Out of all the music festivals around the world, only one has the sheer magnetism that Austin’s SXSW has. Coachella is too hot, Bonnaroo has a funny name, but SXSW is just right. This year is no exception. And to kick off the festivities, the Free Yr Radio campaign, created by Yaris and Urban Outfitters, is kicking off 2008’s SXSW with Free Yr Radio activities including: A launch party on March 12 at La Zona Rosa, co-hosted by Austin's independent...
Of all the music festivals around the world, only one has the sheer magnetism that Austin’s SXSW has. Coachella is too hot, Bonoroo has a funny name, but SXSW is juuuuust right. A this year is no exception. To kick off the festivities, the Free Yr Radio campaign, created by Yaris and Urban Outfitters, is kicking off 2008’s SXSW with Free Yr Radio activities including: • A launch party on March 12 at La Zona Rosa, co-hosted by Austin's independent...
To kick off our 2008 Noise Pop Festival coverage, we got 40 photos from last night’s show featuring The Walkmen, The Broken West, Nyles Lannon and A Modern Machine at The Independent in San Francisco. Due to some complications and a really strict, yet cool, house manager, there's no review for the show. But, there are lots of photos so just use your imaginations… And be sure to check out the rest of the schedule. Stay tuned for more Coverage...
Abstract indie-rockers, Animal Collective, will be dropping a new EP, Water Curses, on CD and 12’’ on May 6th, 2008. Sticking true to the format, the EP will feature 4 brand new tracks recorded during a separate session than last year’s Strawberry Jam. Water Curses will see the band re-imaging their constituent parts and exploring new waters saturated in shapes alongside a more stripped down feel than their more recent work. It will also see the band exploring rhythm, electronics,...
When I hear the words “Die! Die! Die!” and “New Zealand” in the same sentence I tend to think of poor Frodo and Sam fighting their way through Mordor while their punk-ass friends are off hanging out with talking trees and catching in the wonderful landscape of Middle Earth. But, as usual, I’m way off. Die! Die! Die! is actually a dope rock band from Auckland, New Zealand, and they just announced some tour dates in support of their latest...
Adrian Belew has racked up an impressive resume over the years. A singer and virtuoso guitarist, he's played with Zappa, Bowie and the Talking Heads, among others, but he's best known as the frontman for prog-rock gods King Crimson. In between King Crimson tours, Belew has been performing with the Adrian Belew Power Trio, and is currently in the middle of a 21-city jaunt across the United States. Earlier this month, Ground Control spoke to Belew's Power Trio bandmates, bassist...
This was not my first time at the dance. Ages ago, mere weeks into last August, I marveled at the Echo’s tidy ambience as a slew of strange bands paraded across the stage and Annie Clark stomped out a fiery lullaby of smashed guitars and freckles. Now, only a few yards beneath the Echo at it’s larger twin the Echoplex, that memory is quickly fading. The Echoplex appears much larger and more proprietary than its upstairs stage. The bar is...
Oxford-based indie-dance-rock band Foals have announced the release of their debut full-length, Antidotes, due out April 8 on the mother of all indie labels, Sub Pop. After meeting up in Oxford, the five gents crowded around 20-year-old Yannis Philippakis and forged on to make dance music for yuppies, or maybe even dance music for athletes? Yannis explains, “We wanted to make music that was very technical, that wasn’t just party music, but at the same time you could dance to...