Music

Megaforce ( February 05, 2008 ), Genre: Jazz Instrument

Casual Victim Pile = an anagram of ''Live Music Capital''. You can safelyassume that with all due respect to the City of Austin's attempts to promoteitself as such, the town's most exciting cultural activity exists outside theconfines of the Blues Hammer circuit and is not is generally the concern ofLance Armstrong's managers. So now that we've established a rather kneejerk''us vs. them'' stance, the 19 bands represented on 'Casual Victim Pile'are not part of the same musical community, nor can it be claimed they'reall pals. This compilation is only meant to reflect what I like in Austin circa2008-2010 But there's something to be said for a highly arbitrary take onthings.. There probably wasn't a focus group employed to select the repertoirefor Matako Mazuri's 'Bands On The Block' , Ward 9's 'Cottage CheeseFrom The Lips Of Death', and certainly not for the comp. which 'CasualVictim Pile' mostly closely recalls (in my head anyway), Matador's 1991opus with the ripped off title, 'New York Eye & Ear Control'. Whether or notthere's a genuine tie to the region's musical history is up for debate ; there'sonly one former member of Glorium on this compilation (and no formermembers of Dangerous Toys). To make things even more confusing, two ofthe 19 bands represented are based in Denton (Tre Orsi, Bad Sports), butplay in Austin often enough that the self-imposed ''no ringers'' rule wastossed in the trash. Corrections and suggestions for the cassette-only Vol. IIcan be sent to our 304 Hudson St. address (or left on my lawn, whichever ismore convenient). - Gerard Cosloy, Austin TX, 9/2009SALES POINTS:Golden boys - 3 prev albums on daggerman, emperor jonesTre orsi- Howard draper (shearwater), and Matthew barnhartWoven bones - national touring act, many highly collectible 7''es on variouslabelsHarlem - huge blog fave, spin's best band of cmj, gorilla vs bear and pitchforkfaves, second album coming out on matador in marchTRACK LISTING:Follow That Bird

Goddess was recorded in Oklahoma City and produced by Tim Russell (Shawna s uncle) and Ted Curtis at Upstairs Productions Studio, and includes some of the top music industry professionals in the business. Upon first hearing Russells voice, world-famous musicians journeyed to Oklahoma to record with her, including drummer Russ Kunkel (Carly Simon, James Taylor), and bassist David Santos, (Elton John, Billy Joel, John Fogerty). They were joined by vocal engineer, Julian King, who has made a name working with country superstars, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith. The album was mixed by Nathaniel Kunkel, between projects by Diana Ross and The Police. Russell, a resident of Okemah, Oklahoma, has spent a great deal of her young life preparing for this moment. And while her youthful good looks belie her experience, she is a veteran who has paid some serious dues. She first began singing professionally with her father, Keith, in his band, when she was 13. By her late teens, she was fronting the band. During her professional career, Russell has toured across much of the U.S., performing 2-6 nights a week, up to 5 sets a night, at many of the top live music clubs on the circuit, including The Grizzly Rose, in Denver, Billy Bob s, in Ft. Worth, and the Wildhorse Saloon, in Nashville, among countless others. Russell has spent the last three years on the road touring with fellow Oklahoman, Ty England (of Garth Brooks fame), before going solo again. Early buzz from music industry insiders predict that Goddess will finally give Russell her long-awaited break. Russell co-wrote 12 of the 13 songs on Goddess. Most of the songs were written with my dad, Keith, and my uncle Tim, she states. It was the most amazing thing we would get together with just some rough ideas, and several hours later, we would have these killer tunes. We joked that we were channeling Woody Guthrie! (Also an Okemah native). Retro and rockin to Country and contemplative, Goddess is a sonic delight. From the opening track, Back On My Feet, Russell stakes her claim with a vocal intensity that will not be denied it is clear that she means business. Cemetery Hill is set against a bed of jangly guitars and B-3 organ, and juxtaposes the small town burial ground as both a late night spot for lovers and partyers, and a place of beauty and reverence - where well all come together someday. The dreamy Fleetwood Mac-infused title track brings Russell s full emotional range and feminine charms to bear, as she promises her suitor, I can be the goddess that you dream of. Let this goddess care for you. The Only One features soaring guitars and powerful vocals/harmonies, and holds the promise of new love to one who has been rejected. With seething vocals and a scorching electric guitar solo by Jon Conley (Wynnona), Strange Way, the sets only cover, breathes new fire and intensity into the Rick Roberts composition first made popular by Firefall. Dont Put Yourself Out swaggers and rocks with a couldnt-care-less attitude and a punchy horn section led by OKC veteran Chris Hicks. Fire in the Desert is a full-on West coast country-rocker, with harmony guitars flying over Russell s lyrics of aching desire to keep an old love from burning out. Russell pays homage to women who serve in the military with her song, Shed A Tear, which she co-wrote with Tim Russell and former Little Texas lead singer, Tim Rushlow. With the help of a video on YouTube, Shed A Tear has struck a chord with members of the military and their families, and tells the poignant story of a female National Guard soldier who goes off to war. Other standout tracks include Shouldve Been Born With Wheels, Everybody s Got A Story, Get Out Of My Way and Little Dixie.

Fenster is the duo of New Yorker-turned-Berliner JJ Weihl and Berlin-born Jonathan Jarzyna, that plays de-constructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives. Their sound and recording style has analog warmth, exploring the relationship between machine errors in their circuit-bent beats and the tactile use of objects and instrumentation. Their influences range from The Velvet Underground to the sounds of broken records, the hum of a washing machine, or the faint melodies of oldies tunes through their kitchen radio, at times, reminding you of an American version of The XX. The band's name springs from an ominous incident during the recording of their first album: a window shattered on JJ's head, bestowing her with a bump and the name "Fenster." The album starts off establishing most of its musical themes in the first half of the tracks, introducing characteristic elements such as stripped-down percussion, reverby vocals, slamming doors and dynamic song structures. Starting off with the classic lo-fi pop ballad "Oh Canyon, " the album dives into moodier tracks like "The Hunter" or "Gravediggers, " pairing synthesizers with banjo, and integrating shovels and batteries as percussive instruments. The second half of the album begins with the suicidal sea ballad, "Fisherman, " a song based around a randomly generated rhythm, incorporating electric guitar, glockenspiel and zither that culminates in a four-part harmony underscored by drums recorded in a freight elevator building up to the final moment in which the guitar sonically drowns. On "Killer Surf Walker, " a pastiche of '50s surf rock, a slide guitar is paired with an old out-of-tune piano, and a recording of a beach in Brooklyn at sunset. Lyrically, the album touches on everything from Schadenfreude to nostalgia about the beginning of one's adult life and the illusion of invincibility and permanence to vivid imagery of death, murder, and fallen kingdoms in "Blue To White, " "Killer Surf Walker, " and finally "Gespenster, " which ends with an explosive 8 part harmony. Fenster's charm and inimitability comes in the form of collage; hungry to integrate their vision of the future with the sound of the past. Futuristic nostalgia with a lyrical bent towards the macabre world of dreams.

Fenster is the duo of New Yorker-turned-Berliner JJ Weihl and Berlin-born Jonathan Jarzyna, that plays de-constructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives. Their sound and recording style has analog warmth, exploring the relationship between machine errors in their circuit-bent beats and the tactile use of objects and instrumentation. Their influences range from The Velvet Underground to the sounds of broken records, the hum of a washing machine, or the faint melodies of oldies tunes through their kitchen radio, at times, reminding you of an American version of The XX. The band's name springs from an ominous incident during the recording of their first album: a window shattered on JJ's head, bestowing her with a bump and the name "Fenster." The album starts off establishing most of its musical themes in the first half of the tracks, introducing characteristic elements such as stripped-down percussion, reverby vocals, slamming doors and dynamic song structures. Starting off with the classic lo-fi pop ballad "Oh Canyon, " the album dives into moodier tracks like "The Hunter" or "Gravediggers, " pairing synthesizers with banjo, and integrating shovels and batteries as percussive instruments. The second half of the album begins with the suicidal sea ballad, "Fisherman, " a song based around a randomly generated rhythm, incorporating electric guitar, glockenspiel and zither that culminates in a four-part harmony underscored by drums recorded in a freight elevator building up to the final moment in which the guitar sonically drowns. On "Killer Surf Walker, " a pastiche of '50s surf rock, a slide guitar is paired with an old out-of-tune piano, and a recording of a beach in Brooklyn at sunset. Lyrically, the album touches on everything from Schadenfreude to nostalgia about the beginning of one's adult life and the illusion of invincibility and permanence to vivid imagery of death, murder, and fallen kingdoms in "Blue To White, " "Killer Surf Walker, " and finally "Gespenster, " which ends with an explosive 8 part harmony. Fenster's charm and inimitability comes in the form of collage; hungry to integrate their vision of the future with the sound of the past. Futuristic nostalgia with a lyrical bent towards the macabre world of dreams.