We had the pleasure of hosting Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings in our lounge during SXSW 2010. They have a brand new album coming out soon called I Learned The Hard Way and we have a video of one of the new songs to share with you below.
The past year has been a good one for Portugal. The Man. They released their fourth album, The Satanic Satanist and played some big festivals like Bonnaroo and Outside Lands. The band toured like crazy last year and continued to build up a great fanbase in the process.
Now they are ready to take on anything after starting off their 2010 tour with sellout shows, including two nights here in Austin. Their brand new album, American Ghetto sees the band continuing to hone their craft as they prepare to make this year an even bigger success than last. Enjoy this session with Portugal. The Man.
The Big Ears Festival in Knoxville is getting closer and closer. The event takes place March 26-28 and if you have not already thrown your hat into the ring for our contest, you should do that now. We are pretty excited about the festival and wanted to give you a proper preview of some of the artists playing this year. So, in case you missed it, you can now stream our hour long special on demand! The show features music from the likes of Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, The National, Clogs, Dirty Projectors and more, all of whom are playing Big Ears this year.
I must admit that I didn’t quite know what to expect upon receiving an invitation to attend the Next Big Nashville festival in October. Oh sure, I knew that ‘Music City USA’ was a lot more than the capitol of country music. While the Opry & Music Row may be front-and-center to the general public, most insiders know that the city has become a hotbed for all sorts of independent artists covering a wide range of musical styles. We regularly saw a steady stream of indie bands travelling north for gigs in Cincinnati and to play a Lounge Act session for us in the WOXY studios, so with that in mind, I checked the lineup and made my reservation.
Once I’d arrived in Tennessee, I met up with Future Sounds’ Larry Little, as both WOXY & Future Sounds teamed to present a string of showcases featuring the likes of Phosphorescent, The Black Angels, Bear In Heaven, Twin Tigers, and Jemina Pearl, formerly of local favorites Be Your Own Pet. We also partnered with American Songwriter magazine and Gibson guitars to record a string of stripped down performances either on the Gibson tour bus or at the magazine’s offices. (more…)
Kieran Hebden’s last album as Four Tet was 2005’s Everything Ecstatic. Since that time he has released the Ringer EP, collaborated with dubstep producer Burial, released an album with his rock band Fridge, and also had a handful of releases with drummer Steve Reid.
For his new full-length album There Is Love In You, he has headed out on a brief North American tour. Austin was one of only 9 dates and WOXY was proud to sponsor the show here in town at The Mohawk. We recorded the entire gig, which will be airing back on an upcoming episode of Xtrabeats.
Here, we bring you some highlights from the show. You’ll hear an epic version of the album’s first single “Love Cry”, as well as the show’s encore of “Smile Around The Face” and “Spirit Fingers.”
At the artist’s request, this performance will not be made available for download.
Even though right now it seems like the only thing going on in the music world is the upcoming SXSW festival, we assure you, there is more. And the “more” I write about in this case is the upcoming Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. It takes place the weekend after SXSW, and looks to be one of the best lineups I have seen for a small festival announced this year.
A quick look at the lineup and you too will agree that this is like a who’s who of hot upcoming artists right now. And on top of that, you get to see them in a couple of amazing old theaters and not out in the desert at Coachella or in the hot summer heat among thousands at other festivals.
Still not sure? Here are just some of the artists on the bill. Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, The National, Dirty Projectors, Vampire Weekend, The XX, jj, Clogs (feat. Sufjan Stevens and members of The National), My Brightest Diamond, Gang Gang Dance and more. Seriously, there is more. So toss out any ideas you might have about festivals as a whole, and what you might know or not know about Knoxville, Tennessee and jump on board for this years Big Ears festival. This is the year it goes from being a big secret to one of the most talked about festivals around.
Also this year, WOXY is a proud media partner of the Big Ears festival and wants you to go and check out the whole thing. Thats right, we have an Inner Ear Pass (which gives you priority access to all Big Ears Festival events…including all concerts as well as talks, workshops, receptions, and other special events) which is a 250$ value to give away right here on The Futurist! It’s a big prize, but thats just how generous we are.
So enter to win a Inner Ear pass to the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville below, the contest runs from now until March 12th, good luck! (more…)
It’s the Monday after by:larm 2010 and my whirlwind trip to Oslo, Norway. Despite suffering from some big jet lag after my travel home yesterday, I feel like I have to fight the hangover and provide some final thoughts about the festival. So first off, what went on Saturday?
Well, when I last checked in, I was just coming down from the high of a great Friday night out at by:larm, which arguably was the strongest night start to finish for this years festival. Saturday was no slouch either however, it just had some less familiar names filling out the bill. But if I didn’t mention our Saturday afternoon venture first, it just wouldn’t be fair. I took a bus with a handful of others to an off the beaten path location for what we only knew would be a “special performance.”
The bus took us just outside the city to an old building that I was told was the mausoleum of artist Emanuel Vigeland. Not only did Vigeland’s art decorate all of the walls in a creepy but amazing way, but his ashes are apparently inside the top of the entrance to the building. As if that wasn’t enough to make this a unique experience, we were treated to refreshments of whiskey shots and smoked reindeer heart to boot. True Viking food if I do say so myself. Then it was the music of Susanne Sundfør, who continued the mysterious vibe we were all experiencing by performing with a piano alone and singing three or four beautiful songs that seemed absolutely perfect for the setting. You can find out more about the Vigeland museum here. (more…)
After a few days here in Oslo, Norway, there are quite a few things that I am impressed by. This city feels incredibly safe, the people are modest, kind and overall fairly harmless. Everyone mostly keeps to themselves and if asked, are happy to help you on your way. This comes in handy when walking the streets looking for one of several music venues during the by:larm festival. And speaking of venues, this city has plenty. Every time Larry and I walk into another one and examine it’s contents and size, we are more impressed.
From old theaters with a modern touch to hole in the wall bars with loads of character, Oslo lets you know what’s important while visiting from overseas, and what’s important is live music and the buildings that house it. And the music, well, it’s not so bad either, and last night may have been the best overall night for music here at by:larm 2010. (more…)
It’s Thursday, and the first full day of by:larm 2010 here in Oslo. While we try and shake off the jet lag, the festival is fully cranked up and roaring it’s heat into the wintry day outside. The conference is moving along as well, and today featured sessions with some real legends. Among them were Alan McGee, the founder of Creation Records and also former manager of The Jesus & Mary Chain. Also featured was an interview with Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk fame and a conversation with Rough Trade Records pioneer Geoff Travis.
Sure, that sounds like alot, but it wasn’t enough to deter Larry from Future Sounds and myself from exploring the city some as well. We went walking into the cold and snow in search of food, and after finding some, got lost, about a mile out of our way, into Oslo. We didn’t mind it though, and even took a moment to acknowledge it here. After finally finding our way back, it was just enough time to gather our strength and head out for the first full night of hopping around town watching live music. It’s the main course of our meal after all, and we were ready to consume. (more…)
It’s 8pm in Oslo, Norway but it feels more like 2am to me. After all, I just hopped off a plane from the US after flying for nearly 13 hours from Austin, Texas. I mention that it’s 8pm because that is when the first band takes the stage at this years by:larm festival. If you know nothing about by:larm (pronounced “bee larm”) then I suggest you have a look at our festival preview. Good, all caught up now? Great.
It’s a cold and snowy 8pm here in Oslo as well, and as I walk from my hotel to the makeshift venue for the night (the shows for opening night are being held in a tent), I wonder why winter festivals don’t really happen in the US. Maybe it’s just the weather, maybe it’s the massive amounts of summer, spring and fall fests that already fill up the calendar. Or maybe, it’s just that we don’t have the creativity that the by:larm folks do.
After all, tonights show is in a tent, and its a brisk 18 degrees outside. But the tent is climate controlled and comes complete with a large stage and plenty of heat to make you forget the temperature. Of course, the bands did their part as well, helping the thawing out attendees enjoy the kick off to a big weekend of live music. (more…)
