UPDATES!
Now accepting Volunteers for Fun Fun Fun Fest 2008. Tasks will include: pulling ox-carts, carrying heavy loads, and obeying orders working with us to put on one of the most unique mid-sized music festivals in the nation. Interested in helping out? Hit us up at: [email protected] .
INDIE STAGE:
Spoon
Peaches
The Black Angels
Lucero
Dead Meadow
Octopus Project
The Oranges Band
Drag the River
PUNK STAGE:
Circle Jerks
Negative Approach
Riverboat Gamblers
Electric Frankenstein
Lower Class Brats
Applicators
Krum Bums
Iron Age
ADHD
DJ/ ELECTRONIC/ DANCE TENT:
Prefuse 73
DJ Mel
Quintron and Miss Pussycat
Ghostland Observatory DJ set (Thomas Turner)
LEARNING SECRETS
Dirty South Ravers
Whitey
Tba
SPOON
http://www.spoontheband.com/site.html
www.myspace.com/spoon
Hailing from Austin, TX, Spoon originated in 1994 as a collaboration between Britt Daniel (vocals/guitar) and Jim Eno (drums) and a rotating cast of supporting players. Their hybrid of indie and punk resulted in a number of Sonic Youth and Pixies comparisons after their 1996 debut album, Telephono. Spoon toured with the likes of Pavement, Guided By Voices, Silkworm, and Archers of Loaf before their Soft Effects EP was released in (1997). Following an ill-fated move to Elektra Records which found them being dropped from the label following the issue of their third album, A Series of Sneaks in (1998), Spoon went the indie route with a handfull of seven-inch singles and the The Agony of Laffitte EP in 1999. In fall 2000, the Love Ways EP was released on Merge, paving the way for spring 2001's full-length Girls Can Tell. The album was a critical success, ending up at or near the top of many best of 2001 lists. Spoon released the more musically adventurous follow-up Kill the Moonlight in August of 2002. The band opted for a bigger, darker sound on 2005's Gimme Fiction.
PEACHES
http://www.peachesrocks.com/
http://myspace.com/peaches
Peaches (Merrill Nisker) burst into transcontinental favor with her very particular brand of cock-sure rapping and spurting groovebox beats. Indeed, this vulgar Canadian temptress may have come from an underground womb of acoustic folk (Mermaid Café), avant jazz (Fancypants Hoodlum), and deconstructed noise swarms (the Shit), but it wasn't until 2000's new guise that her fearless, apolitical gender-play truly raised heads. European trawls unearthed new admirers, and collaborations with the equally lewd Chilly Gonzales certainly fueled the fire for her first solo effort. By the time she signed onto Berlin's Kitty-Yo label and unleashed The Teaches of Peaches, her niche had already been carved out. Peaches simultaneously sounded like a Penthouse Forum and Grandmaster Flash, Shirley Manson, and Charles Manson -- or just Justine Frischmann hitting her sexual peak. Peaches moved to XL, which reissued The Teaches of Peaches in 2002, and released Fatherfucker in 2003 and Impeach My Bush in 2006.
QUINTRON
http://www.quintronandmisspussycat.com/
http://www.myspace.com/mrquintron
Jay Poggi (aka Quintron) has described his organ playing as a cross between the stylings of Raymond Scott, the composer whose music was famously used in Warner Bros. cartoons, and jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Aside from his organ playing, Poggi is a multi-instrumentalist who performs on traditional items like guitar, drums, and trumpet, as well as homemade inventions such as the Disco Light Machine, an attachment for drums where light is triggered by sound; the Spit Machine, a drum machine powered by saliva; and the Drum Buddy, which contains five oscillator circuits that create drum sounds when exposed to light. Along with wife and music partner, Miss Pussycat, the show is to to see!
LUCERO
http://www.luceromusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lucero
Adding a Southern flavor to their love of the indie folk-pop of Ida, Memphis alt-country rockers Lucero have suffered the turbulence that comes with the indie scene, but their story of perseverance and survival is triumphant, so much so that director Aaron Goldman made a film about it. Formed by leader Ben Nichols in the late '90s, Lucero took their name from the Spanish word meaning "bright star." After releasing a single on the Landmark label, Lucero signed with the alternative country label Madjack for their 2001 self-titled debut. Momentum started to build with their 2002 release Tennessee. With critics picking up on their rock and Replacements edge, a decision was made to sign with the more diverse label Tiger Style. The 2003 release That Much Further West earned them positive reviews and a spot on Rolling Stone's "Hot List." Things seemed to be going well, but as the album was catching indie fire, Tiger Style announced they were closing shop. The band formed their own label, Liberty & Lament, through a deal with East West and worked on their next album with famed musician/producer Jim Dickinson. Released in spring of 2005, Nobody's Darlings featured the most Southern-fried sounds from the band yet. Mixing archival footage along with footage shot during the recording of the album, Goldman premiered his Lucero documentary Dreaming in America in September of 2005. A month later the film was released on DVD and CD/DVD featuring 13 rare live bonus tracks. The out of print effort The Attic Tapes (originally released prior to their 2001 Madjack debut) was reissued in April 2006 with bonus early demo and rare 7" tracks, which preceded the release of Lucero's next studio effort, September's Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers. Supporting tour dates through the fall followed with openers Rocky Votolato and William Elliott Whitmore.
OCTOPUS PROJECT
http://www.theoctopusproject.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theoctopusproject
The Octopus Project is an American indietronica band based in Austin, Texas. Its unique sound, blending pop and experimental elements, is a combination of digital and electronic sounds and noises (including drum machine, keyboard/ synthesizers and other strange devices) and analog equipment (including guitars and live drums). Its music is entirely vocal-less. On April 30, 2006, the band played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. They were offered the opportunity after a fan, unbeknownest to the band, entered them in a contest held by the festival on MySpace in which voters were to "nominate their favorite band for an open slot at the festival"
DEAD MEADOW
http://www.deadmeadow.com/
http://www.myspace.com/dead_meadow
Dead Meadow's unique marriage of Sabbath riffs, dreamy layers of guitars fuzz bliss, and singer Jason Simon's high-pitched melodic croon have wond over both psychedelic pop/rock and stoner-rock fans alike. Although the band's members met while attending all-ages punk shows in and around Washington D.C.'s punk/indie scene, the trio's sound draws more of their sound from such classic rock legends as Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath. The trio formed in the fall of 1998 out the ashes of local indie rock bands The Impossible Five and Coulour by singer-guitarist Jason Simon, bassist Steve Kille, and drummer Mark Laughlin. The three members set out to fuse their love of early 70's hard rock and 60's psychedelia with their love of fantasy and horror writers J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft. They released their six-song debut album in 1999 on Fugazi bassist Joe Lally's Tolotta Records and a joint vinyl release on D.C. indie label Planaria Records. Then in 2001 the band released its second and third albums, Howls from The Hills and Dead Meadow, on Tollotta Records. In a reasonably short period the D.C. trio received offers to tour with everyone from local D.C. hipsters The Make-Up to seedy psychedelic rockers Brian Jonestown Massacre; eventually, they landed the opening slot for high profile indie veterans Guided by Voices. The group was also invited to record live for long time cutting edge British radio personality John Peel for BBC Radio One. Got Live If You Want It! arrived in 2002; that year, the band lost Laughlin and found a new drummer in Stephen McCarty. The band moved to Matador for 2003's breakthrough Shivering King and Others. Cory Shane joined the band in time for 2005's Feathers.
ORANGES BAND
http://www.theorangesband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theorangesband
The Oranges Band was a complex pop combo led by vocalist Roman Kuebler. Kuebler first surfaced as a member of the Baltimore indie crew Roads to Space Travel, which released a couple of records on the Amish label as well as a 7" through Washington, D.C.'s DeSoto. When the band dissolved, Kuebler began to assemble what would become the Oranges Band: ex-Wrong Button drummer Dave Voyles, guitarists Dan Black and Virat Shukla, and bassist Tim Johnston, who had played guitar in Brickhead. The Oranges Band debuted in April 2000 with the Five Dollars EP on Morphius, and almost immediately began touring. It was a conscious choice; idealistically, the bandmembers believed in the immediacy and momentary grace of music, and felt that touring was the best way to access that. A year later, another EP appeared on Morphius, Nine Hundred Miles of Fucking Hell. Around this point Kuebler fit in a collaboration and tour with D.C.'s bratty punk combo the Thumbs. As the Oranges Band focused on writing and practicing new songs for an eventual full-length, Kuebler left again, this time as the touring bassist for the Austin, TX-based Spoon. The Oranges Band finally finished a round of demos in April 2002, which caught the ear of Lookout!, which quickly snapped them up. An introductory EP for Lookout! entitled On TV appeared in late 2002; the debut full-length All Around followed in April 2003, The World and Everything In It in 2005.
DRAG THE RIVER
http://www.dragtheriver.com/
www.myspace.com/dragtheriver
Drag the River was a musical outlet for some of punk's seasoned veterans. All frontman Chad Price hooked up with Armchair Martian's Jon Snodgrass and Paul Rucker and the Nobody's JJ Nobody and formed Drag the River for a country-rock fix. Hobo's Demos was released in mid-2000 and captured Drag the River's rough cut rock & roll woven around lyrical introspections. Pedal steel guitarist Zach Boddicker was added to the fray by 2001 and Drag the River prepped for a sophomore effort while playing gigs out West. Closed, which shaped into a booze-soaked storybook of heartbreak and loneliness, was issued on Upland in spring 2002.
WHITEY
http://www.myspace.com/hellowhitey
Your attention please. WHITEY is a sort-of solo project by N.J WHITEY. He is a misanthrope that spends most of his time skulking in dark corners. When he plays live he is accompanied by the following friends and associates- Wildcat (drums/sequencers), Scott X. Fairbrother (guitar/bass) and Shah (guitar/keys). For the first year guitar was also Patrick Walden (Babyshambles)... however the bright lights/hot pipes enticed him away. The fifth secret member is Robert Harder, a mysterious Bavarian who operates the mixing desk. Over the past two years WHITEY and his live sidekicks have played over 200 shows alongside (amongst others) Undertones, Buzzcocks, LCD soundsystem, New Order and Iggy Pop. There have been sessions for XFM and Radio 1. It was a lot of fun, but now they are having a lie-down. They will be back with a live XFM broadcast in late May. WHITEY is currently finishing his second album, GREAT SHAKES. It draws on a delirious range of influences, and features the live act as guest musicians. Its very good. You should hear it, really. This album is a follow up to the 2005 album THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IS A TRAIN (1234 Records). This made many critical 'Best Of Year' lists. You should listen to this too, if you can find it. Thankyou for your time
PUNK STAGE CIRCLE JERKS
http://www.officialcirclejerks.com/
www.myspace.com/circlejerx
Formed in 1979 by Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson, the Circle Jerks combined the rebelliousness of the Sex Pistols and Ramones with the aggressive athletic elements of the surfer/skateboarder crowd from Hermosa Beach. This coastal city just south of Los Angeles ignited the initial explosion of hardcore bands. Including bassist Roger Rogerson and drummer Lucky Lehrer, the band recorded their debut album, Group Sex, in 1980 on Frontier Records. Containing 14 tracks, the songs ranged in length from 1:35 to 27 seconds, taking the hyper blast of punk to the next extreme. With the release of the album, an appearance in the documentary film about L.A. punk The Decline of Western Civilization, and their incendiary live performances, the group's stature was assured in the budding hardcore community. They went on to release many other records, including "Golden Shower of Hits," "Wild In The Street" and much more, rising to be one of punk and hardcores most popular and successful bands on the 80's (even being featured on the film Repo Man). After breaking up in the late 80's the band members moved on, guitartist Greg Heston still touring with his other band of the time, Bad Religion. BUT, now they're back on the road AND in the studio to possibly release new material for drooling punk fans!
NEGATIVE APPROACH
http://www.geocities.com/nahardcore/
www.myspace.com/negativeapproach
Detroit's Negative Approach, along with Maumee, OH's Necros, were the undisputed champs of Midwestern hardcore in the early to mid-'80s. Legend has it that vocalist John Brannon recruited drummer OP Moore and the guitar/bass team of Rob and Graham McCulloch at a skate park sometime in 1981. Lead by the bald-headed Brannon's hoarse wail, the band concocted an extreme sound devoid of frills that alternated between violent and mean. This was first fully documented in 1982 on their self-titled Touch and Go 7". The band released the more metallic-sounding Tied Down 12" on Touch and Go in 1983, but died out in 1985 as Brannon incubated the Birthday Party blues of Laughing Hyenas. Unfortunately lacking the more widespread post-hardcore fame of peers Ian McKaye and Henry Rollins, Brannon's Negative Approach has not gotten the later-day due often accorded Minor Threat and Black Flag. Negative Approach was certainly as influential as those two bands, touching everyone from Poison Idea to Sonic Youth to Los Crudos, as well as entire generations of hardcore fans in Boston and New York. The band was also as original and extreme as any early-'80s punk outfit -- the rhythmic crush created by Moore and the McCulloch brothers continues to be an undeniable steel-toe to the face. Touch and Go compiled the band's discography as Total Recall in 1992, an essential listen for anyone who wants to understand hardcore.
RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS
http://www.theriverboatgamblers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/theriverboatgamblers
The Riverboat Gamblers rocked their way out of the university town of Denton, TX, in September 2001 with the "Jenna Is a No Show" 7". It's unclear how the vinyl sliver was able to effectively harness the sonic fury that the Gamblers' legendary UNT house party live act had become; nevertheless, an instant classic was born. A Tim Kerr-produced, eponymous LP followed on Vile Beat; it poured a pint of whiskey on an already raging rock & roll fire. Led by the whooping vocals of Teko (Mike Wiebe), the band also featured guitarists Freddy Castro (Fadi El-Assad) and Colin Ambulance (Colin James), bassist Spider (Pat Lillard), and drummer Jesse 3X (Jesse Hamilton). Like their peers in the Catheters and Tight Bros From Way Back When, the Riverboat Gamblers reveled in flailing 1970s cock rock and cared little for subtlety. Despite rabid major-label interest (in part derived from a typically incendiary set at the 2003 South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX), the band signed with rawking indie powerhouse Gearhead, who quickly issued the Something to Crow About LP in June 2003. Extensive touring commenced in summer of that year, logging time with MC5, Burning Brides and Flogging Molly along the way. The Riverboat Gamblers signed with Volcom Entertainment in April 2005, spent time on the summer's Warped Tour, and released To the Confusion of Our Enemies in April 2006. By this time, Wiebe, Castro, and Lilliard were rounded out on guitar by Ian McDougall and, eventually, drummer Mark Baker.
ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN
http://www.electricfrankenstein.com/
www.myspace.com/electricfrankenstein
he punk revival quintet Electric Frankenstein comprised singer Steve Miller, guitarists Jim Foster and Sal Canzonieri, bassist Donato Canzonieri and drummer Rob Sefcik. Formed in New York during the mid-1990s, the group first garnered attention with a series of singles on indie labels including Demolition Derby, Frisbee, Get Hip and Estrus, also making any number of compilation appearances; their first full-length, Electric Frankenstein Conquers the World, followed in 1996. A year later, Electric Frankenstein returned with Sick Songs and The Time Is Now; Listen Up Baby and Spare Parts appeared in 1998, and the group's prolific output continued in 1999 with How to Make a Monster. Dawn of Electric Frankenstein, an album featuring a collection of bands that influenced Electric Frankenstein followed a year later; another studio effort Annie's Grave and Touch Me I'm Electric both appeared in early 2001.
LOWER CLASS BRATS
http://www.myspace.com/38807129
Unlike most band stories, the story of the LOWER CLASS BRATS did not start out "innocently enough". It was more like a full-blown attack on their local music scene. The war started in January 1995 in Austin, Texas when the BRATS set out to destroy all of the emo, college and garage bands that had some how taken over their city. Many years, countless beers and drug additctions later, the boys are still waging war. Not just in their hometown though, with the help of fans world wide they've set out to take over the planet. In the time that the LOWER CLASS BRATS have been pounding out their own brand of Clockwork Punk they have released a fuck-load of recordings including appearances on several compilations, live DVD's and soundtracks in two different films (nudge, nudge- wink, wink). In the past decade the BRATS have toured the globe. Mexico, Germany, North America, Canada, England, Japan, France and many, many other countries have witnessed the boys in action. And the LOWER CLASS BRATS don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. From their first gig over ten years ago, to this day- L.C.B. always steals the show.
APPLICATORS
www.myspace.com/theapplicators
While attending high school in the mid-'90s, the ladies who make up the punk-pop sound of the Applicators weren't exactly concerned with going to the prom or dating the star quarterback. Instead, the Applicators -- Sabrina (vocals), Erica (guitar), Kristina (bass), and Stephanie (drums) -- played instruments and worshiped the likes of the Cramps, Motörhead, the Breeders, and the Jam. Each had saved every penny to buy her own equipment, but it wasn't until early 1999 that the fearsome foursome would connect for the Applicators in their native Austin, TX. Over the next few years, the Applicators honed a wicked pop sound, sharing dates with the Teen Idols, Fear, and their heroes, Bad Religion. Bad Religion/Circle Jerks guitarist Greg Hetson caught one of these shows and liked the band's raw appeal. He went on to produce the Applicators' debut album, What's Your Excuse, which appeared in summer 2002.
Krum Bums
http://www.myspace.com/krumbums
IRON AGE
http://www.myspace.com/youngbloodrecords
Austin hardcore's Iron Age rose from the ashes of Far From Breaking, to form a tough, fast and heavy hardcore act (fans of Cro Mags, Hatebreed, Wrecking Crew and Agnotic Front will be pleased). Since releasing records with Youngblood Records, they've toured the States repeatedly and are in Europe touring as we speak.
ADHD
www.myspace.com/adhdhotticket
Its 106 degrees in the shade in the San Gabriel Valley and the anthemic sounds of ADHD rise from the grease-stained concrete in the garage of founding drummer, Rick Randow. The "studio" is papered with posters declaring their influences...The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Ramones, The Dead Boys, The Saints, Radio Birdman, and The Stooges, just to name a few. As Rick Bane of Hostage Records put it, "these guys are the ringers of the new OC punk bands. They perfectly walk the tight rope without falling to the punk left or the rock right."
Prefuse 73
http://www.prefuse73.com/
www.myspace.com/prefusion1973
DJ MEL
http://djmel.com/
www.myspace.com/thedjmel
DJ Mel is a turntablist in the purest form of the art; the party rocker. Musically unpretentious, Stylistically eclectic." Dj Wise". Renowned as one of the most prolific djs in the business due to the success of a nationally released mix-tape, his wildly popular rock the casbah 80s parties, host of the longest running hip hop weekly in Texas, partner of the Rootdown party series, inventor of the Hip-Hop Karaoke night (Krunkaoke), all the while holding down his position as hip hop buyer for the hugely successful Waterloo Records in Austin Tx.
GHOSTLAND OBSERVATORY DJ SET (THOMAS TURNER)
www.myspace.com/ghostlandobservatory
Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock 'n roll souls. Taking the working man's approach, Ghostland Observatory spend countless hours in their south Austin studio. They have released two albums in less than a year, and have moved audiences from coast to coast with their live performances and unique style. Ghostland Observatory is the duo of front man Aaron Behrens and producer/drummer Thomas Turner. This DJ set will be all Thomas all the time. Turner is heavily influenced by electronic artists such as Daft Punk, Laurent Garnier and Green Velvet, as well as rockers such as The Animals, David Bowie, and The Clash.
LEARNING SECRETS/ WE EXPLODE!
www.awesome-inc.com
www.myspace.com/learningsecrets
Learning Secrets, run out of Austin, TX by Ian Orth, functions on many levels. As a massive dance party thrown at the Whisky Bar, which showcases some of the best upcoming indie bands. LS has also housed some of the finest guest djs including ZTrip, Glasgow U.K.'s OPTIMO, and The Juan Maclean & Tim Sweeney from DFA records/Beats in Space. In spring 2006 LS launched its sister party called WE EXPLODE! and found Ian teaming up with DJ buddy Gates Bradley from the Super!Alright! multi media collective birthing their DJ personas Chill Colins and MegaGates. The crew took over the Beauty Bar in Austin and turning it into a full fledged electro punk funk freak out. WE EXPLODE! has hosted some amazing guests, including Cut Chemist, Peaches, Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and Will Sergeant ( Echo and the Bunny Men). LS has a big year planned with the release of exclusive tracks and remixes, as well as dj dates being booked around the country.
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