The annual Warped Tour is approaching again. This year it takes place on July 20th at Vinoy Park, on the water in St. Petersburg. I've linked to their site before, and it is possible to see which bands are playing, but it's a pain in the ass to figure out if the bands listed are actually going to be here. Most of the bands are only playing part of the tour, and a lot of good bands won't be here. But I went ahead and figured out . Here's a list of the bands playing the St. Pete show, and links to some music, starting with the first 18 bands:
Bad Religion, the granddaddys of punk from Woodland Hills, CA. On Epitaph Records. The new record does not sound like the others. You tell me if that's good or bad. Band site.
Circa Survive from Philadelphia, PA. On Equal Vision Records. I have seen these guys three or four times now, and they can be really good when they actually try. Actually, the band is always good. The singing could use a touch more sobriety at times. But when they are good, they are really good. Band site.
So do you know if you are going to go yet? Did anything jump out at you? Well if not, just be patient. More to come quickly. Post a comment below if you have something to say about Warped or any of these bands.
It's basically impossible for me not to look for great new music. Here's a little of what I've found lately:
Matt and Kim are a two-piece from Brooklyn. Kim plays a sparse drum set while Matt plays keyboards and sings. Their music is heavily syncopated and positively cheerful. I like my fast angry punk rock, to be sure, but happy music makes me glad I am alive. At their website you can download No More Long Years, Yea Yeah, Verbs Before Nouns and Silver Tiles right from the frontpage. Also you can see pics of Kim being adorable. I saw them play two nights ago at the Crowbar and her wide-open smile never stopped. Matt thought she had all the stage lights, but I think it was just Kim being happy. Great show, and a really fun band. Definitely download if you like Mates of State's more upbeat songs, or any Hot Hot Heat at all. Oh, and Mates of State fans, trust me, it's not a rip-off. Besides, they play the opposite instruments.
If you haven't already heard of The Thermals from Portland, Oregon, then it is high time you did. If you know Archers of Loaf and Superdrag and like them then don't be surprised if you like this too. The Thermals is political punk with a baby-smooth front, and it rocks hard. Download Here's Your Future (my favorite and a must hear), A Pillar of Salt, How We Know, A Stare Like Yours, It's Trivia, and No Culture Icons right from the front page of their website. It's a little weird, though. Look for the music player at the top left of the page and mouse over the name of the song to download each track. This will be the very best thing you found in a while.
You know what The Hold Steady kind of sound like? It's a little like if The Black Crowes didn't thoroughly suck. I absolutely hate that band, and it isn't even fair to imply any sort of association with Chris "Give Me Drugs Not Food" Robinson, but still. The Hold Steady have a straightforward rock 'n' roll sound, sing-along choruses and the kind of alcoholism that makes for great songwriting. Chris Neiles from Neile's Life (it's an outstanding blog besides just hosting these songs) posted three songs: Chips Ahoy!, Party Pit and Southtown Girls. They won't be up for very long, so go now and get them. I can only strongly recommend the first two, but get the last one anyway and then tell me what you think. Also, don't miss out on Vagrant, Stuck Between Stations and Positive Jam, both posted on Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good, which happens to be an excellent music blog as well.
That should get you started on some new stuff you may not already know about. Look for more posts like this in the future. Also, check back for reviews of shows and records soon. Oh, and let me know what you think of these bands. Leave a comment below. Thanks.
Well, I'm back after a long break (Sorry. Moving, bad Internet connection, blah, blah, blah) and it's time to talk a little about Cartel and their future.
For those who don't know anything about them, Cartel is a pop-punk band from Atlanta, GA. They are soon to record their second record, and therein lies the dilemma. The recording process is going to be televised on MTV (eMpTyV) on a show called "Band In a Bubble Presented By Dr. Pepper Featuring Cartel." For 21 days, the band will live in a transparent bubble on Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. Viewers will be able to watch the recording process and day-to-day life of the band both on the show and live via webcams. The band will not leave the premises for those twenty-one days, and cameras will be all over. At the end of the process, the band will come out of the bubble and play a gig. As with anything even vaguely punk rock, there is some controversy about the show.
Punknews.org reported on a spat between music industry figure Bob Lefsetz and Cartel's singer, Will Pugh. In an article from April 23, Lefsetz says:
Ever heard of Cartel? Not me. But I’m sure they can’t be making music I’m interested in. Music comes from inspiration, not marketing plans. Whoever convinced the act to be involved in this stunt, whether it be their manager or Charlie Walk or somebody else, should be exiled from the business immediately, made to live in said biosphere WITH the band, sans BlackBerry, sans dinners at Peter Luger’s, sans ANY of the creature comforts of modern society. Better yet, Cartel still has time to back out of this misguided stunt. Rather than become the David Blaines of music (and it’s not like Mr. Blaine gets any respect from magicians), Cartel can only save itself by issuing a press release REBELLING against such crap. Would the Sex Pistols listen to their label? Would they be playing it safe? Would they be tools of the marketing machine? Certainly not when they mattered, back in ‘76.
Read the whole article here. It's a harsh indictment of the band and their motives, to be sure. Lefsetz is basically calling them sell-outs. Will Pugh, Cartel's frontman, replied:
Of course this is a marketing ploy and a huge one at that. There’s not one person who reads about this fan or not that isn’t going to see this as a stunt. [...] The big point is that people who have never heard of us are hearing about us now. [...] All you guys think we’re just another dickless band with mediocre songs without even giving us a chance. Fuck selling records if that’s what you think this is all about. See, we only have one record. We’re about to record our 2nd. People don’t really know us from any other band on the radio or mtv. All that is about to change. This bubble shit is stirring up all kinds of dust around the music world. Its something people find ridiculous. People think we’re crazy, sellouts, whores and everything else negative they can think of. Some people see it as cool. (I would venture to say that most of these people don’t have their head up their asses about music in the sense that they don’t think they are the definitive source on music knowledge or "what’s wrong with the industry"). The big point is that people who have never heard of us are hearing about us now. I know that great bands get out there some way…..but how long does that take. Even the upstarts from left field don’t have a career long enough to even call them road tested…..shit, some of them have played less than 100 shows ever by the time they "make it".
The question is, is a major label band selling out by engaging in gimmicky marketing? Pugh points out that the band's first record, Chroma was released on an independent label called The Militia Group. Distribution for The Militia Group is done by Sony's RED Distribution. RED Distribution and Cartel's new label Epic Records are both owned by Sony BMG Music Group. It's hard to argue that The Militia Group is truly an independent label. The label itself is, but that's not saying much. Distribution is where money is made, and that's where Sony's grubby little fingers are. That said, I only know of one truly independent record distributor, and that is Southern Records, the distributor for Dischord and other independent labels. So Pugh is kind of right. Their first label is sort of independent and they graduated to a major label for their second record.
This band has always been on this track, and there is nothing wrong with that. For a lot of bands, going to a true major is the only hope for starting to recoup the money spent on previous releases. Now is the time for full disclosure: I have met Cartel, and their new (-ish) bassist, Jeff Lett (Wikipedia, MySpace). Jeff joined the band after they released their first record and right before they joined the 2006 Warped Tour. Also, I have seen Cartel three times, in three different venues, with three very different crowds. All three times, the crowd loved them. To address the "selling out" question: I don't think you can call this show selling out. I don't think it's any worse than what the really huge artists do. Jessica Simpson had some show with her husband, right? Is she a sell-out? No, in her genre of music, that's just promotion. And if it weren't for that show, I probably never would have heard of her. Or I would just think that she is the weird-looking chick from the Dukes of Hazzard movie I wouldn't see anyway.
The entertainment industry is always going to seek the lowest common denominator. That's how you get the most people interested in your product. High-brow entertainment isn't for the masses, it's for a select few. Cartel listeners will never listen to or even hear of Crass. But I bet a lot of them like NOFX, and you aren't gonna hear them called sell-outs no matter what they do, including calling themselves sell-outs.
Before anyone reams me for defending Cartel, I should tell you that I really don't care for their music. It's not awful, it just doesn't do anything for me. But I will watch this show (it better be funny, though). The fact of the matter is, whether you like Cartel or not, whether you think the show is a good idea or a marketing monstrosity, it will bring the band new fans. At the very least, a whole lot more people will know their name. Lefsetz already does. And in the end, that's the point.
What do you think of this? The mouthful of a show name, the fact that Cartel is doing it, or just that I think Jessica Simpson is weird looking? Any opinion at all, leave a comment below. Pick a fight with some teeny boppers for all I care, but say something. Thanks.
On the right side of the main page, about halfway down, you will find my new Google Reader widget. It shows you items I choose from the fifty or so different websites I read. Click "Read More" to see more articles. Enjoy. Leave me comments if you find something you think is interesting.
Also, I have added a Google map of all the venues from the show calendar. It's on the same page as the calendar, so just scroll down. Maybe now you can get to Jannus without guessing. I still can't. But I always get there. Here's what the map looks like:
I will add more to it as I find venues I don't already know. Next up: The Atlantic, in Gainesville. Anybody been there? Leave a comment.
The Show Calendar has been updated (actually, I update it every week) and there are lots of good shows coming. It's time to go see shows! Highlights and personal favorites include:
Lifetime with New Mexican Disaster Squad and The Draft (ex-HotWater Music) at The Social in Orlando April 27th. I already have my tickets. If you've never seen Lifetime, you must go see this show.
In my opinion, Red Room Cinema is one of the best bands in Tampa right now. They get better every time I see them. They recorded something recently, I believe. Hopefully it will be for sale. See them with me in Tampa on May 5th at the New World Brewery.
John Ralston, Owen, Ophelia in Tampa at the Orpheum on May 11th. I know nothing at all about John Ralston or Ophelia, but Owen is Mike Kinsella, of Cap'n Jazz fame. Should be a great show. Mike's stuff is solo, acoustic, and really good. Be brave, and go see it.
fak3r sent me a link to this video from Emo's in Austin, TX. He also posted a link to an entire live show from NPR. This show is incredible. It's a big file, but who cares?
Well, some people know them. This is pretty obscure stuff, though. Each of these bands is a better definition of "emo" than anything in the last six to eight years (yeah, it's been at least that long). If that term immediately brings Bright Eyes or The Get Up Kids (or the new "emo," like Taking Back Sunday or Hawthorne Heights), then please go buy any of these records you can find. I provided handy links for some. Enjoy.
Anasarca
Anasarca was a band from Washington DC (read: various suburbs in Maryland). They existed for only a short time, but produced a powerful catalog. These guys were some of my best friends when I lived in DC, so I saw them a lot. They were also the only people I knew who had cars, so they took me to a lot of other shows. Many of the bands I am listing here I only know because Mike Weltz (original drummer) and Chris Afzal (guitarist) showed them to me.
At the time (1994-1996), Anasarca was a big draw in DC and beyond. There were almost four hundred people at their last show in the basement of the Happy Hardcore House sidenote: Did anyone ever go to this house? Have flyers? Pictures? Recordings (video or audio)?Please email me. Full disclosure: I lived at the HHH and booked some of the shows and played in others. Anasarca shows were big affairs, and kids always cried. Their music actually was that powerful (though a lot of kids cried at shows anyway). Check out what I have found from Anasarca on the web (BTW, there was a German death metal band named Anasarca as well).
The Sound of Indie has an mp3 of the song Eugene Debs live from Minneapolis Punk Fest in 1996. The Megan referred to on the page was one of my roomates.
At Goleta Fest 1996.
Second Nature Recordings has an (almost) complete show listing, and an mp3 of the studio version of Eugene Debs for download.
Last.fm has a well-written description of the band. They also have 30 seconds of four tracks you can listen to.
Lincoln was a band from Morgantown, West Virginia that lasted for only a short time and released only two 7 inches and a split 7 inch with Dischord band Hoover. The core of the band, Jay Demko and Justin Wierbonski, went on to form a bunch of other short lived bands, of which the most popular was KuKim. Wierbonski is such a good drummer that I couldn't really hear the rest of the songs for the first few plays. And then I found out that the rest of the songs were amazing too. Read the descriptions of the 7 inches at Art Monk Construction. They are worth the read, even if you hate the band.
Waterboy
Benchwarmer
The Sound of Indie has an mp3 of "Benchwarmer," the B-side of the infamous "Two Headed Coin" 7 inch from Art Monk Construction. That record is still one of my favorites. I am thrilled that I still have it (as well as Lincoln's other 7 inch) and a record player.
Native Nod
Native Nod may have inspired more bands than any other on this list. They came from the New York/New Jersey area and didn't play many shows outside of there. If you listen to mewithoutyou, then you should find out where their sound came from. Chris Leo's intense, melodic speak-sing-screaming is visceral and beautiful. His brother, Danny Leo, was also in the band, and their other brother is Ted Leo of (duh) Ted Leo and The Pharmacists. Chris went on to form The Van Pelt.
I have decided to start sharing my Google calendar with all of you. It will permanently reside in this blog post, so click on the title and bookmark this post. If you have questions about how to use this calendar, or anything else, please leave a comment below.
Update: Now there is a map of venues here as well. I will be adding new venues as well, so keep checking back. Remember, you can always get here from the home page.
Summer Music Festival time is right around the corner! OK, I know that sounds absurd if it's right around freezing outside as you read this, but now is the time to start planning. Lineups have been at least partially announced for a lot of the big festivals already.
If you're not there right now, then you already missed a lot of SXSW, the South By Southwest festival. But the music doesn't start until March 14th, and goes to March 18th. Check out their lineup. This year, DirecTV will be broadcasting some of the shows live on channel 101.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festivalis four days long this year, June 14-17, and is held in Manchester, Tennessee. The Police are headlining. Other highlights include: Tool, The Flaming Lips, The Decemberists, The Hold Steady and Mute Math, among many others. The whole lineup is here. Ticket pricing is a little weird. As in years past, the first tickets are cheaper, at $184.50US, and will eventually rise to $214.50. For more ticket info look here. They have some good travel information on the site too, including details about their airport shuttle.
And I'm sure I will find plenty in the galleries in Chelsea to show you.
And you better believe I'm going record shopping. Last time I stopped in Generation Records I found a treasure trove, plus a store cat that took a shine to me.
Plus there's whatever else we do. I'll be here for a week still, but my head left yesterday. Can't wait!
Oh, and if you find yourself needing great maps and travel guides Not For Tourists have their entire guides online for free, in PDF format. I'm sure they would appreciate if you'd buy one. I used them last time I went. They are excellent guides in every conceivable way, but their best feature is the fact that they are essentially Moleskines. People write about these things incessantly for a reason.
If you listen to anything south of the mainstream, you have experienced the awful gut-wrenching feeling that comes with having missed seeing one of your favorite bands play live because you forgot (or maybe worse, because you didn't know about it in the first place). Those of us who have been there scour our local weeklies for the newest listings, we spend an inordinate amount of time on McSpace hunting for band pages (it just can't ever be as easy as www.myspace.com/INSERT_BAND_NAME_HERE, can it) and then we try to remember it all. Or put it in our handy little Palm things. Too often we forget, so this article is going to help you easily find shows, and put them in a simple place to find them again.
In Tampa the best listings are on an incredibly ugly but useful page: href="http://www.tampashows.net" target="_blank" title="Tampa Shows">Tampa Shows There are also venue pages, of course, and they are handy, too. Here's what I use for Tampa and the area:
State Media State Theatre, Jannus Landing and Orpheum. Tampa, St. Petersburg.
It can be a serious pain in the ass to figure out who is playing shows in your town. Luckily, there are some good web services to help you figure it out. A new one just launched, and while it isn't perfect, it's a pretty good resource.
Bee There is a new service that lets you search for shows by city. The listings aren't totally comprehensive, but are the best I've seen for non-local services.
Pod Bop gives you show listings and mp3s of the bands that are coming. Last time I checked it didn't have much for my area, but it has been growing, so check it out.
Ok, so you've found some listings. Wouldn't it be nice if they were on a calendar?
Using Google Calendar
By now you should have signed up with Google in one way or another (i.e. Gmail, Docs and Spreadsheets, or Reader. If you haven't, do. The Google services are great. They are easy to use and you can use them from anywhere.
Google Calendar gives you two ways to add events. You can click on a date and paste info from one of the sites above, or you can just search for something (i.e. Flaming Lips Tampa) and Google will automatically add the relevant event. I think it's easier to just copy and paste from the original page to the calendar, but that's just me. There is also a Firefox Extension for Windows called Google Calendar Quick Add. But I can't review it since I don't have Windows. Let me know if you use this extension, and if you like it. Leave a note in the comments.
The three best things about Google Calendars: One, you can access them from any computer with Internet access. Two, you can share your calendars with whomever you choose. Three, you can sync your calendar with Outlook or iCal on the Mac. Then Outlook or iCal will automatically pull the new data from your calendar whenever you open them.
Know of any good online show listings? I'm particularly interested in hardcore, indie, punk rock listings, but I'm open to others. But please don't tell me about Jambase. Screw Jambase.
This is Mike Vallely's band. Band site.
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the granddaddys of punk from Woodland Hills, CA. On 
The singing could use a touch more sobriety at times. But when they are good, they are really good. 
Anonymous | January 7, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Unknown | June 4, 2007 at 9:30 PM
