Underchord

Inside and Out of Indie & Alternative Mus

ic

ACL 2012 Meet the musicians of Austin’s annual festival pg. 6

The Eastern Sea at Blues on the Green

SXSWBands Preview of 2012 pg.22

pg. 24

(not so)

Quiet Company An Austin-Based Phenomenon pg. 18

Table of Contents 3 Meet the Staff 4 Letter to the Editor 5 Imagine Dragons

6

ACL 2012

10 Deerhunter Review 11Camp Rock USA 12 Ghostland Observatory

13 Top Ten Alternative Songs

14

(Not-so) Quiet Company

24

Blues on the Green

18 Guitar Art of Austin 20 Cut Copy: In Review 22 SXSW 2012 26 Spoon: The Rise to Fame

Rockers lounge at ACL Fest 2012.

Photo by Ciara McDaniel

Meet The Staff Photo by Kate Sheblak

The Underchord staff is composed of three crazy freshmen; Ciara, Alex, and Rachael. They are musicobsessed and dress for success.

While they did work hard making this magazine, they also spent a fair amount of time straightening ties, googling images of David Tennant, and blasting Quiet Company on their computers. They were brought together by their impeccable tastes in music.

Photo by Kate Sheblak

Ciara McDaniel

Favorite Band: The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Ciara is a bubbly vegetarian who has been involved with music for years. She plays flute, piccolo and piano. Her favorite music genre is Indie, and headphones are her favorite invention. When she isn’t listening to music, she enjoys walking the streets of Downtown Austin, and finding new concerts to attend and loudly sing lyrics at. Her obsession with photography behooves her to carry her camera with her everywhere she goes.

Alex Martinez

Favorite Band: The Rolling Stones

Alex is a comical guy. He loves skateboarding, playing basketball and video games. His favorite genre of music is rock, which is mostly consisted of The Rolling Stones.. His favorite place to be is downtown Austin checking out all the restaurants. He wears plaid shirts 3 days out of 5 and spends most of his time listening to music and chatting with his friends.

Photo by Ciara McDaniel

Rachael Ellisor Favorite Band: The Beatles

Rachael is a spunky 14 year old who enjoys playing piano, acting, and listening to music with any free time she has. Despite her interest in music she studies forensic science because it’s cool, and not because she’s a psychopath. Her ideal weekend would be spent listening to rock music in Zilker Park. She has a severe tendency to become unhealthily obsessed with TV series and reblog fandoms on sites such as Tumblr. The details of her reblogs will not be mentioned here.

Photo by Ciara McDaniel

Photo by Ciara McDaniel

Letter From the Editor Dear Reader, Welcome to the inaugural issue of Underchord.

We strive to ensure that our magazine includes outsider music from a variety of artists and styles. The magazine focuses on Indie and Alternative music, with an emphasis on Austin-based indie bands. Our staff’s goal is to inform you, the reader, of ground-breaking indie music of which you probably haven’t heard. We collect scenes from concerts, album reviews, and bands that made the “Live Music Capital of the World” famous. We also stumble across new and undiscovered music and bring it back into the magazine to expand your musical knowledge. For us, it is imperative that we add new shades to your colorful spectrum of all things audible. We spend our days traveling all over Austin to scope out the latest sounds and photograph the greatest musical events to broadcast only the finest music to our readers. We hope you enjoy our creation and discover new tunes.

Happy listening, The Underchord Staff

Indie Band Highlights 2012:

Imagine Dragons

By Alex Martinez

Flying to the Top

An Indie band from Las Vegas, Nevada, Imagine Dragons’ fame as increased since 2011 with their release of Imagine Dragons EP. They grew especially popular in the Summer of 2012, as their song “It’s Time” was featured on indie and alternative radio stations (like 101x in Austin), as well as the official theatrical trailer for The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

(left to right) Ben Mckee, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynold, and Wayne Sermon Photo courtesy of http://allthingsgomusic.com

Imagine Dragons has been greatly noticed by their single It’s Time. It has topped the charts and created a record breaking feat by being the holding the longest run on the top ten alternative billboard for 2012 with at least 30 weeks.

It is the band’s most commercially successful song; It was certified platinum in November 2012 and nominated for “Best Rock Video” at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.

The indie rock band currently consists of Dan Reynolds(Drums and vocals), Ben Mckee(Bass and backing vocals), Wayne Sermon(Guitar and backing vocals), and Dan Platzman(Drums, viola, and backing vocals). The groups is based in Las Vegas, Nevada and formed in 2008. The band’s name, Imagine Dragons is an anagram. It is unknown to what the original words were, it is only shared amongst the members.

After winning several “battle of the bands” competitions the group entered the studio for the first time in 2011. They then released two EP’s(extended play’s) Imagine Dragons and Hell and Silence, which contain more than a single but are too short to be considered full studio albums. The single It’s Time was created before they signed a record deal.

People across the United States are tuning into Imagine Dragons, ranging from radio to sold out concerts. They recently took a tour around the United States, Canada, and countries in Europe featuring their first album Night Visions; Which sold out with the exception of two shows. It shows that not only the U.S. is tuning in, but people from across the Atlantic are as well.

From covering Led Zeppelin in little casinos to becoming one of the top indie bands of 2012 in a year and a half, this group has climbed the ladder to the top in a short amount of time.

Imagine Dragons most recent album Night Visions, released sept.4, 2012 Photo courtesy of http://unrealitytv.com

AC L 2012 The ACL 2012 Lineup brought some of the worlds finest indie musicians to Austin: including The Black Keys, The Boxer Rebellion, Two Door Cinema Club, and Gotye.

Photo by Ciara McDaniel

WITHIN the LIMITS

indie and alternative bands hit the stage in Austin

by Ciara McDaniel

Now, she is just fifteen and has played multiple shows in some of Austin’s most popular music venues.

It is quite clear that a fifteen-year old girl cannot waltz onto one of the broad and brightly lit ACL stages without the proper preparation. It takes years of practice to compose songs and find the right band members to even begin recording music.

“As I got older and I learned how to write songs, I grew a love and passion for music. I sit myself down and devote time to music because I like knowing that practicing is what gives me good song ideas, and what makes me and my band sound better. That’s why I do it,” Bonds said.

The combination of a deeply-rooted passion for music and a furious determination to practice certainly paid off for this teenager from Philadelphia.

“Playing a show at ACL was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I absolutely loved it. Not just because it was a cool thing to tell people, but it was also the biggest stage I’ve played on, and one of the biggest crowds I’ve played in front of.”

“ Photo courtesy of charliebellemusic.com

A

s the final chord from her guitar lingers in the musty air, Jendayi Bonds smiles with pleasure. Her band, Charlie Belle, has just successfully completed its biggest gig yet at the Austin City Limits Festival (ACL). A crowd composed of hundreds of content fans roar in applause.

“Like all things, getting the opportunity to play ACL was not something I got overnight,” said Bonds. I’ve been playing my guitar for a very long time, writing since I was nine, and I’ve been performing gigs on stage since I was ten. It seems as if I’ve been preparing for ACL for half of my life.”

8

However, acquiring the chance to perform at ACL was not easy. From seven years old, Bonds has played the guitar. At nine, she began to compose her own songs.

It seems as if I’ve been preparing for ACL for half of my life.

”

Bonds is a typical teenager going through high school who plays lacrosse, she rows, and does her fair share of schoolwork. Committed to many extracurricular activities, it becomes more difficult to advertise her band and find places to perform.

Bonds has put a lot of effort into finding commercial resources to advertise her band. She set up websites and created social networking accounts dedicated to the band.

Charlie Belle’s facebook page posts gig information that is followed by 210+ facebook users, and Bonds devotes much of her time to contacting potential venues to spread public awareness of her band.

“I email and call people all of the time begging for shows, and 90% of the time I get rejected. But 10% of the people you ask are going to say yes. And one day, other people are going to be the ones asking for you to play.”

Bonds said.

Taking the stage under the radiant Austin sun, Two Door Cinema Club’s indie pop sound could be heard from across the park. Swarms of flags and balloons huddled around the stage occupied by the Irish gentlemen, who were enthralled with their audience.

Since 2010, Two Door Cinema Club has been synonymous with indie bands like Phoenix, The Bombay Bicycle Club (who also played ACL 2012), Broken Bells, and Miike Snow. The Irish pop group has become increasingly popular over the years as its music is played over radio stations across the globe.

For the band, stepping onto American soil was a monumental step in becoming a more successful indie band.

2012 was the second year they were invited to play at the Austin City Limits Festival, and the group displayed much gratitutde towards its fans.

“We wouldn’t be here without all of you,” said guitarist and lead singer of the band, Alex Trimble. “[Our fans] are what brought us here.”

Formed in Northern Ireland, Two Door Cinema Club combines electronic keyboards, echoing guitars and soft drums to create their indie pop sound.

The band dominated the Irish music charts, starting with their debut album,Tourist History. Their second album, Beacon, was featured at number one on the Irish Albums Chart with its release in September of 2012.

“This hot weather is bad on our Irish skin!” Trimble said at their ACL performance, joking.

The band got its name originated when band member Sam Halliday mispronounced the name of their local theatre, “Tudor Cinema.” Since then, the name has stuck, and they have been performing under the title “Two Door Cinema Club” in tours all across the world. Their fame

The turnout for Two Door Cinema Club’s performance reflected the amount have fans they have gained over the years since their debut in 2010.

Thousands of bodies swayed in tempo with the drifting echoes of guitars, flowing together as one giant wave of a being.

As the concert drew to a close, the gracious Irish men continued to thank the audience for their support. Roars of applause followed them as they trickled off the stage, swept by the flow of music that could take them anywhere.

Despite the crashing and cacophonous sounds erupting from the majority of the Austin City Limits Festival stages at noon, a single band stood out with its unique vocal chords and droning guitars.

Although only equipped with a medium-sized crowd of a few hundred people, The Boxer Rebellion played loudly and proudly.

The group - composed of two British men, an Australian, and a Tennesse-native - came together in London in 2001. They have produced three studio albums since, and are continuing to record music.

Although they aren’t very famous, The Boxer Rebellion has still had many tracks featured in the media. Their songs, “Spitting Fire” and “Both Sides are Even,” are among the most popular, being featured in The Art of Getting By and A Gifted Man, respectively.

The Boxer Rebellion plays at ACL.

There is no doubt that their feature on one of the highly-coveted stages at Austin City Limits Festival will add to The Boxer Rebellion’s growing popularity. They have already experienced an increase in purchased songs on iTunes, who also helped their claim to fame by declaring their album, “Union,” the “Best Alternative Album of the Year” in 2009.

All photos on page nine are by Ciara McDaniel

The film Going the Distance created a huge landmark in the band’s success. Starring Drew Barrymore, the movie featured the bandmates as themselves, and they even performed their singles “Evacuate” and “Spitting Fire.” They also wrote their own original song for the Finale entitled “If You Run.”

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The Music of

Deerhunter

Brought together in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2001, Deerhunter is a band that could be described as psychedelic, ambient, indie, and even punk.

Their most recently-released album, Halcyon Digest, displays musical growth over a number of years. Its overall tone is unique and differing from the band’s previous albums. Beginning with the track Earthquake, the album erupts to life with light cymbals and soft guitar arpeggios. Lifted bass patterns give spirit to the melody, and set the mood for the music that is yet to come. From this track, the music slowly progresses into faster-paced strums and chords. The chain of music slowly and quietly fades to blend into the next musical idea, creating a very relaxed mood. The album begins its musical journey with Revival, using high octaves in acoustic guitars and a more prominent bass. The tune leads straight into Sailing, which slows down quite a bit, being the slow song of the album. However, it picks right back up with Desire Lines. This track is one of the longest and most-loved of the album, relying heavily on the strong heartbeat of the bass drum and the clashing melodies of each instrument. Each one has a separate rhythm and idea to express, which all blend together to create the perfect background for the vocals of Bradford Cox. The second half of the song is instrumental, guitars blaring brightly. After this pique, everything fades back into the ground from which it came. He Would Have Laughed, the closing track, finishes its tale by fading into itself, leaving the listener wondering if the album is really over or not. This also makes for the perfect opportunity to loop the album from the beginning again. Overall, Halcyon Digest is a fantastic album to relieve stress, lean back and enjoy the world of indie music.

Cryptograms is the result of lead singer Bradford Cox’s rapid stream of consciousness in 2007. It was recorded in two daylong sessions that were months apart, making the first half very ambient and the second half more punk rock. Containing almost no vocals (with the exception of Cyptograms and Providence), the ambient side of the compilation shows the early ideas of Deerhunter’s music. Vocals were used purely as a background component, almost like chanting in a tribal tune. Guitar chords were clustered and resonated for long periods of time. The second half of the album marked the band’s transition into faster-paced alternative indie rock music, but still contained hints of ambience. Heatherwood finishes the album with harmonious vocals echoing the guitars.

Castle

Micro-

grams

Crypto--

All images from AllMusic.com

Following the release of Cryptograms, Microcastle (2008) follows a musical path with more indie rock traits by picking up from where Cryptograms left off. Cover Me Slowly takes its first bold step into a world past ambience. It starts slowly, but is followed by the crash of Never Stops, beginning a new era of Deerhunter music. The flow, like its precedent’s name, does not stop. From Little Kids to Carbon at Twilight Lake, the alternative indie continues. However, Deerhunter has kept the consistent trend throughout their music to end songs and albums on a light note - they fade into nothing.

Microcastle is no exception to this rule, even though it set the standard for albums following it, like Halcyon Digest. The album is a map of the band’s musical progress, and never fails to end on a high note.

k c o R p Cam

By Ciara McDaniel

USA At Antone’s

It’s a dream of almost all aspiring young musicians to have the opportunity to perform live in a real music venue.

Live performances in popular locations are the most common way for bands to get themselves noticed, and the students participating in Rock Camp USA’s Summer camp are given this connection to the world every year.

Students aged anywhere between 8 and 19 can attend Camp Rock USA, and are placed in a band based on their skills and musical interests. They get to know each other, rehearse for two weeks, and their grand finale is a special performance at Antone’s in downtown Austin.

13-year-old James Wissemann, a devout pianist, returned to the Summer camp last year for his second live music experience.

“I had done it before with my friends and it was really a fun experience. I was eager to play again, especially since I had improved my musical skills,” Wissemann said.

As a young adult musician, Wissemann doesn’t have a lot of experience with large crowds and working with a lot of other band-mates. This is a huge part of the reason why so many students sign up for the camp.

“The experience at Antone’s was great. We played with other bands, so it was not as nerve-wrecking to play. I would definitely recommend this to young musicians because it is a great thing to have the experience of playing in front of a large audi-

Wissemann and his band perform at Antone’s. Photo courtesy of James Wisseman

ence,” Wissemann said.

Wissemann was placed in an alternative rock band that mirrored his musical taste, and was able to play songs like “Destroyer” by The Kinks, “Creep” by Radiohead, and even help his band compose their own original song. The two weeks were an excellent learning experience for him musically, and he was able to experiment with different music for piano.

The Antone’s experience that Rock Camp USA offers has influenced the minds and directions of thousands of musicians in its locations across the country.

Image by Ciara McDaniel

Ghostland Observatory

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Codename: Rondo and #1 song is Sad Sad City

Played their first show on July 4, 2004

Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostland_Observatory, https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ghostland-observatory/id203224868, http://www.metrolyrics.com/miracles-lyrics-ghostland-observatory.html

The Top Ten

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Hey Ho The Lumineers Some Nights Fun.

It’s TimeImagine Dragons

Top 10 indie/alternative

Too CloseAlex Clare

Songs of

2012

I Will WaitMumford & Sons

Little TalksOf Monsters & Men

Too Close (The Vocal Performance)Melanie Martinez RadioactiveImagine Dragons Everybody TalksNeon Trees

10

MadnessMuse

Information from http://www.apple.com/euro/itunes/charts/top10alternativesongs.html

Not-So-Quiet Company

by Rachael Ellisor

Soft, quiet electrical music sets the

mood for a swanky party at the Zilker Clubhouse where Austin’s wealthiest sip cocktails and wine, admiring the view. Then Quiet Company takes the stage, their music humming with soft guitar chords and brushing vocals. But as it grows and builds into a fantastic cacophony of sound, the people turn their heads, bemused looks crossing their faces at the unfamiliar noise.

“Well, I’m sure the Quiet Company experience is vastly different for me than it is for someone in the audience. For us, the QC experience feels a lot like being a moving company that just happens to play music in-between jobs.” said lead singer Taylor Muse.

Among the vast music map that is Austin, Quiet Company - a band that started out as small and insignificant side project for a few guys - has become a newfound Austin phenomenon. The band is currently finishing a tour of the northern United States, and planning a tour of Europe next year. Their music is controversial, harmonious, and includes a variety of nontraditional instruments and styles. They are a not-so-Quiet-Company. And they’re starting to make it big.

“Best show we’ve played: the first thing that springs to mind is probably headlining Blues on the Green this year. Something like 11,000 people and the crowd was singing and really excited to be there, it really doesn’t get much better than that.” said Muse Their first huge concert of the year, despite small tours around Texas, set the record for the Blues on the Green audience since it began in the late 80s. By the end of the night, the award-winning Austin band influenced the crowd to fill the night air with their voices, singing out the band’s songs like benedictions in the night air. But this wasn’t the first time this rag-tag troop swept the stage.

Cover art for Quiet Company’s most recent album, We are Where We Belong Photo Courtesy of Quiet Company

“I’m a fan of anyone being a fan of our band.”

Quiet Company made an appearance as the cover article for the Austin Chronicle in February of 2012., adding to their already growing popularity Photo Courtesy of the Austin Chronicle

Last March, the band cleaned out the Austin Music Awards (AMAs), collecting a total of 10 trophies, including Band of the Year, Musician of the year (Taylor Muse), and Song of the Year (“You, Me, and the Boatman”), shattering the previous record for most awards received at the AMAs. A majority of Quiet Company’s music, especially their new album, is primarily about questioning religion and ultimately a higher power.

So Austin, a largely Catholic community (according to polls at bestplaces.net), took a huge step in supporting the band.

Though, as far as the religious views throughout the band itself are concerned, “I certainly don’t speak for everyone so in that sense, they belong to me exclusively, Quiet Company rocks ACL Satellite Sets during the show’s brief premiere in 2010 but we do all agree on the broad strokes.” said Photo Courtesy of JhJackson Photography Muse.

“I’m a fan of The most popular song on the new album was “You, anyone being a fan of our band. We’re blessed Me and the Boatman,” a song about enjoying life while with a fair share of people who genuinely want us we have it. Among a chorus of trombones and guitar to succeed and put in a lot of time and effort into chords, Muse wails into the microphone: “Lover won’t getting our name out there. Gratitude is the only you stay with me until the Boatman comes, because I feeling I guess I have about it.” don’t care about the past or future, because this existence This Summer, Quiet Company will begin anis probably all we have.” other tour, but one unlike they’ve ever had before.

Though many reporters and fans often mistake the The once-small Austin band’s big sound will be lyrics in this song for ones of sadness and disbelief, and travelling internationally, sharing their music with Muse has previously called this album his “break up fans who have never even seen them before. with religion,” he doesn’t talk about the album or his

“In the next few years I see Quiet Commusic with any anger. pany all over the country, and into Canada and “Historically, my wife is my greatest motivation, but Europe, ideally. Also, into financial solvency.” Said now I’ve got a 3 year old daughter, as well.” said Muse Muse while talking about his music.

Just last month, the band members quit

However, the motivations behind the compo- their part-time jobs to become full-time members sitions of Quiet Company don’t seem to bother people. of the project. As they grow, they play fewer and Last year, when the band teamed up with Groovefewer shows in their native town. Reassuring fans shark and Rocket Science to release their new album, that they’ll always return, they set off to become a the sites averaged 50,000 plays of their song “Fear and national phenomenon.

Fallacy, Sitting in a Tree” per day. Couple that with their They are becoming one of Austin’s biggest becoming so popular that they were featured on several success stories, opening the community up to well-known TV shows such as Real World New Orleans, new ideas of music, new combinations of sound.

Keeping up with the Kardashians, and ABC’s My GenAustin is raving about them, but the question is, eration. And they just keep on growing. Acquiring over how long before they have to move on 50,000 fans on Facebook and over 100,00 hits on their to bigger and better? songs when posted on Youtube, Muse comments;

Cuddle Company! The band hands out free hugs at SXSW 2012. Photo by Leah Muse.

Taylor sings at Satellite Sets 2010

Photo courtesy of JhJackson Photography

A heartfelt chorus at Satellite Sets 2010 Photo Courtesy of JhJackson Photography Quiet Company and their fabulous puppets, posing for pictures in the park.

Photo by Leah Muse

Quiet Company Lounges For A Photo Shoot by Leah Muse

Other Albums By Quiet Company

Shine Honesty (Released 2006)

Everyone You Love Will Be Happy Soon (Released 2009)

Songs for Staying In (Released 2010)

The Guitar Project

By Rachael Ellisor

The Project:

In November of 2006, Gibson Guitar sponsored a program that would brighten up Austin’s cityscapes, a project that would connect musicians and artists alike. They called it the Austin Guitartown Project, and it would be a sight to remember for years to come.

The project was simple, give blank, 10-foot tall rock Gibson guitars to local artists, who would be sponsored by various companies and let their imagination go wild. The guitars would be situated throughout the city of Austin where they would stay for a few months before being auctioned off to charity for thousands of dollars.

According to gibson.com, one of the biggest cash bringers for this project was the representations of some very famous faces, either in the art, or in the form of signatures that were given to boost auction prices.

Although most of the guitars were sold and taken off the streets in 2007, a few still have permanent homes, like the ones in Austin-Bergstrom airport, which sit proudly on the baggage claim.

The Charities: The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians:

-Helps musicians who previously denied rehabilitation until they were put in the emergency room.

Renowned Austin musician Janis Joplin is depicted on this guitar entitled “Piece of my Heart” painted by Tracie Sutton, this guitar is signed by Patrice Pike and is now at home in the Austin-Bergstrom Airport.

Photo courtesy of gibson.com

Austin Museum of Art:

-Educates a broad audience in the visual arts who would not normally be exposed to such things.

American Youthworks: -Supports at-risk Austin Youth over extended periods of time

Austin Children’s Museum: -Inspires the artistic integrity of Children as well as helping to blossom their scientific interests

Austin Actor Dennis Quaid signs a guitar painted by local visual artist Howard Weliver.

The piece is entitled “Musician.”

Photo by Dustin Downing

“Por Vida” by Kathy Marcus Photo courtesy of gibson.com

“A Taste of Texas Tunes” by Allison Gregory Photo courtesy of gibson.com

A few of the Guitartown Project pieces found in the Austin-Bergstrom Airport Photo by Sandy L. Stevens “Trip to the Light Fantastic” by Aly Winningham Photo courtesy of gibson.com

The Music of

Cut Copy

by Ciara McDaniel

Photo from wikimedia.org

In Ghost Colours, a 2008 release following Bright Like Neon Love, produced a sound that is suspended within special effects,synths, and cymbal tssts. The album hit number one on Australian music charts soon after its release. There isn’t a dramatic difference between the tones of Cut Copy’s first two albums. In Ghost Colours almost sounds as though it could be an add-on to its precedent, Bright Like Neon Love. The main difference between the two is that the newer album contains a wider dynamic and instrumental contrast. Feel the Love begins the album with a happy medium, gentle “oohs” flowing throughout. The songs continue to progress up to So Haunted, which uses disturbing-sounding chords to give an eerie vibe. The track is one of the loudest and most dissonant, definitely experimental. The track is monumental in a way, because the conflicting notes employ a sound unique to the rest of Cut Copy’s music. Risks in music were taken, and their overall sound

Bright Like Neon Love was Cut Copy’s first album, released in 2004. The early sounds of Cut Copy

consist of wavy, oscillating notes of a synthesizer backing the voice of Dan Whitford. As most dance music goes, the drums dominate the path the songs take, cymbals crashing and bass drums booming. The beat of Saturdays is almost enough to resonate through the walls, and the commanding bassline of Going Nowhere has a mind of its own. The beauty of dance and electronica music is fantastically portrayed by Cut Copy, whose drumbeats pump life into its songs like a heart. The driving force of the album is the constant drone of synth chords backing all the sounds, creating a very full atmosphere of resounding instruments. Autobahn Music Box has some of the clearest buzzes of continuous music. The chanting of “I don’t wanna wake up dreaming it’s a year ago, I don’t wanna go, oh I just wanna be with you” paired with fast drum beats is enchanting and sufficient enough to get stuck in anybody’s head.

Photo from wikimedia.org

Photo from Hypertrak.com

Zonoscope

Cut Copy, formed in 2001, is an Australian indie techno (indietronica) group. Since their first single release in 2001, their sound has been easily distinguished by its funky synthesizers, various percussion instruments, a distinguished bass, and Dan Whitford’s unmistakable voice. Since then, they have toured the world with bands such as Franz Ferdinand, The Presets, and Bloc Party. Their most recent album, Zonoscope, was released in 2010, and became the number three album on Australian music charts. It was also nominated for Best Dance/Electronica at the Grammy Awards in 2012. The album is perhaps the band’s biggest claim to fame, with a total of five singles released from the album. Beginning with Need You Now, Zonoscope carries out a pattern of heavy bass, conspicuous drumbeats, and tons of synthesizers accompanied by special effects. The overall ideas radiating from the album is very different from Cut Copy’s previous two albums, which were more hardcore dance music. Zonoscope contains more pop elements and uses lighter-sounding instruments. The combination of these effects gave way to a new sound, and it’s one that the general public obviously admires. Where I’m Going was one of the most popular singles off the album, and was featured in a few commercials. Vocal chanting makes up a huge part of the song, which has been compared to a Kasabian-style piece. Cut Copy’s experimentation with new music styles becomes obvious in Alisa, a 4-minute track that features guitar riffs rather than synth melodies - a rare trait in the Australian group’s work. When the album finally comes to a rest at the end of Corner of the Sky, all the colors and ideas weave together to lend a very complete feeling to the album. The sound is mature, yet brings listeners to their feet dancing.

Concerts. CDs. Records.

Waterloo Records Austin Music at your Fingertips 600 N Lamar Blvd Austin, Texas 78703

W S SX

13 0 2 f o dness

a M d n a e Music

Th

The upcoming year for SXSW promises Austin a lengthy line-up of indie and alternative bands from all over the world. From Alt-J to Cave Painting, the Spring Break of 2013 in Austin, TX cannot be missed.

Alt-J Deriving its name from the two keys on a Mac computer that produce the delta symbol, Alt-J is an indie rock band from Leeds, England. Their first album, “An Awesome Wave,” made its way over to America in September 2012 and has since brought them to Austin City Limits festival in October, as well as on a tour around the world. Their work has been compared to bands such as Hot Chip, Wild Beasts, and Everything Everything. Some of the lyrics in their songs were influenced by band member Joe Newman’s musician of a father, as well as drugs.

Photo from http://userserve-ak.last.fm.com

The Black and White Years

A band native to Austin, The Black and White Years are an indie art rock group.

They are often seen at Austin City Limits Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and of course SXSW, which was where Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison first noticed and offered to produce the work of the band. Their song “Power to Change” won Song of the Year in Austin’s 2009 Music Awards. Their criticallyacclaimed work has made both the band and the city of Austin famous for its alternative music.

Picture from http://theaudioperv.com

Civil Twilight Civil Twilight is an alternative/indie rock band that originated in Cape Town, South Africa. They have toured with Mutemath, Young the Giant, Florence and the Machine, Neon Trees, and Silversun Pickups. All of the members grew up in musical households, inspired to play by their own musical roots. The band became an instant success, and has already frequented Milwaukee Summerfest, Bumbershoot, and played a main stage at Austin City Limits festival 2012. Their music contains some resemblance to their inspirations - Oasis, Grizzly Bear, and The National.

Picture from http://cdn.ticketfly.com

Facts compiled from Wikipedia

Funeral Suits Straight out of Dublin, Ireland, this alternative rock group strives to write catchy indie tunes. Attention was drawn to them when Franz Ferdinand noticed them and asked them to play gigs with them. From then on, the band’s popularity grew and the lads from the Emerald Isle have been traveling the world. Although their name isn’t too big (possibly due to the fact that they have not released many albums), their appearance at SXSW 2013 is sure to spike some curiosity among indie music-lovers.

Picture from http://www. rhythmcircus.co.uk

Paper Lions

Formerly known as the Chucky Danger Band, Paper Lions is an indie pop band based in Canada. In 2010, they were chosen to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games after the release of their album Trophies. They have played alongside bands like The Golden Dogs, Electric Six, and Collective Soul. Their music video for the single “Lost the War” was nominated for a CBC Bucky Award. After they changed their band name to Paper Lions and released Trophies, they were invited to play alongside Cake.

Picture from blog.thrillcall.com

Cheers Elephant A psychadelic pop rock quartet from Philadelphia, Pensylvania, Cheers Elephant has the musical style of one of The Kink’s B-sides. Their musicality has won them positive feedback from experienced musicians like David Bowie and former Talking Heads members. They have shared the stage with The Go! Team and Devo, and have toured the Northeast and Midwest. The group includes a very close-knit family made up of two cousins and two friends since kindergarten. In other news, they have consistently won the “Best Indie Rock Hair Cuts” for the past five years.

Picture from http://www.origivation.com

Cave Painting A quintet who has headlined Pavilion Theatre, Cave Painting is an indie rock band from Brighton, UK. They see their music as complex, thoughtful, and borderline minimalist. They have been touring the world playing gigs with their atmospheric and angelic music. They were formerly known as Rob the Rich, but after releasing a single and writing songs together for six months, they felt that they matured together as a band and chose a new name for this transformation. Now, Cave Painting is playing shows and gigs everywhere.

Picture from http://welovecreate.com

Blues on the Green

by Alex Martinez

View of Downtown Austin and capitol from congress street. The Texas capitol actually consist of more people than the nations capitol. Photo by milpool79

Silence is in the air. Wood creaks as The Eastern Sea steps on stage. The crowd anticipates the performance and doesn’t know what to expect . They begin to play, vibrations of the guitar and beats of the drums fill the air. People begin to smile and tap their feet to the beat.

Soon everyone is cheering them on, having a great time at Blues on the Green.

People from all over Austin come to listen to music and be entertained at Austin’s largest free concert Blues on the Green, now in its 3rd year. It’s also a great time for Austinites to come together and embrace the title of live music capital of the world. The concert is active every other Wednesday and takes place at Zilker park.

“It’s fun, but laid back. Not too hectic, which I found enjoyable,” says Anna Bausch local resident of Austin and senior student at Jack C. Hays high school.

It’s not what someone would expect at a concert.

Regularly, concerts are a frenzied mess with people yelling. The same can’t be said for Blues on the Green. It consist of a “breathe-easy” atmosphere.

“

It’s fun, but laid back. Not too hectic...

”

Austinites preparing for Blues on the Green in its first year, consisting of about 60% of Austin. Photo by Steve Hopson

It’s a very casual and comfortable experience.

The genre of music that is mostly played a folksy alternative and pop elements, which is perfect for the outdoor and people who favor the genre.

Who wouldn’t want to loosen up outside? People are there to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, when nightfall hits people become more energetic, though it mostly relies on what band is playing. The high powered bands usually get saved for last and the people can get a little crazy and energetic, though it may just be the alcohol kicking in. One band that got everyone pumped about was The Eastern Sea. “It was in front of maybe 10,600 more people than we’re usually in front of.” said Matt Hines songwriter and vocalist from The Eastern Sea, an up and coming indie band. For bands it can be a huge step up from what level they were playing at, it could make or break their career. Like The Eastern Sea, many bands gain notoriety from playing at Blues on the Green. It’s a big step up for them, mainly because of the sheer amount of people attending gets them noticed. Because entry is completely free, people are bound to come, and with rising fame of Blues on the Green, more

A man relaxes with his dogs at Blues on the Green. Photo by Steve Hopson

Austinites are drawn to the free music played by local Austin bands.

“Its a great exposure to an audience that wouldn’t normally be at your show.” Hines said, which is proof of the great number of people that participate at this event.

“It’s really fun, the music and atmosphere is awesome,” said Bausch.

The Rise of

By Rachael Ellisor

SPOON

Since Then:

2007

Photo Courtesy of mergerecords.com

The album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is released and debuts as number 10 on the Billboard 200

The band’s music has been the soundtrack for many well known American TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother and movies such as 17 Again and Horrible Bosses

2010

The album Transference is released and ranked 10th on the Billboard 200 for selling more than 53,000 copies in the first week.

2006

The song “The Way We Get By” on the album Kill the Moonlight becomes popularized after its use in the movie Stranger Than Fiction

2005

The Album Gimme Fiction Released and listed Number 44 on the top 200 chart for selling more than 160,000 copies Photo Courtesy of albumoftheyear.org

2001

Release of Album Girls Can Tell

2000

Release of Album Love Ways

1998

Release of the album A Series of Sneaks with Elektra records

1996

First release of album Telephono with Matador Records

Courtesy of musicstacks.com

Photo courtesy of indievinylreviews.com

1994

Vinyl release of the EP Nefarious

1993

The band is formed by lead singer and guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno. Named in honor of a hit song by the 1970’s avant-garde band, Can.

Photo courtesy of musicstack.com

facts compiled from www.wikipedia.com/spoon

PASSION PIT Gossamer

Released July 20 2012 Available in music stores near you

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