Artists
With vintage sounding indie bands being a flavor of the year, many bands are relying too heavily on their influences and failing to create something new. In contrast, The Mynabirds create a lively musical synergy on their debut album, What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood. They do not bash the listener over the head with their influences. Instead, they subtly incorporate soul and R & B arrangements into their pop rock sound.
I first became immersed into African music from the influence of an amazing musician, friend, and teacher Matt Wasowski currently with Mohammed Alidu and the Bizung Family, and Zivanai Masango and Pachedu and formerly with Jaka and Jyemo amongst other groups. Matt who plays mostly guitar, also dabbles and even builds with his students many African instruments such as the Mbira or thumb piano and Marimbas.
T Bird and the Breaks, the 10-piece Austin soul band releasing monthly original songs on real vinyl, again plays South By Southwest Music Festival & Media Conference, with its showcase slated for March 20.
Maceo Parker: his name is synonymous with Funky Music, his pedigree impeccable; his band: the tightest little funk orchestra on earth.
Everyone knows by now that he’s played with each and every leader of funk, his start with James Brown, which Maceo describes as "like being at University"; jumping aboard the Mothership with George Clinton; stretching out with Bootsy’s Rubber Band. He’s the living, breathing pulse which connects the history of Funk in one golden thread. The cipher which unravels dance music down to its core.
Road Trips 2, Number 2 finds us deep in the heart of Grateful Dead's prime. Presented in its entirety, this spectacular performance was captured at the Austin Municipal Auditorium on November 15th, 1971. Highly revered for its improvisation and loaded with beautiful musical turns, the show features on this 2-disc set spotlights the Dead jamming through soon-to-be classics and dusting off their "Star" for the Lone Star State.
It started in a bedroom studio as a solo project, writing, playing and self-recording as a one-man-band. After the release of two solo albums under the name The Antlers, "Uprooted" and "In the Attic of the Universe," founder Peter Silberman started the recording of "Hospice." During the two year process, Michael Lerner and Darby Cicci joined the band as permanent members, and now the trio is on an American tour with British band the Editors.
A while ago, John Butler cut his hair. After sporting a set a dread locks for much of his adult life, the guitar master decided to chop them all off.
I’ve always secretly felt badly for people with birthdays that fell during the deep winter. Mine’s in late August.. Pretty much everywhere I’ve ever lived or visited, I’ve found August to be lush, warm, and full of nature’s bounty. Birthday gatherings for me were pretty much always outside, and in nature.
