Once every three months I list the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
Dwight Yoakam – 3 Pears (September 18)
Listen to “Heart Like Mine,” co-produced by Beck.
Ben Folds Five – The Sound of the Life of the Mind (September 18)
Ringo Deathstarr – Mauve (September 24)
Green Day Trilogy
Uno! (September 25)
Dos! (November 13)
Tre! (January 15)
Tame Impala – Lonerism (October 9)
Pinback – Information Retrieved (October 16)
Kendrick Lamar – good kid m.A.A.d. city (October 22)
Major Lazer – Free the Universe (November 6)
Deftones – Koi No Yokan (November 13)
Big Boi – Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors (November 13)
Go here to unlock the new album cover for 3 Pears, the first album of new material from honky-tonk legend Dwight Yoakam in 7 years. Hint: it looks pretty much how you think it does. That’s not the kicker, though. The new song you get to listen to on the journey, an upbeat lamentation of life and love called “Waterfall,” is absolutely excellent and worth the effort, which also includes some Facebooking and Tweeting. Go forth and conquer! The album is out September 18th.
I just spent the weekend with Dwight Yoakam. Ok, well not really. I actually just saw him perform two nights in a row at ACL Live downtown. And it was incredible, as per usual. I was kind of bummed he didn’t play any new songs, but I’m completely over it, because today Dwight has announced the release date for his first new album in seven years!
3 Pears comes out September 18th on Warner Bros. Records. That’s right, Dwight’s back with his old label. It will be his first album of new material (not including Dwight Sings Buck, a Buck Owens tribute album) since 2005’s Blame the Vain. According to the release:
3 Pears exemplifies Yoakam’s ability to incorporate multiple, competing influences into a piece of cohesive art. It balances his country core with a fiercely independent embrace of rock, Americana, pop and soul and builds on his trademark edginess with a notable, growing positivity. 3 Pears contains heartfelt love songs, which showcase Yoakam’s authentic country vocals while maintaining his unmistakable classic sound.
Sign me up! He recently relaunched DwightYoakam.Com with a funny intro video and a Soundcloud-uploaded snippet of a new song! Go check it out. 2012 is getting better and better, you guys.
Compared to my first year as an Austin resident, I took it pretty easy this year. I suppose the combination of budgeting, starting grad school, and just generally growing old has slowed me down a bit, but I still saw some cool shows. And with M83, Radiohead, Drake, and Born Gold all coming in the first half of 2012, looks like I’ll be getting a head start on this list for next year. In the meantime, here are some highlights, at least ones I could remember, from 2011.
Hooray For Earth @ Emo’s Inside – 10/1
I believe this was the last show I saw at Emo’s Inside (I remember seeing Twin Shadow around ACL time on the outside stage just before they shut it down), and I’ve yet to see a show at the new locale on East Riverside. I had been dying to witness Hooray For Earth for many many months, and finally seeing them rock out was rewarding, as was a nice conversation with the lead singer afterwards.
Deftones @ Austin Music Hall – 6/4
Call it making up for lost time; I’m not a huge fan of AMH – actually, I hate it quite a bit, but I’m never missing a Deftones show. I finally saw them for the first time last year, and as long as these guys make it to Austin, I’ll be going. The crowd was awful, as was the case last time, but Deftones more than make up for all the teenage rudeness.
Bill Maher @ ACL Live – 3/26
Not a music show, but man was it hilarious. My second show in the ACL Live venue, and Bill proved he loves Austin. The crowd was mostly receptive, but I did get some looks for applauding loudly at the atheist jokes. Do people know who they came to see?
Robyn @ ACL Live – 2/17
Robyn is incredible, see her live the first chance you get. High energy, tons of dancing, great acoustics, great venue. The crowd up front was crazy annoying, especially during Diamond Rings, but what are ya gonna do?
Sleigh Bells @ The Glass House – Pomona, CA – 4/13
The Glass House is a weird little venue; I honestly had no idea how far Pomona was from West Hollywood, but we drove a long way to see this awesome awesome show. It was all ages, no alcohol. Not that I had a lot of cash anyway. Sleigh Bells killed, as is the routine.
The Go! Team @ Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA – 4/19
The Echoplex was closer, but it felt like a shady neighborhood. The venue, however, is pretty damn awesome, and the Go! Team were just as fun as I could have imagined. Hopefully these guys make a new album, because I’m betting they’ll make a stop here in Austin if they do.
Primus @ Stubb’s – 5/24
It’s so great to have these guys back and playing new stuff. Have I said that lately? Great show in one of the best venues in town, and we met Les (again!) and got a pic with him afterwards. Swell fella!
Dwight Yoakam @ ACL Live – 7/21
Another strong showing from the hillbilly king, this time at a venue within walking distance. Now if he would just get back in the studio!
Austin Psych Fest @ Seaholm Power Plant – 4/30-5/1
I really had no idea what to expect, but this ended up being a pleasant surprise. I got sufficiently drunk and listened to some crazy great psych music from all around the world, in the most appropriately creepy place to see a show in Austin, the echo-riffic Seaholm. Capping off the fest with Roky Erikson providing the soundtrack to the news of bin Laden’s death is a memory I will never forget.
Fun Fun Fun Fest @ Auditorium Shores – 11/4-6
I was a bit concerned for the future of my beloved FFF when they announced they were moving to the Shores, but in hindsight I feel ashamed for not having faith in the Transmission crew. Not only was this the best lineup I’ve ever seen in the fest’s six-year history, but the change of venue actually improved the overall experience. Great vendors, great music, not too crowded….best music experience of 2011, hands down.
SXSW 2011 – Spring Break and Beyond
The best week of the year did not disappoint, though this year I focused a lot of energy on getting into shows I didn’t think I would be able to get into. There’s certainly an extra feeling of reward when you’re granted access to an exclusive party with A-list bands and free food and booze. My personal highlights were the Zynga party (flyer above) and catching Queens of the Stone Age at La Zona Rosa. Another great free party showing as well this past year, especially Mess With Texas, which never disappoints. Saw the Strokes at the Shores, too, which was great. While 2010 might be remembered as the year of mini-riots and ridiculous overcrowding, for me it was just a regular old SXSW, fun, booze, catching up with old friends, and seeing some great music.
No podcast this wee,, I’m vacationing in Los Angeles, having a ball. Here’s some rad Cali videos. Enjoy your weekend.
This year I made the big move from Lubbock to Austin, and the transformation has done wonders for my live music fix. I should have been writing down all the awesome bands I saw this year (and the years before, for that matter) but alas, hindsight, she is 20/20 once again. I think this post covers the highlights more or less, however. There’s plenty of great live music I saw this year that I’m leaving out, but after the jump, in no particular order, are twelve of the best shows I witnessed in 2010, eleven of them right here in the Live Music Capital of the World.
And for the record, I wanted to put the Sleigh Bells show on here, as fun as it was once they finally started playing, but everyone who attended knows Beauty Bar is at fault for that show’s omission. What a disaster.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
170. Dwight Yoakam – Give Back the Key to My Heart
No question the 80’s and 90’s were the prime years for Yoakam in terms of success, but after having his turn at the spotlight, he ventured deep into the crossroads realm, taking a more traditional approach to his brand of honkey-tonk. While most dug deeper into the cinematic country-pop Nashville world, Dwight stayed around Hollywood, acting and making indie records. One of the highlights of his work this past decade is this Doug Sahm cover, recorded for the Imus Ranch Record in 2008; it’s just good ol’ DY doing what he does best.
Here’s what I’m doing this weekend (and beyond)! Be jealous.
Friday – Kid Sister @ Mohawk
Today I bought a ticket to watch Dwight Yoakam at the Nutty Brown Cafe on Saturday June 5th here in my new home of Austin, Texas. And I am stoked. I haven’t seen Dwight since his 1996 Gone Tour (I was 9 at the time). Besides the Beatles, I have been a fanboy of Mr. Yoakam longer than any other of my favorite bands/artists. And so, to celebrate my $50 purchase for what will be one of the best evenings of my life, I have compiled the most difficult list to compile ever – my favorite Dwight Yoakam songs.
Originally this was going to be a list of ten, but Dwight has too many classics to pick from. As with most best-ofs for DY, it is heavy on the 80’s and early 90’s, but there are a few tracks that are more recent. I invite you to browse his entire catalog – it is fascinating and almost perfect. For those who are fans of a more traditional country sound, preferably the honky-tonk styles of Buck Owens, Dwight is hands down the best you can get. In my opinion, he’s the best country music songwriter and performer to have ever lived. Enjoy.
