Owner: HearYa: Indie Music Blog URL:http://www.hearya.com Join Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:12:36 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: An indie music blog where we rely on band recommendations from friends and like-minded music enthusiasts to cut through the clutter. This blog is intended to encourage the evangelism of great music, past and present. Through amateur reviews, word-of-mouth Site statistics:Click here
Leopold And His Fiction 2007-03-12 21:22:22
San Francisco duo Leopold
And His Fiction
released their self-titled debut in 2006. The duo are comprised of Daniel on Guitars/Vocal and Ben Cook on the drums. On their site they make mention of their diverse upbringing and musical interests. Daniel hails from Motown and brings the boogie-blues to the table, while Ken comes from Kentucky and has a healthy obsession with jazz.
Combine them together and you get a nice dose of blues-garage rock, that mashes up the best of The Black Keys and Kings of Leon. If that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will. The whole album just has a nice groove and flow to it. It’s a 40 minute bluesy-boogie ride that anybody with a soul should enjoy. Even my three year old was breaking it down while we were listening to it to this morning. Kind of looked like Steve Martin in The Jerk, which my wife reminded me is a trait that runs in the family.
While there isn’t a weak track, some of my favorites include “Go On Have
Van Halen: Hall of Fame or Shame? 2007-03-12 15:52:52
A few weeks back on this site, we responded to the announced Van Halen
tour — with Dave Roth momentarily back in the saddle yet again — with disdain or at least indifference. With the apparent power to doom aging rock bands with his pen, the tour was quickly scrapped following Woody’s caustic remarks. Ok, maybe the tour cancellation had more to do with Eddie Van Halen
’s recent entry into rehab or the fact that the Diamond One can no longer sing (if he ever could).
These recent events, and VH’s upcoming induction into the Rock Hall of Fame this Monday, got me to thinking. Has any other band, at one time so big, with age grown so small? Few bands age gracefully, but VH’s repeated attempts to reclaim the spotlight have been comically futile. I mean, at one point they hired the lead singer of freakin’ Extreme as their new frontman. (My apologies to those who wanted to forget this ever happened). Was that VH’s low point, or was it when the Hagar-Roth combo tour from a
The Basement - New Album, New Videos 2007-03-11 22:09:00 We posted a quickie on our love of Ireland’s The Basement
recently. They just released some new videos from their upcoming debut album, Illicit Hugs and Playground Thugs, which will hit stores on May 8th.
The Basement - I Just Caught a Face
The Basement - Medicine Day
The Basement - Do You Think You’re Movin’ On? (We’ve posted this before)
Read more:Album
Wheat - New Album, Tour Dates, MP3 2007-03-11 18:07:43 After a 3 year hiatus, Wheat has just announced a 5/22/07 release date for their new album, Every Day I Said A Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square. If the album title is any indication, these guys are back to their old form and looking to get weird.
I had totally forgotten about Wheat until I received a mass email from their new label, Empyrean Records, announcing the release date and giving a little background on the new album. From the sound of things, Wheat is getting back to their roots. While their 2003 release, Per Second, Per Second, Per Second…Every Second was their most accessible, it lacked the misty, dreamy quality of their outstanding 1999 release, Hope and Adams.
But have no fear, Empyrean is back to touting Wheat as an “art project” – something the band proclaimed when they formed in the late 90’s. I don’t know about you, but other than the random kid occasionally projectile-vomiting all over his desk, I have pretty good memories of grade school art pr Read more:Album
Golden Bear - SXSW 2007, New MP3s 2007-03-10 17:03:36
HearYa favorite, Golden
Bear, has a new disc in the works entitled To The Farthest Star. After listening to a couple of the tracks, I am eagerly awaiting the full and finished product.
Since the boys are from Austin, they will be around during SXSW. Here’s a list of their whereabouts for dates before, during and after the fest. You’ll also see labelmate (and another HearYa favorite), The Channel listed in their as well. From everything I have heard and read, Golden Bear’s live show is something to be seen.
Golden Bear - Darkness Sets In
Golden Bear - Galaxy Queen
3/10 - secret sideshow/the channel/gb @ emo’s lounge, FREE GOLDEN BEAR CD
PRE-RELEASE PARTY
3/13 - gb @ beauty bar 10pm
3/14 - the channel @ buffalo billiards 9pm SXSW SHOWCASE
3/15 - gb @ red’s scoot inn (aam/brooklyn vegan party) noon
3/15 - gb @ habana calle 6 annex 11PM SXSW SHOWCASE
3/16 - gb @ jovitas (austin music magazine party) 4pm
3/16 - gb @ copa (eventjourney.com) 6pm
3/16 - channel @
HearYa Featured on The 9 on Yahoo! 2007-03-09 22:52:37 HearYa was recently featured on The 9 on Yahoo
! I tried to find a way to cut out the footage of Maria Sansone telling people to visit HearYa.com for SXSW 2007 coverage (specifically the SXSW 2007 MP3 Sampler), but the best I could do is take a screen shot and put a red arrow on it.
Maria Sansone may just be the hottest chick to mention HearYa.com in a conversation (wives and girlfriends of HearYa authors excluded). She’s also probably the most famous too.
The fuzzy pic of Maria above with her eyes half shut doesn’t really do her justice, so I’ve included another.
Read more:Featured
VietNam on NPR, SXSW 2007 Schedule, MP3’s 2007-03-09 16:42:39
VietNam is a band I’ve been listening to regularly. They have a gritty, LSD infused folk sound, complemented with shockingly good lyrics and songwriting. They also have the look of a rock band that lives out of the trunk of their car or on the floor of whatever friend or fan will take them in as they tour around the country.
You can hear the following tracks in the black box below from their recent live recording with NPR:
“Hotel Riverview”
“Apocalypse”
“Lullaby”
Find them at SXSW:
Mar 15 2007 12:00A
Kemado Records Showcase @ Bourbon Rocks (508 E. 8th St.)
Mar 16 2007 2:00P
Little Radio Party @ Red Eye Fly (715 Red River)
Mar 16 2007 10:00P
Nylon/ Diesel/ Dim Mak Party @ at 301 Chicon St, Austin, TX
Mar 17 2007 3:45P
Fader/ Levi’s Party @ 204 E. 4th St. Austin, Texas
Mar 18 2007 1:00A
Kemado Records Party @ Positively 4th St. (1300 E. 4th St.)
http://www.myspace.com/vietnamtheband
Obscure Sound also fired up Read more:Schedule
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible, MP3’s, Video 2007-03-08 16:51:16
Well, here it is: the 57th Neon Bible
review you’ve read in the past 2 months. From what I’ve read, opinions tend to span the spectrum from absolutely deplorable to amazing and indelible. They most certainly all mention the incredible rise the Montreal band has had since the release of their first album Funeral in 2005. How they have been become the “darlings” (why this word specifically is used so commonly, I have no idea) of the indie rock world is probably mentioned as well. There’s often a mention of David Bowie and occasionally of David Byrne. Religious lyrics, blah blah blah, seemingly cautious pretension, blah blah, how they’ll handle the success. You know how it goes; they’re all the same anyway.
As for the reviews of the actual music on Neon Bible, the polarization of opinions tends to be a bit of an overreaction (as music blogs tend to do). In all actuality, the album probably falls somewhere in the middle. There are good tr Read more:Arcade Fire
Dinosaur Junior - Beyond, New Album, MP3 2007-03-08 00:42:53
Fat Possum will be releasing Dinosaur Junior
’s upcoming album, Beyond, on May 1st. Finally, a reunion I give a shit about.
Dinosaur Jr. - Been There All the Time MP3
Read more:Album
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky Leaked MP3’s 2007-03-07 16:46:36 The tracks have been leaked and the blogosphere has mixed reviews. I’m loving it so far. If you’re expecting them to push the boundaries and experiment like on A Ghost is Born, you may be disappointed. If you’re like me, then Summerteeth is the album that wears out your iPod and these songs will be right up your alley.
I followed the blogs from Each Note Secure to Idolator who published some of the mixed reviews, including one from Wolf Notes who listened to two tracks and called Wilco
’s latest effort “Randy Newman horse shit.” His big gripe is that they aren’t “expanding their sound.”
I’m all for musicians experimenting and taking their sound to new heights, but all that guitar distortion gets exhausting. After A Ghost is Born, I’m looking forward to good songwriting and solid guitar work from Nels Cline that I don’t have to think much about. I’m sure I’ll get what I’m looking for and it won& Read more:Sky Blue
Peeing at a Rock Show – A True Art Form: Part II 2007-03-13 15:45:08
Thanks to everyone for their comments and stories about peeing at arena rock shows in our first installment. We had multiple stories about guys peeing at urinals with their pants around their ankles, peeing in cups, and reader Patrick who occasionally decides to just drain the wheeze directly on the bar. Simply magnificent. Stay gold, HearYa readers.
This week we’ll take a look at the art form of peeing at an outdoor rock show. While last week we looked at types of urinators you’ll run into in the men’s restroom, this week we’ll primarily take a look at Port-o-Lets and the how’s and why’s of avoiding them..
I inspected several Port-o-Lets over the weekend, and came to several conclusions about why they should be avoided.
You know how you can make orange juice from concentrate, but the concentrated stuff is really powerful? Port-o-lets are basically a concentrated poop/pee cocktail. They are hot, dirty, and make it impossible to breathe through anything other than your mou
SXSW 2007 Strategy Planning 2007-03-13 03:38:49 HearYa will arrive in Austin in full force on Thursday morning and will be updating this blog with the sights and smells from the bowels of the SXSW 2007. We’re hoping to catch Taylor Hicks on film soliciting a prostitute.
Over the weekend I tried to sit down and sift through all the parties, showcases, and band lists to prioritize where we should be and when. I visited countless websites and finally whittled down our list of parties and showcases to a handful, which we will prioritize by bands and free drinks offered on site.
If planning your SXSW 2007 schedule is overwhelming you, here are the best sites I’ve found (excluding the real SXSW site).
Austin 360: SXSW Day Parties
Showlist Austin
You probably know about DoneWaiting.com for up to the minute news.
As always, feel free to check out our SXSW MP3 sampler to find your music.
Read more:Strategy
The Moaners - Blackwing Yalobusha 2007-03-14 15:13:05
Yep Roc duo, The Moaners are set to release their second album, Blackwing Yabolusha later this month. For those not familiar with The Moaners, they are a female, blues-rock two piece, fronted by Melissa Pringle on guitar/vocals and accompanied by Laura King on drums.
For their follow up to Dark Snack the ladies descended upon Money Shot Studios. Money Shot was the home of Fat Possum Records and heroes like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough.
Pringle, being from MS couldn’t have been any happier with the news. “It was really important to us to play well while we were in that house,” remarked Pringle. Mission accomplished.
While contemporaries, The Heartless Bastards, seem to go for the knockout on their albums, The Moaners’ albums have a slow burn to them, almost as if they are just trying to wear you down with their devotion to the blues. While Wennerstrom wails on portions of the Bastard’s discs, Pringle maintains a steady delivery that oozes cool over t
SXSW 2007 - HearYa has Landed 2007-03-15 15:32:35 I arrived in Austin late last night and am waiting for the other boys to arrive. We’ll be updating the site daily with coverage of the parties, shows and freaks. If you are out here, and are reading blogs for some reason, keep an eye out for us. One of us should be sporting a HearYa tee, unless Drinking Buddy ruined them.
SXSW 2007: Day One 2007-03-16 17:54:39 We survived our first day at SXSW 2007 and it was incredible. With little planning involved, we ended up stumbling through a more amazing day than we could have dreamed up. Here’s a quick recap of what happened:
We started off the day eating cheeseburgers and saw this guy:
After he finished posing for onlookers, he walked away.
We then started our musical journey. Here was our schedule and quick note about each:
Okkervil River @ Bourbon Rocks - Incredible performance; High energy. We all have man-crushes on Will Sheff.
The Mooney Suzuki @Red Eye Fly - Best stage presence of all the bands we saw and great guitar work.
The Whigs @ Friends - The loudest show of them all. We don’t have earplugs, so I stuffed cigarette butts into my ears.
Black Angel @ Red Eye Fly - A little too much reverb for my taste, but we did bump into Joe Simpson (Jessica’s Dad) and had a nice chat.
Everyone is rushing me to begin day two of our journey, so I’ll continue the day one re Read more:Day One
SXSW 2007 Day Two - VietNam, Los Straightjackets, The Apples in Stereo 2007-03-18 19:05:28 For some reason, each day in Austin starts with some half naked dude posing for pictures in the street. We bumped into this guy (not literally) on 6th street before starting off our day.
After we got our morning dose of male nudity, we decided to cleanse our minds and spirits by day drinking and catching some great shows. We started off watching VietNam. They sounded fantastic, but only played for 25 minutes. We left a little underwhelmed and headed to the Yep Roc 10th Anniversary Party to see some of their lineup.
We consumed free BBQ and beer while watching Los Straightjackets, The Apples
in Stereo
, The Moaners, and Rock Plaza Central. Some of the pics are below. I’ll add the others later tonight. Los Straightjackets wore some fantastic Nacho Libre style Mexican wrestling masks and won the crowd over with their showmanship and guitar skills.
VietNam @ Red Eyed Fly
Los Straightjackets @ Yep Roc’s 10th Anniversary Party
The Apples in Stereo @ Yep Roc’s 10th
SXSW 2007 Day One - Elvis Perkins, The Cold War Kids, The Little Ones, Menomena 2007-03-17 18:17:18 We’re on day three now and it’s hard to keep up with the blog updates while nursing hangovers and rushing out to hit the next batch of parties. My head hurts. I might be deaf in at least one ear.
Day one was tremendous. We bumped into VietNam on the street for a brief introduction, but unfortunately didn’t have the camera ready. We headed over to La Zona Rosa in the evening to check out ElvisPerkins
and The Cold War Kids. We weren’t expecting to see Pete Townshend stroll on stage for an acoustic set, but that’s what we got. What a great surprise.
My digital camera is out of batteries, so here are the pics I was able to salvage before it took a dump. We’ll make sure to get the rest up tomorrow and next week.
Elvis Perkins @ La Zona Rosa
The Cold War Kids @ La Zona Rosa
The Cold War Kids with Elvis Perkins and friends (Covering Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come”)
The Little Ones @ Antones
We bumped into John Norris outside Read more:Menomena
, Day One
Pandora’s Plea for Help - Is the RIAA evil? 2007-03-21 04:59:30 I know I’m a little late on this, but a friend just sent this letter to me. It was an email sent from Pandora
’s founder, Tim Westergren. I saw him speak at Stanford a few months ago and his passion for music is admirable. Although I’m not a huge fan of Internet radio, I’ve always been rooting for Pandora. It looks like there may be some big trouble, however.
It seems that the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is working hard to bury Internet radio. Here’s the letter that was sent:
Hi, it’s Tim from Pandora,
I’m writing today to ask for your help. We’ve had a disastrous turn of events recently for internet radio: Following an intensive lobbying effort on the part of the RIAA, an arbitration committee in Washington DC has just dramatically increased the fees internet radio sites must pay to the record labels - tripling fees and adding enormous retroactive payments! Left unchanged by Congress, this will kill all internet
SXSW 2007 Day Two - The Moaners, Rock Plaza Central, The Morning Pages, Leopold and his Fiction, Buffalo Killers, and El-P 2007-03-20 04:34:03 These SXSW blog titles are getting really long.
We actually made it through the rest of SXSW without seeing any more men in underwear on 6th street. We could rest easy knowing that we would just encounter more of our favorite bands for the rest of the trip. We also picked up lots of free beer koozies.
We spent most of our second day at the Yep Roc party but also jumped around town and saw The Moaners, Rock Plaza Central
, The MorningPages
, Leopold
and his Fiction
, BuffaloKillers
, and El-P. We also spent a few hours hanging out with Daniel from Leopold and his Fiction. Really great guy and I’d definitely recommend checking him out next time you are in the bay area or he’s in your town. Leopold was my favorite of the day.
We stumbled upon El-P by accident after a pit stop at the Chuggin’ Monkey (which can have devastating effects on the rest of your night), and things got a little weird. The Brooklyn underground rapper had a ton of energy and probably the most ene
Pete Townshend Acoustic at SXSW 2007 2007-03-21 16:39:39 The best surprise at SXSW 2007 was seeing Pete Townshend
. We went to La Zona Rosa on Thursday night to see Elvis Perkins and The Cold War Kids and right when we walked in the door, Pete Townshend
strolled on stage for an acoustic set. The picture I took was really dark, but I found this clip on YouTube that does one better.
As you can tell, I’m still waiting on pictures from our last day at SXSW. I’ll have that recap up tonight or tomorrow morning.
Pete Townshend - Acoustic
@ La Zona Rosa
Four Year Bender - Lucky 2007-03-23 16:04:38
At SXSW I was hanging out with the Michael Winger, the San Francisco music producer that recommended AJ Roach to me a few weeks ago. I found out that he had also produced one of my favorite albums, Lucky by San Francisco’s Four Year Bender (Michael is the guy with his head turned in the picture above).
It’s not a new album (2004), but it’s the type of album you’ll continue to pull out of your vault to help soothe whatever ails you. Four Year Bender won’t push any new boundaries with their music, but the songs are well written and they have soul. It’s the type of music you listen to barefoot on your back porch. Give it a listen. If possible, sit in a rocking chair… with a glass of bourbon.
Four Year Bender - New Orleans Lament
Four Year Bender - Let Me In
Four Year Bender - Miss Bartender
SXSW 2007 Day Three - Galactic w/ Lyrics Born, Ferraby Lionheart, DATAROCK, The Fratellis, Trainwreck Riders, Earl Greyhound 2007-03-22 16:08:12 Okay, so Galactic
was on day two after El-P, but I didn’t have the picture ready until now. Woody checked them out before falling asleep standing up again. Wait a second… that show was at 1:00am, so it was technically day three.
Day three was our best day of SXSW 2007 thanks to NY2LON, Le Tigre, and Brooklyn Vegan. They had a great venue for their day party at Habana Calle with one outdoor stage and one indoor stage. Inside had an open bar with the NCAA games on, free bloodies, Heinekens, and Fiji water. No free food that I could find, but the liquid suited me just fine.
The band lineup was incredibly good. Ferraby Lionheart
soothed our hangovers with some mellow, acoustic songs while we enjoyed our first drinks of the day. A stroll outside sent us into some humor-infused party pop with DATAROCK, complete with matching red jumpsuits. The Fratellis
hopped on stage after that with an acoustic set that was impossible to see from anywhere but the front row, but they soun Read more:Three
, Riders
, Earl
, Greyhound
Midlake on The Interface, El-P MP3 2007-03-24 18:41:22
The Interface
on AOL features Midlake
right now, with the following tracks.
Chasing After Deer
We Gathered in Spring
Midlake on the Interface
I also bumped into an MP3 by my new favorite hip-hop artist, El-P. His album, I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, is out now.
El-P - Smithereens Stop Crying
HearYa @ SXSW 2007: MP3 Memories 2007-03-27 16:11:33 Here’s a smattering of MP3’s from the bands we saw at SXSW, pilfered from blogs found on http://www.elbo.ws.
Okkervil River - Our Life is Not a Movie (Live at SXSW)
Okkervil River - The President’s Dead (Live at SXSW)
Okkervil River - For Real (Live at SXSW)
The Mooney Suzuki - This Broken Heart of Mine
The Mooney Suzuki - Rock n’ Roller Girl
The Whigs - Don’t Talk Anymore
The Whigs - Technology
The Whigs - Violet Furs
The Black Angels - Bloodhounds on My Trail
The Black Angels - The First Vietnamese War
Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping
Elvis Perkins - Without Love
Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds
Cold War Kids - Saint John
Cold War Kids - Hair Down
Cold War Kids - We Used to Vacation
The Little Ones - Lovers Who Uncover
Menomena - Wet and Rusting
Menomena - Weird
VietNam - Priest, Poet, and the Pig
VietNam - Goldfinger
Los Straitjackets - All Day and All Night
The Apples in Stereo - Energy
Rock Plaza Central - My Chil
Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman) or The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello)? 2007-03-26 16:52:06
When I first woke up in the morning at SXSW 2007, I picked up the SXSW insert from the Austin Chronicle and noticed an interview with Tom Morello
. He had several solo, acoustic performances at the festival under his new moniker, “The Nightwatchman.” Interestingly enough, I never saw The Nightwatchman printed without (Tom Morello) next to it or vice versa.
Unlike most of the lesser known acts at SXSW struggling for attention, Morello knows marketing. He didn’t go to SXSW to be discovered. He was there to launch his new product. He’s building his new Nightwatchman brand by adding credibility with his real name, which helps draw the crowds and the press. He even had celebrity endorsements on stage with him in the form of Slash and Perry Ferrell. What do you expect from a Harvard graduate?
And then there’s the PR. After reading his interview in the Austin Chronicle, I became really intrigued when he said “My aspiration is to be the black Woody Gu
Woody’s Top 10 Moments of SXSW 2007-03-28 23:02:06 I know this is a little dated but I came home Austin with a nasty cold and was greeted by a sick family and a mountain of work. So pardon my tardiness. I was going to write a blow-by-blow account of my week but due to time constraints, I am going to narrow it down to my top 10 favorite moments/performances.
10. Laura King’s drumming for The Moaners. Phenomenal. I like her on their discs but she really makes this band hum. Without her, Melissa Pringle is drifiting in the wind.
9. Rock Plaza Central - Admittedly, I lead the HearYa charge in support of these guys but they put on a great performance at Buffalo Billiards on Friday night. I hung out with a few of the band members afterwards. Very nice people. Here’s wishing them some success in the future.
8. The El-P and Galactic w/ Lyrics Born & Gift of Gab set at Emo’s. I’ve been a casual fan of Blackalicious for awhile but words can’t describe how good Gabby’s flow was at Emo’s Galactic was a Read more:Woody
, Moments
The Fratellis - “Cigarello” Live at SXSW 2007-03-28 16:55:59 Discovering any good footage of SXSW performances has been a challenge, but I’ll post the nuggets I find. Here’s a good one from the Vegan party we keep speaking so highly of.
The Fratellis
- “Cigarello” Live @ SXSW
The Parson Red Heads - King Giraffe 2007-03-29 16:54:12
If you like The Magic Numbers and all their harmonizing but wished they rocked just a bit harder, then I have the band for you - The Parson Red Heads
. Apparently everybody in Parsons Redheads is related or grew up with each other. If you check their MySpace page, they all have the Parson stage name and for all I know they wear black Nikes and purple shrouds, and you know what? I could care less. This is a phenomenal album that really showcases the California folk scene.
Evan Way is the lead Parson and has a wonderful voice that would fit in well on any 60’s compilation. Surrounded by the 4 piece harmonies and fantastic backing band, it will have you thinking of Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Byrds and other 60’s psychedelic folk acts. With each spin I find little nuances that make me enjoy it more than the previous listen.
For me, the best song on the disc is hands down, “Forever.” Other stand-out tracks include “Full Moon,” “Mossback” & Read more:Giraffe
Kings of Leon - Because Of The Times 2007-03-31 18:31:13
The Kings of Leon are getting ready to release their 3rd disc, Because Of The Times
. I first saw Kings of Leon back in ‘03 at The Double Door in Chicago. They were a group of dirtbags wearing jean jackets and not showing a high musical fortitude. Their album, Young & Youth Manhood was great but their live performance lacked.
Moving forward to Aha Shake Heartbreak; the album was vastly improved as was their live performance. I caught them at the Metro and the performance was tight and there was a buzz in the air. You knew that you were seeing something special. Somewhere between album one and two, they started banging models, wearing designer clothes and having songs placed in commercials and reality shows.
Which leads me to Because of The Times. On my first spin through, the album felt forced, almost as if they were trying to make a soundtrack or music for a commercial. It’s ironic because I heard the album through a buddy who had received an advanced copy because he
New Kings of Leon - Now Streaming 2007-03-30 18:51:55 You can now stream the new album, Because of the Times, at Kings of Leon’s Myspace page. Woody got his hands on the album a couple weeks ago and will have a review forthcoming.
Read more:Streaming
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