RayBlog

Nightmares on Wax have been around since my club DJ’ing days in Dallas and L.A. Most of their earlier work was more upbeat and DJ friendly, therefore it was very likely that you would here them at a rave, club, or party in the late 90’s. Recently in the past few years, it has seemed like they have slowed down their BPM (beats per minute) and become a more “chill” electronic act. As I have aged over the years, I noticed that my preference for BPM’s has leaned towards a slower pace which makes “Betcha” a perfect fit as today’s catch. Nightmares on Wax have recently released a fantastic album entitled Thought So… (where you can find “Betcha”), which really embraces groovy beats that are perfect for just hangin’ around and/or chillin’. Enjoy!

First, The Flaming Lips are nominated for The Official State of Oklahoma Rock Song with “Do You Realize?”. This is a real category drawn up by the state legislation, which will end on November 15th. There is some pretty stiff competition for the Lips, including Elvis, All American Rejects, and Three Dog Night. So do the right thing - click on this link and give “Do You Realize?” your vote.

Also, homegrown chill band Black Tie Dynasty needs your vote for the ACL Sound & Jury Competition hosted by Dell. BTD is trying to make it to the next round which will allow them to play live in a battle of the bands contest later this month at Antone’s. The winner of the Sound & Jury competition will play live on the opening day for the Austin City Limits Festival. It would be really cool to have a local Chillville band representing the ACL, so click here and vote. Voting ends on 9/12. If you want to hear more from Black Tie Dynasty then click here.

Last night, Chillville fave Shearwater was at the Mohawk for a packed show, in their last American concert before jetting off to tour in Europe. Maryland-based Wye Oak preceded them, and if you like lovely, quiet indie folk, you should definitely check these guys out. Live, lead singer Jenn Wasner has a vocal honesty that recalls Neko Case in intonation and clarity. With only two people, each had to pull some major multitasking duty, but between Andy Stack on drums/keyboard/backup vocals (often all three simultaneously), and Wasner’s very effective use of looping pedals, they fleshed out their sound astonishingly well.

But tonight is Friday night, and you should be hitting the town! White Ghost Shivers are playing the Mohawk with their old-timey vaudeville-cabaret-jazz fusion that is not to be missed. They have a sound that seems plucked from a ‘20s speakeasy, and promise a fun night that’ll make you want to put on your dancing shoes.

Saturday night has to be all about the Lemurs EP release party; Belaire, Pink Nasty, and Low Line Caller open, and will then take turns jumping on stage to contribute during the Lemurs’ set. Between Belaire’s crazy danceable electronic, Pink Nasty’s earnest and sometimes-dirty pop, and the Lemur’s indie new wave rock and roll, expect a fun, crowded time at this highly-anticipated shindig.

Last week I broke some news about Coldplay that was gathered over the (always reliable) internet. The rumor of a new EP or B-Sides collection had been flying around, and has now indeed been confirmed as a “for sure” thing. Coldplay announced earlier this week that they will be releasing an EP, which will contain original songs that did not make the initial cut of Viva La Vida. Prospects March will be out sometime in December, and will contain several Brian Eno produced tracks & a collaboration with Kylie Minogue. Looks like the internet turned out to be pretty trustworthy for me in this situation.

- Monty

The second full length album from Chillville artist Fujiya & Miyagi is set to hit the stores real soon. The kind people from F&M’s camp were gracious enough to send us an advance copy. The LP is titled Lightbulbs, and will be introducing a fourth member into the band who will be on percussion. The thing I love most about this band is that they do not take their lyrics seriously by writing about any sort of experience in their life; however, they are musically one of the most talented bands around. Expect to see a tour later this fall to promote the new album - hopefully, we will see them here in the ATX. Click here to listen to an interview I had with the band last fall. Today’s catch is track #3 entitled “Pickpocket”. Enjoy!

Check out the track list.

1. Knickerbocker
2. Uh
3. Pickpocket
4. Goosebumps
5. Rook to Queen’s Pawn Six
6. Sore Thumb
7. Dishwater
8. Pterodactyls
9. Pussyfooting
10. Lightbulbs
11. Hundreds & Thousands

If you tuned in yesterday and caught our live music recommendations for the week, you may recall a little something about free pizza and vodka at Beauty Bar tonight; what you maybe missed with all our talk about that interesting combination of liquor and greasy food was that the six-band all-star local lineup includes many Chillville faves.

On the indoor stage, you can catch the Sad Accordians, White White Lights, and Peel. Heading outdoors to the back patio (where there will be a tent set up, in case of any stray showers), Future Clouds and Radar kick things off, followed by AM Syndicate and then Belaire to end the live music portion of the evening right. The performances are staggered, so there’ll be great music going on at all times.

There will also be three DJs helping you get your groove on, including a side-project called Murder Monkeys from one of our friends in OHN. And to provide just that little bit of overkill incentive, My Morning Jacket has just confirmed that they’ll also be chillin’ at Beauty Bar tonight, the day after their sold-out Stubbs show. Sold on this crazy shindig yet? Because we are, and we’ll see you there.