INsite Austin

Ransom Jack Interview

2012-01-24T10:12:00.003-06:00

Ransom Jack

Carrying the Party-Punk Torch Along the I-35 Corridor

By Sean Claes

I attended college in San Marcos at Southwest Texas State University in the late 1990s. It was not, as many are prone to say, a “party school” any more than any other college I’ve visited. But, being in such close proximity to Austin and the Hill Country, San Marcos had its share of great bands come through… and I was a budding music journalist, so I had the chance to interview a few.

I’ve always championed the locals, though. Bands that were ACTUALLY San Marcos based. I’ve always kept up with the scene down the road as well. I’ve never been disappointed as there’s always a great band around the corner at Triple Crown, Cheatham Street Warehouse, and now Texas Music Theater.

I tell you that to introduce the subjects of my interview today. The San Marcos-based Ransom Jack. They are currently carrying on the legacy of the “great local San Marcos Party Band.” And that’s kind of a big deal.

Ransom Jack has that reggae-infused rock band sound akin to that of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They formed in late 2007 and have been slowly working the stages along the I-35 corridor and making fans along the way. In 2011 they released their debut self-titled album with a huge show at San Marcos’ Texas Music Theater.

Zach Taylor (guitar/vox), J.C. Alvarez (Drums/vox) and Jarrod “JRod” Nall (bass/vox) are the members of Ransom Jack and we talked about the origin of the name, their debut CD, Wild Turkey, and some of the charities they feel strongly about.

FYI Their next Austin show is February 25 at Maggie Mae’s, which is the bands favorite local venue.

Sean Claes: Where’d Ransom Jack, the name come from?

JC Alvarez: Funny story. We were throwing around some band names and since we all had grown our beards out at the time, Lumber Jack was joked about.

Jarrod “JRod” Nall: We liked “Jack”, being a combination of our three names, and then someone recommended Handsome Jack. Then the rhyming started. I don’t know how but “Ransom” came up and the concept of “to redeem from captivity” was perfect.

Zach Taylor: I always thought of Ransom Jack being the savior for us, from which our society holds us captive. Institutions teach us from an early age that we should become corporate sheep, lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc… When really, we should find our true passion in life, pursue it with all our might, and never give up no matter how many trials come our way.

Music is Ransom Jack’s means of deliverance from this captivity.

Claes: Zach and JRod, you’ve known each other for a really long time. How long have you played together?

Taylor: Actually, Jrod and I met in middle school… We helped each other on an essay during a test, got caught, and were friends ever since.

Nall: We were 11 or 12. Zach had a new guitar (which is still the same one he uses today) and I had just started playing bass. We’ve been jamming on and off for some 15 years now.

Claes: How did you hone your sound?

Taylor: We locked ourselves in the jam room for over 2 months straight… we would literally practice all day and all night.

Nall: We lived off sandwiches and coffee for those two months and it’s a miracle we weren’t sick of each other by the end. It just happened. There’s just good chemistry between us and we all have different styles to bring to the table.

You can practice for a year straight, but if there’s no chemistry there then it’s just not going to work.

Claes: Having formed in 2007, why did it take until 2011 to cut a debut CD?

Taylor: We needed more stage experience to solidify our originals and create a well-balanced show diet. We did a few recordings in the early years but they were not the quality that we knew we were capable of and consequently had falling-outs with the engineers.

Then in 2010 we hooked up with JC’s old friend Maestro, a hip-hop producer that had formed the production company Atiatsus Entertainment LLC, and the album process just came together. It took a good amount of time to get everything perfect, but in the end we finally had a product we were happy with.

Claes: Who did you record with?

Nall: We recorded at The Looney Bin Studio with engineer Bobby Mercer, had it mastered at Terra Nova by Jerry Tubb and it was Executive Produced by Matthew “Maestro” Sustaita. They did a great job.

Claes: I’m digging the bass line of “Wild Turkey.” The song reminds me of the 1991 song “Apple Pie” by White Trash for some reason.

Nall: Thanks man. Wild Turkey’s one of my personal favorites as you may guess.

Taylor: Ha, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry… Those guys were some funky hipsters. I can’t get enough of those 90s bands because that’s the era we are strongly influenced by. Actually, “Wild Turkey” kind of started as a joke song, but everyone loved it and it ended up becoming one of our more popular ones.

Do you have a favorite track off the album?

Nall: Tough one. I guess I would have to go with the Bonus Track “Jam Song”. We cut that track in one take and you can feel the energy.

Alvarez: We honestly love all the songs, and they all mean something different to each of us. It would be too hard to pick one… But, “Building Blocks.”

Taylor: Three way tie for me, “For Goodness Sakes”, “Interlude” through “Building Blocks” and “Good For Nothing.” Those songs just speak to me.

Claes: Your CD release party was at San Marcos’ Texas Music Theatre on October 5, 2011. Was that an epic night?

Alvarez: TMT was like a dream come true, it was organized so well, the turn out reminded me of our barn parties back in the days. We had G Clef, DANGER!CROSSFIRE!, and Victory March.

Taylor: That crowd and stage was sick! It was surreal thinking back to the beginning playing at Cancun Rob’s for free beer and tacos to playing in such a professional venue.

Nall: Epic would be a good word for it. It was great to see everyone who has jammed our songs over the past 4 years in one place together supporting local music.

Claes: Who are some of the bands you count as influences?

Taylor: A small list includes The Beatles, 311, Victor Wooten, Incubus, Sublime, NOFX, Foo Fighters, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. We grew up going to Warped Tour every year starting in middle school so pretty much the entire punk world.

Claes: Although you’ve got a pretty extensive catalog of originals, you’ve got some great covers as well. What are some of your favorite covers to play?

Taylor: Probably Sublime’s “Caress Me Down”, The Beatles’ “Revolution; Come Together”, and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion”.

We really enjoy turning cover songs into our own style rather than just repeating what has been done. We have a live rendition of MGMT’s “Kids” which always seems to get a lot of attention as well.

Claes: After 5 years of playing out, what was your favorite Ransom Jack show?

Alvarez: A lot of favorite gigs…

Taylor: …but nothing rocked as hard as the barn parties!

Nall: Those were definitely the most fun. That was really what got us momentum in the early days. It was a series of five parties spread out over a little less than a year and we rattled the earth. It’s great to not only play the show, but organize the entire event.

Just say the words “barn party” to anyone who was there and you can tell by the look on their face how much fun those shows were. And we want to thank our friend Mike Wilkinson for making those possible.

Claes: Over the last few years, you’ve played a few charity gigs. In 2010 and 2011 you played for TX State’s Bobcat Build. Why did you choose that organization?

Taylor: It’s a great cause. They actually chose us and there was no way we could turn that down.

Nall: We like helping out, Bobcat Build is a great cause. Whenever we can do something to help the community that has done so much for us we take advantage of the opportunity.

Alvarez: Giving back and helping others is one of the big things that we stand for.

Claes: You also wrote a song for the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) entitled “Together We Care” that became a video by the folks at UTSA. How’d that whole thing come about?

Taylor: Charles Davis, who had been working with UTSA, contacted our publisher and they decided we had the perfect sound. So we got the concept and recorded “Together We Care”.

We had been playing with that riff for a while and when we were asked to do the video we wrote the lyrics pretty much in the studio. It’s a little corny, but it’s for a good cause and we love it.

Claes: Three members live in three cities down the I-35 corridor. Any plans to consolidate Ransom Jack?

Alvarez: We all kind of like where we’re living now. Thanks to our team we are still organized even though we live in different cities.

Nall: It works out well because we have bases all down the I-35 corridor with Zach in San Antonio, J.C. in San Marcos and I in Austin. We’re not going to focus on one particular city. We get a good response everywhere.

However, San Marcos will always be Ransom Jack’s home.

Claes: What’s 2012 going to hold In store for Ransom Jack?

We will be out at every venue pushing our music and rocking shows, festivals, and ear canals! We’ve been adding some new aspects to our live shows and will be incorporating an amazing light spectacle. We’ll be releasing new tracks as well with some other great local musicians. We’ll hopefully be organizing more events as well, and be on the look out for our first professional video to be released, Summer 2012!

Ransom Jack will play in Corpus Christi at Doctor Rockets on 2/19/12 and at Austin’s Maggie Mae’s on 2/25/12. For more information or to download their debut CD, look them up at http://www.ransomjack.com, or via Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ransomjack or twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ransomjack.

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

Heather Bishop Interview

2012-01-16T09:12:00.021-06:00

This interview is week 2 of Sean Claes' 52 Weeks of Austin Music Interviews.

From Back-up Singer to Seasoned Singer-Songwriter

The Incomparable Heather Bishop

By Sean Claes
I've been playing this generations version of phone tag with Austin's Heather Bishop for about a decade. We knew of each other when we were both involved in an organization called the Austin Indie Alliance, then we kept in contact via MySpace, then Facebook. She's been involved in the Austin music scene since the mid 1990s, and had been either lead vocalist or lent her talents to numerous local albums and bands. She even had a day named for her, when 10 years ago then Austin Mayor Gus Garcia declared February 7, 2002 "Heather Bishop Day." But, we've never met and I've never had the chance to interview her, until now.

Bishop, having grown up and cut her musical teeth in Travis County, has played at pretty much all of Austin's legendary music spots, including past haunts like Liberty Lunch and Room 710, and current landmarks like The Red Eyed Fly, Jovita's, and Opal Devine's. She has two gigs this month (the Whip In (1/17 @ 9:30) and Gypsy Lounge (1/24 @ 6:30).

She currently has 3 releases under her belt, two released in 2011. In addition to her music, she is currently performing one of her short stories at FronteraFest later this month.

Sean Claes: You’ve been playing in Austin for many, many years. What are some of your favorite places to play, both past and present?
Heather Bishop: As a guest artist or with a band, Liberty Lunch, the Black Cat and Steamboat are my favorite long gone places, largely because it was nice to play the same venue as some of my favorite bands. I’ll always love Saxon Pub, though I haven’t played there in years.

Room 710 was a good place for me to cut my solo teeth, because it took a lot for a solo female songwriter to earn respect opening for some of the punk and metal bands back then. The audience would see me walk in dressed like Whitney Houston with a guitar and you could tell they were thinking- why is she HERE? It really pushed my songwriting and delivery and I’ve got a lot of good memories from those days.

Today, places like One2One , Nomad Bar and Lucky Lounge are always fun, and I’m looking forward to collaborating on a show at Antone’s soon.

Claes: What was your first gig, and how did it go?
Bishop: In 1993, someone found me at a college coffee shop in Georgetown, singing acapella, and asked me to do backup vocals for their band at an event on campus at Southwestern University. We covered Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, The Black Crowes and more.

A year or so later, guitarist Lasse Savola and I formed an offshoot project called 2 A.M. Blue. Eventually we got a residency in Austin at the coffee shop that used to be in the foyer of the Paramount and State Theater- Café Solaire. We played Friday nights and Nathan Hamilton’s band The Sharecroppers played Saturday nights. Good times!

Claes: How did you end up getting into the music business?
Bishop: I just fell in. I grew up singing, playing instruments and writing music and over time people asked and encouraged me to do it professionally. In the beginning it wasn’t so much a conscious choice, just a natural progression.

Claes: You’ve got a unique sound to you, kind of a folk/singer-songwriter with a blues influence, kind of like a velvet-voiced Shelley King. How did you arrive at your sound?
Bishop: When I was a kid I would sing along to records and mimic the artists as closely as possible- everyone from Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner, Billie Holiday and Lena Horne, Dolly Parton and Tanya Tucker…too many to list.

I wanted to learn more than the lyrics, though. I wanted to learn how the songs felt- the inflections and emotions attached to the songs. Obviously I never sounded exactly like these artists, but I think the practice went a long way towards helping me find my strengths and limitations so that I could find my own vocal space.

Claes: Tell me a little bit about that beautiful guitar in your press photos. Very ornate.
Bishop: The guitar is called Midsummer Night’s Eve and is part of Luna Guitar’s Fantasie Series. It’s spruce and mahogany with mother of pearl inlay, and features a painting by Edward Robert Hughes (1849-1914) that looks like a scene from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was my favorite of the Shakespeare plays that my mother read to me when I was a kid.

Claes: In 2011 you released 2 albums, a full length, Trains and Revolutions and The Story Sessions. This was your first solo release since 2001’s Graceful Riot At the 710. Why so long between recordings?
Bishop: In 2011, Trains and Revolutions was unplanned and deeply personal- recorded with Cris Burns at Summit Studio in response to several sudden deaths among friends and family, and The Story Sessions was recorded specifically for the NPR program, because I had nothing else ready for them.

For at least part of the time after Graceful Riot at The 710, I was dealing with medical issues that required time and effort to address. It pushed plans out a few years, but it felt really great to eventually get back on track.

For the rest of the time I did session work for other artists and completed most of another album that was my most challenging to date. I worked with producer Yoggie Musgrove on a record called Equilibrium, and asked him to push me beyond my normal comfort zone, which he did. I couldn’t be more pleased with the result and look forward to the final touches and eventual release- I think it will surprise some folks.

Claes: What is your favorite track on Trains and Revolutions?
Bishop: Wow, that’s a hard one. I really do love this collection. If I had to pick just one I guess I’d say “Cool As You.” The title is a subtle nod to Lucinda’s song “2 Kool 2 B 4-Gotten”, and although it could be a sad song, it doesn’t feel that way to me. It was written as the story of a couple parting, but was part of me processing the death of a family member. For me it has a hopeful “Hey – this is sad but I’ll see you around” vibe.

Claes: You’re one of the “Spirit Singers” for the Contemporary Christian FM radio station Spirit 105.9. How did that come about?
Bishop: I was familiar with the agency that put out the open call for auditions and thought, “Why not?” I auditioned and lo and behold…a few weeks later I’m dancing on a rooftop in downtown Austin with a camera crew.

Claes: Did you have a spiritual upbringing? Does your faith play into your musical career?
Bishop: Spirituality was always present growing up, but in a quiet, subtle way. My family is made of up different faiths, so the greatest thing I learned was respect for others and that it’s perfectly possible to love each other and get along despite differences.

Since those ideas shaped who I am I suppose they are present in my writing, but not usually in a conscious, overt way.

Claes: Who are you playing with these days?
Bishop: These days I sit in with the bluesy duo Old Gray Mule and the mash-up cover band More Cowbell on occasion, and I’m looking into a few other projects right now. No new names quite yet…

Claes: Besides performing your music around town, you’re also performing your short play about online dating, titled “Miss Match” at Hyde Park Theatre’s Frontera Fest on 1/27. What can you tell me about the play?
Bishop: Oh my…well it’s definitely a short, light-hearted comedy. After a divorce years ago, I tried online dating at the recommendation of some friends. It was hilarious!

To be fair, I made some truly great friends and I’m thankful for that. There were moments, however, when I realized I was no longer on a date, I was on an adventure. I had the option to stay and see how it ended, or leave and miss a good story. The funniest moments came from the worst dates, of course, and as I talked to people I realized that I wasn’t the only one who experienced this. The play is a highlight reel of sorts, of the best (worst) moments.

Claes: Who are some of your favorite local bands?
Bishop: Oh wow..too many! That said, I tend to focus more on individual players than bands. For example, Ephraim Owens, Brannen Temple, Malford Milligan, Jeff Plankenhorn and those cats- I’ll always check out whatever projects they’ve got going on. No matter the style, I know it’ll be good. Two of my favorite vocalists are LZ Love and Lisa Tingle and I love a little Dale Watson for my country swing.

Claes: If you could plan your dream concert, who would be on the bill?
Bishop: That always changes, but at the moment Over The Rhine, Lucinda Williams and The Rolling Stones. Yeah- I know. But hey- this is MY dream concert, right? Right.

Claes: Do you have any advice to up-and-coming Austin musicians?
Bishop: Rehearse. Be respectful of your time and others. Enjoy, but treat it like a job- it is work. Challenge yourself- don’t be complacent in your skills. Do your homework. Don’t be offended if someone doesn’t know who you are or what you do- let your work and product speak for itself.

Austin is a big small town- how you treat people resonates in the community. Take advantage of the resources available- there are a lot of people with experience here who are willing to share what they know. Oh- and for session folks just starting out- make sure you get credited on the final product- it’s good to build your portfolio.

Claes: Anything you’d like to add?
Bishop: Well…. I’m always working on multiple projects, and there are two I can mention at the moment. I’ve partnered with Chef Beau Been from Traveling Bistro Catering and we’ll have a new cookbook out later this year. Chef Been is a joy to work with and I’m very excited about the project! And lastly, I have a short story collection that will be out later this year. Very thankful, no complaints!

See Heather Bishop play on 1/17 at Whip In (9:30) and 1/24 at Gypsy Lounge (6:30). Find out more about Heather at http://www.heather.fm/

Here's her appearance as part of the Spirit 105.9 "Spirit Singers"

Scott H. Biram Interview

2012-01-10T14:39:00.013-06:00

This interview is week 1 of Sean Claes' 52 Weeks of Austin Music Interviews.

Scott H. Biram + Bad Ingredients = Great Music

Bringing his Dirty ‘ol One Man Show to Red Eyed Fly

By Sean Claes
It was 2006 when I first saw an anomaly of a performance at Stubb’s BBQ. I went there to see Hank Williams III (a musical anomaly himself), but the opener was just as interesting as the headliner that night. There sat Scott H. Biram, a dude that looked like he just stepped out of a semi-truck after dropping a load of BBQ sauce to the adjoining restaurant. His trucker-hat-wearing-Motörhead mustache sporting self got up on stage and sat down with a harmonica strapped around his neck, an acoustic guitar, a stomp box and an old-school Ribbon microphone.

Then he began playing a dirty blues riff, stomping his feet to create the beat, and growling through his set. He played like a man possessed, singing about “chickens,” death, whiskey, and.. yes.. truck driving. His style was raw, like punk-meets-metal through an acoustic guitar.

I got hold of his 2003 release Lo-Fi Mojo and it quickly became one of my favorite releases. Actually, when asked by Texas Music Magazine for my top 10 Texas releases for the last decade, I included Lo-Fi Mojo among them.

An interesting story about Biram is that in March of 2003 he was hit head-on at 75mph by an 18-wheeler. He suffered 2 broken legs, broken foot, a broken arm, and lost some of his lower intestine. There are photos posted (somewhat graphic, so you are warned) on his Forum. In May 2003 he played a legendary set at Austin's Continental Club, still attached to an IV.

Fast forward to 2012. Biram is now signed to Bloodshot Records, has put out three albums for the label (in addition to his four previous self-releases) and has been a touring workhorse. His latest release is 2011’s Bad Ingredients. He’s playing a hometown show on January 20, 2012 at Austin’s Red Eyed Fly.

Sean Claes: When describing you to people, I usually fall back on the “If James Hetfield was raised on Merle Haggard” description. Is that a fair assessment? –
Scott H. Biram: Ha! Well, yeah maybe. I DID learn how to play guitar from listening to old Metallica records. Underline the OLD in Metallica because honestly I think they really suck now. I also grew up listening to Merle Haggard so… yeah… that's a decent assessment.

But, I've got to tell you, what I usually tell people is that I'm a one man band and if you mixed Muddy Waters, Bill Monroe, Jerry Reed, and Black Flag then you'd have a pretty good idea of what I sound like. It's punk blues...It's country...It's metal...It's bluegrass...It's dirty.

Claes: It seems like you’ve become just as confident in “real country” blues as the stomp-and-scream of your early years.
Biram: I had all that old country stuff in me all along. My solo music career started out on that stuff and on country blues. If you listen to my KnuckleSandwich Records self-releases from before I signed with Bloodshot you'll see that I was bangin' out all that old stuff for years before I was screaming.

Well… even THEN I was screamin' a little...then if you look back further to my older bands... I used to play punk rock and metal.

It's really been a big circle of styles. I'll go bluesy and country for a while then I'll start gettin' that metal itch again. I was in a few bluegrass bands before I went solo too.

Claes: Who are some of your influences?
Biram: I'm a huge fan of old style blues: Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins, Leadbelly, Mance Lipscomb, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Williams...on and on and on...

I also am a huge fan of old country and bluegrass music...Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Merle Haggard, Woody Guthrie, George Jones, Gary Stewart...even some more mainstream stuff like John Anderson and Dwight Yoakum.

People would probably get a good laugh and maybe an "ugh" if they knew how much Bob Seger and Steely Dan I listen to.

Claes: Tell me a little about your songwriting process; are you a lyrics-first or melody-first man?
Biram: It just depends on my mood I guess. Some songs take forever to write. I'll have some little catchy guitar part that I've been jamming on during sound checks for years and then I'm like "Shit, I should use this for something!"

I'm constantly making up lyrics in my head though. I come up with ideas all the time. Alot of them start as little joke songs then I tweek the lyrics a little and they become "real" songs.

Claes: Where do you prefer to do your writing?
Biram: Anywhere. I make a lot of stuff up when I'm joking with my friends. I also write a lot in the van and my truck by myself...the shower...the toilet...ehhhh… wherever the words come in.

I do a lot of writing while sitting on my great-grandmother's old porch swing on my front porch.

I've also found that right when I get up and I'm half way in a dream state that things come to me pretty good. I've written some great songs in the middle of the night when I wake up and can't sleep. I just start writing lyrics and let them simmer over night.

Claes: You do a cover of Lightin’ Hopkins’ “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” for Bad Ingredients.
Biram: I recorded that song a year or so before I started working on the album. Lightnin' to me is the coolest man who ever lived.

I was just kinda screwing around in the studio one day and pushed record. That's what came out. Love Lightnin'.

Claes: You filmed a video for “I Want My Mojo Back” recently. Where is that car graveyard?
Biram: Well, I've been going over to that junkyard to get parts for my '65 Ford Falcon Ranchero for the last several years but I also have gone out there with other folks since I was a kid. It's just a cool place.

It's over near where I grew up but I don't really want to give away its location because it's a real treasure and I'd like to keep it on the low-down. Sorry. Any hot-rod mechanic within 100 miles probably knows exactly which place it is from the very first couple scenes.

Claes: The 13 songs on Bad Ingredients make up a well-rounded album, but I saw you’ve got several additional songs in the can that didn’t make the album, what’s happening with them?
Biram: I finished Bad Ingredients a month early, kinda unexpectedly. I had recorded about 6 songs between Nov. 2010 and March 2011.

Basically, went in the studio any chance I got between tours. I came home from Europe in May 2011 and went straight into the studio the next morning. I recorded a 7th song then started looking through some old files on my studio computer.

I started mixing down some experimental projects from the year before. After a few hours of mixing...I suddenly had 23 tracks! Well anybody who's ever dealt with a record label knows that they will most likely not want to put out a 23 song album.

My management and I picked out the ones we thought went best with the overall feel of the album.

Claes: Any plans for the ones you didn’t use?
Biram: We decided that the others would be best used for bonus tracks.

A lot of them were kinda weird and out there, so they couldn't just be pushed off to be used on a later record. I like to release stuff when it's still pretty fresh. So we put out a 7" single from Bad Ingredients and used one of the left over tracks as a B side.

Then we offered 5 of the other bonus tracks to people who pre-ordered the record before it came out. After a while a lot of people were sending emails about them even after the pre-order offer had expired.

Now, I think they're pretty easy to get ahold of if you join my newsletter-email list thingy. I've been on the road pretty hard for the last few months and I've actually lost track of what the deal is with those now.

Claes: In the last 10 years you’ve continued to hone your craft and, listening to Bad Ingredients, I would probably describe it as polished rawness. How do you feel your progression has advanced since Lo-Fi Mojo?
Biram: Part of that is due to the fact that I've been reading and studying about recording and production since I was 14. I've only had my hands on a full recording set up for about 6 or 7 years now. Before that I was using cassette 8 track recorders and 24 track HD recorders.

That old Lo-fi Mojo record was actually recorded live on an Austin Radio station. I learn a little more with each album so the production has been getting a little better each time. I have a thing I've been trying to achieve for a while that I call "overproduced lo-fi." It's kind of an oxymoron I suppose, but that's what makes it so cool.

I once bought an $8 microphone from radio shack and fed it through a $2000 pre-amp... It still sounded like shit though. I couldn't make that work. (laughs) I thought for sure I was on to something with that experiment but turns out....not so much.

My lo-fi sound is also probably due to the fact that I listen to mostly old blues and folk records and chain gang field recordings. I think my studio ear is conditioned to try to emulate that kind of thing. Add all the old classic metal and rock that I listen to and I think you get some kind of classic rock/folk/depression-era goo. I hear a lot of bands trying to sound like the Black Keys these days with their distorted vocals etc.

I been doin' that kinda shit for the last 15 years without any influence from anyone but the old dead guys.

Claes: Who are some of the bands/musicians you have shared a bill with that you recommend for those who are looking to advance their musical horizons?
Biram: I'm not so sure they're still together anymore but my old buddies, The Black Diamond Heavies on Alive Records have a great sound. You can still get their stuff. Also my friends, Left Lane Cruiser, Chili Cold Blood, and The Moonhangers are great bands.

I've spent quite a bit of time on the road with Th' Legendary Shack Shakers and The Dirt Daubers. That's always a pretty good fit and alot of fun! Turns out that alot of the stuff that comes up on the Scott H. Biram Pandora station is pretty good stuff. Not that I go around listening to my own Pandora station all day or anything but sometimes out of curiosity to see what pops up on there. Check it out!

Claes: You’re four albums deep working with Bloodshot Records. Seems like a good fit. What makes it work?
Biram: Most of the stuff on Bloodshot is a little more mature sounding than my stuff. I'm pretty sure I was the first band to record for Bloodshot that leaned toward any hardcore type music.

It works for me because it allows me to be the punk on the label. Not to say all my music is hardcore. In fact, most of it's very rootsy and blues oriented, but I do like to throw a little of that harder stuff on each record.

My stage persona is pretty raunchy. I mean I guess it's a persona. I'm pretty raunchy in general. I owe Bloodshot one more record on our contract, but I'm sure we'll work together on more. I get along with all those folks over there and it's pretty much a no-bullshit operation. Not nearly as much of the corporate pull on things at an independently owned label like Bloodshot. They've been real good to me.

Claes: You’ve got the reputation of being a no bullshit, slightly cocky performer who lives the songs he sings.
Biram: Hey if you're gonna sing...sing loud...sing it like you mean it...walk the walk. I was a punker for years. I learned my stage ethics from bands like Black Flag and Fear....and local Austin bands we looked up to like Crust and Ed Hall. I think I learned to spit and punch before I learned to play guitar. ha ha...

Claes: Jesus Loves Scott H. Biram.. it’s more than just a great t-shirt. It’s a proven fact. For all intents and purposes, you should have not survived the head-on collision with the semi in 2003. I saw the photos and it looks like you’re sitting inside a crumpled up piece of black paper. Has the fact that you were tapped to live fueled your passion for music and life?
Biram: I'm thankful every day that I survived. I already had a lot of fuel in me before the wreck ever happened. When I was laid up for 7 months recovering; I felt like I was falling behind. I've been trying to make up for it ever since. I think I probably caught up a long time ago but the momentum won't let me go. It's head-on forever now. Nose to the grindstone.

Claes: You’re going to play the Red Eyed Fly on Friday, January 20. Pulling anything special out for the night?
Biram: No, I'll be keeping my pants on (laughs)...

Actually, I've taken a little bit of a break for December and January. Been playing limited shows. So the show at The Fly will be more of a chance for me to get back into the swing of things.

Usually when I take a break for this long, the first few shows have longer sets so I can get back into it. I've got something like 400 songs so I don't think there will be a problem. Also, all the shows I play at Red Eyed Fly end up with good turnouts and just a great time in general.

Claes: Just for grins... what are your three predictions for 2012?
Biram: I predict I will keep on keepin' on. I predict we are going to have a blast on the road and get bigger crowds than ever. I predict I'll eat a shit-ton of beef jerky on the road.

Claes: There is no question 17. Use this as free space to write anything you want… or add anything you feel I missed.
Biram: Stay in school. Don't do drugs.

Catch Scott H. Biram at Austin’s Red Eyed Fly on January 20. Find out more about him at http://www.scottbiram.com

Old Settlers Early Bird Discount until 1/15

2012-01-10T08:43:00.001-06:00

Press Release:

Early Bird Ticket Deadline is Sunday, January 15th!

Festival Dates are Thurs-Sun,

April 19-22, 2012.

Join us for the 25th Annual Old Settler's Music Festival -- one of the best gatherings on the planet. You'll hear great music -- from bluegrass to blues to Americana. Old Settler's has become synonymous with an eclectic batch of national, regional, local and new performers. Camping and jamming, performance workshops, youth competition, kids' activities, and much more all surrounded by beautiful Onion Creek. Go to our ticketing page to get your tickets now. Buy before January 15th and you can save about 25% over prices at the gate. Lineup, you ask? The lineup will be available soon and you can bet it's a good one.

Austin Christmas Music Round-up 2011

2011-12-09T11:34:00.007-06:00

Sounds of Christmas in Austin

By Sean Claes
Ahh... it's Christmastime in Austin. Every year INsite likes to run down some local slant on the holidays. A few times we've done a "Totally Austin Gift Guide" which has been popular. Well.. if you'd like to peruse those here's a link to the lists in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010. This year we decided to do something different, so we took a look as 10 of the more interesting local Christmas/Holiday releases and have shared them with you.

We found 4 new releases and then filled out the list with 6 picks that you may have missed, but should be on your list. Holiday music is timeless... right?

So.. here's 10 of our favorites as the 2011 Sounds of Christmas In Austin. There are links to where you can purchase all of these after the blurb, and where we've been able to find them, YouTube videos of a performance. Hope you enjoy, and if you have any to add, please comment away. Merry Christmas to all.

1. HAAM Benefit Christmas Album (2011)

If you buy one Christmas CD this year, please make it this one. It goes to benefit the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians AND it’s filled with amazing Austin performers like Wendy Colonna, Dave Madden, Will Sexton, the Grooveline Horns, Haden Vitera and more. The first “single” from the album is an awesome Shelley King track entitled “Christmas In Austin.” Swagger.

2. Full Service perform “We Three Kings” (2011)
This little homespun and underproduced gem from Full Service is just over a minute long, but it’s going to be the endcap of my families annual Christmas CD. It’s a free download, it’s a little bit funky and it’s all Full Service.
Free download: http://soundcloud.com/bonesaw-fs/hoags-3-kings

3. Invincible Czars Ornaments (2011)
If you’ve never heard the Invincible Czars, you should. They are a full-on Rock band that is known mostly for doing a stellar rock version of The Nutcracker (although their originals are also awesome). Do yourself a favor, visit the link and listen to the sample of ‘White Christmas.”
http://invincibleczars.com/cd_ornaments.html

4. Nakia “Remember This Christmas” (2011) – Single

Riding (deservedly) his rise to reality-TV singer stardom, Nakia has released his sad ballad entitled “Remember This Christmas.” Here’s a video of him performing it with another stellar ensamble, With Strings Attached, in 2006.
Purchase: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nakia/id218180492

5. Austin Handbell Ensemble Serenity (2010)
If you’re in the mood for nice, quiet, reflective disc, I would suggest this release from the Austin Handbell Ensemble. This one is for the Hymns… “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “O Little Town Of Bethlehem,” and “Silent Night” among them.
http://www.austinhandbells.org/music.html#cd4

6. Biscuit Brothers - Have a Very Musical Christmas (2007)

If you live in the Austin area and have never heard of The Biscuit Brothers, you either don’t have kids or you have not paid attention to… well.. anything for the last 6 years. They are a local Emmy Award winning Children’s TV show on PBS, and they are all talented musicians and fantastic songwriters. I’d put their “Bad Sushi for Santa” up against any witty holiday song. Plus most of the tracks are new songs, so it’s great music and a new discovery.
Purchase: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bicuitbros4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MKdNFvUK3Y

7. Bob Schneider Christmas Time (2009)

Bob Schneider is one of those performers who you either REALLY like or REALLY dislike. I happen to enjoy his music.. and he put out a Christmas CD a few years ago.
Purchase: http://www.buymusichere.net/rel/v2_viewupc.php?storenr=13&upc=75970720802

8. Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison Happy Holidays (2006)

This one is from 2006, but their version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside” is worth a mention. This is a great CD from one of Austin’s most talented musical couples. They also do an annual Holiday Show, this year it’s on December 10 at The Paramount.
Purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Holidays-Kelly-Willis/dp/B000H0M556

9. Austin’s WB - Holiday Songs (2004)
If you blinked you missed this one… it’s a great grouping of Austin artists including Malford Milligan on “O Come All Ye Faithful” and Strings Attached w/ Eliza Gilkyson on “What Child is This,” even if this album didn’t benefit the Austin Children’s Shelter (I hope it still does, this was released in 2004) it’s worth buying. Of course, the gem of the 12 song album is Grupo Fantasma’s version of “Dreidel Song.”
Purchase: http://www.mytexasmusic.com/austinswb/

10. Slaid Cleaves - Holiday Sampler (2001)

A decade ago Slaid Cleaves released his version of “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” on a Holiday sampler. I’d seen him perform it live a few times… and it always impressed. As with the rest of his music, he puts a twist on it that makes it his own.
Purchase: http://www.slaid.com/blog1/archives/category/store/cd/holiday-sampler

52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice - Week 50

2011-12-06T08:28:00.002-06:00

Update:

INsite Owner Sean Claes has been on a mission. The mission is do write 52 Weeks of Advice for Do-It-Yourself Musicians. Last Friday he published Week 50 entitled "Are You In A Fan's Life?"

The link to this entry, plus the previous 49 are below.

---

Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice

52 Weeks of Music DIY Advice

The link to each week is below.

Week 1: Posters and Handbills (9/24/10)

Week 2: Social Media (10/1/10)
Week 3: Merchandise (10/8/10)
Week 4: Publicity (10/14/10)
Week 5: How To Write a Press Release (10/21/10)
Week 6: How To Release Your Music: Part 1 of 3 (10/28/10)
Week 7: How To Release Your Music: Part 2 of 3 (11/4/10)
Week 8: How To Release Your Music: Part 3 of 3 (11/11/10)
Week 9: The Rock Star Treatment (11/18/10)
Week 10: What's The Point? (11/25/10)
Week 11: Keep It In Your Pants (12/2/10)
Week 12: Where's Your Glass Ceiling? (12/9/10)
Week 13: Basic Ground Rules (12/16/10)
Week 14: It's Christmas - Comic Time (12/25/10)
Week 15: Steps to Advertise on Radio (12/30/10)
Week 16: Who's Talking? (1/6/11)
Week 17: Be A Gracious Host (1/13/11)
Week 18: Who's Voting? (1/20/11)
Week 19: Come To My Show... Please? (1/27/11)
Week 20: Entertain or Perish (2/3/11)
Week 21: DIY Poster Child: One Eyed Doll (2/10/11)
Week 22: Promotions One Oh One (2/17/11)
Week 23: Check Your Music (2/24/11)
Week 24: The Hustle (3/4/11)
Week 25: Reviewing the Role of a Reviewer (3/10/11)
Week 26: The Banter (3/17/11)
Week 27: Keep It Real (3/24/11)
Week 28: Interviewing 101 (3/31/11)
Week 29: Notes From The Cubicle (4/8/11)
Week 30: Standing Out (4/14/11)
Week 31: Playing Festivals (4/26/11)
Week 32: What Are You Wearing? (5/4/11)
Week 33: Tell The Truth (5/17/11)
Week 34: The Average Lifespan of a Band (5/24/11)
Week 35: What's The Big Idea? (6/6/11)
Week 36: How NOT to Treat Fans (6/16/11)
Week 37: It's A Job (6/23/11)
Week 38: Five Ways to Brand Your Band (6/30/11)
Week 39: What Goes Around... (7/8/11)
Week 40: Wasted Potential (7/14/11)
Week 41: Standing Out or Outstanding? (7/21/11)
Week 42: Know Where You're Headed (7/28/11)
Week 43: What's In A Name? (8/4/11)
Week 44: Treat People Right (8/12/11)
Week 45: Promote From Your Phone (8/19/11)
Week 46: The Plan (8/29/11)
Week 47: Ian Moore (9/6/11)
Week 48: Which Comes First? (9/23/11)
Week 49: Your Stage Self (10/13/11)
Week 50: Are YOU in THEIR Life? (12/2/11)

Shop Small.

2011-11-25T09:43:00.001-06:00

We don't usually post other people's advertisements... but this national ad promoting local Austin business seemed like the right thing to do.

Small Business Saturday. Take part. Buy 1 thing at a local shop.

2011-11-16T14:49:00.002-06:00

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

squint, Waiting for August, The Nevermind Project and Radio Fallout at Emos

Sponsored by INsite.
Here's a link to the event on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198833626856467

INstant Hindsite: FUN FUN FUN FEST

2011-11-10T15:54:00.011-06:00

INsite brings you our coverage of the 2011 Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Pull up a chair, grab a cup of your favorite soup and enjoy.

Fun Fun Fun Fest
November 4-6 2011.
Auditorium Shores
Austin, Texas
Photos by Steve Hopson.

Mates of State

Ted Leo

Hum

G Side

Le Butcherettes

Boris

Baths

Asobi Seksu

Wayne Coyne

Tune Yards

The Joy Formidable

Austra

Ra Ra Riot

Hot Snakes

Girls

Thee Oh Sees

Yacht

The Thermals

Omar Souleyman

Okkervil River

Okkervil River

Ocote Soul Sounds

Passion Pit

Ryan Gosling

Black Joe Lewis

Heartless Bastards

INstant Hindsite: Taylor Swift

2011-10-28T13:12:00.006-05:00

INstant Hindsite - TAYLOR SWIFT

From her "Speak Now World Tour"

Where: Frank Erwin Center - Austin, Texas
When: October 26, 2011
Photos: INsite Photo Editor Jay West

Scandemonium - Benefiting Movember 11/12

2011-10-26T15:33:00.007-05:00

The following event is to benefit Movember.

Movember challenges men to change their appearance and the face of men’s health by growing a moustache. The rules are simple, start Movember 1st clean-shaven and then grow a moustache for the entire month. The moustache becomes the ribbon for men’s health, the means by which awareness and funds are raised for cancers that affect men. Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, the men of Movember commit to growing a moustache for 30 days.

EDITORS NOTE: This is a repost from the event page at http://scandemonium.eventbrite.com/

Mo Fun!
Scandemonium is a high tech scavenger hunt designed to test your wit and your fitness! Teams of two compete to solve clues, find locations and complete physical and mental challenges in a race against the clock. The first team to find all the locations and complete all the challenges in the shortest amount of time wins!

All competitors will be treated to a post-race party including a concert with FOUR amazing local Texas bands: John Arthur Martinez, Shawn Nelson, Jon Wolfe and Rich O’Toole will each play an hour and a half set so there will be plenty of music to enjoy!

We have lot's of fun and surprises planned for the day! Including some super-secret contests we will be talking about as the event gets closer!

Mo Record!
We have confirmed with Guinness World Records that Scandemonium will be an official World Record attempt. Do not miss out on the chance to make history and change the face of men’s health! Grab your friends and coworkers and help us beat the record! Oh and bring friends, your neighbors and your co-workers - because it is going to take about 1000 of you!

Mo Charity!
Scandemonium is a charity fundraising event for Movember. Skullshovel is donating 100% of the profits from this event to help Movember change the face of men’s health and support prostate cancer and other male cancer initiatives through their partners: Livestrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Mo Money!
Doing good is great - but, doing good and winning money is awesome!

First Place Team: $400 & choice of which Movember team gets the event donation!
Second Place Team: $200
Third Place Team: $100

Mo Requirements!
One team member MUST have each item below in order to compete in Scandemonium:

Smart Phone with camera
Facebook or Twitter profile
QR code scanning application installed on your smart phone. We suggest:
- iPhone (3G+) – RedLaser or Scanlife
- Android – Goggles or RedLaser

You will not be able to compete without these items. Please do not register for the scavenger hunt if you don’t have both these items. If you need help installing a QR code reader please let us know. We’re happy to help you at one of our upcoming registration parties or at packet pick up!

Mo Schedule!
Check the Facebook page for updates and for pre-event happy hours! Get to know the competition!

November 11, 20011 Packet pick up (time & location TBD)
Registered players must present a print out of their eventbrite registration to check in and receive their race bibs (numbers).

Sign up here: http://scandemonium.eventbrite.com/

Mo Sponsors!

Venue
The Stage on Sixth

Media
INsite Austin

Event Livestream
Core Media Enterprises

Alcohol Sponsor

Angels Envy

INstant Hindsite: Night Ranger, Foreigner, Journey 9/22/11

2011-09-30T13:53:00.009-05:00

Frank Erwin Center:

Night Ranger, Foreigner & Journey
September 22, 2011

Photos by Jay West

Night Ranger:

Foreigner:

Journey:

2011 Austin City Limits Music Festival - SUNDAY

2011-09-26T11:15:00.004-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival
Sunday- INsite Hindsite

Photos by Steve Hopson

We Are Augustines

The Head and The Heart

Yellow Ostrich

Seth Walker

Nick 13

Graffiti6

The Greencards

Empire of the Sun

Elbow

Chiddy Bang

Airborne Toxic Event

Empire of the Sun
Music Fans

Music Fan (maybe?)

Austin Skyline during ACL

Music Fan

Music Fans

2011 Austin City Limits Music Festival - SATURDAY

2011-09-26T11:03:00.005-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival
Saturday - INsite Hindsite

Photos by Steve Hopson

Stevie Wonder

Wanda Jackson

Sara Hickman

Patrice Pike

Sarah Hickman & Patrice Pike

Tyler Bryant

Federico Aubele

Elizaveta

Daniel Lanois w/ Black Dub

Cowboy And Indian

Fitz Tantrums

Aloe Blacc

Alison Krauss

Music Fans

Music Fans
CeeLo

2011 Austin City Limits Music Festival - FRIDAY

2011-09-26T10:49:00.006-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival
Friday INsite Hindsite

Photos by Steve Hopson

MiniatureTigers

Gary Clark, Jr

Smith Westerns

Delta Spirit

Cults

Cold War Kids

Coldplay

Electric Touch

Asleep At The Wheel

Kid rocking out!

Two Big Heads.

Music Fans

Big Boi

ACL Photo Retrospective - 2002-2010

2011-09-20T09:18:00.011-05:00

Austin City Limits Music Festival
A Look Back - 2002-2010

While we are going through all of our 2011 ACL photos, we asked contributing photographer Steve Hopson to share some of his favorite Austin City Limits photos from the last decade.

Here... we... go...

Ghostland Observatory - 2009

Flaming Lips - 2006

Ruthie Foster - 2003

Tom Petty - 2006

Shawn Colvin - 2003

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band - 2005

David Garza - 2004

Carolyn Wonderland - 2010

Sunny Sweeney - 2008

Nickel Creek - 2002

Cat Power - 2006

Bright Light Social Hour - 2009

Billy Joe Shaver - 2007

Ben Kweller - 2006

White Ghost Shivers - 2006

Willie Nelson - 2006

Arctic Monkeys - 2009

Ziggly Marley - 2007

7th Annual Austin Bat Fest - INsite Hindsite

2011-09-14T16:44:00.008-05:00

What: 7th Annual Austin Bat Fest
When: August 27, 2011
Where: Congress Avenue Bridge
Photos by: Dave Prewitt

White Ghost Shivers

Suzanna Choffel

Indofin

Eyes Burn Electric

The "Batmobile" on display

Dirty Dog Bar - Cental Texas Wildfire Benefit Show 9/11/11

2011-09-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Austin's Dirty Dog Bar will be hosting a WILD FIRE BENEFIT show from 2p - 10p.
Donation: $5 at the door.

All proceeds will help All Effected from the Wild fires..
MC'd by Cody Blue from ultimatelocalmusic.com

Dirty Dog Bar Will be accepting donations for ALL effected BY THE WILD FIRES.

Donations for victims: toothbrushes, toothpaste, diapers and wipes, shampoo and conditioner, soap, pillows, blankets, clothes for children and adults, deodorant, shoes, socks, toys, books, pet food and supplies

Donations also for our emergency responders: Gatorade, power bars, socks
Bands to play:

Musical Lineup:
4:15 Micheal Wayne
5:15 Robert Allan Caldwell
6:15 Better Part Of Valor
7:15 Red Dirt Rebellion
8:15 Dark Summer Dawn
9:15 Matt Begley & Bitter Whiskey
10:15 Snake Skin Prison

Snake Skin Prison:

Dark Summer Dawn

Matt Begley @ Bitter Whiskey

Sponsored By:
Austin Speed Shop, Southern Metal Choppers, Cowboy Harley Davidson, Billy Cannon's Smoke and Ink, ATX MusicMag, The Dirty Dog Bar, UltimateLocalMusic.com, Stitches Art, Austin NORMAL

INsite Exclusive: Catching Up With Ian Moore

2011-09-03T17:16:00.011-05:00

Transformations. Moore Than Meets The Eye

By Sean Claes. Photos by Machelle Dunlop

Ian Moore is one of the most original and interesting artists I’ve enjoyed keeping track of over the last 20 years. The Austin-born musical Houdini first emerged as a budding "blues guitar slinger" with many comparisons to Stevie Ray Vaughan. But then, he took a left turn and experimented musically for a number of years with several wonderful and distinct styles until he ultimately became just who every musician hopes to become… their own definition.

You can say he has a total Ian Moore sound to him.

Last month he rejoined the original Ian Moore Band for a string of shows celebrating the Austin blues-rock that many still associate with him, playing Antones in Austin as one of his dates. He returns to Austin on Tuesday, September 6 with his current band, Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils to play the Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street).

We talked with Ian Moore about his past, present and future in the music business.

Sean Claes: Can you tell me a little about that time (mid 1990s) in Austin, Texas and for you musically?
Ian Moore: I know that it was an interesting time for me. Tons of musical growth amongst myself and my friends.

It seemed like as I got bigger there was less synergy between what I was into and my fans were into. Always digging, always searching, deep into soul, jazz, a lot of psychedelic music, especially the stuff that was coming out of the UK at that time.

Claes: In 1998 you came out with the stripped down album of covers Ian Moore’s Got the Green Grass. Since then, you seemed to have reinvented yourself musically. Was there a plan set into action there?
Moore: I think people that really know me would tell you that my music never has 'a plan'. Otherwise my moves would be much more calculated. I'm a reasonably intelligent guy that has always been aware of what is going on.

My music takes its own paths though. Ultimately what I write at any point is what sounds best to my ears. I've tried to fight it, but I find myself lost in the wilderness with no sense of direction when I do.
Claes: Was it difficult to shake the “another blues guitarist from Austin, Texas” or “The Next SRV” references?
Moore: I feel like it never defined me as a musician so I fought it. If I felt that it was who and what I was I would have embraced it.

I think it is a part of me, mainly because I grew up with it. Ivan Neville grew up with the Neville Brothers; consequently you hear a deep influence there. I did not start listening to Austin music at 16, I was birthed into it. Most of those influences came into my world in my first decade on the planet.

Claes: You’ve released 5 albums from 2000-2010. Do you feel each album has been a departure or a building block from the previous?
Moore: I never intentionally decide anything. I just groove with whatever I'm into and try to make it the best it can be.

Claes: You relocated from Austin to Washington a few years back. Why leave Austin?
Moore: I left Austin to grow up. I had so much love and support, and was really nurtured by that for a long time, but I started feeling like always being on the inside was not healthy. I think looking back on the last decade; it has really helped me become a more rounded person and a better musician. I will always be an Austinite.

Claes: What are your favorite songs of your own to play live?
Moore: Whatever I have just written. I love the feeling of pulling things together as you figure out form and function

Claes: What was it like to step on stage at Antone’s to play the material from your first few albums with the original band last month?
Moore: Surreal.

Claes: Tell me about the new Ian Moore Band album, recorded in the 90s with the original band?
Moore: That was the band coming together to make a really powerful, cohesive record. I think it would have done quite well. It was fated to be the way it was.

The label head was dead against the direction of the band and wanted me to fire the guys, work with session players, and make a record he could understand. We were just on a different trajectory, and ironically were trying to make something that would work for him and the label. It’s the last time I ever let conciliatory feelings alter my ballast

Claes: You’ve also released an album with your current outfit Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils. Tell me about El Sonido Nuevo.
Moore: I think it is the best record, front to back, I have ever made, and let me qualify that by saying the record is 2 years old, so I have had a lot of time to get past the honeymoon. I just think there is a really good balance of many of the elements I have been trying to combine

Claes: What are some of your favorite songs from the new album?
Moore: I always like the dark horses, so “Newfound Station,” “The Levees” and “Sad Affair.”

Claes: Do you expect to see a lot of the same faces who made it out to see the Ian Moore Band reunion last month, out at the Scoot Inn on September 6?

Moore: I have no idea. I got a lot of positive feedback from folks that came out to the show, and my hope was that they see that my energy is more open than they may have thought. I don't harbor these vast negative feelings about the past, I’m just not ready to spend my life living there; still too much to do. I hope to see everyone there!

Claes: Where are some of your places to go when you visit Austin?
Moore: Mostly my friends, try to see music. I find myself on the Eastside a lot these days. Of course the Continental Club, my fave Mexican restaurants (a major dearth in Seattle) and Barton Springs

Claes: You’ve probably had your share of critics bash you for the choices you’ve made over the years. But, you seem to have run your career on your terms, well. Looking back on your 20+ year career thus far, is there anything you would have done differently?

Moore: I would be less conciliatory. I think setting a tone for who you are as a person is very important.

One of the lies about the music industry (or maybe half-truths) is that you compromise and then you gain enough power to make other choices. That may be right if you are a Justin Timberlake, but I think culture is more complex and when you make those compromises you are surrounded by a different type of person. I think it is important to know what you want to do and stick with it, with grace of course.

Claes: Last year you played guitar on tour with Jason Mraz. How did that happen?
Moore: My friend, Carlos Sosa, is MD for the band, and offered me a tryout. It was a totally new thing for me; I wasn't doing a ton with my band, so I ended up spending the summer and fall playing with those guys. Great experience.

Claes: What’s next for Ian Moore?
Moore: I need to make it through the coming weeks, and then I’m putting the periscope up and searching for land

Catch Ian Moore and the Lossy Coils on Tuesday, September 6 at Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street).

2011-09-02T10:54:00.002-05:00

Coming Soon.
An Exclusive interview with Ian Moore, who will be playing Tuesday September 6, 2011 at the Scoot Inn.

2011-08-29T11:14:00.001-05:00

(This is Week 46 of INsite Owner Sean Claes' Fifty-Two Weeks of Music Do-It-Yourself advice)

3 Plans for Musicians

What do you want to do with your band’s life? I know.. you wanna rock. Thank you Dee Snider. But, really, if you’re serious about music, you should make a decision. You should make a plan. Are you just playing to play, or is this something you’re counting on doing for a long time, and/or as a career?

You want to play to THIS crowd? It takes a PLAN. (Ozzfest 2007)

Maybe you're not out for the big festival scene... that's OK.

It doesn’t matter if you got into music because it was anti-authority. It doesn’t matter if you picked up a guitar to piss off your parents, to win a girl, or because you have a special gift you need to share with the world. You’re sitting in the position of being 1 piece of a puzzle that is the size of your band. It’s no longer just about you. It’s about the band now. It’s about contributing to the one great song that is music.

The way I see it, there’s three basic plans that bands can embark upon. Argue all you want that there’s more… but for the sake of this blog, I’m limiting it to three.. and I’ll bet your argument, no matter how valid it may be… can fall into one of these big buckets below.

JUST PLAY MUSIC

There’s the band that just wants to play music, in a garage, dive bar, someone’s party, empty parking lot… anywhere. This band doesn’t care if there’s 1 person or 1000 people in the crowd. They focus their energy into having a good time and playing music with friends. This band will likely never play in front of 1,000 people, though, because it’s not about that. It’s not about getting their music to the masses, distribution, labels, getting on MTV (or whatever station actually plays music these days), or fame. It’s more about having a good time with some friends, and everyone is welcome to the party. It’s just about the individuals who are in the band playing the music they love. You know, that’s fine. As long as everyone in the group KNOWS that’s what the band is about and is happy with that decision.

There are many, many bands out there that aren’t trying to grab the brass ring. Most of the bands in Austin would fall into this category. Some of my favorite bands fall into this category. They’ll never be famous, but they throw a heck of a good party.

Plan:
Write and learn songs that make the band happy.
Play when invited to play.
Find a few clubs that caters to your sound.
Record CD of originals.
Goal: Make enough money to supplement the money you spend on your music, and remain happy about playing.

MISSION DRIVEN MUSIC

Some bands have something loftier to prove than just playing music. An example of this type of band would be Rage Against The Machine. They had a political motivation. They were trying to change minds, get people plugged in, and make a difference. If you’d like to prove a point and use music as your tool… that’s fantastic. Make sure everyone in the band is on board… then pull the trigger.

Please do me a favor and have something worthy to say, and be informed about the machine you’re raging against. Don’t do it for shock value or just because you heard Public Enemy once and thought it’d be fun to rattle some cages. Nothing is sadder than an ill-informed drunk front man trying to pontificate on a subject he learned about by watching Fox News.

Plan:
Get informed and know the subject you’re talking about
Write informed songs about subject.
Use songs as a platform to voice your opinions.
Find groups, clubs, and individuals who will support your right deliver your message.
Find controversy, find injustice, find your niche in the world
GOAL: Play until you’re heard. Play until you see the change you are trying to achieve. Play to shine a light on the things you wish to see changed. Then play through the change.

COVER OF ROLLING STONE

This is what most people think a band’s mission is. To become wildly popular. To sell a million records and land on the cover of Rolling Stone. In order to do this, chances are you’re going to have to “sell out” in more ways than one. You have to promote, pander, pucker-up and parade around until the whole world sees you and invites you into their lives. You are likely going to have to work your way up the ladder and change and adapt at each stop along the way. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking this track if you know this is where you’re heading.

Of course, you have to be moldable. You are working to get into a position where someone is going to “help” you achieve the sound and look that may propel you into mega-stardom. This is why I mentioned that most of the bands I know are in the “Just Play Music” category. You’ve got to be OK with losing your soul a little.

Now.. this isn’t how every star is born, but the wheels of the music industry are always looking for another band they can turn into another Katy Perry, Coldplay, Garth Brooks, or Taylor Swift. Heck.. Imagine if they found another cash cow like KISS?

Plan:
Find out what music is selling.
Write to the largest demographic of fans.
Make videos, play benefits, eat, sleep, and drink the band.
Cut a full length album and promote it like it’s the new Bible and everyone’s soul is going to hell unless they listen to it.
Find similar bands, more popular than you and open for them.
Bother booking agents, talent agents, labels, magazines, newspapers, and blog writers until they see you live… and have a favorable reaction.
Be prepared to change your music, ditch band members, do special “favors” and completely give yourself over to a person who will turn you into the music superstar you never knew you wanted to be (i.e. become a sellout).
Do everything you can to avoid being spit out of the wood-chipper that is people’s waning taste in popular music.
GOAL: Sell out major stadiums worldwide, make millions of dollars, and get the cover of the Rolling Stone.

So, which plan do you fall into? Do you like it there?

Sean Claes is the owner of Austin's INsite Magazine and has been a freelance entertainment writer since 1996. For an introduction to his "52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice" visit this link - http://www.tinyurl.com/Claes52DIY. If you like what you read... please share. To visit Claes' homepage, go here - http://www.seanclaes.com/.

52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice

2011-08-17T11:00:00.004-05:00

52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice

Last year, INsite owner Sean Claes completed a personal weekly challenge via his blog, it was a review of 52 Austin-Based CDs in 52 Weeks. It was as interesting as it was rewarding for him, as a local music lover.

Many of the CDs he reviewed were from bands that nobody had ever heard of, not because they were bad bands, but because there was a learning curve in the marketing/managing/promotion world. So, Claes decided to undertake a new 52 Week challenge. Since September 2010, he's been writing a weekly blog giving advice to do-it-yourself bands. Below you will find the entire list (thus far), along with a link to his blog to read the corresponding entry.

"It is my hopes that indie bands will read these entries, learn from them, and do a better job at getting their music to a wider audience," Claes said. "If you have good music, it SHOULD be heard. Hopefully these columns will give you some of the tools bands can use to take the next step."

INsite owner Sean Claes. (Thanks to Austin's Annie Ray for the photo)

The link to each week is below.

Week 1: Posters and Handbills (9/24/10)

Week 2: Social Media (10/1/10)

Week 3: Merchandise (10/8/10)

Week 4: Publicity (10/14/10)

Week 5: How To Write a Press Release (10/21/10)

Week 6: How To Release Your Music: Part 1 of 3 (10/28/10)

Week 7: How To Release Your Music: Part 2 of 3 (11/4/10)

Week 8: How To Release Your Music: Part 3 of 3 (11/11/10)

Week 9: The Rock Star Treatment (11/18/10)

Week 10: What's The Point? (11/25/10)

Week 11: Keep It In Your Pants (12/2/10)

Week 12: Where's Your Glass Ceiling? (12/9/10)

Week 13: Basic Ground Rules (12/16/10)

Week 14: It's Christmas - Comic Time (12/25/10)

Week 15: Steps to Advertise on Radio (12/30/10)

Week 16: Who's Talking? (1/6/11)

Week 17: Be A Gracious Host (1/13/11)

Week 18: Who's Voting? (1/20/11)

Week 19: Come To My Show... Please? (1/27/11)

Week 20: Entertain or Perish (2/3/11)

Week 21: DIY Poster Child: One Eyed Doll (2/10/11)

Week 22: Promotions One Oh One (2/17/11)

Week 23: Check Your Music (2/24/11)

Week 24: The Hustle (3/4/11)

Week 25: Reviewing the Role of a Reviewer (3/10/11)

Week 26: The Banter (3/17/11)

Week 27: Keep It Real (3/24/11)

Week 28: Interviewing 101 (3/31/11)

Week 29: Notes From The Cubicle (4/8/11)

Week 30: Standing Out (4/14/11)

Week 31: Playing Festivals (4/26/11)

Week 32: What Are You Wearing? (5/4/11)

Week 33: Tell The Truth (5/17/11)

Week 34: The Average Lifespan of a Band (5/24/11)

Week 35: What's The Big Idea? (6/6/11)

Week 36: How NOT to Treat Fans (6/16/11)

Week 37: It's A Job (6/23/11)

Week 38: Five Ways to Brand Your Band (6/30/11)

Week 39: What Goes Around... (7/8/11)

Week 40: Wasted Potential (7/14/11)

Week 41: Standing Out or Outstanding? (7/21/11)

Week 42: Know Where You're Headed (7/28/11)

Week 43: What's In A Name? (8/4/11)

Week 44: Treat People Right (8/12/11)

80s Hoot Night @ Elysium 7/8/11

2011-07-08T09:08:00.003-05:00

Do YOU remember the 80s?
Do you wish you were there?

Come on out to Elysium tonight - Friday July 8, 2011.
It's an INsite Night.
It's 80s Hoot Night.
It's staring at 8p.
See you there.

Bands/Performers:
Jeff Thomas
Chasca
Shelli Coe
Righteous Brisket
Battleship Down
Squint
Excellent Shots
Average Everday Sex
Freebleeder
Spitting Angels
Hungry Ghosts
Prayer For Animals

INstant Hindsite - Gogol Bordello @ Stubb's

2011-05-09T06:07:00.005-05:00

Gogol Bordello
Stubb's
4/14/11
Photos by: Jay West

2011-05-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

Click links to read:

April Music Highlights

INstant Hindsite: Janet Jackson / INstant Hindsite: Lady Gaga

April 2011 Music Highlights

2011-04-08T16:20:00.003-05:00

(Courtesy Photo: Lonestar Jam)

A Spotlight on Four April Musical Celebrations

By Sean Claes
April is a beautiful time in Austin and surrounding cities. The bluebonnets are emerging, the weather is getting warm, but not too hot, the birds are singing. Ahhh.

It’s also an awesome month for music. There’s several fantastic events and festivals happening in the Austin area this month. INsite wants you to be sure you know about a few of them. Namely: Texas Music History UnPlugged, Old Settler’s Music Festival, Austin Reggae Festival, and Lonestar Jam.

There’s something for every musical palate this month. Here’s what INsite recommends:

Texas Music History UnPlugged
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

LBJ Student Center Ballroom
@ Texas State University- San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666

I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of this show, but for the last 11 years, the Center for Texas Music History in the Department of History at Texas State University – San Marcos has hosted some of the elite Texas Musicians. Past years have featured folks like Ray Benson, Flaco Jimenez, Cody Canada, W.C. Clark, Raul Malo and Ruthie Foster.

This unique show is a little storytellers and a little concert. It’s all unrehearsed and mostly amazing. All of the musicians sit on stage and take turns telling stories and playing songs. The amazing thing is, everyone usually joins in to help play each song. This year the line-up includes Joe Ely. Reckless Kelly’s Cody and Willy Braun, Kevin Welch, Paul Glasse, Paul Eason, Star De Azlan, Billy Curtis, Terri Hendrix, and Lloyd Maines.

It’s free. It’s open to the public. It’s where you should be to witness an amazing night of Texas Music. I’ve attended several of these and each year it reminds me why I’m an entertainment writer. Its for the love of the music. There will be a lot of love on that stage Tuesday. More information: http://www.txstate.edu/ctmh/concerts/unplugged.html

Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 14-17, 2011

Salt Lick Pavillion and Camp Ben McCulloch
18300 Fm 1826
Driftwood, TX, 78619

For me, this festival ranks up there with Austin City Limits Music Festival as the area’s premier multiple-day showcase of what is awesome in music. It doesn’t hurt that my daughters were both born on what is typically OSMF weekend (they will be 4 and 7 on the 18th and 21st respectively).

I’ve seen some amazing performances here. And the best thing is, the most memorable performances have been by people I had never heard of before that day. The first time I saw Ruthie Foster was on the Gospel Stage in 2003 and she blew me away. I saw a 12 year old Sarah Jaroz win the Youth Talent Competition with a band called “The Spurs of the Moment.” The Red Stick Ramblers sang “Happy Birthday” to my oldest on her first birthday.

This year, I’m not sure who’s going to provide me with a great memory like those, but there’s a lot of acts I’m looking forward to seeing. I’m hoping to spend as much time out there this year as possible. The performers I’m looking forward to are Suzanna Choffel, Avett Brothers, Foster & Lloyd, Sam Bush, Sonny Landreth, and the Band of Heathens. A three-day pass (without camping) runs $140 and single day tickets are still available. Check out the full line-up at http://oldsettlersmusicfest.org.

Austin Reggae Festival
Friday April 15, 2011

Austin's Ashes of Babylon

Auditorium Shores
920 W. Riverside Dr.
Austin, TX 78767

If Bluegrass or Americana isn’t your bag, how about trading that steel guitar and fiddle in riddem and skank? I’m taking about the Austin Reggae Festival. Auditorium Shores will be the host to a three day celebration of the Jamacan-born and world loved genre.

Bands like Tribal Seeds, Ashes of Babylon, Taj Weeks, and Mau Mau Chaplains will be playing the main stage (along with 11 other acts) and there will be “Charlie’s Dub Corner” with some awesome DJs keeping the beats going all weekend long.

Tickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 at gate. Visit http://www.austinreggaefest.com/ for more information.

Lonestar Jam
Saturday April 16, 2011
Courtesy Photo: Eli Young Band

Waterloo Park
403 E 15th Street
Austin, TX 78701

If you’re more of an Americana-Country listener, don't’ worry, Saturday is your day in Austin. I’m talking the Lonestar Jam. This year, the 4th this show features some of the mainstays on the Texas/Oklahoma Red Dirt scene like Eli Young, Kevin Fowler, Roger Creager, and Brandon Rhyder along with some of the newer blood like Turnpike Troubadors, Josh Abbott Band, The Casey Donahew Band.

The show will be held at Waterloo Park this Saturday, April 16, 2011. Visit http://www.lonestarjam.com/ to see full line-up and purchase tickets ($34.50).

INstant Hindsite - Lady Gaga @ Frank Erwin Center

2011-04-07T17:37:00.009-05:00

Lady Gaga @ Frank Erwin Center
Semi-Precious Weapons opens
Austin, Texas • 4/6/11
Photos by: Jay West

Opening Act: Semi-Precious Weapons

INstant Hindsite - Janet Jackson @ ACL Live

2011-04-04T10:31:00.006-05:00

Music Icon Janet Jackson brought her Number Ones: Up Close And Personal Tour to Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater on April 3, 2011.

INsite photo editor Jay West gives you these photos for your enjoyment as an INstant Hindsite.

Janet Jackson
ACL Live
4/3/11

2011-04-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

Click links to read:

March 2011: Austin, Free, March Music Madness
Found Footage Festival Finds its Way to Austin's Alamo Drafthouse

Found Footage Festival 3/30/11

2011-03-27T16:20:00.003-05:00

Found Footage Festival Finds its Way to Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse

By Veronica Garcia

Lots of full frontal male nudity is the promise from Found Footage Festival co-founder Nick Prueher for filmgoers when the festival rolls into town for two showings (7:00p & 10:00p) Wednesday night (3/30/11) at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (320 East 6th Street).

Prueher, and friend Joe Pickett, are the masterminds behind the Found Footage Festival founded in New York in 2004 that showcases everything from the obscure celebrity workout tape to bizarre home movies donated to Goodwill.

Prueher and Pickett started collecting tapes in 1991 after they found a McDonald’s training tape entitled, “Inside and Outside Custodial Duties.” This initial find spurred their hunger for seeking out more and more strange and stupid videos.

Pickett, a writer/director, and Prueher, a former researcher at the Late Show with David Letterman, have written for The Onion and Entertainment Weekly and directed the award-winning documentary, "Dirty Country," now available on DVD.

The Austin screening includes self-hypnosis videos about how to be a better lover, businessman, and bowler; a 1986 home movie taken during a debauchery-filled weekend in Florida; a collection of ventriloquism how-to videos that will forever haunt you and a compilation of exercise videos featuring Cher, Lyle Alzado and the American Gladiators.

The festival also features a screening of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” – a short documentary filmed in the parking lot before a Judas Priest show in Maryland in 1986.
INsite Magazine spoke to Prueher last week as he was driving through Mississippi on tour with the festival.

Veronica Garcia: Do you accept submissions or do you prefer to do the finding yourselves?
Nick Prueher: I think we’re more attached to the videos we find. But as we’ve done the shows more and more people either bring them to us or send them in. We’re always thrilled when people submit because they’ve kind of done our work for us. We still go through them and edit them as we see fit, but it’s fun when we get submissions because we never know what’s on the tapes. We still enjoy going to thrift stores and looking through videos.

VG: Have you found anything that was just too extreme or outrageous to show?
NP: If you’ve seen the show, you’ll know that we clearly don’t have any standards about what gets on. We’ve shown some pretty extreme stuff. But the whole purpose is that it has to make you laugh. That’s the whole criteria for us. Full frontal male nudity – you’ll see plenty of that in our show.

There are some things that for whatever reason have been more disturbing than they were funny, so we’ve said no. It has less to do with how extreme the footage is and more to do with if it makes us laugh or not.

VG: Following up on the previous question, can you describe it in great detail?
NP: Well, OK, I can, but I don’t know whether you’ll be able to print it. There’s one footage that we’ve never shown. It’s a fan video that a girl made for the guitar player Steve Vai. She made a video where she’s trying to impress him and show how much she loves him and she starts staring kind of eerily into the camera. And then, to prove how much she loves him, she proceeds to make noises with an orifice other than her mouth. That’s probably the best way to describe it. It shows very graphically this unique skill that she has and it’s funny, kind of goofy, but the woman’s just clearly disturbed. She’s got some screws loose. So, for us it was a little more disturbing than it was funny. That’s why it didn’t make the cut.

VG: Where did you find it?
NP: It was given to us. I guess it’s one that’s been circulating among touring bands. It’s kind of in the same tradition of being passed around by bands like “Heavy Metal Parking Lot.”

VG: Why do you think people are fascinated with found footage?
NP: For us, it’s sort of the thrill of the hunt. It’s about panning for gold and trying to find those gems that you can’t believe people overlooked. It’s about being able to do a show and tell of these videos that we found.

For others, I think part of it is nostalgia. A lot of these tapes come from the ’80s and ’90s, so people can sort of look back and laugh at that time period. I think part of it is that there’s something uncomfortably familiar about the footage. It might be an exercise video that your mom used to watch after school or something like that and now you’re in a room and you can laugh at it. Or it’s like a training video you had to watch at your crummy first job and take seriously, and then now you’re in the theater and you’re given permission to laugh at it. There’s something cathartic about that.

VG: Do you think there will ever be a time when you can say you’ve seen it all, or found it all?
NP: We worried about that. Last year we kind of got to the point where we were like, well we’ve seen every bit of found footage, we’re sure to see the same exercise videos at every thrift store. Then, while we were in Chicago, we found a tape called “Rent-a-Friend.” The concept was that this guy on screen would be your virtual friend for an hour. He’s just sitting in a chair asking you questions about your life. You’re supposed to answer to your TV. Then he talks about himself. It’s such a stupid idea for a video. Maybe there are very lonely people out there that it would have worked for, but it’s just sad to think about. The guy starts talking about himself and tells you more than you wanted to know. You kind of watch him unravel before your eyes.

When you find footage like that it kind of renews your faith that there are still videos out there waiting to be discovered that we haven’t found yet.

VG: Which is your favorite clip?
NP: It changes from time to time. Certainly some of the first things we found I have a soft spot for those. There’s a video we found from the beginning called “Jack Rebney” we called it “The World’s Angriest RV Salesman.” It was outtakes from an RV commercial that we cut together with our favorite parts. That became a big hit. A filmmaker from Austin made a documentary about him called “Winnebago Man.” We convinced Rebney to appear with us at a show in San Fransisco. That was a real career highlight. He was one of the guys we really wanted to meet. That was a lot of fun.

VG: Why/how did you choose the Alamo Drafthouse to showcase the festival?
NP: I wouldn’t say we chose the Drafthouse, I’d say we settled for it. No, I’m just kidding. It’s one of our favorite venues. It’s the perfect place. It’s the right kind of crowd. We’re excited. We usually play the Alamo South Lamar, but this time we got moved to the Ritz. We’re going to be right there in the thick of things.

VG: Why should Austinites come to the festival?
NP: It’s footage you can’t see anywhere else, including all the other weirdo stuff at the Alamo. It’s an entertaining night at the movies. This is the biggest show we’ve ever done. There’s probably about 75 videos that we’ve cut together. Plus, like I mentioned before: full frontal male nudity. If that doesn’t sell some tickets, I don’t know what will.

For tickets to Wednesday's Found Footage Festival, visit this link.

March Music Madness 2011

2011-03-11T10:18:00.010-06:00

March Music Madness
Why Pay? Do it for FREE!

Here we are again. It's time for that big music festival that happens during Spring Break. I'm going to call it March Music Madness, because I think I may have to pay a fee to use the letter "x" this month in Austin.

Anyhow, INsite is Austin's OTHER Entertainment Magazine, so I thought I'd clue you in on some of the OTHER festivals happening in and around Austin during that third week in March. The FREE ones.

Now, this isn't an exhaustive list of all the free shows happening in Austin. The closest I have come to finding that list is this handy list put together each year by New Music Tipsheet (PDF) - http://newmusictipsheet.com/thelist2011.pdf.

I've decided to pick three festivals where I personally know and can vouch for the people who run it. These three people have done A LOT to help further a mission that is near and dear to my heart. They want to propel Austin Music and musicians.

They are Adam Brewer and his Texas Rockfest, Greg Cooper and his ATX Wildfire, and Trey Edwards and his BASS Invasion.

Three different festivals, all free, all happening at the same time. All worth attending.

Since INsite is dedicated to promoting local music, even in a month where the world of music comes to us, I've taken the liberty to pick out a few Austin-based bands I think you should check out while you're out and about. If you miss their showcase that I indicate, check them out one of the other 51 weeks out of the year.

We are about supporting local music YEAR ROUND.
(Can I get an Amen?)

OK... on to the shows:

ATX Wildfire Reggae & Arts Festival
When: 3/17 – 3/20
Time: 11am-2am.
Where: Ruta Maya (3601 South Congress Avenue)
Web: http://atxwildfire.com/
Cost: All Ages, FREE
Music Sampler from: http://jamsspace.com

Last year, Greg “Phive” Cooper decided that Austin could do with a reggae festival in town during March. His Episode Phive brand created it, It happened and people smiled. So, he brought it back, bigger and better. This three day, all ages festival features some of the best Reggae/Reggae Rock/Ska/Dub this town has to offer… plus some pretty substantial national acts (Seedless, Los Skarnales, The Supervillains).There will also be arts, crafts and food vendors.If good vibes and friendly folks is where you’d like to be, Ruta Maya is where you’ll feel at home.

Key Austin performers I recommend:

Don Chani 3/17 12:20PM
Tin Can Phone 3/17 7:00PM
Fox & Crow 3/18 4:20PM
Ashes of Babylon 3/18 9:40PM
Eleven Fingered Charlie 3/19 7:00PM

BASS Invasion When: 3/17 – 3/20
Where: 7th St. & Neches
Web: http://www.bassinvasionatx.com/
Cost: 21+ FREE with RSVP on DO512

Trey Edwards, who was a partner with Texas Rockfest, has come into his own in the last year with his Secession Entertainment. The March Music Madness show he’s putting on is BASS Invasion. This show boasts Three Stages, about a hundred live performances by bands, DJ's, producers, and performance artists. If you like your bass with a healthy side of butt-shaking and some rock and dub mixed in, this little corner of Austin will be your meeting point. This is the inaugural year, but Edwards is a seasoned veteran at throwing a festival, so I’m not worried about recommending this one.

Key Austin performers I recommend:
Arc Attack (mini-sets) and 3/18 10:00PM
Art Versus Industry 3/17 7:30PM
Grimy Styles 3/19 8:00PM
McPullish 3/19 7:30PM
One-Eyed Doll 3/17 4:00PM
Subrosa Union 3/17 3:00PM

Texas Rockfest
When: 3/16 – 3/19
Where: 10 stages (details below)
Web: http://texasrockfest.com
Cost: FREE

The 12th Annual Heart of Texas Rockfest is pretty much the place to go for good hard rock and old-school metal. This year it’s expanded to ten stages sprawled out across Austin. Adam Brewer and his gang always brings it. Looking forward to another hard-hitting year.

Locations: Outdoor 1 and 2 (5th and Colorado)
Pure Lounge (419 E 6th)
Blue Moon & Dorm Room (422 6th)
Fuel (607 Trinity)
Red Fez (209 W 5th),
Cedar Door (2nd and Brazos),
Sugar’s Outdoor Annex (404 East Highland Mall Blvd)
Roial (120 W. Fifth Street)

Key Austin bands I recommend:
Rock:
A Good Rogering – 3/18 TRF Outdoor 1 10:00 PM
Dahebejeebees – 3/17 Red Fez 1:00 AM
Squint – 3/17 Fuel 12:30 AM
Oak Is Keeping – 3/17 Dorm Room 9:30 PM

Classic-style Hard Rock:
Say Hello To The Angels 3/17 TRF Outdoor 1 12:00 AM
Snake Skin Prison 3/19 Roial 9:00 PM
Gentlemen's Social Club 3/17 Red Fez 8:00 PM
Broken Teeth 3/18 TRF Outdoor 1 12:00 AM

Metal:
Course Of Ruin 3/16 Dorm Room 9:30 PM
By Any Means Necessary 3/16 Dorm Room 12:30 AM
Powderburn 3/16 Dorm Room 11:45 PM and 3/18 TRF Outdoor 1 1:00 AM

Full Schedule - http://texasrockfest.com/schedule.asp

February 2011 INsite

2011-03-01T11:03:00.000-06:00

Click these links to read the stories:

February 2011: Love Songs From Austin

INstant Hindsite: Willie Nelson @ ACL Live Moody Theater

2011-02-16T21:46:00.000-06:00

Wille Nelson 2/13/11

2011-02-15T08:44:00.005-06:00

Willie Nelson at the ACL Live Moody Theater
2/13/11
Photos by: INsite Photo Editor Jay West

Links to Other Media Coverage of event:
KVUE
New York Times
Video from KXAN

Valentine's INsite

2011-02-14T12:27:00.004-06:00

KEEP AUSTIN IN LOVE!
A selection of love songs by Austin, Texas artists

By Sean Claes
It’s the month of love, so here’s a songlist of amazing local love songs. You want to set the mood and support local music, we’ve taken most of the work off your shoulders.

"The Sacred Heart of Alejandro Escovedo"
Part of Austin artists William K. Stidham's
Sacred Heart of Austin Musicians series.
Photo of artwork by Sean Claes

This list is not the product of anything but from the mind me, INsite's owner Sean Claes. There was no poll, no questions posed to anyone else. Nothing. This spans new and old… with no favorites.. and videos where I could find them. This is not an exhaustive list, and if you’d like to suggest a song, please leave it in the comments section. I may add in a "reader's favorites" post. If I'm feeling the love, that is.

Now that THAT is out of the way, Sit back, relax, grab your love.. and listen to some great local love songs.

"My Own Peculiar Way" - Willie Nelson
The Essential Willie Nelson

“Silly, Stupid Boy” - Waiting for August
Unreleased - link to their ReverbNation Page

“Everyman” - Southpaw Jones
Cruelty

“In This Skin” – Love At War
Love At War

“Love is Everywhere” – Bob Schneider
Love Is Everywhere

“Right Where I Belong” – Wendy Colonna
Right Where I Belong

“Freeze Frame Time” – Brandon Rhyder
Conviction

“Something So Much” – Drew Smith
Drew Smith's Lonely Choir

“Tender Heart” – Alejandro Escovedo
Street Songs Of Love

“Wrapped” – Walt Wilkins
Mustang Island

“Lately” - Full Service
Roaming Dragons
Download this song for free from the band here

“Real Love” – Ruthie Foster
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster

Here’s some I couldn’t find videos for… but are GREAT songs.

“Naked Fool” Michael Fracasso
Red Dog Blues

“East West North South” David Garza
Eyes Wide Open

“Girl Like You” - Monte Montgomery
1st and Repair

“Favorite One” - Matt The Electrician
Made For Working

“No Baby Swings Like Mine” – South Austin Jug Band
Dark and Weary World

“Too Big Love” – Susan Gibson
Outerspace

OK.. I won’t forget the rest of you.

As I saw written on the bathroom wall at a little dive bar in San Marcos, Texas once… “No matter how much you like this woman, there’s a man out there that is sick of her.”

So….for those who don’t like this list… or love songs for that matter… well… here’s Cee-Lo Green for you. I know.. he’s not from Austin… but I don’t think you’ll mind.

I like the way the Grammy’s titled it.. “The Song Otherwise Known As ‘Forget You’”

INsite's Top 10 Austin Releases of 2010

2010-12-27T11:14:00.004-06:00

The Top 10 Austin CDs INsite Owner Sean Claes Listened to this Year

Those who have been following INsite owner Sean Claes' blog, Notes From The Cubicle are aware that between September 2009 and September 2010 he took on a challenge to review one release from an Austin-based band a week for a year. At the end he reviewed 55 different CDs. Why 55? Well, there were 6 EPs in there and he counts those as half an album. Questions about that? click here.

Here are INsite's choices for Top 10 locally-released albums of 2010. You will not find reasoning behind the choices here, but each choice contains a link to the review Claes' wrote in 2010.

To see the reviews of all 55, visit this link - http://seanclaesdotcom.blogspot.com/2009/09/52-austin-cd-reviews-in-52-weeks.html

10. Bobby Bookout - Bobby Bookout

9. Eleven Fingered Charlie - Patterns

8. Lennon's Song - We Love, We Learn, We Grow

7. Trashy and the Kid - Songs In The Key of Blow Me

6. Alejandro Escovedo - Street Songs of Love

5. The Jeremy Miller Band - Way Too Fast

4. Ray Wylie Hubbard - A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no C)

3. Terri Hendrix - Cry Till You Laugh

2. One-Eyed Doll - Break

1. Dave Madden - Open Eyed / Broken Wide

Dave Madden - Open Eyed

Dave Madden - Broken Wide

Thanks to all who make music for giving INsite the gift of hearing your craft.

God Bless you and keep you safe in 2011 and beyond.

p.s. If you're interested, Claes' new challenge for 2010-2011 is 52 Weeks of DIY Music Advice. Check it out and please give feedback.

INsite's Shop Austin 2010

2010-12-17T13:42:00.009-06:00

Shop Austin Gift Guide 2010
"A Lot of Local In One" Place Edition

By Sean Claes
Photos by Jay West and Sean Claes

Each year, INsite likes to share a few places for you to consider shopping during the holiday season. One reason we’re known as Austin’s Other Entertainment Magazine is because we like to root for the underdog. In a town as big as Austin, it’s easy to go to your local “box store” and get your Christmas shopping done in one stop, but just like we enjoy telling you about local bands, just as good if not better than national acts, whom you may have never heard, we also like to share the names and locations of places you can shop local.

All of the places on this list are dedicated to featuring many local artisans in one place. So, essentially, like a “big box” store, these are “outside the box” one stop shops. You can truly find some one-of-a-kind gems for the folks on your shopping list this year. We hope you print this out and use it as a guide.

We hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Great Kwanza, Festivus (Seinfeld is still a great show BTW), or whatever you celebrate during this season.

23rd St. Renaissance Market
23rd St. and Guadalupe
http://www.austinartistsmarket.com
Since 1969 artists and artisans have been gathering on the Guadalupe Street area known affectionately as “The Drag” to sell their wares under the awesome mural pictured at the beginning of this artice. If you’re looking for paintings, jewelry, tie-dyes, candles, or leather goods made by locals this open air market is one option. It’s also located in the heart of the University of Texas area of Austin as well, so it’s mighty popular with the college aged set as well. It’s open everyday between 8a and 10p, and since it’s made up of all local/area artisans, the finds change from day to day.

Blue Genie Art Bazzar
6226 Middle Fiskville Rd
http://bluegenieartbazaar.com/
For the last decade artistans have been getting together for this annual event. This year, they boast over 150 participants, each selling their handcrafted items. It’s located at the Marchesa Hall and Theatre in the Lincoln Village Shopping Center of Austin. This bazzar is free to attend and the caliber of artisans are pretty impressive. I’ve personally bought hand crafted items from a few of these folks, and we’ve featured them in previous issues of INsite as well as gift guides from years past. Funky handbags, jaunty hairclips, kids art supplies, paintings, and jewelry are just a few things you can find here. Check their Website for a full list of participants. This event runs from now until December 24. The hours are: Sunday – Thursday from 10a – 10p, Friday and Saturday from 10a-12m

South Congress Avenue (SoCo)
SoCo runs From the river to Oltorf
http://www.firstthursday.info/
Visit the area of Austin that helps “Keep Austin Weird.” I know, it’s kind of a cop-out to use an entire street as the place to go, but if I listed out each place I think you should stop, this article would be about a million words long. So… a synopsis: Thrift stores, boutiques, fine and funky art shops, specialty food stores, the coolest candy shop in town, and a whole bunch of other places scatter this street.

You can grab some classic candy from the (pictured) Big Top Candy Shoppe (1706 SoCo), the over to Tesoros Trading Company (1500 SoCo) to buy Uncle John some folk art, then wander down to Blackmail (1202 SoCo) to buy your loved one that little black dress. Or perhaps check out the American Indian jewelry at Turquoise Door (1208 SoCo) before seeing what you can pick up for your hard-to-shop-for sister at Monkey See Monkey Do (1712 SoCo) and then to Parts and Labour (1117 SoCo) for a custom-made Chuck Norris handbag, complete with fuzzy mustache.

The choices are limitless as SoCo is a wonderland of funky and great things.

Several Stores who Feature Local Year-Round
Various Locations
Looking for a pillow that features Pee Wee Herman screenprinted on it? hand-blown glass wine-tags? Perhaps a plaid jacket that dons a likeness to the guys in DEVO? Whimsical handmade baby blankets? Vegan soap? Owl hat? Maybe the more classic items like Earrings, dresses, or necklaces? We’ve got several places in Austin that features things like this year-round…

Stores that feature many local artisans under one roof include, but are not limited to: Moxie (11th St) Parts and Labour (SoCo), Lucky Lizard (6th Street), and Sanctuary (Bee Caves). Click their names to visit their site for more information.

I limited this article to feature four destination points for you, but there are hundreds of stores in Austin that feature local artisans. I’ve culled a short list to provide you with a partial list of some of the local places (and Websites) that sell locally made items. Enjoy.

Austin Bikes - 1213 W. 5th St (austinbikes.com)
Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) Store - 823 Congress Avenue (amoa.org)
Austin Visitors Center - 301 Congress Avenue, Ste. 200 (austintexas.org)
Authenticity Gallery - 910 Congress Ave # 100 (authenticitygallery.com)
Blue Moon Glassworks - 108 W 43rd St (austinbluemoon.com)
Creatures Boutique - 1206 S Congress Ave (creaturesboutique.com)
Emeralds - 624 N. Lamar Blvd (helloemeralds.com)
The Gas Pipe - 701 E 5th St (thegaspipe.net)
Images of Austin - 4612 Burnet Road (imagesofaustin.com)
Lucky Lizard - 412 East 6th Street (luckylizard.net)
Mexic-Arte - 419 Congress Ave (mexic-artemuseum.org)
The Oasis Gift Shop - 6550 Comanche Trl (oasis-austin.com)
Parts and Labour - 1117 S Congress Ave (partsandlabour.com)
Prima Dora - 1912 S Congress Ave (primadora.blogspot.com)
Sanctuary - 3663 Bee Caves Rd (sanctuaryhomebathgarden.com)
Secret Oktober - 1905-B South 1st (secret-oktober.com)
Sol Reflections - 107 Ranch Road 620 (solreflections.com)
State Capitol Gift Shop - 112 East 11th Street (texascapitolgiftshop.com)
Storyville - 2001A Guadalupe Street (wearyourstory.com)
Terra Toys - 2438 W Anderson Ln (terratoys.com)
Texas State History Museum - 1800 N. Congress Ave (thestoryoftexas.com)
Things She Adores - 2306 E. Cesar Chavez, Suite 101 (thingssheadores.com)
Wanderland - 3419 North Lamar (wanderlandshops.com)
Waterloo Records - 600 N Lamar Blvd (waterloorecords.com)
Wee - 417 1/2 W 2nd St (shopwee.com)
Whole Foods Market - 525 N Lamar Blvd (wholefoodsmarket.com)

So, Austin, please support Local this holiday season. And from my family to yours, have a wonderful Christmas.

December Cover - ANDY DICK

2010-12-17T13:25:00.004-06:00

Andy Dick brings his Stocking Stuffer Music and Comedy Show to Austin

By Veronica Garcia

Ardent comedian Andy Dick is bringing his X-mas act, “Andy Dick's Stocking Stuffer Music and Comedy Show” to Emo’s Saturday night, hoping to end 2010 without incident.

“I’m book-ending my shows - I started in January with five shows and I’m ending it in December with the same five shows,” he said in a recent phone interview from his Topanga Canyon, Calif. home.

It wasn’t part of the act, but what he allegedly did after the show, that landed Dick in a West Virginia jail in January. Dick reportedly groped two men at a club, following his performance.

“I went to jail for 16 hours, I got back out and the club owner said, ‘I understand if you don’t want to do the three remaining shows,’” he recalled.

Being the consummate performer, Dick insisted the show must go on despite the allegations.

“But let’s not focus on that, or the jail time, and the court cases that are pending,” he said. “Let’s talk about the show. The show is fucking awesome! I can’t wait to do it in Austin. People are going to go nuts, seriously.”

Just don’t compare it to stand-up comedy, or you might annoy Dick.

“I’m warning you right now, if you’re coming to listen to stand-up comedy, I don’t even like stand-up,” he said. “I’m sick of it, it’s dumb! My shit, you will enjoy. You will get your money’s worth even if you get in for free.”

Dick, 45, has been performing his X-mas show for 25 years.

“It’s a mixture of songs and characters I do, and then I’ll twist people’s brains,” he said. “It’s stuff that I can’t do on television.”

The X-mas show also highlights whatever is happening in his life at the time, it changes and evolves, he explained.

“It just gets better and better and better,” he said. “Or maybe you could call it a slow retardation - actually maybe it’s getting worse.”

These days, Dick gets high on saving animals and living a raw food lifestyle.

“I’m vibrating,” he said. “It helps your mind, body and soul. Whatever is wrong with you, it’ll fix. It’s how you’re supposed to be. We’re supposed to walk around and eat the things we find.”

Dick recently rescued two dogs from certain death. He also owns two cats, a rabbit and two rattlesnakes. He regularly rescues rattlesnakes while hiking in his backyard.

“I keep them in Andy Dick’s Half-way House for Wayward Rattlesnakes,” he said. “They stay here for a couple of months and I get to look at them and feed them crickets and little baby mice and then I relocate them. People are thanking me for this service because if you call the fire department they kill the snakes.”

During our conversation, on this particular Saturday afternoon, he and guitarist Tim Walsh were headed out in search of psychedelic mushrooms on his 30-acre property.

“They’re growing wild on my yard,” Dick said. “He claims he’s an expert in this and he’s already done some. I will not do it. But he literally has thousands of dollars of ’shrooms. He’s going to pick them and sell them and keep the money.”

Walsh, who performs in a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band, is joining Dick for his show in Austin.

“He’s super funny and talented,” Dick said. “Everyone should clear their fucking schedule and come to the show.”

Local promoter Adam Brewer is excited to bring the X-mas show to Austin and particularly to Emo’s.

“It’s a rock and roll comedy show and it’s a different environment to see a show like this,” he said.

“And everyone knows Andy Dick, for better or for worse,” he added. “But this is a great mix of comedy and music especially with a holiday theme, and Andy is on his road to redemption trying to prove to everyone that he’s not just someone in a tabloid headline; he’s a very funny man. He’s going to light that room up.”

November 2010 INsite

2010-12-16T13:35:00.000-06:00

Click these links to read the stories:

November 2010: Cover Story - The Fine Mostachery of TEAM AUS
Hindsite: Austin City Limits Music Festival

INsite Nights in November - 11/13 and 11/19

2010-11-12T09:53:00.004-06:00

There are two INsite Nights this month in Austin. One is this Saturday (11/13/10) at Red Eyed Fly. The Second is Next Friday (11/19/10) at The Parish .

In addition to both shows being full of great Austin music, INsite owner Sean Claes will also be collecting for Movember. So throw a little change in the bucket and support TEAM AUS.

Yes, those are two posters for the same show. The first is one done by Dead Bunny, and the other is done by the Red Eyed Fly. It's the Farewell Show for The Banner Year,... so come on out!

Now, this is a highly anticipated show. Snake Skin Prison is releasing their 9 Kinds of Bad on Friday, November 19 at The Parish Room in Austin, Texas. The line up includes Broken Teeth, Bayou City Outlaw Band and Yayo. It's going to be an awesome night of music and if you know the guys in Snake Skin Prison... they'll have a little something extra in it for you.

Here's a little bonus Broken Teeth to get you revved up.