austin at Antone's on September 30. At the end of the multi-round, two-month campaign, one lucky and worthy band will earn a prize spot on the Dell Stage at the ACL Festival.

What's at Stake
Each of the five finalists will receive $1,500 and a trip to Austin. The winning band will be listed as part of the official lineup and receive an opening slot on the Dell Stage at the ACL Festival. As an official ACL artist, the winner will get artist passes for the entire weekend with access to catering, the artist lounge, and everywhere else bands get to go! The winning band will also receive promotion on delllounge.com, a 15" Dell Studio laptop, weekend hotel accommodations in Austin, and tickets for some friends the day of show.

And here is a short video from last years Sound and the Jury

AUDIO: NAPT - Fortune

I don't know if you know, but I do read press releases. I get a weird enjoyment out of them. There is a true art form to them. As a band or aspiring publicist, you really should just read other people's press releases and learn from them. Going through as many as I get, it is hard to know what is actually worth listening to. Here is an example of me tuning in because of relations to other people I know, such as Fabric and Beatport.

As the third installment of NAPT's award winning N-Funk series draws ever closer and in light of NAPT's performance on August 14 at legendary London club Fabric the Beatport and Breakspoll award winners have produced a special exclusive 12 Inch Dub Mix of their track "Fortune". "Fortune" was originally released on N-Funk Part 2 on Funkatech Records last year and this re-mix is sure to thrash heads as lights flash and the dry ice flows.

The song is alright, but that is like my opinion, man.

MP3: NAPT - Fortune

VIDEO: Bear Hands Interview

I like the way this one came out. We also got an MP3 of Bear Hands
MP3: Bear Hands - What A Drag

Republic Announces Fall Line-Up

This came to me Via Facebook. Why does Hot Chip have to DJ on Halloween night? What are your thoughts on these acts? I know for a fact that Jacks is about to announce some really good shows.

She Wants Revenge + Kill Hannah + Paper Route
SAT 9.12.09 | Advance Tickets: $17 | Door Tickets: $19

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead + Secret Machines + The Public
SUN 9.13.09 | Advance Tickets: $14 | Door Tickets: $16

Datarock + Esser + Big Rock Candy Mountain
WED 9.23.09 | Tickets: $18
Presented by New Orleans Indie Rock Collective

The Toadies + Rotary Downs
TUE 9.29.09 | Advance Tickets: $15 | Door Tickets: $18

Joe Goddard & Alexis Taylor (HOT CHIP) DJ Set + King Britt (Official Voodoo Event!)
SAT 10.31.09 (Halloween) | Advance Tickets: $22 | Door Tickets: $25
presented by Republic New Orleans and Winter Circle Productions

NO TICKET FEES!!! A $10 ticket is $10 plus tax!
Purchase tickets, listen, and read more here: http://tinyurl.com/nhxndy
More national artists to be announced soon!

THROWBACK SHOWS
Live Music Every Friday this Fall!
Aug 7 - Jermaine Quiz Entourage + Supertronatron
Aug 14 - Silent Cinema
Sep 4 - G-Eazy + Neiliyo!
Sep 11 - Mod Dance Party DJs, DJ Soul Sister, and more!
Sep 18 - The Revivalists
Sep 25 - Club of the Sons
Oct 9 - Silent Cinema
Oct 16 - Glasgow
Oct 23 - Big Rock Candy Mountain
Nov 13 - Rotary Downs
Nov 27 - The Generationals

Blue Party headlines Blue Nile Thursday

One of New Orleans newer bands, Blue Party, is headlining the world famous Blue Nile this Thursday with one of my favorite prog rocky bands from the big easy, Big Rock Candy Mountain, and the touring band, Roadside Graves, which has just recently signed to Aquarium Drunkard's new label. They always did say that blogs would take the place of record labels on day.


MP3: The Blue Party - Homeless
MP3: Big Rock Candy Mountain - Rocketship