Out the Other

Nope, I didn't disappear

Time sure flies when your actual jobby-job gets exceptionally busy. 

Sorry I've been MIA, but a big project at work has been occupying most of my time, and when I leave the office for the day I haven't been able to bring myself to fire up the laptop.  A girl can only handle spending so much time in front of a glowing screen when the weather is this phenomenal.

I'll try harder this week though.  In the meantime, here's an awesome song I heard on WRVU last week:

Hal - "Don't Come Running" (from Hal)

Monday morning mini-mix (part 23)

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but since I'm skipping the show tonight, I thought you were due a few excellent tunes for your Monday.  These are actually the first five tracks off of a mix CD I made last week for the BF...

The Features - "Walk You Home" (from The Beginning)
The Helio Sequence - "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" (from Keep Your Eyes Ahead)
Mazarin - "For Energy Infinite" (from We're Already There)
Hot Hot Heat - "Get In Or Get Out" (from Make Up the Breakdown)
The A-Sides - "Sidewalk Chalk" (from Hello, Hello)

Meet David Byrne at Grimey's today!!!

As I already mentioned last week, I'm not going to be doing the radio show tonight, because I'm actually headed to the Ryman Auditorium this evening to see David Byrne.  I'm pretty psyched about seeing the show (tickets were actually a b-day gift from my parents); not only have I loved David Byrne since I can remember listening to music, really, but I also think he's one of the most brilliant men around and I read his online journal on a daily basis.  I haven't seen him perform since I took my mother to a show for Mother's Day back when I was living in Boston, and I can't imagine a better setting to see him in this evening than the Ryman.

And if you aren't doing anything for lunch, and you'd like to actually MEET David Byrne, he's going to be at Grimey's today at noon meeting fans and signing autographs!  No performance or anything, but whatever - you're going to the Ryman, right?

Actually, it's apparently David Byrne day - Pitchfork just posted an interview with the musician this morning.  I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I probably will at lunch (sadly I won't be able to run out to Grimey's myself - I'd be too tongue-tied to not make a fool out of myself anyway).

"Strange Overtones"

Birthdays and bloggers and Americana!

Today I'm 27, and I'm celebrating by (a) taking the day off from work (I slept in and I've been kickin it with the cats and a good book), (b) eating ice cream for breakfast and (c) participating on a panel at the Americana Music Conference this afternoon.  No really, now that I'm a year older I'm suddenly all official and stuff.

Anywho, I'm pretty psyched to be involved in this - my friend JT (you might know him from his guest-DJ slot on Out the Other last summer) set it up, and it's going to be pretty awesome.  Here's the official blurb:

The Americana Music Festival and Conference will play host to an exploration and celebration of the blogosphere Friday, September 19. The epitome of the anarchic world of contemporary tastemaking, blogs break bands, amplifying traditional grassroots campaigns and word-of-mouth buzz. Innovative industry outfit Thirty Tigers will partner with bloggers My Old Kentucky Blog and Aquarium Drunkard to present a two-pronged AMA event: A daytime panel featuring My Old Kentucky Blog's Craig "Dodge" Lile, Aquarium Drunkard's Justin Gage, Amanda Petrusich (New York Times, Pitchfork, Paste) and Janet Timmons of Nashville’s Out the Other will take a multifaceted look at blogs: who’s reading them? Who is writing them? How do Americana bands reach them? Friday evening, an eclectic Americana lineup of blogger darlin’s featuring Jason Isbell, O’Death, Those Darlins, Blair and Le Switch will take the stage at the Basement.

Dodge and Justin both do an amazing job with their blogs, and I'm sure this is going to be a great conversation.  If you're in town for the conference, make sure you stop by.

And if you're in town period, make sure you stop by the showcase they set up at the Basement tonight.  That's the flyer up above, and it's a pretty kick-ass indie-friendly Americana lineup - all the acts are pretty stellar.  It's free if you have a festival wristband.

Have a great weekend - I know I owe you guys some recappage, and I hope to tackle that in the next few days!

Playlist - September 15

Monday's show was back to (mostly) the regular format - a taste of the week ahead.  There weren't a ton of new releases this week that I was psyched about, so instead we mostly checked out the bands playing in town - particularly The Felice Brothers and A.A. Bondy, who are playing tonight at Exit/In.  Thanks again to everyone entered the giveaway contest, and congrats to Rick, who will be headed out to the show tonight.  To everyone else - I hope that even if you didn't win tickets, you'll still consider checking out the show tonight, because it's going to be a great time.   

On to the archive:

Stream the September 15 edition of Out the Other

And the playlist:

1.  The Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun (The Felice Brothers)
2.  And the Relatives - Spoon Daddy (Animals)
3.  Eastern Block - Espionage (Eastern Block EP)
4.  Stories That Live - What Does It Take? (unreleased)
5.  Codaphonic - Call-In Show (The Ballad of Codaphonic)
6.  David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones (Everything That Happens Will Happen Today)
7.  A.A. Bondy - There's a Reason (American Hearts)
8.  Coral Castles - The Corpse and the Cake (The Corpse and the Cake)
9.  The Non-Commissioned Officers - No Means No (Make Out With Violence Soundtrack)
10.  The Bound Stems - Taking Tips From the Gallery Gang (The Family Afloat)
11.  Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Bookworm (The Daytrotter Sessions EP)
12.  The Felice Brothers - Radio Song (The Felice Brothers) 

There will be no show next Monday - I'll be headed to see David Byrne at the Ryman Auditorium!  I'll be back on the 29th with loads of great new music and (of course) bands playing around town.

Playlist - September 8

Eek, I didn't even realize that I didn't post last week's playlist... last week.  So before we get to the show from Monday night, I best get this one out of the way. 

This was the Next Big Nashville preview show, and most of the mp3s actually got posted along with my guide to NBN 2008 - so I'm guessing you may have already checked them out.  Regardless, it's a pretty nice locally-flavored mix.  So go ahead:

Stream the September 8 edition of Out the Other

And here's the playlist:

1.  The Non-Commissioned Officers - Sweet Eleanor (Make Out With Violence Soundtrack)
2.  Eastern Block - Espionage (Eastern Block EP)
3.  And the Relatives - Dixie Cups (Animals EP)
4.  Hands Down Eugene - The Mountain (White Stone)
5.  Canon Blue - Halcyon (Halcyon EP)
6.  Cake Bake Betty - Eleanor (To the Dark Tower)
7.  Magic Wands - Black Magic (Black Magic 7")
8.  Vulture Whale - I Thought I Thought Of Everything (Vulture Whale)
9.  Coral Castles - Phatic, Static, Magic! (The Corpse & The Cake)
10.  Howlies - Sea Level (Sea Level)
11.  Eef Barzelay - Make Another Tree (Lose Big)
12.  The Features - Lions (Some Kind of Salvation)
13.  Jensen Sportag - 2x2 (demo)

Win tickets to see The Felice Brothers and A.A. Bondy @ Exit/In this Thursday!

I LOVE giving stuff away, and I LOVE giving away tickets to see fantastic bands even more.  One show I've been looking forward to this month is The Felice Brothers and A.A. Bondy at Exit/In this Thursday - I've been planning on going since it was announced because (a) I love them and (b) it's the day before my birthday.  And now guess what?  I have a pair of guest list passes to give away too!

To enter to win, just send an email to outtheothercontests@gmail.com before midnight on Wednesday (technically Thursday at 12 a.m.), including your full name and with the subject line "The Felice Brothers."  I'll draw a winner first thing on Thursday, and if you're selected, you and a friend will be headed to the show for free!

Even if you don't win, I HIGHLY recommend checking this show out - The Felice Brothers put on one of the best live shows I've seen in 2008 earlier this year, and I caught A.A. Bondy's phenomenal set at SXSW back in March as well.  Plus, you'd love to celebrate (the day before) my birthday with me, right?

Here's two Felice Brothers tracks to get you excited:

"Frankie's Gun"
"Greatest Show On Earth"

Next Big Hangover @ Mercy Lounge tonight!

Now that you've (hopefully) rested up and recovered nicely from your Next Big Nashville adventures, it's time to soothe your hangover and venture back out to Mercy Lounge for tonight's 8 off 8th.  Joe Baine Colvert from Indie Ghetto, Michael Eades from We Own This Town and I have teamed up to present tonight's Next Big Hangover party, and we have a great lineup for your Monday night (in no particular order right now):

And the Relatives
Stories That Live
Eastern Block
Codaphonic
The Whip
This Modern Station
Repent or Forever Be Damned
My Tyger

Like all 8 off 8ths, this one is FREE and 21+ and will kick off at 9 p.m.  There were be $4 bloody marys if you show up early, and obviously lots of great music.

See you there!

September 15 show preview

Well, I survived Next Big Nashville 2008 - even though surviving meant spending pretty much all of Sunday laying around watching season two of Dexter and very rarely getting out of bed.  I'll be recapping my four days of the festival shortly, but first I have to get my life in order and (unfortunately) head back to work today after my four-day weekend. 

Tonight's show might be a little bit of a recap, a little bit of newness, and a little preview of tonight's 8 off 8th at Mercy Lounge (which I'm going to tell you about in just a minute).  There's nothing particularly huge in the works for the hour-long show, but we will definitely check out the concert calendar and I'll give you a taste of the attention-worthy acts coming to town. 

Tune in at 8 - on your way to Mercy Lounge!

Next Big Nashville - Meemaw

I have one more interview for you before I actually head out and enjoy what Friday's NBN has to offer - Meemaw.  This one's pretty short and sweet, but the band should definitely be a highlight in a pretty great Infinity Cat sponsored showcase tonight over at the End.  Reid & Wright, Cake Bake Betty, Royal Bangs, The Mattoid and JEFF the Brotherhood will round out this bill - but I'm guessing these kids will be the ones everyone is talking about - after all, they seem to be one of Nashville's biggest buzz bands on the local scene in 2008. 

"Blue In the Blacklight"

You guys are definitely one of the Nashville's big buzz bands this year - how long have you been playing together, and are you all originally from Nashville?

We met each other here. We've been a band since May 2007. We taught each other to play with each other. We figured out Cancer of Society the first day we met.

Please describe your music in five words or less.

BAD ASS ROCK AND ROLL

You recently finished your first album - what can you tell us about it?

We recorded it all ourselves, except Original Sin, which we did at Modernist Movement Studios with Brian Virtue in Hermitage. We drew doodles for the cover, Aaron Rayburn assembled them into a piece. It is $5, has a 7inch vinyl, a CD, 8 songs and liner notes, so you're not wasting money because we're not wasting time.

What do you think is the best thing about the Nashville music scene?

Not making divisive, angry, hyper-critical music about hating "The Government", faith struggles, or  voting for Ron Paul. It's too easy to keep your hands clean that way.

For the people out there who haven't see Meemaw live yet - what can we expect from your performance at Next Big Nashville?

Three different people playing music together.

What other bands would you recommend checking out at the festival?

Every band on Infinity Cat, and then go listen to MARJ!, Gnarwhal, Happy Box, Dewey Decibel, and Skunkape afterwards online.

Anything else you'd like to add?

We no longer sleep in the same bed.

Meemaw will be playing Next Big Nashville on Friday, September 12 at 11:15 p.m. at The End.  Visit http://nbn08.sched.org to view the full festival schedule, or create an account to plan and share your own schedule.

Check out more of Out the Other's Guide to Next Big Nashville 2008.